5.3. Hardening the OS and NOS
Any network is only as strong as its weakest component. Sometimes, the most obvious components are overlooked, and it's your job as a security administrator to make certain that doesn't happen. You must ensure that the operating systems running on the workstations and on the network servers are as secure as they can be.
Hardening an operating system (OS) or network operating system (NOS) refers to the process of making the environment more secure from attacks and intruders. The following sections discuss hardening an OS and the methods of keeping it hardened as new threats emerge. They will also discuss some of the vulnerabilities of the more popular operating systems and what can be done to harden those OSs.
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