Via FCW.com -
The Office of Management and Budget will require agencies to move to a standard configuration for Microsoft Windows desktop by Feb.1, 2008.
In a memo that will be signed off on as early as today by OMB Deputy Director for Management Clay Johnson, and supplemented by an e-mail that went out today to CIOs from OMB Administrator for E-government and IT Karen Evans, the White House is expanding the work the Air Force did with Microsoft Corp. governmentwide.
Starting in 2004, the Air Force began shifting more than 525,000 desktop computers to three predetermined configurations. It also preconfigured all software on its computers with security settings specific to Air Force requirements.
The Army also is following the Air Force’s lead and implementing the standard configuration.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology worked with the Air Force and other Defense Department agencies to develop guidance about securing Windows operating systems, including XP and Vista. OMB is making this guidance mandatory in order to improve IT security across the government, experts said.
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Standard desktop configurations are a very good thing. They help streamline patch management processes and helpdesk issues.
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