If you want to protect Windows better, you can try to reduce the attack surface in a targeted manner. With the free tool “Hard Configurator”, which has now been released in version 6, this works without fiddling with the registry. Still, it’s not that easy and you should be extremely careful with the free software. CHIP explains the most important steps.
Hardening Windows is not a new idea, but a security concept that has been tried and tested for decades. Instead of retrofitting security with additional tools, the hardening is going in the opposite direction: Fewer functions reduce the attack surface. The problem with this is that Microsoft doesn’t provide a tool to harden Windows. Users have to work on the registry, which takes time and is prone to errors.
The free Hard Configurator tool relies on Software Restriction Policies (SRPs) to harden Windows, so it restricts the scope of functions. The strategy is good, but there are also risks. If you are not careful here, you can make your system unusable because, for example, programs no longer start. But it starts off pretty well, after the first start, Hard Configurator creates a system restore point. Even better: make a Windows backup with a backup program beforehand, only then can hardening begin.
Getting used to the surface
The interface of Hard Configurator is neither stylish nor clear, and the supplied skins only spice up the program a little. What is important, however, is not so much the appearance, but the range of functions; and he can be seen. The two columns in the program interface are central. On the left the “SRP” column with the software restriction policies, on the right the other “Restrictions”, that is, restrictions to make Windows more secure.
The update button has given us a new version that is officially still called beta. However, it offers a tidier interface. For almost all entries in the GUI there is a separate help button with additional information. You should read them carefully before changing any settings.
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Accepting suggestions saves work
A good tactic is to click on the “Recommended Settings” button right away, then the tool uses meaningful values for the individual points, for example disconnects remote access and only allows certain file types to be executed. You can use the suggestions made by the program as a quick solution. However, you still have to test whether you can handle it.
For example, you can no longer install new programs simply by double-clicking them. Instead, you have to go through the context menu and select “Run As SmartScreen”. Programs loaded in the browser can no longer be started directly there, but it works via the download folder and the context menu. Portable tools must be whitelisted. These examples show that hardening Windows restricts Windows comfort.
However, you do not have to accept the specifications of the Hard Configurator. You can adjust each individual setting listed in a targeted manner. It is best to change one setting at a time and then test the effects; this is tedious, but nobody said that Windows hardening is quick. Windows applies the changes via “Apply Changes”, which usually requires a restart.
Harden Windows Defender
If you use Windows Defender, you can use “ConfigureDefender” to define a wide range of virus protection settings. There are three preset quick settings, “Default”, “High” and “Max”. “Default” are the standard settings as they are set after a Windows installation. With “High” you activate a few additional features such as Exploit Guard. With “Max”, all security settings are carried out at the highest level and at the same time the “Windows Security” module is hidden. You can then only access the settings via ConfigureDefender.
In addition to selecting the security level, you can also adjust individual settings in detail. How to customize Windows Defender the way you want it.
Keep calm with problems
Once again the warning: hardening Windows means saving functions and convenience, because this reduces the attack surface. It can also backfire if you have set something too restrictive. You then have built-in options in Hard Configurator to counter the problem: You can disconnect SRPs and Restrictions using the green switches in the program. With this, everything should work quickly again as it did before hardening.
Under “Tools” you can restore the Windows standard settings and also uninstall Hard Configurator. This also resets all changed registry values to the standard settings.
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