The FREE Cybersecurity Glossary by Thor Pedersen!

Harden: The process of strengthening or securing a system, network, or application to protect against potential vulnerabilities or threats. Hardening can involve a range of measures, such as implementing security controls, disabling unnecessary services, or applying patches and updates. Examples of hardening activities include configuring firewalls, disabling unused ports, and applying security patches to operating systems.

Hardening: The process of securing a system by reducing its vulnerability to attack. This is often done by disabling unnecessary services, applying security patches, and using firewalls and intrusion detection systems. It is used in cybersecurity to protect systems from unauthorized access. Examples include disabling unneeded network ports, implementing access controls, and regularly updating software.

Hardening cloud devices: The process of implementing security measures to protect devices connected to cloud services and the data they handle from threats. This involves steps such as updating firmware, using strong access controls, disabling unnecessary services, encrypting data, and configuring network security to prevent unauthorized access. Since these devices often deal with sensitive data and are internet-connected, hardening is essential to ensure their security.

Hardware: The physical components of a computer system, such as the motherboard, processor, and memory. This is a crucial part of a computer system, as it provides the necessary components for running software and storing data. Examples of hardware include CPUs, RAM, and storage drives.

Hardware Security Module (HSM): A physical device designed to securely generate, store, and manage cryptographic keys used to protect sensitive data and ensure cryptographic operations' integrity. Examples include smart cards and USB security tokens.

Hardware segmentation: Hardware segmentation is the practice of dividing a network into physically separate segments, each with dedicated hardware such as switches and routers. This approach can enhance security by containing threats within a segment and preventing unauthorized access across different parts of the network. It is particularly useful for protecting high-value assets within an organization.