Why Harden Your Server?
A freshly deployed Windows Breeze needs security hardening to protect against brute-force attacks, unauthorized access, and exploitation of default configurations. This guide covers essential steps to secure your server.
Account Security
Rename the Administrator Account
Rename-LocalUser -Name "Administrator" -NewName "SrvAdmin"Enforce Strong Password Policies
Open Local Security Policy (secpol.msc) and navigate to Account Policies > Password Policy. Set:
- Minimum password length: 14 characters
- Password complexity: Enabled
- Maximum password age: 90 days
Configure Account Lockout
Under Account Lockout Policy, set lockout threshold to 5 failed attempts with a 30-minute lockout duration.
RDP Hardening
- Change the default RDP port from 3389
- Enable Network Level Authentication (NLA)
- Restrict RDP access to specific IP addresses via Windows Firewall
# Enable NLA
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp" -Name "UserAuthentication" -Value 1
# Restrict RDP to specific IPs
Set-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Remote Desktop - User Mode (TCP-In)" -RemoteAddress 198.51.100.10Windows Update Configuration
# Check for updates
Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate -Force
Get-WindowsUpdate
# Install all available updates
Install-WindowsUpdate -AcceptAll -AutoRebootDisable Unnecessary Services
# Disable Print Spooler if not needed
Stop-Service -Name Spooler
Set-Service -Name Spooler -StartupType Disabled
# Disable SMBv1
Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName SMB1Protocol -NoRestartEnable Auditing
Configure advanced audit policies to log logon events, privilege use, and object access:
auditpol /set /subcategory:"Logon" /success:enable /failure:enable
auditpol /set /subcategory:"Credential Validation" /success:enable /failure:enableAdditional Measures
- Install and configure antivirus or Windows Defender
- Remove unused roles and features
- Regularly review Event Viewer logs for suspicious activity