Finding ways to make the home office more appealing and enjoyable is a constant. I've tinkered with RGB lighting and had some success over the years, but without a vision, it was incomplete, there's still room for improvement and let us be honest you can't have enough RBG. I've taken inspiration from CyberPunk as well as watching plenty of YouTube videos on office setups for Gamers. I'm also a big fan of Japanese Anime and Alter Carbon season 1. Let's not mention season 2, which dumbed down, mangled and then discarded the best bits of books 2 and 3, I'd like to take you on a tour of the transformation from an uninspiring (boring) office, as demonstrated by the picture below, into a visually appealing office with the simple use of RGB lights and some work focus tech upgrades. The Lighting: Govee Glide Hexa Light Panels * 20 Panels - £380 Govee Alexa LED Strip Lights 10m - £31 LED Aluminum Profile U Shape 6Pack 1M - £22 FEAHRZEUG Smart LED Ambient Light Bars - £35 KSIPZE 30m Led Strip Lights RGB - £21 The Govee Hexa panels support 12 connected panels via 1 power supply. Or linking all 20 panels with both power leads attached. For me, this would have resulted in leads trailing down the wall. So, I've opted for 2 separate 10 panel configurations. The overall connectivity had its limitations, given that each panel had just one input and one output. This constraint restricted the scope for creating more intricate patterns. The cheaper and less LED dense KSIPZE strips were discreetly installed under the desk or in less conspicuous areas. While the Govee's higher density LED's were placed inside the diffusers. The hobby that I get paid for is IT, the upside is that it requires lots of gadgets and tech for testing and development. The downside, without a doubt, is the cost involved. However, I see it as an investment. The more I invest in making things quicker, more efficient, and more effective, the quicker I can complete projects. This helps me justify the following monitor upgrades..... The 34" monitors were been switched out for an LG 40WP95CP and LG 27UL550P . The LG 40WP95CP 40" monitor has a pixel density of approximately 140 PPI, compared to the typical range between 55 to 110 PPI. While this lower pixel density might be suitable for gaming, it's less than ideal for office-based productivity tasks where a higher pixel density often leads to sharper and more detailed on-screen content. The 27” is orientated in portrait for the long read and scripting. The only issue is that the refresh rates on both monitors reduces to 30Hz as the main workhorse laptop’s GPU isn’t up to the job. The reduction of refresh rate isn’t a massive issue as I’m not a PC gamer and YouTube doesn’t seem to be too badly affected. But it does tell me that more hardware is required, something water cooled with internal RBG. Of course, no CyberPunk office is complete without a cityscape and a very cool car Etsy Mcarlen P1 - Standard Post 50cm * 70cm - £74 EleksMaker Elekstube IPS Nixie Tube Digital Clock Now, onto my favourite part, the Nixie Tube clock. While it's not a genuine Nixie Tube due to their high cost, this is an excellent alternative, featuring six distinct clock faces, including a simulated Nixie Tube display. Amazon.com - £243 elekstube.com - £150 + £12 expedited delivery Thank you for taking the time reading this blog regarding the RGB office upgrades Stay tuned for more updates, as I'm hoping to add further enhancements, any ideas would be gratefully received.

Sweating the Assets It's time to bid farewell to the ageing NUC hardware, the current NUCs are from the 5th and 6th generations, dating back to 2016, and they've been in constant operation since their initial deployment. These systems are now struggling to keep up with the demands placed on them, especially NUC2, which regularly maxes out its CPU as it valiantly attempts to handle the workload of running SCCM and SCOM. There's a little nod to one of the best Syfy series ever, cruelly cut short, comment below if you know the name of the series. What's a NUC The Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) is an ideal choice for home labs due to its compact form factor, versatility, high performance and energy efficiency. Depending on the NUC variant this miniature PC can pack a powerful punch, ranging from a lowly i3 to an i9 processor and dedicated GPU in the form of the Intel Raptor Extreme, making it perfect for various lab setups and experimentation. Windows Server and Hyper-V I'm pretty agnostic as long as it's Microsoft, only kidding. Deploying Windows Servers as Hyper-V hosts in a home lab environment offers several advantages and a few disadvantages. The key advantages are: Multipurpose Functionality : Hyper-V hosts can serve as versatile servers, not limited to just virtualization. They can join the domain, be managed via System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), and be monitored through System Center Operations Manager (SCOM). DFS Replication : Hyper-V hosts can host Distributed File System Replication (DFSR) File Servers for replicating user and group shares, enhancing data redundancy and availability. Deduplication : The virtual machines running on Hyper-V hosts can take advantage of deduplication, which helps save storage space by eliminating redundant data. However, there are some disadvantages to consider: Complexity : Managing enterprise-level services, such as SCCM and SCOM, can be complex and may require significant setup and maintenance effort, even in a home lab environment. Cost : Subscribing to Microsoft's Action Pack, so Servers don't time bomb after 90 days inflicts an annual cost of £450. Luckily for me, the company picks up the cost, this is not an option for everyone. Intel NUC 13 Hardware I acquired the new Intel NUC from www.scan.co.uk due to its competitive pricing, which proved to be a bit more budget-friendly in comparison to other websites. The hardware components that were acquired include a 2TB Samsung 990, which might be a bit overkill for running Windows OS and possibly hosting a virtual Domain Controller. In contrast, the 4TB 870 is intended to accommodate the bulk of the virtual machines (VMs). LN1359491 - Intel Arena Canyon i7 Tall NUC = £569.99 LN1192071 - 2x32G Corsair Vengence = £119.99 LN130047 - 2TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2 SSD = £161.99 LN1136891 - Samsung 4TB 870 EVO 2.5 = £189.98 Here's a quick how to install all the components: Install the Vengence RAM and the Samsung 990 Pro after carefully removing the base. Remove the 4 rubber grommets from the base. Slot the 4TB 870 EVO 2.5 connecting it to the SATA interface. Using the supplied screws secure the 2.5 SSD. Windows Server 2022 Installation Media Creating Windows boot media involves preparing a USB drive that can be used to install a Windows operating system. The initial and critically important step is to download the latest firmware and drivers, which you can access by following the provided link below. https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/233114/intel-nuc-13-pro-board-nuc13anbi7/downloads.html It seems that the drivers included for the Intel NUC 13 Pro aren't compatible with Windows Server 2022. However, the Intel LAN Drivers tailored for the Intel 12th Gen NUC do work. Intel LAN-Win11-1.1.3.34 As an optional step, you can download the latest Windows Server 2022 Cumulative Update and copy it to the USB pen. This ensures that when network connectivity is established the most recent Windows patches are applied. USB Preparations You can download Windows Media in the form of an .iso file from Microsoft or the Partner site at a cost of £450 per year (includes many other benefits). Double click the iso to mount it on your computer. Copy the entire contents of the mounted image to an empty USB drive. Don't forget to include the necessary drivers and firmware files on the USB drive as well. Windows Server Installation Once you've connected the NUC's power supply, KVM, and the network, insert the USB pen with the bootable Windows installation files and drivers. Then, power on the NUC. Windows will boot and then follow the installation prompts. At the point of selecting the disk ensure it's the Samsun 990. I'm going to split the 2Tb and allocate 120Gb to the Windows OS partition. Set the Administrator password at the prompt and then log on. Install the drivers, firmware and any additional patches and reboot where necessary. Run 'diskmgmt.msc' to create any required partitions and assign drive letters. Run 'sysdm.cpl' and enable Remote Desktop access, allowing the NUC's KVM to be disconnected. Drivers for the Onboard NIC Now to resolve the connectivity issues and install the network drivers. At the run command type "Devmgmt.msc", select the network device and update drivers. Select 'Browse my computer for drivers' Select 'Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer' Select 'Have Disk...' and then browse to the Intel NIC drivers for the NUC Gen 12. Select the 'Killer E3100 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Controller'. Select 'Yes' to the warning. Either set an IP address or allow DHCP to automatically assign an IP. Check for Windows Defender and any other missing updates. Hyper-V Setup Open PowerShell as Administrator (elevated) and execute the following command to install Hyper-V: Install-WindowsFeature -Name Hyper-V -IncludeManagementTools -Restart Once restarted configure the following Hyper-V settings: Create a new 'External' virtual switch, allowing management operations. Set the Virtual Hard Disks and Virtual Machines to point to the 4Tb 870 partition, mines on Z:\. Enable both Enhanced Session Mode check boxes. The NUC will be joined to the Domain with the LAPS, SCCM and SCOM agents installed automatically. The process of migrating VMs from the old NUCs is quite straightforward. Begin by removing any snapshots and shutting down the VMs. Then, proceed to perform a direct network copy of the VMs' directory structure to Z:\VM, followed by importing the VMs. Thanks For Your Time Thank you for taking the time to read this blog about the new Intel NUC for my home lab. We hope this information has been valuable. Stay tuned for more tech updates, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further assistance.

