Question

Sam is a Windows system administrator responsible for setting up client workstations for different departments. After installing the operating system, Sam manually disables certain programs that aren't needed by that department. Recently, Sam learned a few workstations had been compromised. The security analyst suggests that the disabled applications may have been the target. Going forward, what should Sam change in his process

Answer 1

not disable any programs after installing a new operating system

Step-by-step explanation:

Sam should simply not disable any programs after installing a new operating system. If the system is working as intended then he should leave it be, as the saying says "Don't fix what isn't broken". When a new operating system is installed, the entire system is usually wiped, meaning that the only programs installed have been installed as defaults by the operating system. Usually, this is for a reason and acts as security measures for the user, the system, and all of the data. Most of these programs interact with each other and work off of each other's data. Removing them from the system can prevent other very important functions of the operating system from performing their duties, which in term can compromise the entire security of the system. Therefore, the best thing to do would be to not remove these default programs.