Hardening

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In computing, hardening is the process of securing a system. This work is especially done to protect systems against attackers.

This would typically include removal of unnecessary usernames or logins and the disabling or removal of unnecessary services. On a typical Windows server, one example would be the disabling of the "print spooler" as this may not be needed.

There are various methods of hardening Unix and Linux systems. This may involve, among other measures, applying a patch to the kernel such as Exec Shield or PaX; closing open network ports; and setting up intrusion-detection systems, firewalls and intrusion-prevention systems. There are also hardening scripts and tools like Bastille Linux and Apache/PHP Hardener [1] that can, for example, deactivate unneeded features in configuration files or perform various other protective measures.

[edit] See also

• Computer security
• Computer network security
• Network security policy
  • Linux:
    • Security-Enhanced Linux