HP Access Control Client Software Select Security Settings for Your Company, Zone Default Setting

Customer Needs Assessment

Determine Your Endpoint Integrity Requirements

Select Security Settings for Your Company

Like other security measures, Internet Explorer security settings require you to weigh tighter security against the users’ need for functionality. That is, the lower your Internet Explorer security settings, the higher the functionality.

And conversely, the higher your Internet Explorer security settings, the lower the functionality.

The NAC 800’s default settings are a good place to start. You can use these settings until you thoroughly evaluate your company’s requirements for Inter- net browser security. The default settings that the NAC 800 suggests for each zone are listed in Table 2-7.

Table 2-7. Default Settings for Internet Explorer Zones

Zone Default Setting

IntranetMedium-low

TrustedLow

RestrictedHigh

InternetMedium

The Intranet zone has a Medium-low security setting because it is designed to include your company’s intranet sites. Not only do your intranet sites have the added security of being inside your firewall, but they are under your direct control. Therefore, it should be free from adware, malware, and other threats and does not require a high security setting.

Because you identify trusted sites as safe sites, the NAC 800 by default assigns them a Low security setting. This allows you to designate zones that users can access freely, without restrictions.

For that very reason, however, you should take particular care when you assign Web sites to this zone. After all, it has the lowest security setting—even lower than the security setting for the Intranet zone, which includes Web sites inside your company’s firewall. You should be absolutely sure that the Web sites you add to the Trusted zone are trustworthy. Typically, this zone should contain only a few sites.

Not surprisingly, the Restricted zone has the highest security setting. You don’t want your company’s users to visit sites that are known to contain adware, spyware, or other harmful programs. Although a high security setting will not prevent users from visiting such Web sites, it will curtail their activities on the Web site.

2-36