Security Explorer - 01 Aug 1998

View and alter the security permissions for your files with ease

Rogue permissions are the bane of every systems administrator. Have you ever migrated users from one group to another and then spent hours tracking and updating the security permissions of files and directories so that your migrated users can access them? Security Explorer, from Small Wonders of Orlando, helps you manage your file security better.

Security Explorer is a utility that lets you view and change the security permissions on files in your Windows NT environment. The utility's extensive search capabilities let you search across subdirectories for permissions on specific groups and modify those permissions recursively on your system without affecting the permissions of other users. As Screen 1 shows, you can even replace the security permissions for an entire group with permissions for another group (e.g., move all the permissions for the marketing group to the sales group).

Up and Running
Installing Security Explorer is simple. My test copy arrived on two disks. Iinstalled the program on my primary NT 4.0 Server, a home-built Micronics-baseddual-Pentium II system. This server, with 8GB of hard disk space at 75 percentcapacity, serves all the users in my test lab, so it was a natural selection.After running the setup program, I had to answer a few simple questions regarding the program's installation. A few minutes later, I started using the software--no reboot was necessary. The install program automatically places the Security Explorer icon on your desktop.

Running Security Explorer launches a Windows Explorer-like screen fromwhich you can search, view, and manipulate security permissions on your server'sdrives. You can launch the program using the Start Menu, Security Explorer'sdesktop icon, or Windows Explorer. To launch the program in Windows Explorer,you right-click the file you want to perform a security-related operation on andselect the Security Explorer option.

User Interface
Similar to Windows Explorer, Security Explorer uses a dual-pane windowconfiguration, with directories shown in the left pane and a directory'scontents shown in the right pane. You navigate through directories by expandingand collapsing branches. A series of toolbar buttons along the top of the windowlets you perform various security functions once you select a file or directory.

Overall, I was not very pleased with Security Explorer's user interface.Although setting or changing the permissions for a file or directory took fewerkeystrokes in Security Explorer than in Windows Explorer, I still found theprocess tedious. For instance, to change a directory's permissions, you navigatethrough the directory list, click the directory, and then click the Grant orRevoke permissions toolbar button, which launches a dialog box in which you canmake the necessary changes.

Program Highlights
One feature of Security Explorer I really liked, and which makes the programworth purchasing, is its search capabilities. You can search by user, group, orpermission. For instance, you might search the C drive to see what files userjdeignan or group marketing has. Or, you can search for files and directorieswith specific permissions, such as take ownership, to help you identify specificsecurity problems.

After you specify your search criteria, an interim screen with searchresults appears. You select a file or directory in the result list and clickView permissions to see the permissions for that file. You can then change thepermissions for the file if you want.

I also liked Security Explorer's permissions clone feature. When you clonepermissions, you select the permissions of a user or group as the source andspecify the user or group to which you want to clone the permissions. Thisfeature lets you create new groups and move permissions for your entiredirectory tree to the new group, saving yourself time and aggravation.

The time savings alone makes Security Explorer worth the investment. A freetrial version is available via the company's Web site.