Microsoft® Windows® Security Resource Kit, Second Edition

Assessing Security Configuration

Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000, and Windows XP enable you to define security configuration settings in security templates. Security templates contain security configuration settings for computer accounts, and the templates can be applied to the local computer directly or can be imported into a GPO. Importing a security template into a GPO linked to the OU where a computer account is located ensures consistent application of security template settings to all computers affected by the GPO.

Security templates applied by using a GPO can be affected by other GPOs and the local security policy applied to the computer account. Local policies and GPOs are processed in the following order:

1. The local security policy ...