Hardentools: make Windows safer by disabling functions
Hardentools is really a free open up source program for that Microsoft Windows operating-system that may harden the machine by disabling functions.
The Windows operating-system ships having a broad selection of features. A few of these features tend to be enabled with regard to compatibility factors on just about all editions associated with Windows.
While these types of features possess their uses using environments, Enterprise for example, they might not be used by nearly all home customers.
The primary idea at the rear of Hardentools would be to turn away these features to create Windows safer along the way.
Note: You need to ensure that you do not require the actual features which Hardentools hinders on Home windows, as you will not have the ability to use all of them afterwards any longer. Read on to discover which functions get disabled whenever you run the actual tool.
Hardentools Features
Hardentools is really a simple plan. While it will ship having a graphical interface, it doesn't provide customers with several choices however. Actually, the user interface has just one button -- solidify -- which users can click to initiate the procedure. A restart is needed to finalize the actual changes designed to the operating-system.Note: This program features the restore choice. You have it once you have applied the actual changes towards the operating program, restarted the actual PC, as well as ran the actual tool once again. This allows you to restore the actual features how the first run from the tool handicapped.
It must be noted how the tool isn't meant with regard to public submission yet based on the developers.
The developers intend to add a variety menu towards the program later on. For right now, that 1 button is whatever you get.
This is actually the list associated with features which Hardentools disables whenever you press which button:
- Disables Windows Scripting Host.
- Disables AutoRun and AutoPlay.
- Disables powershell.exe, powershell_ise,exe, and cmd.exe execution via Windows Explorer.
- Disables Microsoft Office Macros.
- Disables Microsoft Office OLE object execution.
- Disables Microsoft Office ActiveX.
- Disables JavaScript in PDF documents in Acrobat Reader.
- Disables the execution of objects embedded in PDF documents.
As possible see, the changes might have wide achieving consequences. Especially the actual disabling associated with PowerShell as well as Cmd have to be mentioned within the context.
This really is obviously not really a big concern for customers who in no way run PowerShell or even Cmd. All customers who perform however can't use Hardentools at this time due to the missing choice options.
Hardentools primary feature presently is that it's dead simple to use. Users who desire more control within the process could make individual modifications manually rather.
While this involves a little bit of research, it is almost always not which hard, and it provides you with more flexibility with regards to hardening the operating-system.The greatest issue at this time for house users would be to determine whether an element is required or not really. While you are able to simply go on and apply the actual changes, and find out where that goes after the actual restart, it is almost always better to understand beforehand.
Shutting Words
Hardentools is definitely an interesting project that could already end up being useful using situations as well as environments. Most users might want to hold off for the time being though due to the program's just about all or nothing method of things at this time.
This can change over time based on the developers, which will certainly boost the application's achieve significantly.
