Tips for setting up Windows domain accounts; Discovering Visa’s security requirements

* Dr. Internet columnist Steve Blass offers advice on setting up Windows domain accounts * Help Desk columnist Ron Nutter offers advice on meeting Visa’s security requirements

* Tips for setting up Windows domain accounts

By Steve Blass

Q: I am running a network of hundreds of computers with Windows XP Pro clients and Windows 2000 Server for a domain. I would like to set up a network administrator account to be able to install software on local client machines. Is there a way to do this so that I can just log on using an admin account I create on the domain and be able to install the software?

A: You can grant local administrator privileges to a domain account by adding that domain account to the administrators group on the local machine.

To read Steve’s response in its entirety, please click here.

* Discovering Visa’s security requirements

By Ron Nutter

Q: Due to a change my company is making in credit card processing companies, the bank that we use has declined on signing off on the change until we meet Visa’s current security requirements. Our current credit-card processing volume hasn’t been much so we are trying to figure out how much meeting these requirements will cost us and if it will be worth the cost. Any suggestions?

A: To an extent, the bank handling your merchant account is in the driver’s seat. For Visa to OK the change you are submitting, there are certain requirements that must be met. Look at the documents – available from Visa’s security Web site – that your bank should have provided to you. For lower level processing volumes, the requirements aren’t too bad. Most of what they are looking for should be a part of your network security procedures.

To read Ron’s response in its entirety, please click here.