Tuesday, January 4, 2005

How to Configure Logon Banners

Cisco router login banners: In global configuration mode, issue the command “banner motd #” and press the Enter key. Type your login banner followed by another “#” and, once again press the Enter key. Learn more about configuring Cisco router logon banners in our two-day Cisco router hands-on workshop, available in both public and onsite workshops.

On a Linux system, the banner is in /etc/issue. Use vi or any text editor to edit the file with whatever text you wish to display before a user logs on. Learn more about configuring Linux logon banners in our two-day hands-on Linux workshops, available in both public and onsite workshops.

Windows login banners can be created through a Group Policy Object for either the domain or locally. (This tip applies to Windows 2000/XP/2003 machines.) Open the Group Policy editor by clicking Start, then click Run, and type “gpedit.msc”. Next, navigate to Computer Configuration>>Windows Settings>>Security Settings>>Local Policies>>Security Options. Configure the actual message text under “Interactive logon: Message text for users attempting to logon” and configure the banner window title under “Interactive logon: Message title for users attempting to logon” (in Windows 2000, it’s just the object called “Message text…). Learn more about configuring Windows logon banners in our two-day Windows seminars, available in both public and onsite workshops.

Regardless of the system you administer, common logon banners say things like, “Restricted system. Do not attempt unauthorized logon. Unauthorized logon attempts may be prosecuted.” or words to that effect. Service providers sometimes use the banner to indicate their ownership of the device and to provide contact information for support.

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