This installation package is intended for IT professionals and Administrators downloading and installing on multiple servers on a network.

Windows Server 2003 SP1 enhances security infrastructure by providing new security tools such as Security Configuration Wizard, which helps secure your server for role-based operations, improves defense-in-depth with Data Execution Protection, and provides a safe and secure first-boot scenario with Post-setup Security Update Wizard. Windows Server 2003 SP1 assists IT professionals in securing their server infrastructure and provides enhanced manageability and control for Windows Server 2003 users.

Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 provides new functionality to address known security vulnerabilities and prepares companies to better face future security threats. These new technologies include the following:

  • Security Configuration Wizard. Customers can more easily reduce attack surface area with the new Security Configuration Wizard. The tool reduces the attack surface by gathering information about specific server roles, then automatically blocking all services and ports not needed to perform those roles.
  • Windows Firewall. Customers can increase their security with the new Windows® Firewall on the server, allowing networkwide control through Group Policy. Also released with Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows Firewall serves as a host (software) firewall around each client and server computer on a customer's network.
  • Post-Setup Security Updates (PSSU). Servers are vulnerable during the time between their installation and application of the latest security updates. In response, Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 blocks all inbound connections to the server after installation until Windows Update has delivered the latest security updates to the new computer.

Other Service Pack 1 features that offer customers a more robust security defense include Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 Metabase Auditing, which allows administrators to identify potential malicious users should the store become corrupted, stronger defaults and privilege reduction on services to establish a minimum security threshold for applications, and the addition of Network Access Quarantine Control components to allow administrators to isolate out-of-date virtual private networking (VPN) assets.