Host Hardening emphasizing the critical nature of protecting individual servers and hosts beyond firewall protection. The chapter begins by defining a “host” as any device with an IP address that can be networked, including servers, clients, routers, firewalls, and mobile phones. Given that servers installed with default settings are highly vulnerable to attacks, host hardening is the necessity.
Key elements of host hardening include regular backups, restricting physical access, using secure configuration options during operating system installation, minimizing the number of running applications and services to reduce attack surfaces, and updating software to patch known vulnerabilities. The text also covers the management of users and groups, secure access permissions, data encryption, the use of host firewalls, regular review of operating system logs, and frequent vulnerability testing.
security baselines and images are sets of specific actions taken to harden hosts of a particular type or version. These serve as a checklist to ensure no step is overlooked during the hardening process. Companies might also use disk images of securely configured systems for future installations, ensuring consistency and adherence to security policies.
The conclusion emphasizes the host as the last line of defense in thwarting attacks, highlighting the importance of hardening not just servers and network devices but also client PCs and mobile phones.
Host Hardening emphasizing the critical nature of protecting individual servers and hosts beyond firewall protection. The chapter begins by defining a “host” as any device with an IP address that can be networked, including servers, clients, routers, firewalls, and mobile phones. Given that servers installed with default settings are highly vulnerable to attacks, host hardening is the necessity.
Key elements of host hardening include regular backups, restricting physical access, using secure configuration options during operating system installation, minimizing the number of running applications and services to reduce attack surfaces, and updating software to patch known vulnerabilities. The text also covers the management of users and groups, secure access permissions, data encryption, the use of host firewalls, regular review of operating system logs, and frequent vulnerability testing.
security baselines and images are sets of specific actions taken to harden hosts of a particular type or version. These serve as a checklist to ensure no step is overlooked during the hardening process. Companies might also use disk images of securely configured systems for future installations, ensuring consistency and adherence to security policies.
The conclusion emphasizes the host as the last line of defense in thwarting attacks, highlighting the importance of hardening not just servers and network devices but also client PCs and mobile phones.