What it means
Hardening includes patching, removing unused services, restricting administrative rights, configuring local protections, controlling software, protecting credentials, and enabling useful logs.
Why it matters
Endpoints are common entry points and execution environments. Consistent hardening reduces the number of easy paths available to attackers.
Practical focus
- Start from an approved secure baseline
- Remove or disable unneeded software and services
- Limit local administrative access
- Measure and correct configuration drift
Common mistakes
- Applying a benchmark without compatibility testing
- Hardening only new systems
- Ignoring user-created and unmanaged devices
Certification relevance
This subject appears in or supports the following certification bodies of knowledge: