Security Administrator Street Smarts: A Real World Guide to CompTIA Security+™ Skills, Third Edition

Task 2.5: Securing Autoruns

Autoruns are applications and processes that are configured to launch at bootup or at logon. There are several ways to cause this to happen. These applications and processes are generally performing desirable activities; however, they may contain vulnerabilities, be specifically planted to introduce vulnerabilities, or even perform destructive processes. It is therefore a wise thing for an administrator or security professional to understand exactly what applications and processes are configured to autorun, and to control these processes carefully.

In addition to the procedures outlined in Task 2.5, there are several utilities that may be useful in the identification and management of autorunning applications and processes. ...