An Introduction to Windows Security with Ansible

Welcome to another installment of our Windows-centric Getting Started Series! In the prior posts we talked about connecting to Windows machines, gave a brief introduction on using Ansible with Active Directory, and discussed package management options on Windows with Ansible. In this post we’ll talk a little about applying security methodologies and practices in relation to our original topics.

The Triad

In order to discuss security issues in relation to Ansible and Windows, we’ll be applying concepts from the popular CIA Triad: Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. 

Confidentiality is pretty self-evident — protecting confidentiality helps restrict private data to only authorized users and helps to prevent non-authorized ones from seeing it. The way this is accomplished involves several techniques such as authentication, authorization, and encryption. When working with Windows, this means making sure the hosts know all of the necessary identities, that each user is appropriately verified, and that the data is protected (by, for example, encryption) so that it can only be accessed by authorized parties.

Integrity is about making sure that the data is not tampered with or damaged so that it is unusable. When you’re sending data across a network you want to make sure that it arrives Continue reading

Getting Started with Ansible Tower

If you’re considering evaluating Red Hat Ansible Tower, you might also be curious about what sort of support is included with a trial key. This post will explain what sort of help is available while you conduct a PoC, along with information to assist you with errors and more.

Ansible Experts Are Here to Help

After you download a trial of Ansible Tower and request a license key, there is more than just documentation and reading materials to help guide you through errors. Once you and your team are connected with Ansible and want to start working on an evaluation or proof of concept installation, there are a boatload of resources to help you on your automation journey:

Sales Representatives: Provide support from day one, helping you understand what Ansible Engine and Ansible Tower can do for you and your environment.

Getting Started Team: The product field engineering team (known colloquially as the "Getting Started" team) helps with the installation, configuration and integration of Ansible Engine and Ansible Tower.

Solution Architects: For cases that delve into deeper understanding of all things Ansible Automation, writing playbooks, or consultation/screenshared demos to ensure success of the project, a Solutions Architect can save Continue reading