Best practices for mitigating various attack vectors are changing depending on the environment and server functionality. CIS baselines cover most of the relevant scenarios by addressing the first stage of your Hardening Windows Server project. CIS Benchmarks -What are They and How to Use Them Microsoft has been doing some work related to default security configuration, but there is still a big gap between security best practices (i.e. common benchmarks) and the default Windows configuration.

System hardening is the process of configuring a system to a more secure state. Many technology solutions are not securely configured by default, so system administrators must harden systems while retaining their desired functionality. Thankfully, system administrators do not have to figure out system hardening on their own. Instead, they can reference security benchmarks which describe recommended secure configurations for a system.

Server hardening is a process that secures, essentially “hardening” a server infrastructure reducing the attack surface, which encompasses all potential entry points that unauthorized attackers could exploit. The objective is to enhance protection, minimize vulnerability and improve security posture. Achieving security and compliance requires implementing server hardening as an essential prerequisite. Server hardening is a proactive process that involves.

The Windows Local Administrator Password Solution ( Windows LAPS) is a built-in Windows feature designed to seamlessly handle and safeguard the password for a local administrator account on devices joined to either Microsoft Enterprise or Windows Server Active Directory domains. Additionally, Windows LAPS can be utilized to automatically manage and secure the Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) account password on Windows Server Active Directory domain controllers.

The primary protocol employed within Microsoft’s Active Directory(AD) is Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). While LDAP serves as a fundamental component in AD, its application extends beyond, enabling user authentication in various tools and client environments. This includes Red Hat Directory Servers on UNIX systems and OpenLDAP, an open-source application used on Windows platforms.

Hardening a Linux server is the process of enhancing its security and reducing its attack surface by applying various configurations, policies, and tools. A hardened Linux server is more resilient to cyber threats and less prone to compromise.

Kubernetes, also referred to as k8s or “kubes,” stands as a portable, extensible, open-source container orchestration platform designed for managing containerized workloads and services. Initially developed by Google based on its internal systems Borg and later Omega, Kubernetes was introduced as an open-source project in 2014 and subsequently donated to the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF).

The NIST SP 800-123 Guide to General Server Security contains NIST recommendations on how to secure your servers. It offers general advice and guideline on how you should approach this mission. Its aim is to assist organizations in understanding the fundamental activities they nee dto undertake to secure their servers. Regulations such as HIPAA, HITRUST, CMMC, and many others rely on those recommendations, demanding organizations to enforce and comply with the guide.

Print Spooler is a component integrated into the Windows operating system, designed to temporarily hold print jobs in the computer’s memory until the printer is prepared to execute them.

When planning a hardening project for information security, there are two types of impact analysis to consider – policy impact analysis and security impact analysis. Policy impact analysis refers to generating a report that indicates each policy rule’s impact on your production. It is especially important for avoiding system downtime caused by configuration changes. The second type of impact analysis is Security Impact Analysis.