[TIP] The ultimate Windows hardening guide site?

[Metanis]

Stumbled upon this site by accident. Weirdly designed but seems to be amazingly thorough. Just a few minutes of browsing reminded me how woefully unskilled and inadequate I am with current security practices.

GitHub - HotCakeX/Harden-Windows-Security: Harden Windows Safely, Securely using Official Supported Microsoft methods and proper explanation | Always up-to-date and works with the latest build of Windows | Provides tools and Guides for Personal, Ente

Harden Windows Safely, Securely using Official Supported Microsoft methods and proper explanation | Always up-to-date and works with the latest build of Windows | Provides tools and Guides for Pers...

github.com

 

[britechguy]

That is a great resource. I think the About entry on the main GitHub page for the project is worth quoting:

Harden Windows Safely, Securely using Official Supported Microsoft methods and proper explanation | Always up-to-date and works with the latest build of Windows | Provides tools and Guides for Personal, Enterprise, Government and Military security levels | Read The Rationale https://github.com/HotCakeX/Harden-Windows-Security/blob/main/Rationale.md [Bold emphasis mine]

Note well that the has separate Guides for four broad security levels. Not that I think you, @Metanis, would do so, but it's important to note that you need to choose the level to match the actual situation, not be applying military level security for your average home user. Security is about layers, and those layers can have a very negative impact on usability in day-to-day situations. You only need security that's adequate for the use case, not maximum security in all cases.

In the computer security field, we often say that one doesn't need Fort Knox to safeguard a broken bicycle.
~ Glenn Glazer, M.S. ’07 UCLA Security & Cryptography,
April 25, 2019, in Message on Groups.io Beta Group

 

[Markverhyden]

The US DoD has plenty of resources that anyone can use. The Defense Information Systems Agency publishes Security Technical Implementation Guides which can help harden the IT infrastructure. Many, if not most, are actually guides distilled from MS and other major service providers.

 

[GTP]

I like to visit Glen Glazer's privacytools.io as well. Great resource for all things Windows privacy for the "Average Joe."