or obtain an elevated privileged access to the system due to a security flaw in the system or a faulty configuration. An internal attacker can leverage these same methods to gain an elevated privilege on the system. In the majority of the cases, these vulnerabilities are found in third-party components, open source libraries, or in the software that is installed on the system. Vulnerabilities can be found in many different areas of a system, depending on the nature of the system. SysAdmins can increase the security of their systems by hardening the system, as well as by keeping software up to date and having a tested and maintained network.
Hardening the system
Hardening a system is the process of making it more resistant to external vulnerabilities. There are many ways to implement hardening methods, but SysAdmins can usually accomplish these goals through the use of firewalls and intrusion detection systems (IDS) and prevention systems. Some possible mitigation methods for hardening include:
- Using firmware updates
- Disabling unnecessary services
- Creating lockdown configurations
- Patching software using vendor provided security patches
- Installing Malware analysis tools such as Tripwire or Tripwire Enterprise v4.3
- Using vulnerability scanners such as Nessus, OpenVAS, Nexpose, GFI LanGuard, etc.
Hardening the System
One way for sysadmins to harden a system is by configuring only the services users require and removing unnecessary ones. This will reduce the number of vulnerabilities in the system. Another way to keep your systems secure is by limiting the privileges on any given user account. By doing this, it will be harder for a malicious user with limited privileges to exploit vulnerabilities in other parts of the system.
Hardening the Configuration of a System
One of the most important things that sysadmins can do to increase the security of their systems is hardening the configuration. Increasing the security of a system requires careful planning and preparation. Hardening a system requires each component of the system to be configured in such a way that it will prevent unauthorized access, deny access, or provide limited access to those who need it. Once hardening has been completed, SysAdmins should keep their software up-to-date with patches and patches for third-party components as well as regularly on systems.
Hardening your system can help reduce risks associated with vulnerabilities by preventing unauthorized access to critical components and providing limited access to authorized users only. A hardened system is also less likely to be compromised by external attackers, which is why hardening is one of the more important steps in securing your network from external threats.
Software Hardening and Updating
System administrators can take steps to protect their systems by hardening the system and keeping software up to date. Hardening measures include disabling unnecessary services, restricting access to certain files and directories, removing default configurations in favor of hardened configurations, patching any exploitable vulnerabilities, monitoring network traffic, and many other methods.
Hardening and updating software is a necessary part of network security that can help reduce vulnerability.
Timeline
Published on: 10/17/2022 09:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 10/20/2022 14:20:00 UTC