Skip to content

Potential System Hardening

(⭐ = really important omg)

Least privilege

  • Configure user accounts with unique secure passwords for each member of the team?
    • Should each have sudo/root access?
      • If so, should the sudo password for each be unique?
  • ⭐ Change User/Password defaults
    • ⭐ Microtik Router
    • Webserver
    • Kali Machines
    • ???
    • Remove / Disable / Change PWs of any default user accounts

Automated secure remote backups

  • Potential Solutions
    • rsync + ssh (with PKI keys) + cron (taught in NCAE YouTube playlist)
      • Use proper nesting of the ssh command in quotes when using rsync via ssh w/ keys ("ssh -i keyfile").
      • What method to use to transfer key(s) to target systems?
      • keep ssh keys for the automated backup using the root account in a separate root-only readable folder?
  • Should there be backups of...
    • ssh keys for passwordless access?
    • Entire systems?
      • webserver?
      • router? (How feasible is this w/ the microtik router?)
      • other (???)
  • Where should backups be stored? On which host(s)? Multiple hosts?
  • Is encrypting backups feasible—i.e. is there enough time and compute resources?

Monitoring

  • LOGS 🎶🎸🌲🪓🎸🎶
  • ???

Firewall

  • Enable on individual hosts?
  • Set up a firewall in front of / behind the router?
  • Block icmp traffic (pings)?

Known Unknowns

  • Network Topology
    • IPs (team number) + Netmasks
  • We will have external internet access, therefore...
    • Will we need to patch any systems?
      • This could involve running vulnerability scans and deploying patches.
      • If patches are unavailable, will require implementation of compensating controls.
  • Specific Host Information
    • How many hosts are in our control?
    • What OS/distro/software do they have?
    • Services
      • Which services are configured by default?
      • Which services increase our attack surface?
      • What services are necessary to accomplish our goal(s)?
      • Which services have widely-known default values?
    • Router
      • What's allowed through by default?
      • What do we allow through?
      • What do we block?