Real World SharePoint® 2007: Indispensable Experiences from 16 MOSS and WSS MVPs

Chapter 12. Securing SharePoint Communication

by Adam Buenz

Just as with all other Web-based applications, SharePoint is subject to electronic malicious actions of assorted types. Securing SharePoint is arguably one of the most unique and significant tasks that you will undertake when rolling out an initial SharePoint deployment, or securing a previously deployed SharePoint instance. The scope of securing SharePoint for your organization is considerable, from implementing transport layer security on the pipe to practicing appropriate Business Continuity Planning (BCP) strategies. By ensuring that all layers of security for SharePoint are accounted and planned for, you can mitigate numerous risks that would otherwise prove disastrous for your SharePoint infrastructure.

Fortunately, there are various avenues that you can exploit to procure effective SharePoint hardening mechanisms and security practices. Beyond the beneficial position that implementing appropriate SharePoint security practices will provide you and your organization, industries are subject to various business and governmental legal regulations that are generally federally mandated, therefore making securing SharePoint not an elective task.

The Breadth of SharePoint Security

The accessible techniques you can use to achieve a secure SharePoint information state range from built-in Windows Server 2003 and SharePoint security instruments to implementations of Microsoft sister server platforms that help you to procure secure ...