The Center for Internet Security (CIS) published a set of 18 actions, or “controls”, that should be performed in order to achieve a cyber-attack resilient IT infrastructure.
We recently engaged in a conversation with our team of experts regarding their ongoing server hardening project. We inquired about the obstacles encountered during manual hardening procedures and asked if they’d be willing to explain the underlying reasons for issues that arise when automation is not employed. Their latest encounter with a client provided a valuable opportunity to further expound on strategies to mitigate these challenges.
To safeguard the SQL layer against common SQL-based attacks, including Denial of Service, Brute Force, and SQL injections, and to prevent privilege escalations, hardening the SQL server is of utmost importance. Achieving compliance and satisfying auditors also necessitates SQL hardening. By implementing SQL hardening measures at both the application and operating system levels, the organization can significantly reduce its attack surface and eliminate critical vulnerabilities.
When installing a new Linux server, you should be aware that its level of security is very low by default, to allow as much functionality as possible. Therefore, performing basic hardening actions before the server is installed in production is crucial. CalCom Software is hardening RedHat / Linux.
A secure channel is a crucial component of Active Directory that’s used by domain members and controllers for seamless communication. Domain Member: Digitally Encrypt or Sign Secure Channel Data is a Microsoft security setting, which, when enabled, ensures that all traffic to/from the secure channel is encrypted. The secure channel is basically a communication channel that allows users smooth access to their user accounts in specific domains.
The LAN Manager (LM) is a group of early Microsoft client/server software products that enable users to connect personal computers on a single network. Its features include transparent file and printer sharing, user security features, and network administration tools. In Active Directory domains, the default authentication protocol is the Kerberos protocol. However, if Kerberos is not available for any reason, LM, NTLM, or NTLMv2 can be used as an alternative.
Sysctl is a command-line utility in Unix-like operating systems that allows users to view and modify kernel parameters at runtime. These parameters, also known as “tunable” or “kernel” parameters, control various aspects of the operating system’s behavior, such as network settings, memory management, file system behavior, and more. Each of these operating systems has their own implementation of sysctl, with slightly different options and syntax.
Digitally Encrypt Secure Channel Data is a security setting used for digitally securing the data that’s transmitted over the secure data channel network. The data transmitted between the domain member and the domain controller must be encrypted and secured with the latest technology to ensure that no unauthorized user gets access to the confidential data.
The Devices: Allow undock without having to log on setting on laptops and computers is extensively used to provide people with the convenience of undocking their systems without having to log on repeatedly. This comes in handy for portable devices that need to be undocked from the docking station multiple times. You can just hit the eject button and safely get your laptop away from the docking station.
Before the software is launched, it’s tested with several tools and software applications to identify bugs. “Debugging” is the process of finding and resolving errors in software or computer systems. A “debugging program” or “debugger” is a tool that helps developers identify and fix errors in their code.