The masterminds behind Windows often implement features designed to benefit both enterprise and home users, but some of these features turn into vulnerabilities when manipulated by a malicious element. The Hardentools tool aims to improve the security of Windows 11 and previous editions by disabling or limiting access to these resources, and generally reducing the attack surface.
Microsoft developers often make decisions that may seem interesting at first, but they end up creating serious security challenges. Without going too far, Office macros have too many horror stories to ignore, and although things have improved over the years, we must never let our guard down.
By that I mean we can always do something extra to optimize the security of Windows and other popular applications. The project known as Hardentools points in that direction, and its application is very easy to use.
How to improve the security of Windows 11 with Hardentools
Basically, the idea is to disable certain features to improve the security of Windows 11 and its previous editions, at the cost of a reasonable loss of functionality. What does that mean? The Hardentools developers explain it on their GitHub profile: The program can disable the execution of VBScript and JavaScript files, block AutoRun and AutoPlay on all drives, raise settings in User Account Control, optimize protection rules in Windows Defender, and most importantly, disable access to both CMD and PowerShell.
It's very likely that some advanced users use both consoles daily, and disabling their functionality would cause more problems for them than it solves. However, we must not lose sight of the fact that all settings are optional and reversible. PowerShell is part of the automatic selection, but if you want to block CMD too, you'll need to indicate it manually. The rest of the options cover Microsoft Office and the classic Acrobat Reader for PDF files.
Needless to say, Hardentools is not a tool designed for corporate environments, it is not an antivirus, nor does it make Windows 11 invulnerable. Its goal is to place obstacles and prevent certain types of attacks from developing properly. Download a copy!
Official site and download: Click here
