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The Redmond company has released new security baselines and settings packs for Windows Server 2008 R2, Office 2010, Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8 (IE8), designed to be used in concert with the company’s Security Compliance Manager tool.
Security Baselines are available for both Windows Server 2008 R2 and Office 2010, while Windows 7 and IE8 received setting packs.
“The Windows 7 and Windows Internet Explorer 8 setting packs, in combination with the Security Compliance Manager tool, will enable you to define baselines that include settings outside the scope of the security baselines from Microsoft,” noted Microsoft’s Jeff Alexander.
“Use these new resources to define custom baselines, meet business-critical needs, and elevate the security of Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8.”
The software giant explains that the latest security resources have been catalyzed by feedback from customers.
It appears that companies leveraging Security Compliance Manager tool requested the inclusion of the Group Policy settings to the Microsoft-recommended baselines into the solution.
The Redmond company put together the setting packs in response to user input, simplifying the creation of custom baselines which can be used for GPO backups, DCM configuration packs, and SCAP content with the Security Compliance Manager tool.
“The security baselines for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Microsoft Office 2010 provide you with free Microsoft-recommended solutions to meet today's security challenges.
“In combination with best-practice guidance and the Security Compliance Manager tool, the baselines are designed to help you plan, deploy, and monitor the security of computers running Windows Server 2008 R2 and of Office 2010 applications.
“Both releases also include a setting pack (for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Office 2010, respectively) enabling you to define baselines that include settings outside the scope of the security baselines from Microsoft,” Alexander added.
According to the Redmond company, the new security baselines and settings packs are only a temporary solution.
Alexander promised that Microsoft is hard at work building a new version of the Security Compliance Manager tool, one that will no longer require customers to use standalone resources independent from the security solution in order to simplify the addition of the settings to their baseline.
However, Alexander did not provide any indication as to when a new version of the Security Compliance Manager tool is planned for delivery.
The Security Compliance Manager tool is available for download here.