Hardentools disables low-hanging fruit features in Microsoft Windows 10 and 11 and common applications like Office, LibreOffice, and Adobe Reader. The primary objective is to reduce the attack surface by disabling features commonly abused by attackers. This tool is designed for individuals seeking extra security, acknowledging potential usability trade-offs and not intended for corporate environments.
Hardentools offers a simple user interface for disabling risky features. It provides comprehensive technical information on changes via a help button. The tool includes an expert settings option for fine-grained control over hardening measures. It allows for both user-specific and system-wide hardening and restoration. A command-line interface is available for automated hardening and restoration.
- Feature Disablement: Disables commonly exploited Windows features to reduce attack vectors.
- User-Specific Hardening: Modifies settings only for the user account running the tool.
- Expert Settings: Allows users to select/deselect specific harden measures for customized configuration.
- Command-Line Interface: Offers a command-line option for automation and remote hardening/restoration.
- Restore Functionality: Enables reverting changes made by the tool to restore original system settings.
Hardentools is actively maintained with recent commits and regular updates. The project has a clear development history and a community of contributors. Known issues are documented, and solutions are actively being explored.
Hardentools benefits individuals at higher risk of cyberattacks by minimizing potential vulnerabilities. It addresses the need for improved security by disabling commonly exploited features without requiring specialized technical expertise. It offers a practical approach for users willing to accept potential functional limitations for enhanced security.