15 System Hardening
This chapter covers
- System Hardening
- Methods for system hardening
- Security baselines, patching, and updates
- Change management
As discussed in previous chapters, cyberattacks often succeed by exploiting the weakest link in a system, such as a vulnerable service, misconfigured application, or insecure device. Modern operating systems, applications, and network devices are often designed primarily for functionality, compatibility, and ease of deployment. Consequently, they are often installed with unnecessary services enabled, open network ports, excessive permissions, and insecure default settings. While these defaults simplify deployment and administration, they also increase the attack surface, creating opportunities for attackers.
The goal of system hardening is to reduce this attack surface. System hardening involves securely configuring technology to reduce vulnerabilities and limit opportunities for exploitation. A single poorly secured system can compromise an entire environment. Once attackers gain an initial foothold, they can move laterally across the network, escalate privileges, and access critical organizational assets. Therefore, securing individual systems is a fundamental component of an organization’s overall security strategy.