Security Hardening
In plain terms
Reducing a system's attack surface through secure configuration.
Going deeper
Security hardening removes unnecessary services, tightens settings, and applies best practices to make systems more resistant to attack. It minimizes exploitable weaknesses.
Under the hood
Guided by benchmarks (CIS); covers OS, network, and app configuration plus patching.
Examples
CIS benchmarks, disabling unused ports, secure defaults, OS hardening.
Think of it like...
Like boarding up unused doors and reinforcing the ones you keep.