Microsoft’s Deployment Toolkit (MDT) supports integration with SQL Server providing far better control over deployment options, eg Client A gets Task Sequence 1, whereas Client B gets Task Sequence 2, both are assigned their respective static IP's. Previously I completed a comprehensive series on deploying MDT ( here ) including SQL Server Express integration and baulk import of client data into SQL. In this article, I’ll address common connection issues that may arise between MDT and SQL Server and how to fault find those issues. If you had followed the guides, the subsequent steps are likely unnecessary. Nevertheless, it is beneficial to offer guidance on diagnosing connection issues. The current MDT server is equipped with SQL, but in my haste, I had overlooked certain post-integration steps. As a result, there is a noticeable delay at the 'CSetting' stage during the initial WinPE for client deployment. Certain prerequisites must be met, including the establishment of a functional MDT server and the installation and configuration of SQL Express with the necessary connection settings listed in CustomSettings. PXE boot a client to the point where it's possible to select a Task Sequence. As WinPE offers limited diagnostic functionality and tools, it's back to the basics with Notepad and logs. Press F8 to access the command prompt CD to 'X:\MININT\SMSOSD\OSDLogs\' or execute the following command: Notepad X:\MININT\SMSOSD\OSDLogs\ZTIGather.log Near the bottom of the log search for SQL Connection errors: ZTI error opening SQL Connection: Unable to establish database connection using [CSETTINGS] properties If you are not aware SQL uses the SQL Browser service on port UDP 1434 for application communications. Two potential issues warrant investigation. First, verify that the SQL Browser service is configured to start automatically by accessing services.msc. The second issue involves checking UDP port 1434 in the Inbound firewall rules. However, if you prefer to confirm the port, proceed with the following steps. Utilize either wf.msc or gpedit.msc to set up Windows Firewall Public Profile logging for dropped packets only following the example below. Restart and PXE the client to the Task Sequence window. On the MDT Server launch Notepad with Administrative permissions and open: C:\Windows\System32\Logfiles\Firewall\PFirewall.log Search for the IP of the client. Note the dropped packets on 1434. While on the MDT server, launch either gpedt.msc or wf.msc. Add an inbound UDP rule to allow port 1434. Return to the client, restart and then review the ZTIGather.log as previously demonstrated. The error is pretty self-explanatory. The MDT Service account requires login and access rights to the MDT SQL Database. Switch to the MDT Server and open SQL Server Management Studio. Browse to Security then Logins. Right click on Logins and select 'New Login' If you followed the preceding installation guides, you likely created a service account to grant access to the MDT share and its credentials are listed in CustomSettings.ini and BootStrap.ini. Add this account as a Windows Login to SQL. Adjust the User Mapping by granting db_dataread access to the MDT database for the service account. Review the ZTIGather.log after restarting the client for a final time and confirm the successful access to SQL. The settings for clients included in the MDT Database will now take precedence over CustomSettings.

Hey PowerShell enthusiasts! Ever wondered how to beef up your script security? Not every system gets the luxury of a Certificate Authority (CA)? Imagine your scheduled management scripts getting messed around by that one admin who loves tinker or worse, some bad actors. Today, let's tackle that risk head-on! We're diving into the world of self-signed certificates and code signing to keep your scripts safe and sound. Creating self-signed certificates for PowerShell script validation involves generating digital certificates locally and without relying on a Certificate Authority (CA). Using PowerShell's New-SelfSignedCertificate cmdlet, parameters like Subject and KeyUsage are specified. This process allows script integrity through code signing.   Once created, the certificate can be used to digitally sign scripts with the `Set-AuthenticodeSignature` cmdlet, providing a level of assurance about the script's legitimacy and origin.   Self-signed certificates may lack third-party validation, they boost script security by mitigating the risks of unauthorized changes. Still, be cautious; mishandling self-signed certificates could introduce vulnerabilities. Properly document and securely distribute certificates to maintain signed PowerShell script integrity in controlled environments. This guide is geared towards Active Directory Domains lacking a CA and DevOps keen on signing their PowerShell scripts. Don't worry; we're all about good practices here! To get started, make sure you have an offline Windows Server for crafting your Self-Signed certificate, a Windows 11 client (not extensively tested, but should work), and a separate client for testing the signed scripts with Admin access for tweaking Group Policy and importing certificates into the local machine store. Less chat more script..... Certificate Server Here are the key snippets from the script – the ones that matter. The script is downloadable from Github. https://github.com/Tenaka/Self-Signed-Certificates Declare working directories, either create the directories or allow the script to, not forgetting to add scripts that need signing to "C:\_PSScripts\". $certExport = "C:\_Certs\" $ScriptRepo = "C:\_PSScripts\" Set parameters. $params = @{ Subject = 'Self Signed PS Code Signing' DnsName = ' Self@Tenaka.net ' FriendlyName = 'Self Signed PS Code Signing' NotAfter = (Get-Date).AddYears(5) Type = 'CodeSigning' CertStoreLocation = 'cert:\CurrentUser\My' KeyUsage = 'DigitalSignature' KeyAlgorithm = 'RSA' KeyLength = 2048 HashAlgorithm = 'sha256' } Create a new self-signed certificate based on the above parameters and send the details to 'newCodeSigningCert' variable for reference later. New-SelfSignedCertificate @params -OutVariable newCodeSigningCert Export the public key to the file system. Export-Certificate -Cert "cert:\CurrentUser\My\$($newCodeSigningCert.Thumbprint)" -FilePath "$($certExport)\CodeSigning.cer" Re-import certificate into Trusted Root otherwise it's not possible to validate any signed scripts. Import-Certificate -FilePath "$($certExport)\CodeSigning.cer" -Cert Cert:\LocalMachine\root   Sign all scripts in C:\_PSScripts using a Foreach loop $gtPSscripts = Get-ChildItem -Path $ScriptRepo -filter *.ps1 -Recurse -Force foreach ($PSscriptItem in $gtPSscripts) {Set-AuthenticodeSignature $PSscriptItem.fullname -Certificate (Get-ChildItem "cert:\CurrentUser\My\$($newCodeSigningCert.Thumbprint)" -CodeSigningCert)} And there you have it! Snag those signed scripts and the exported certificate (.cer), then copy them over to the test client. Easy peasy! Check out any of the signed scripts, and you'll spot a signature block appended to the script. # SIG # Begin signature block # MIIFrQYJKoZIhvcNAQcCoIIFnjCCBZoCAQExCzAJBgUrDgMCGgUAMGkGCisGAQQB # gjcCAQSgWzBZMDQGCisGAQQBgjcCAR4wJgIDAQAABBAfzDtgWUsITrck0sYpfvNR # vhJhRK4rqe9AhAcGnbPDQg37+EgaN93UzTn2YIOVmbFrQcOwQfDJEzzVOrkLKJdX # yjdMD070/gJajAELBJDoxsY= # SIG # End signature block Test the Signed Scripts on a Client Let's assume the freshly signed scripts and certificate file reside in the same directories. Now open PowerShell with admin rights and execute the following commands. Declare the working directories. $certExport = "C:\_Certs\" $ScriptRepo = "C:\_PSScripts\" Import the certificate into the Trusted Root LocalMachine Certificate store. Import-Certificate -FilePath "$($certExport)\CodeSigning.cer" -Cert Cert:\LocalMachine\root To prevent the following prompt: Do you want to run software from this untrusted publisher? File C:\_PSScripts\gwmi-signed.ps1 is published by CN=Self Signed PS Code Signing and is not trusted on your system. Only run scripts from trusted publishers. [V] Never run [D] Do not run [R] Run once [A] Always run [?] Help (default is "D"): A Import the certificate into the Trusted Publishers LocalMachine Certificate store to prevent any prompts when executing the scripts. Import-Certificate -FilePath "$($certExport)\CodeSigning.cer" -Cert Cert:\LocalMachine\AuthRoot Launch Group Policy Editor or gpedit.msc. Browse to Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows PowerShell Enable 'Turn on Script Execution', select 'Allow Only Signed Scritps' in the drop-down and click OK. Run 'gpupdate /force' to apply the settings. If your scripts have a digital signature using your own certificate, they'll run smoothly in PowerShell. But the ones that aren't signed won't work. Perfect Script Security... mostly. Scripts that are signed and then updated without re-signing won't run either and you'll receive the error below.  .\gwmi-signed.ps1 .\gwmi-signed.ps1 : File C:\_PSScripts\gwmi-signed.ps1 cannot be loaded. The file C:\Certs\gwmi-signed.ps1 is not digitally signed. You cannot run this script on the current system. For more information about running scripts and setting execution policy. Bypassing the Execution Policy from PowerShell isn't possible. Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Bypass Execution Policy Change The execution policy helps protect you from scripts that you do not trust. Changing the execution policy might expose you to the security risks [Y] Yes [A] Yes to All [N] No [L] No to All [S] Suspend [?] Help (default is "N"): y Set-ExecutionPolicy : Windows PowerShell updated your execution policy successfully, but the setting is overridden by a policy defined at a more specific scope. Due to the override, your shell will retain its current effective ReadMe: PowerShell_ISE doesn't impose any limitations or restrictions. Unlike other environments, it doesn't enforce the Execution Policy, allowing the execution of any script, whether signed or not. Keep it Secret, Keep it Safe A PFX certificate, also called PKCS#12 or P12, is a file format used for keeping and moving cryptographic stuff like private keys and their matching public key certificates. It provides a secure way to store and share these sensitive elements. A PFX file typically includes: Private Key Public Key Certificate Certificate Chain Password Protection Once you use the New-SelfSignedCertificate command, the resulting certificate comes with both the public and private keys and can be exported as a PFX file containing the private key – basically, the whole shebang. That's why it's crucial to keep the signing server offline and well-guarded. It's also a good idea to back up the certificate, just for safety or to migrate to another host. The following commands will do just that Create a secure string password. $CertPassword = ConvertTo-SecureString -String "ChangeME1234" -Force -AsPlainText Export the private key as a pfx and password protect. Export-PfxCertificate -Cert "cert:\CurrentUser\My\$($newCodeSigningCert.Thumbprint)" -FilePath "$($certExport)\selfsigncert.pfx" -Password $CertPassword Happy scripting! Remember, signing your PowerShell scripts with a self-signed certificate adds an extra layer of security to your code. Stay vigilant, keep those scripts locked and loaded with your personalized signature, and code on with confidence! Thanks for your time, really appreciate it! Take care and goodbye!

Introduction to Ansible Welcome to this introduction to managing Windows from Ansible, unlike Microsoft's management solutions, it's free and agentless! Imagine a single tool that automates the setup, configuration, and maintenance of multiple Windows and Linux servers. With its simplicity, Ansible lets you easily orchestrate your server infrastructure. No more manual tasks, no more sleepless nights—just smooth sailing through the seas of automation. Well, it will allow those repetitive tasks to be automated at least. Aims for Ansible This article aims to offer straightforward guidance on configuring Ansible for the management of a non-domain joined Windows Server via the execution of remote tasks. Subsequent articles will expand upon this foundation by incorporating features such as Vault's password management, domain-joined servers, and Kerberos authentication. What you will need to download Latest Ubuntu Desktop Download ISO https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop Visual Code for Linux https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/setup/linux Windows WinRM Configurator Script https://github.com/AlbanAndrieu/ansible-windows/blob/master/files/ConfigureRemotingForAnsible.ps1 Ansible Documentation https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/index.html Ansible Host and Yaml Files https://github.com/Tenaka/Ansible/tree/main Pick your Linux of Choice (Ubuntu Desktop) I'll be opting for my less preferred Linux distribution, Ubuntu Desktop. However, I find it to be the most user-friendly choice for Microsoft-focused engineers. Rocky Linux is a viable alternative, though its configuration might involve additional steps. I won't go into a detailed step-by-step installation of Linux, but simply download the ISO, mount it within your preferred VM solution and install, following the default setup. Some Sort of Virtualization or Cloud I'll be opting for Hyper-V as my preferred virtualization platform to host both Ubuntu and Windows Server 2022. Its seamless integration with both Windows Server and Windows 11 client eliminates any compatibility or migration concerns I may face moving images between the 2. There are two recommended Hyper-V configurations for Linux installation. Opt for a Generation 2 VM to enable Secure Boot capability, and within the Security section of the VM, select 'Microsoft UEFI Certificate Authority'. Post-deployment, run the following command from PowerShell, once the Linux VM is powered down, select the resolution that aligns best with your monitor. Set-VMVideo Ansible2 -horizontalresolution: 1900 -verticalresolution: 1200 -ResolutionType Single Update Ubuntu After successfully deploying Ubuntu, it is crucial to install any updates to ensure the smooth execution of future installations by running the following command from a shell terminal. sudo apt-get update -y && apt-get upgrade -y Install Ansible Ansible is installed with the following command. sudo apt-get install ansible -y List currently installed collections, as you will see there's support for OS, Cloud, Network devices and much more. ansible-galaxy collection list To update the Windows community collection that's installed by default. ansible-galaxy collection install community.windows To install the latest stable collection by Ansible, run the following ansible-galaxy collection install ansible.windows Before continuing type ip address in the terminal and record for later use. Install Microsoft's Visual Code for Linux To assist with writing Yaml and to minimise the moving of files Microsoft's Visual Code for Linux will be installed on Ubuntu. If you can't outdo them, it seems the strategy is to join them. Well played Microsoft. Instructions can be found @ https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/setup/linux for Ubuntu and other distro's. For Ubuntu follow the next set of instructions. sudo apt-get install wget gpg wget -qO- https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | gpg --dearmor > packages.microsoft.gpg sudo install -D -o root -g root -m 644 packages.microsoft.gpg /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.microsoft.gpg sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64,arm64,armhf signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.microsoft.gpg] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/code stable main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.list' rm -f packages.microsoft.gpg sudo apt install apt-transport-https sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install code Launch Visual Code once it's installed, then create a new directory in the Documents directory named Ansible. That concludes the installation and configuration of Ubuntu and Ansible. Now, let's proceed to the setup of Windows. WinRM and Windows Server Configuring Windows for remote management from Ansible is a little involved with instructions available from the Anisble website: Windows Setup https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/os_guide/windows_setup.html Nevertheless, there exists a pre-configured script accessible on Github: Windows Anisble Configurator Script https://github.com/AlbanAndrieu/ansible-windows/blob/master/files/ConfigureRemotingForAnsible.ps1 To get up and running with this basic implementation download the ' ConfigureRemotingForAnsible.ps1 ' and execute the script from PowerShell with Administrative rights. A cautionary note: the implemented configuration is open, granting remote WinRM access to any client. To address this, simply modify lines 417 and 423 by adding the specific remote IP of the Ansible server; in my case, it's 10.1.1.100. This updates the firewall from allowing any address to that of the one specified. 10.1.1.1 = Windows Server 10.1.1.100 = Ubuntu\Ansible ln 417 netsh advfirewall firewall add rule profile=any name="Allow WinRM HTTPS" dir=in localport=5986 protocol=TCP action=allow remoteIP=10.1.1.100 ln 423 netsh advfirewall firewall set rule name="Allow WinRM HTTPS" new profile=any remoteIP=10.1.1.100 To assess WinRM access from another Windows client, input the following commands in PowerShell. Remember to update the password and AnsibleIP with your system's information. In case the Windows Firewall imposes the above RemoteIP restriction, include the test client's IP in the 'Allow WinRM HTTPS' remote scope firewall rule. $username = "administrator" $password = ConvertTo-SecureString -String "ChangeMe1234" -AsPlainText -Force $cred = New-Object -TypeName System.Management .Automation.PSCredential -ArgumentList $username, $password $session_option = New-PSSessionOption -SkipCACheck -SkipCNCheck -SkipRevocationCheck Invoke-Command -ComputerName AnisbleIP -UseSSL -ScriptBlock { ipconfig } -Credential $cred -SessionOption $session_option Confirm that the WinRM Service is running. Get-Service WinRM If the WinRM service isn't started execute the following to set the service to automatic and start. Set-Service -Name WinRM -StartupType Automatic -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue Get-Service -Name WinRM | Start-Service To get the WinRM configuration execute the following: winrm enumerate winrm/config/listener Listener Address = * Transport = HTTP Port = 5985 Hostname Enabled = true URLPrefix = wsman CertificateThumbprint ListeningOn = 10.1.1.1, 127.0.0.1, ::1, fe80::a81e:3b96:6d3b:3d6c%3 Listener Address = * Transport = HTTPS Port = 5986 Hostname = WIN-JE1B7QU8B8R Enabled = true URLPrefix = wsman CertificateThumbprint = FC24D87A798ECA4EA8BF4EE0C8CD7FD2CC51A67C ListeningOn = 10.1.1.1, 127.0.0.1, ::1, fe80::a81e:3b96:6d3b:3d6c%3 Ansible Environment In Ansible, host files and YAML are crucial in defining and organizing the infrastructure you intend to manage. Host Files: A host file in Ansible is where you specify the details of the servers or systems you want to manage. It typically includes information like IP addresses, hostnames, and grouping of hosts based on certain criteria (e.g., development, production). Host files help Ansible understand the inventory of systems it can control, making it an essential component for playbook execution. Without Ansible Vault passwords are hardcoded and clear text within the Hosts file. Vault will be covered in a subsequent article. [Windows] 10.1.1.1 [Windows: vars] ansible_user=administrator ansible_password="ChangeMe1234" ansible_connection=winrm ansible_winrm_scheme=https ansible_port=5986 ansible_winrm_server_cert_validation=ignore ansible_kerberos_delegation=false YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language): YAML is a human-readable data serialization format often used for configuration files and data exchange between languages with different data structures. In Ansible, YAML is used to write playbooks, which are scripts that define the tasks to be executed on the managed hosts. It uses indentation to represent data hierarchy, making it easy to read. Writing can present a bit of a challenge as its hierarchal nature requires the structure to be indented and spaced correctly. In this example, the contents from the Ansible directory are copied to the targeted Windows Administrator's Desktop. --- - name: Copy hosts: Windows become: false gather_facts: false vars: source: "/home/user/Documents/Ansible" destination: "Desktop/" tasks: - name: copy ping ansible.windows.win _copy: src: "{{ source }}" dest: "{{ destination }}" Host and YAML files play a crucial role in making Ansible configurations clear, structured, and easy to manage. Host files define the inventory, while YAML defines the tasks and configurations to be applied to the hosts. Host File and Initial Test Ensure you're logged on to Ubuntu\Ansible and launch Visual Code. Navigate to '/home/user/Documents/Ansible' and create a file named hosts.ini. Taking the above host file as an example, incorporate the necessary details that match your Windows system and save the file. Or download the examples provided: https://github.com/Tenaka/Ansible/tree/main Let's create the most basic ping test to confirm access to Windows, create a file named 'ping.yml' and insert the following. --- - name: Ping Windows Test hosts: Windows gather_facts: false tasks: - name: Ping targets win_ping: Launch a shell and CD to '/home/user/Documents/Ansible'. Type and execute the following command ansible-playbook -i hosts.in i ping.yml Kudos on acing the Ansible setup for managing Windows! File Copies To and Fro Before delving into the YAML file, it's essential to acquaint yourself with the following path rules. The Windows path rules should be written in the following format. Good tempdir=C:\\Windows\\Temp Works tempdir='C:\\Windows\\Temp' tempdir="C:\\Windows\\Temp" Bad, but sometimes works tempdir=C:\Windows\Temp tempdir='C:\Windows\Temp' tempdir="C:\Windows\Temp" tempdir=C:/Windows/Temp Fails tempdir=C:\Windows\temp tempdir='C:\Windows\temp' tempdir="C:\Windows\temp" Copies the contents of the Ansible directory to the Desktop of the target Windows server. --- - name: Copy hosts: Windows become: false gather_facts: false vars: source: "/home/user/Documents/Ansible" destination: "Desktop/" tasks: - name: copy ping ansible.windows.win _copy: src: "{{ source }}" dest: "{{ destination }}" Copies a named file from the Windows Desktop up to the Ansible directory using 'fetch'. --- - name: Copy hosts: Windows become: false become_user: false gather_facts: false vars: source: "Desktop/test1.txt" destination: "/home/user/Documents/Ansible/test1.txt" tasks: - name: copy ping ansible.builtin.fetch: src: "{{ source }}" dest: "{{ destination }}" Further guidelines can be found @ https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/os_guide/windows_usage.html Basic Commands This concludes the introduction by running a command line on the designated Windows server and saving the results to a text file. --- - name: cmds hosts: Windows become: false gather_facts: false tasks: - name: some cmd win_command: cmd.exe /c whoami.exe > "Desktop\whoami.txt" - name: ipconfig win_command: cmd.exe /c ipconfig /all > "Desktop\ipconfig.txt" Finally Done! Thanks for your time reading this intro to managing Windows from Ansible. Creating each article demands time and effort, diverting me from other learning pursuits. Your comments and shares are highly valued and greatly appreciated. Finally, a big shout-out to Harv for opening my eyes to a life beyond SCCM.

