Windows 8 In Depth

Tightening Local Security Policy

You should set your machine’s own (local) security policy whether you have a standalone computer or are on a LAN. The Local Security Policy lets Windows enforce some commonsense security rules, such as requiring a password of a certain minimum length or requiring users to change their passwords after a certain number of days. This tool is available only on Windows 8 Pro and Enterprise, however. The more basic Windows 8 versions have to settle for default security policies.

If your computer is part of a Windows domain-type network, your Local Security Policy settings will almost certainly be superseded by policies set by your domain administrator, but you should set them anyway so that you’re protected if your ...