What does Network Hardening specifically focus on?

Network hardening specifically focuses on enhancing the security of a network by minimizing its vulnerabilities. This is achieved through various practices aimed at reducing the attack surface that can be exploited by malicious actors. One of the key strategies in network hardening is removing unused ports and blocking unnecessary protocols.

By eliminating unused ports, organizations can prevent unauthorized access points that attackers could exploit. Each open port is a potential entry point into the network; therefore, closing ports that are not in use reduces the risk of intrusion. Similarly, blocking unnecessary protocols helps in preventing exposure to vulnerabilities that might be associated with those protocols. Many network protocols can introduce security risks if not managed properly, so restricting these to only those that are essential for the functioning of business processes is critical.

While changing the physical location of network devices can be part of physical security strategies, it does not directly address network vulnerabilities in the same way that hardening practices do. Similarly, upgrading network devices regularly and increasing bandwidth for user devices, while beneficial for performance and capacity, do not focus on reducing security risks or minimizing the ways an attacker could gain access to the network. Thus, focusing on unused ports and unnecessary protocols is indeed the essence of network hardening.