Creating and Securing User Accounts

Students will perform user account management from the terminal in Linux and from the command line and the GUI (graphical user interface) in Windows. Students will use various operating system commands and utilities to secure user accounts to learn how to protect a company or organization from the inherent risk associated with local and domain accounts.

Overview

This lab covers account management in Linux and Windows. User account management is an essential skill for anyone working with servers and workstations. It is critical to secure user accounts to prevent users from gaining unauthorized access to systems, applications, or utilities that would put a company or organization at more inherent risk. One of the features of this lab will allow you to compare and contrast the account creation and management process in a Linux and a Windows environment. You will find that in Linux, account management is done at the terminal, whereas in Windows, it is done from either the command line or using the GUI (graphical user interface). Windows Server also has Active Directory which allows streamlined centralized management of users. By the end of this lab, you will become familiar with the commands and operating system utilities for creating and managing users in Linux and Windows.

OUTCOMES

In this lab, you will learn to: 

  1. Managing user accounts in Linux 
  2. Managing user accounts in Windows 

Key terms and descriptions

Active Directory
Active Directory can be installed on most versions of Windows servers. It allows network administrators to centrally manage a network.
Domain
Computers in a domain are managed centrally in a client/server network.
Workgroup
Computers in a workgroup are managed in a peer-to-peer network.
Administrator
The built-in account that can be used to manage Microsoft operating systems.
Local account
An account that resides on a single system.