Welcome Back Hey there! Glad to have you back for the second Ansible article. This time around, we're diving into Ansible Vault and how to keep those Microsoft Windows passwords safe by encrypting them whilst they are at rest. If you missed out on the last article regarding the setup of Ansible and handling some basic tasks on a non-domain joined Windows Server, make sure to catch up on that first, by following this link. https://www.tenaka.net/post/basic-ansible-setup-for-windows What is Ansible Vault Ansible Vault is a feature that allows users to encrypt sensitive information, such as passwords and secret keys, within Ansible playbooks and files. This encryption ensures that the secrets are secure while they are at rest. To encrypt a secret, you simply use the "ansible-vault encrypt" command followed by the name of the file or "ansible-vault encrypt_string 'Secret'" followed by the name to be assigned to the secret. You'll then be prompted to enter and confirm a password or passphrase. Once encrypted, the secret is stored in a format that is unreadable without the decryption key, providing a secure way to protect sensitive information within Ansible projects. Ansible Vault uses AES symmetric encryption by using the same password or passphrase for both encryption and decryption. Basic Commands Below are a few fundamental commands for utilizing Ansible Vault: Create an encrypted file ansible-vault create newFile.yml   Encrypt an existing file ansible-vault encrypt existingFile.yml   View encrypted content of a file anisble-vault view existingFile.yml   Edit the encrypted file ansible-vault edit existingFile.yml   Decrypt an encrypted file ansible-vault decrypt existingFile.yml   Change the password that encrypts\decrypts the secret (Rekeying) ansible-vault rekey existingFile.yml Create an encrypted string ansible-vault encrypt_string 'ChangeMe1234' --name ansible_password Help Yourselves.... A working set of files deploying ansible-vault with encrypted secrets can be found at the following link, do help yourselves. https://github.com/Tenaka/Ansible_Encrypted_Password Set Nano as the Default Editor To avoid ansible-vault opening new files with vi, let's designate Nano as the default editor. Type ' select-editor ' and then choose option 1 Let's prove it works before Encrypting I won't immediately introduce encrypted passwords into the mix. Instead, we'll set up and test the files using plain text passwords. Later, I'll encrypt them, this will aid in troubleshooting. Ansible Jinja2 is a templating engine used to create dynamic content within Ansible playbooks. It allows for the use of variables, conditionals, loops, and filters to customize configurations based on the environment or data. The ansible_password="{{vault_ansible_password}} " is one such example and it's used in the hosts.ini file and resolves to the values in win.yml. If you have been following, Visual Code for Linux is installed, if not nano will suffice. First, navigate to the Ansible directory previously creating under the Documents directory and execute the following command: mkdir win-encrypt Change Directory ( cd win-encrypt ) into the directory and create the following 3 files, hosts.ini, ping.yml and win.yml. This will provide a simple ping test to the Windows Server on 10.1.1.1 with the Administrator account and a password of 'ChangeMe1234'. Ensure that 'ping.yml' adheres to the Yaml framework or a whole world of pain and 'why aren't you working' will ensue. The "no_log: true" parameter in Ansible is used to prevent sensitive data, such as passwords or API keys, from being displayed in the console output or logged to files. Including this now will make life difficult, waiting until your fully working. hosts.ini [win] 10.1.1.1 [win:vars] ansible_user=administrator ansible_connection=winrm ansible_password="{{vault_ansible_password}}" ansible_winrm_scheme=https ansible_port=5986 ansible_winrm_server_cert_validation=ignore ansible_kerberos_delegation=false ping.yml --- - name: Ping win Test hosts: win gather_facts: false vars_files: - win.yml tasks: - name: Ping targets win_ping: no_log: True win.yml vault_ansible_password: ChangeMe1234 Execute the following command to test the use of the clear text password: ansible-playbook -i hosts.ini ping.yml Let's get it Encrypted Once we've confirmed the clear text password works, we can proceed to encrypt the win.yml file using the following command. ansible-vault encrypt win.yml Enter the password used for encrypting the file, I'm using the ultra-secure 'Password1234'. In production don't do this..... Confirm the win.yml is encrypted with ' cat win.yml '. It should look something like the image below. Type the following command to test accessing Windows using the encrypted vault file: ansible-playbook -i host.ini ping.yml --ask-vault-pass Enter the password 'Password1234' at the prompt. Alternative Method to Encrypt the Password Another way to encrypt the password is by utilizing the encrypt-string option. Type the following command directing the output to winString.yml ansible-vault encrypt-string 'ChangeMe1234' --name vault_ansible_password > winString.yml I then renamed the existing win.yml and then renamed winString.yml to win.yml using the mv command. This is a Bad Idea....... Once we've secured the Windows passwords and grown weary of the password prompts or the playbooks are to be scheduled, we'll embed the ansible-vault password into a plaintext file, undoing our previous efforts. I've rooted enough Linux boxes to know this is a bad idea. However, today is all about encrypting the Windows passwords whilst at rest. Vault Password File Here we go, create a file named 'key' in the root of the Ansible directory and enter the vault password of 'Password1234': nano ../key Secure the key file to allow the owner Read and Write access. chmod 600 ../key Execute the playbook swapping out --ask-vault-pass for --vault-password-file ../key. ansible-playbook -i host.ini ping.yml --vault-password-file ../key Alternatively, if you prefer not to use --vault-password-file, create an ansible.cfg file within the win-encrypt directory using Nano, and input the following details. Run the playbook again without the vault password or by specifying the file location. Final Thoughts That wraps up this guide on employing ansible vault to secure Windows passwords while they're at rest. While Ansible Vault effectively secures Windows passwords, its effectiveness is compromised by storing the vault password in plain text. Despite its encryption capabilities, this vulnerability underscores the importance of implementing additional security measures to safeguard sensitive information effectively or another product in addition to ansible vault to manage secrets. Maybe that should be the aim of the next article, it's that or ansible managing domain computers with Kerberos. Drop a comment and let me know? Thank you for taking the time to read this article, your feedback, comments, and shares are immensely valued and deeply appreciated.

