Question

Difficulty: MediumWorkstation Hardening and Best Practices

A desktop technician is establishing baseline security settings for standalone Windows laptops issued to remote sales personnel. The technician must ensure that the laptops automatically lock when left unattended and that malicious code cannot execute automatically when a USB drive is plugged in. Which of the following actions should the technician perform to meet these requirements? (Select TWO.)

  1. Disable AutoPlay and AutoRun features for all removable storage media.Answer
  2. Configure screen saver timeout settings and enforce password re-authentication on resume.Answer
  3. C
    Enable the built-in Guest account to provide temporary low-privilege access for clients.
  4. D
    Use Event Viewer to disable unnecessary background operating system services.

Answer

The technician should disable AutoPlay and AutoRun features for all removable media and configure screen saver timeout settings requiring password re-authentication on resume.
Disabling AutoPlay and AutoRun mitigates risks associated with malicious flash drives by stopping automatic file execution. Configuring a screen saver timeout with password protection guarantees that unattended systems lock automatically, satisfying local physical security hardening baselines.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Address the requirement to prevent automatic execution of software from USB devices.
Disabling AutoPlay and AutoRun ensures inserted drives will not execute commands automatically without user interaction.
AutoRun and AutoPlay policies serve as primary hardening defenses against USB-borne malware vectors.
2
Address the requirement to prevent physical access to unattended workstations.
Configuring a short screen saver timeout that requires a password upon resume locks the operating system session.
Screen saver locking protects local confidentiality if an employee leaves their device unattended in a public or remote environment.

Key Concept

Workstation Security Baselines and Removable Media Policies
Rate this question