System Hardening
What is System Hardening?
The process of securing a system by reducing its attack surface through removing unnecessary software, closing unused ports, and applying security configurations.
Terms that appear alongside system hardening
Each of these is named in at least one of the same controls as system hardening. The number is how many controls name both.
- hardening 15 shared controls
- patch management 6 shared controls
- secure configuration 4 shared controls
- malware 4 shared controls
- baseline 4 shared controls
- cis benchmarks 3 shared controls
- disa stig 3 shared controls
- secure boot 3 shared controls
Frameworks that govern system hardening
What the standards actually require on system hardening
Requirements naming system hardening across 6 standards, quoted from the control text.
Harden operating systems based on vendor guidance and ASD guidance. Remove unneeded software, services and ports.
ASD37-11 · Operating system hardening (Very Good) →Harden production system components to generally accepted industry standards, document the hardening requirements for each component, verify immutable images against those requirements when the images are created, and retain configuration and log files evidenc...
C5-OPS-23 · Managing Vulnerabilities, Malfunctions and Errors - System Hardening →Storage systems, controllers, switches, backup servers and their management components should be hardened: unnecessary services, protocols and accounts removed or disabled, default credentials changed, outdated and insecure technologies avoided, firmware and s...
iso-iec-27040-2024::10.3.1 · System hardening →Apply hardening baselines that disable unnecessary services, accounts, and software on SWIFT components and supporting systems.
CSCF-2.3 · System Hardening →Operate IT systems securely with documented hardening baselines, patch management, change management, logging, malware protection, and capacity management for all in-scope infrastructure.
TISAX-OPS-01 · IT Operations and System Hardening →All solutions have user-based access with unique client logins and authentication and authorisation controls (for example a unique username and password);
ato-digital-service-provider-dsp-operational-security-framework::SEC.AUTH.UNIQUE · Unique user logins, shared logins blocked →Questions people ask about system hardening
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See how System Hardening applies across compliance frameworks
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