Security engineering · Specialist service
Hardening and control of deviations from secure configuration
Secure configuration requires a common baseline and oversight of changes made during day-to-day administration. We help implement agreed settings and identify deviations that need investigation or correction.
Service scope
Hardening and configuration
Hardening reduces unnecessary functionality and improves permissions, access, authentication and event logging settings. We tailor baselines to designated systems and their roles. An agreed exception remains visible with its justification, rather than being automatically treated as an error requiring a service to be disabled.
Baseline design
We define required settings for the specific technology, accounting for the system’s function and application dependencies.
Hardening implementation
We apply approved changes to access, permissions, functionality and event logging according to the work plan.
Operational verification
We check that new settings do not disrupt agreed business functions and that required events remain available.
Deviation monitoring
We compare configuration against the adopted baseline, distinguishing approved exceptions, planned changes and deviations requiring a response.
Project deliverables
What will your team receive?
- Configuration baseline for designated systems.
- Implementation plan and record of completed changes.
- Results of operational verification after hardening.
- Exception register and deviation monitoring rules.
Delivery conditions
What do we agree before starting?
- List of systems, their functions and dependencies.
- Baseline approval by technology and service owners.
- Access to testing, change windows and configuration rollback capabilities.
How we work
From understanding the need to verifying the result.
Prepare the baseline
We identify the system’s role, propose settings and agree necessary exceptions.
Controlled implementation
We assess the impact of changes and execute them according to the approved plan and rollback criteria.
Maintain baseline alignment
We establish agreed deviation reviews and a process for updating the baseline as technology changes.
Clear responsibilities
What is already included, and what do we extend?
Enterprise includes core configuration reviews, recommendations and changes within the maintenance catalogue. Designing and implementing broader hardening baselines and specialist configuration control beyond that scope are extensions.
Before making a decision
Questions about hardening and configuration
Does one baseline fit every server?
Not always. System roles, applications and dependencies may require different settings. We assign baselines and exceptions to specific asset groups.
Is every deviation a security violation?
A deviation requires assessment. It may reflect an approved need, a planned change or an error; its cause, impact and approval status matter.
What happens after an update changes the settings?
Agreed checks compare the current state with the baseline. A decision is then made to correct the configuration, approve an exception or update the baseline itself.
Related expertise
Connect activities that complement each other.
The next step
Let us define a scope that makes sense for your organisation.
Let us discuss your environment, priorities and team responsibilities. We will use this to define the work, required access and service conditions.