Guide to System Hardening: Checklist & Best Practices [2026] | Huntress

**Executive summary:** This document is a comprehensive system hardening checklist and guidance that walks IT teams through user and access controls, network and firewall configuration, patch management, Windows- and Linux-specific hardening, service and application configuration, logging and monitoring, physical security controls, relevant standards (CIS, NIST, DISA STIGs), tools for assessment and automation, and common mistakes to avoid; it is a preventive best-practices guide rather than an incident report.