System hardening is the process of reducing the attack surface of a computer.  Modern computers are often supplied in a state which favours usability by the end user or technician who is responsible for that equipment. This often means that there are a number of services running on the computer which are actually not required in order for it to fulfil its purpose, simply because the IT vendor has to cater for a large number of customers and cannot know your individual needs.

It is important that all settings and services on your equipment are reviewed to ensure they are required and configured in such a way as to prevent unnecessary attack vectors to your IT equipment and the data it stores.

There are numerous guidelines available for securely configuring operating systems and applications (see our Resources section) and we can help you to ensure that your infrastructure is configured securely while maintaining usability. System hardening should always take in to account your organisations information security policy requirements. We can work with you and your IT team to produce documented system hardening procedures or guides for your IT systems which are relevant to your business and the data you are protecting.