Welcome Back Hey there! I'm glad to have you back for the third Ansible article. This time, we're diving into using Ansible to manage Windows Domains and authenticating with Kerberos. Catch up If you missed out on the previous articles regarding the setup of Ansible and Encrypting the at rest passwords make sure to catch up on those first, by following the links. Basic Setup of Ansible managing a Standalone Windows Server https://www.tenaka.net/post/basic-ansible-setup-for-windows How to Secure the at Rest Passwords with Ansible Vault https://www.tenaka.net/post/ansible-vault-for-windows Virtual Machines Required Ansible = 10.1.1.100 Ubuntu Domain Controller = 10.1.1.50 FQDN = TENAKA.LOC DHCP Server = 10.1.1.1 Scope Options: 004 Time Server = 10.1.1.50 006 DNS Server = 10.1.1.50 Credentials Domain Account = Administrator Windows Passwords = ChangeMe1234 Ansible Vault Password = Password1234 Help Yourselves.... A working set of files for configuring Ansible to manage a Windows Domain can be found at the following link, do help yourselves. https://github.com/Tenaka/Ansible_Kerberos Ubuntu Kerberos Packages To ensure the smooth installation of new Ubuntu features it's important to keep things up to date. From a terminal shell on Ubuntu execute the following: sudo apt-get update -y && apt-get upgrade -y Additional packages are required to provide Kerberos User Authentication with a Windows Domain. sudo apt-get install python3-dev libkrb5-dev krb5-user Complete the prompts to match that of your Domain. Writing the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) in capitals is essential. Write the host of the PDC, followed by the FQDN, again in capitals. Repeat the above. I've only 1 Domain Controller (DC), however, this can be updated later so it isn't essential, for now add a single DC. For other Linux Variants If you're using something other than Ubuntu the link below provides support. I've extracted the relevant commands below: https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/os_guide/windows_winrm.html Through Yum (RHEL/Centos/Fedora for the older version) yum -y install gcc python-devel krb5-devel krb5-libs krb5-workstation   Through DNF (RHEL/Centos/Fedora for the newer version) dnf -y install gcc python3-devel krb5-devel krb5-libs krb5-workstation Through Apt (Ubuntu older than 20.04 LTS (focal)) sudo apt-get install python-dev libkrb5-dev krb5-user Through Apt (Ubuntu newer than 20.04 LTS) sudo apt-get install python3-dev libkrb5-dev krb5-user Through Portage (Gentoo) emerge -av app-crypt/mit-krb5 emerge -av dev-python/setuptools Through Pkg (FreeBSD) sudo pkg install security/krb5 Through OpenCSW (Solaris) pkgadd -d http://get.opencsw.org/now /opt/csw/bin/pkgutil -U /opt/csw/bin/pkgutil -y -i libkrb5_3 Through Pacman (Arch Linux) pacman -S krb5 KrbFive Config Let's enhance the readability and tailor the default krb5.conf file to better suit our requirements. sudo nano /etc/krb5.conf Pressing Ctrl + K deletes a line, allowing you to eliminate all lines except those containing domain-specific settings. This section is where you can add extra Domain Controllers (DCs) as kdc entries. To verify Kerberos authentication, we'll utilize kinit along with the following command, ensuring that the FQDN is in capitals. kinit administrator@TENAKA.LOC Run klist to display the contents of a Kerberos Ticket Granting Ticket (TGT). WinRM and GPO WinRM (Windows Remote Management) is a Microsoft implementation of the WS-Management Protocol, which allows for remote management of Windows-based systems over HTTP(S). It enables administrators to remotely execute commands. on all permissible computers and Servers. To provide WinRM access in a domain environment using GPOs, administrators can configure GPO settings to enable WinRM, define WinRM listeners, specify trusted hosts, configure authentication settings, and set other WinRM-related policies. These policies are then applied to the relevant organizational units (OUs), groups, or individual computers within the Active Directory domain. Tier Zero and Ansible Only the Domain Controller (DC) is being managed remotely for demonstration purposes. This service falls under tier zero, similar to Certificate Authorities (CAs) and any other service that manages or was mentioned previously. Ansible should not manage these tier zero services unless other precautions are taken For instance, consider isolating a dedicated Ansible server specifically tasked with managing tier zero services . Group Policy Move to the Domain Controller, open Group Policy Management, creating a new GPO at the root of the Domain. Navigate to 'System Services' and set the 'Windows Remote Management (WS-Management)' service to Automatic. Create a new 'Inbound' firewall rule with the following settings: Protocol = TCP Port = 5985 and 5986 Remote IP Address = 10.1.1.100 (Ansible) Profile = Domain Only Navigate to 'WinRM Services' under Administrative Templates, Windows Components then to Windows Remote Management (WinRM). Set the following: Enable - Allow remote server management through WinRM IPv4 Filter = * Disable - Allow Basic authentication Disable - Allow CredSSP authentication Enable - Allow unencrypted traffic Disable - Disallow Kerberos authentication Regarding the 'Allow unencrypted traffic' setting. Kerberos encrypts data between client-server communications. Ansible, leveraging Kerberos, doesn't need HTTPS because Kerberos handles encryption and authentication, ensuring secure communication. Ansible Config for Kerberos If you've been keeping up with the earlier articles on Ansible's Windows management, create a new directory titled 'Domain' and duplicate hosts.ini, ping.yml, and win.yml into it. Alternatively, the files can be downloaded from: https://github.com/Tenaka/Ansible_Kerberos If not, launch nano to duplicate the files below, not forgetting to change the hostname to that of your own DC. Host.ini maintains your hosts and variables including the Ansible Jinja2 variable ansible_password="{{vault_ansible_password}} " and resolves to the values in win.yml Ping.yml provides a simple ping test to confirm authentication and network accessibility. To create win.yml and encrypt the Windows Domain password, execute the following command. ansible-vault create win.yml Enter the encryption password of 'Password1234' at the prompts Type 'vault_ansible_password: ChangeMe1234' Here's what the output looks like with cat. To test the playbook against the Domain Controller execute the following: ansible-playbook -i hosts.in i ping.yml --ask-vault-pass Enter the Vault password of 'Password1234' The test ping via Ansible using Kerberos authentication was successful and the world of free management of Microsoft Windows infrastruc tu re is at your feet. Final Thoughts Implementing Ansible for Windows domain management proved straightforward, requiring minimal adjustments to existing Ansible files and only a few GPO tweaks. In production, avoiding Domain Admin usage and employing delegated service accounts with segregated roles enhances security. Relying on a single domain admin service account for all tasks would be less than ideal.

