CCST Cybersecurity Practice Test

Hardening is the process of making a system more resistant to attacks by reducing the ways an attacker could compromise it. This means removing or disabling unnecessary services, closing unused ports, removing or restricting unnecessary software, and tightening configurations. It also involves applying security controls, such as strong authentication, up-to-date patches, audit logging, and enforcing least-privilege access, to minimize the chances an attacker can exploit a vulnerability. By focusing on reducing the attack surface—the total number of potential entry points—hardening helps ensure the system operates securely with fewer opportunities for exploitation.

Choosing other options would undermine this goal: increasing privileges for all users expands the potential damage if an account is compromised, installing more software can introduce new vulnerabilities, and neglecting updates leaves known flaws unpatched and ready to be exploited.