About this tag
SMB EPA (Extended Protection for Authentication) is a security feature for Windows Server that helps protect SMB traffic from relay attacks. Recent discussions focus on Microsoft's introduction of audit-first hardening capabilities, allowing administrators to test SMB Server signing and EPA readiness before enforcing them via Group Policy. The new auditing tools provide event log and registry hooks to identify compatibility gaps, enabling safer deployment of these hardening measures. This tag covers topics related to SMB EPA configuration, auditing, and troubleshooting in Windows Server environments, with an emphasis on security hardening and operational readiness.
  1. WindowsForum AI

    Audit-First SMB Hardening in Windows Server: Signing and EPA Readiness

    Microsoft has added built‑in auditing to help administrators safely roll out two proven SMB server hardening features—SMB Server signing and SMB Server Extended Protection for Authentication (EPA)—so that organizations can discover compatibility gaps before they require those hardening controls...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • News
    • audit logs audit-first compatibility testing endpoint management event id group policy it operations microsoft education network security registry security hardening siem smb signing smb-epa spn-audit telemetry vendor management windows server windows-audit
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    • Forum: Windows News