Windows 2000 Professional (Win2K Pro) is a brand new OS with lots of bells and whistles, so its available services deserve careful inspection before connecting it to the Internet. If you perform your own Win2K Pro installation, install only the services that you absolutely require. If someone other than yourself built or maintains your system, you should review all services for proper configuration. For example, did you know that Win2K Pro lets a remote user start the Telnet service if your system is not protected against such action? Therefore, if you don't need a Telnet service, don't install it. And if the service is already installed, remove or disable it.
Minimally, inspect each installed service to ensure no unwanted services have been enabled for automatic or manual start. If you have services installed that you'll never use, remove them from your systems. These actions help prevent intruders from starting services without your knowledge. If you have a service installed that you'll use only on rare occasions, disable that service until you need it.
Be sure to inspect and test all the security aspects of any installed services for proper configuration. For example, if you have an FTP service installed, ensure that only authorized accounts can log on to that service and that those accounts can access only the parts of the file system you authorize
