Windows 2000 (or “Win2K”) is a Microsoft operating system (OS) released in February 2000.  Windows 2000 follows the Windows 95 and 98 systems and, in October 2001, was succeeded by Windows XP.  The underlying structure is a hybrid of kernel and user architectures.  With Kernel mode, Windows 2000 has complete access to the computer resources including hardware and system resources.  The kernel restricts access to subsystems passing Input and Output requests to critical areas.

Win2K is a business oriented operating system and has been thought of as an upgrade from Windows NT; in fact, it was originally Windows NT 5.0 until Microsoft renamed it.  As part of the NT line, Win2K was made available in four editions - Professional, and three server versions: Server, Advanced Server, and Datacenter Server.  Microsoft had planned to create a home edition of Windows 2000.  A project entitled “Windows Neptune” was begun but, due to production delays, it was cancelled in favor of Windows XP development.

Win2K included the features of previous operating systems along with additional functionality and support.  Some system utilities and features include:

·         Microsoft Management Console: an interface for configuration and monitoring system activities.

·         NTFS file system (from Windows NT).

·         File protection to prevent overwriting system files.

·         Driver certification to safeguard from non-secure device drivers.

·         32-bit architecture capability to run more programs simultaneously, to perform multiple tasks, and to reduce the chances of program failure and crashes requiring rebooting.

·         Disk Defragmenter utility.

·         USB support to connect peripherals (keyboard, mouse, joysticks, external drives, etc.).

·         Higher bandwidth capability and secure wireless connectivity using infrared protocol.

·         25% faster performance compared to Win 95 or 98 on systems with 64 MB (or more) of memory.

·         Support for people with disabilities and greater localized language support.

Security

In a Microsoft press release (Jan 2000)[1], the director of Windows marketing, Keith White, touted Windows 2000 as: “the most secure operating system we have ever shipped”.  Despite this claim, the years that followed revealed that Win2K had significant vulnerabilities that were targets for virus and malware exploitation.  There were numerous virus worms that were brought to public attention including Code Red, Code Red II, Sobig, and Blaster.  These last two viruses brought millions of servers down and resulted in massive disruption and cleanup.  There was also the Zotob worm which compromised W2K machines of major media sites including ABC, CNN, and the New York Times.

The default W2K system has many security flaws that could leave a computer system wide open for malware attacks.  It is necessary to download and install service packs as the initial configuration after a default installation leaves your computer system in the most insecure state it could be.  Microsoft has released service packs and security patches on a regular basis since releasing Win2K.  There have been four service packs released SP1 (August 2000), SP2 (May 2001), SP3 (August 2002) and SP4 (June 2003).  SP4 is the last service pack that will be released.  Today, Win2K is no longer marketed or sold by Microsoft and there is no support offered other than critical update releases. 

To receive Windows 2000 Service Packs go to: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/260910

To receive online articles and support information for Microsoft Windows 2000 go to: http://support.microsoft.com/ph/1131

Best Practices

There are many sound practices that Windows 2000 users need to employ to maintain system security, to minimize the possibility of malware attacks, and to be prepared in the event that their system becomes infected.

Installing and rebuilding the OS

Before you install your operating system you should have all your ducks in a row.  We strongly recommend that you use a hardware firewall or a router with firewall capability.  With a firewall properly connected and configured, you can begin using your Windows 2000 CD to install your operating system.  Afterwards you can go to the site referenced above and download the service packs.  If you do not have a hardware firewall, we recommend that you have the service packs ready ahead of time by downloading and saving the files to disc.  After you have all of your installation CDs ready we recommended that you disconnect your Internet connection and disable any wireless connection.  Once installing the service packs you can configure your Internet connection.

Back up

Win2K does not have the System Restore functionality that is now available in Windows Me (Millennium Edition) and Windows XP.  Restoring your system to a previous working state requires you to back up your files to disc or to an external storage device.  Backing up your files is good practice regardless of what operating system you are running.  If you are using an external hard drive or if you can network to another computer or laptop, we recommend that you use SyncToy created by Microsoft.  With SyncToy you can sync the files you have previously backed up or have duplicated but are out-of-date.  The application is free and you can find it easily by searching for it here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/

Updates and Service Packs

With the fourth service pack released for Windows 2000 (SP4), Microsoft included an Update Rollup service for the purpose of maintaining system stability and security.  It is available from the Windows Update site and when receiving automatic updates.  It contains all the security updates from the release of SP4 until April 30, 2005.  It was this date that Microsoft finalized the testing for Win2K.  There are no more service packs available but critical security updates are released as required.  You can receive support on a pay-per-incident basis.

Safe Surfing

There are good reasons to practice safe surfing.  In the past, viruses were the cyber threat of the day.  In recent years spyware has become more of a prevalent threat than viruses.  The simple action of visiting a web site can lead to a “drive-by” download where malicious programs are installed onto your system.  The intent of these items could be to gather data for marketing purposes or to steal personal information.  It can lead to unwanted CPU usage, popup advertisements, performance issues, browser hijacking, and more.

Some safe rules of surfing include the following:

-          Be cautious when downloading any items – download items from sources you trust.

-          Configure your Internet Browser to block pop-ups (Firefox is a good browser for blocking pop-ups).  If a popup does appear you can try closing it by pressing Ctrl + W on your keyboard rather than clicking any part of it.  It’s best to not even click the “x” exit button at the top right corner.

-          If you use web mail, delete suspicious emails before opening them.

-          Avoid visiting “back-alley” or untrustworthy web sites – sites that contain gratuitous adult content, cracks for applications, gamer codes, etc.

Anti-Spyware Software

After installing the default operating system and the required service packs we recommend that you install an anti-spyware solution that you can trust and that provides frequent updates to the database definitions.  By doing this you are kept up-to-date on the most recent spyware threats as they are released to the general public. 

We recommend XoftSpySE Antispyware.