Cloud, Kubernetes and Infrastructure Security

Server and Operating System Hardening

We bring your Windows and Linux servers to an approved security baseline. We remove unnecessary services, accounts and privileges that attackers could exploit.

What it is

Hardening means disabling everything a server does not need for its function. Default installations come with broad settings for ease of use. CIS Benchmarks and vendor security baselines are the accepted standards for hardening. The process adapts these to your applications and makes configuration drift trackable over time.

Scope

  • Organization-specific baseline for Windows Server and Linux distributions
  • Unnecessary services, open ports and legacy protocols
  • Local administrator accounts and privileged groups
  • Logging, audit policy and time synchronization settings
  • Configuration deployment via Group Policy or automation
  • Regular scanning and reporting of configuration drift

The need

When organizations need it

  • When preparing new server templates for a data center or cloud migration.
  • When annual penetration tests repeatedly find issues caused by default settings.
  • When preparing configuration standards for your servers in regulated environments. Data protection law may require hardened and tested server baselines.

Method

How we work

  1. Current state

    We scan sample servers against the selected baseline and identify deviations.

  2. Custom baseline

    We review each setting with your applications and document justified exceptions.

  3. Staged rollout

    We support applying the settings first in test, then on pilot servers.

  4. Ongoing control

    We establish regular scanning that reports configuration drift.

Outcome

What you have at the end

You receive an organization-specific, documented security baseline for your servers. New servers are built with it, and drift is regularly identified.

Frequently asked questions

Will hardening break our applications?

Some settings may affect older applications. Therefore, settings are first tested in a controlled environment and on pilot servers. Necessary exceptions are documented with their reasons.

Do we have to apply the entire CIS Benchmark?

No. CIS provides profiles such as Level 1 and Level 2. Which settings are applied depends on the server's role and risk.

Cloud, Kubernetes and Infrastructure Security

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Tell us briefly what you need. We will agree on the scope and timing together in the first meeting.

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