Welcome back! In this blog, I'll demonstrate how you can leverage PowerShell to automate the entire setup of a Windows domain environment on AWS services, from creating the VPC to configuring the EC2 encrypted volumes. Before we start, deploying this will incur AWS costs, the instance type is t3.medium and the volume is set to $ebsVolType = "io1" and $ebsIops = 1000 This is Part 1 of a 2 parter, and it will focus on setting up the scripting environment and meeting the prerequisites. The ultimate goal is to deploy a public-facing Remote Desktop Server (RDS) and a private Domain Controller (DC) by PowerShell. The Remote Desktop Server will serve as a jump box, providing remote access to the network, while the Domain Controller will be securely tucked away in a private subnet, only accessible through the RDS. Prerequisites There are a few prerequisites before to deploy EC2 instances from Powershell: PowerShell version 7 or Visual Code Studio is required An AWS Account and its corresponding Access ID and Secret Key. The AWS account requires the AdministratorAccess' role or delegated permissions. A basic understanding of both AWS and Windows Domains. The default password for the EC2 Instances is 'ChangeMe1234'.               Previous post on automating Domain and OU creation Before diving into this blog, I highly recommend checking out the previous blogs where I used PowerShell to deploy a domain and create an Organizational Unit (OU) structure. The script used for this AWS blog is a slightly customized version of the Domain script below and as such doesn't require downloading. The description https://www.tenaka.net/post/deploy-domain-with-powershell-and-json-part-1 The Original Domain script https://github.com/Tenaka/Active-Directory-Automated-Deployment-and-Delegation Install Visual Code Studio or PowerShell  I recommend installing either PowerShell 7 (PS7) or Visual Studio Code (VSC), along with the latest .NET SDK. .NET SDKs for Visual Studio https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/visual-studio-sdks Download Visual Studio Code https://code.visualstudio.com/download Installing PowerShell on Windows https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/scripting/install/installing-powershell AWS Account and permissions\Access ID From within the AWS console, navigate to IAM and create a service account specifically for executing scripts to create the required AWS services. Ensure this service account has the necessary permissions by adding the following policies and the two custom policies. AmazonEC2FullAccess, AmazonS3FullAccess, AWSKeyManagementServicePowerUser, AmazonSSMReadOnlyAccess, AWSKeyManagementServicePowerUser, IAMFullAccess, AmazonSSMManagedInstanceCore KMS Policy to grant enabling EC2 encrypted volumes, this policy requires further tweaking as it's far too encompassing. { "Version": "2012-10-17", "Statement": [ { "Sid": "VisualEditor0", "Effect": "Allow", "Action": [ "kms:Decrypt", "kms:GenerateRandom", "kms:ListRetirableGrants", "kms:CreateCustomKeyStore", "kms:DescribeCustomKeyStores", "kms:ListKeys", "kms:DeleteCustomKeyStore", "kms:UpdateCustomKeyStore", "kms:Encrypt", "kms:ListAliases", "kms:GenerateDataKey", "kms:DisconnectCustomKeyStore", "kms:CreateKey", "kms:DescribeKey", "kms:ConnectCustomKeyStore", "kms:CreateGrant" ], "Resource": "*" }, { "Sid": "VisualEditor1", "Effect": "Allow", "Action": "kms:*", "Resource": "*" } ] } Additionally, Session Manager rights are needed. { "Version": "2012-10-17", "Statement": [ { "Effect": "Allow", "Action": [ "ssm:SendCommand", "ssmmessages:CreateDataChannel", "ssmmessages:OpenDataChannel", "ssmmessages:OpenControlChannel", "ssmmessages:CreateControlChannel" ], "Resource": "*" } ] } If nothing else works, consider adding the 'AdministratorAccess' policy to the service account. Create Access Key Create an Access Key by navigating to the Security tab of the service account and creating a 'Command Line Interface' (CLI) use case. Record the Access Key and Secret Access Key. Download this script... After you've familiarized yourself with the above concepts covered in our previous blogs and created the AWS account with the correct rights, download the PowerShell DeployVPCwithDomain.ps1 script from the link below. https://github.com/Tenaka/AWS-PowerShell/blob/main/DeployVPCwithDomain.ps1 This script is designed to automate the setup of EC2 instances, including a public-facing Remote Desktop Server and a secure, private domain controller. Pick your Scripting Engine I'll be using an elevated Visual Studio Code (VSC) session, all testing has been completed with VSC. While PowerShell version 7 should work, it hasn’t been extensively tested. Variables that need your attention Open the DeployVPCwithDomain.ps1 script in Visual Studio Code (VSC), but hold off on executing it. There are sections you might want to modify first. Update the Region, the default is 'us-east-1' $region1 = "us-east-1" Set-defaultAWSRegion -Region $region1 Update the second and third octets of the CIDR block, as these will form the foundation for your VPC. 10.1.250.0/24 is for a future iteration where Transit Gateways are deployed for additional AD Sites. For now, 10.1.250.0/24 is free to use. $cidr = "10.1.1" # Dont use "10.1.250.0/24" $cidrFull = "$($cidr).0/24" During the execution of DeployVPCwithDomain.ps1, an additional Active Directory script is downloaded from GitHub. This script is used for the configuration of the Domain Controller. $domainZip = "https://github.com/Tenaka/AWS-PowerShell/raw/main/AD-AWS.zip" Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $domainZip -OutFile "$($pwdPath)\AD-AWS.zip" -errorAction Stop DeployVPCwithDomain.ps1, will pause at this point to allow updates to dcPromo.json contained within AD-AWS.zip , this is so the default password of ChangeMe1234 can be changed. If you decide to change the default password, be sure to update it in the UserData sections for both the private and public EC2 instances as well. Set-LocalUser -Name "administrator" -Password (ConvertTo-SecureString -AsPlainText ChangeMe1234 -Force) That's it for now... That's it for this blog, we're all prepped for executing the script! Make sure to come back for Part 2, where I dive into the specifics of what the script creates in AWS. We'll also explore how the script sets up a fully functional Active Directory environment, complete with a domain controller and remote access configurations. Stay tuned!

Reusing passwords across multiple accounts can put you at significant risk because hackers can exploit this practice through a technique called 'credential stuffing'. Here's how it works and why it's dangerous:   Data Breaches When a company or service is hacked, user data, including usernames and passwords, can be stolen. These credentials are often sold or shared on the dark web or hacker forums. Even if only one account is compromised, it can have ripple effects if you reuse the same password across different accounts.   Credential Stuffing Hackers use automated tools to take usernames and passwords from one breached site and try them on many others. For example, if your email and password were exposed in a breach from an e-commerce site, a hacker might try to log into your bank, social media accounts, and email using the same credentials. If you’ve reused the same password, the hacker could gain access to multiple accounts.   Chain Reaction of Hacks Once hackers gain access to one account, they often look for ways to escalate their attack: Email Compromise: If they gain access to your email account, they can initiate password reset requests for other services, further expanding their control over your digital life. Social Media Exploits: Hackers can hijack social media accounts to send phishing messages to your contacts, spreading the attack even further. Financial Loss: Access to financial accounts can lead to unauthorized transactions, drained accounts, or identity theft.   Increased Success Rate Automated scripts used in credential stuffing can check thousands of accounts in minutes. Reusing passwords increases the likelihood that the hacker’s efforts will succeed, making it easier for them to penetrate more accounts with minimal effort.   Difficulty in Detecting Since hackers use the correct username and password combinations during these attacks, it may not immediately trigger security alerts. Many services assume that a correct login attempt is legitimate, making it difficult for you or the service to detect the breach before damage is done.   Inability to Track Breaches When you reuse passwords, it becomes hard to know which service caused the security breach. If you use the same password for ten different sites, and one gets hacked, you'll need to change the password for all ten sites. In contrast, if you used a unique password for each site, only the compromised service would be affected.   How to Protect Yourself: Use Unique Passwords for Each Account: This ensures that even if one password is compromised, your other accounts remain secure. Utilize a Password Manager: These tools help generate and store complex, unique passwords for each site, so you don’t have to remember them all. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Adding an extra layer of security can prevent hackers from accessing your accounts even if they have your password.   By avoiding password reuse, you significantly reduce the risk of widespread damage from a single data breach.

Intune's Autopilot automates the configuration and setup of new devices, allowing users to start working with pre-configured settings, applications, and security policies as soon as they power on their device. In this blog, we’ll explore how Microsoft Intune Autopilot works, let's get started. Dynamic Group for Deployment Profile From within Intune, browse to Groups and then click on New Group. To ensure that every newly registered device is associated with Autopilot automatically you need to first create a dynamic Azure AD (Entra) Security Group. Edit the Dynamic Query, then paste the following string and Save. (device.devicePhysicalIDs -any (_ -startsWith "[ZTDid]")) Enrollment Configuration From within Intune, browse to Devices, Windows, then Enrollment. Device Platform Restrictions Intune Device Platform Restrictions controls which types of device can access organizational resources based on their platform (e.g., Windows, iOS, Android, macOS). This feature helps enhance security by limiting access to only approved device types and blocking untrusted or unsupported platforms. This step isn't necessary for Autopilot to work as the default is to allow all devices, however we will block Windows Personally owned devices. Click on 'All Users' link. Change Personally owned devices for Windows (MDM) to Block. Deployment Profiles Autopilot deployment profiles in Microsoft Intune are configuration templates that define how new devices are set up and managed during the out-of-box experience (OOBE). These profiles allow automated and customizable deployment processes, specifying settings like Azure AD join type, user-driven or self-deploying mode. Navigate to Deployment Profiles within the Enrollment tab, then select Create Profile. Provide name and select Yes for 'Convert all targeted devices to Autopilot', this enables all non-Autopilot, or current members of Entra to become Autopilot registered when they are assigned to the profile group. Select User-Driven and any other pertinent settings. Assign the Windows Autopilot group created earlier and then save the changes. That covers the basics of configuring auto enrollment. I'll skip the Enrollment Status Page for now, as it's not essential for this introductory guide. Enrollment of a Device For the purposes of this blog, a Windows 11 23H2 OS has been installed on Hyper-V, and the setup has been progressed to the Region selection page. Press Shift & F10 for an Administrative shell Type the following to download the Autopilot PowerShell module. Powershell install-script get-windowsautopilotinfo set-executionpolicy -ex bypass get-windowsautopilotinfo -online Enter Azure credentials to register the device. Accept the permissions request. Wait while the device completes the registration. Go back to Autopilot under the Devices section and verify that the device has been successfully registered. Restart the device, which will then connect to Intune and retrieve the assigned policies. Enter your Azure credentials. Once the device is ready, login, and after a brief wait, any assigned applications will begin to install. That wraps up this quick configuration guide for Intune Autopilot. Links: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/autopilot/enrollment-autopilot

<# .Synopsis Disable Admin Shares ​ .Description Disable Admin Shares C$, IPC$, ADMIN$ to prevent remote access and local access via \\127.0.0.1\c$ from a browser, shortcut or cmd. Disabling admin shares will prevent ConfigMgr from deploying the client agent and remote administrative access. ​ .Version #> #AutoShareWks New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters' -name AutoShareWks -PropertyType DWORD -Value 0 ​ #AutoShareServer New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters' -name AutoShareServer -PropertyType DWORD -Value 0

When delving into the intricate workings of Windows file system architecture, one of the more technical concepts that often emerges is file altitude. If you’ve ever explored file system filter drivers or engaged in low-level system development, understanding this concept is crucial. This blog aims to break down the complexities of Windows file altitude, the role it plays in the kernel, and how it affects file system operations.   What is a Windows File System Filter Driver?  Before diving into file altitude, it’s essential to understand the role of file system filter drivers. In Windows, a filter driver operates within the kernel mode and can monitor, modify, or extend the functionality of file system operations. These drivers can be inserted into the I/O request path, between the application and the underlying file system, to intercept and possibly modify file operations such as read, write, and delete requests.   File system filter drivers are typically used for:  Antivirus solutions: to monitor and block malicious activities. File encryption or compression: to apply encryption or compression on the fly. Backup solutions: to intercept and manage file access for consistent backups. File system auditing or monitoring: for logging file system activities or imposing policies.   Introducing the Concept of File Altitude  In a system where multiple filter drivers are installed, there needs to be a way to define their order of operation. This is where altitude comes into play. Simply put, file altitude is a numerical value that dictates the position of a filter driver within the file system stack. The higher the altitude, the closer a driver is to the application layer (and further from the actual file system).   Windows ensures that these altitudes are registered and properly sequenced to avoid conflicts between drivers that might need to operate in a specific order.   How Altitude Works  Imagine a scenario where multiple drivers are installed for various purposes (e.g., an antivirus, a backup tool, and a logging tool). These drivers all want to interact with I/O requests. Without an ordering mechanism, there could be conflicts:   An antivirus might want to inspect a file before any backup software reads it. The backup software might need to know the original state of a file before encryption is applied.   Altitude values help resolve this by assigning each filter driver a priority based on its altitude. Windows ensures that the drivers with the highest altitudes receive I/O requests first, while those with lower altitudes are closer to the file system (and see the request last).   Altitude Numbering System  The altitude value is a floating-point number ranging from 0.000000 to 999999.999999. By convention, the lower the altitude number, the closer the driver is to the file system itself, and the higher the number, the closer it is to user mode operations.   Upper-range altitudes (e.g., 380000-499999) are typically reserved for drivers like encryption and compression tools that need to operate closer to user-mode applications. Middle-range altitudes (e.g., 200000-379999) are often used by antivirus software, which needs to filter I/O requests before they reach the disk. Lower-range altitudes (e.g., 0-199999) are usually occupied by drivers that need to interact closely with the file system itself, such as volume managers and file system encryption.   Each filter driver registered with the system must provide a unique altitude to prevent collisions or ordering issues.   Managing Altitude in Windows The Windows OS provides a centralized mechanism for managing filter driver altitudes. Filter Manager, a built-in component of Windows starting from Windows Server 2003, facilitates the registration and sequencing of these filter drivers. It ensures that drivers operate in the correct order based on their altitude, preventing lower-altitude drivers from inadvertently disrupting higher-altitude ones.   Querying Altitude  You can query a system's file system filter driver altitudes using the `fltmc` utility in the command prompt. This utility displays loaded filter drivers, their altitudes, and their current operational state.   fltmc filter   The output of this command might look like: Registering a Driver with an Altitude  When developing or installing a new file system filter driver, you need to register the driver with an appropriate altitude to ensure that it functions correctly within the filter stack. The driver installation process typically handles this via INF files or registry entries.   Altitudes are not chosen arbitrarily; they are managed and assigned by Microsoft. Developers must register for an altitude by contacting Microsoft’s filter manager team to ensure that no two drivers conflict by using the same altitude.   Handling Altitude Conflicts  Altitude conflicts can arise when two or more drivers attempt to register for the same or similar altitudes, especially if one driver isn’t aware of the other. If a conflict occurs:   It can lead to unpredictable system behavior, including I/O request handling errors. In worst-case scenarios, it could result in BSODs (Blue Screens of Death) due to improper sequencing of I/O operations.   By adhering to the altitude registration process, conflicts are minimized. The filter manager enforces altitude uniqueness to prevent these kinds of operational failures.   Practical Example: Antivirus and Backup Solutions  Consider a scenario where an antivirus solution and a backup tool are installed on the same machine:   Antivirus Filter: This filter driver operates at an altitude of 350000. When an application requests to read or write a file, the antivirus filter intercepts the request first. It scans the file for malicious content before passing it down the stack.   Backup Filter: This filter driver is at altitude 250000. After the antivirus completes its scanning, the request moves to the backup filter, which monitors the file for any changes, making a backup copy if necessary.   File System Operations: Finally, the request is passed down to the actual file system, which handles the physical read or write operations.   Without the correct altitude order, the backup software might try to back up a file before it has been scanned by the antivirus software, potentially saving a corrupted or infected file.   Conclusion  In summary, file altitude is a critical mechanism in the Windows file system architecture that governs the order in which filter drivers process I/O requests. By assigning a specific altitude to each filter driver, Windows ensures that drivers operate in the correct sequence, minimizing conflicts and ensuring the integrity of file system operations. Whether you're developing file system tools or managing enterprise-level systems, understanding and properly handling file altitude is crucial for maintaining system stability and security.