66. An administrator needs to perform server hardening before deployment. Which of the following steps should the administrator take? (Select two).
Answer: A,C
Disable default accounts and remove unnecessary services.
Server hardening involves a series of security measures aimed at reducing vulnerabilities before deployment. Disabling default accounts and removing unnecessary services are both critical steps in this process to enhance the server's security posture.
A) Disable default accounts.
Disabling default accounts is essential as these accounts often come with known credentials that can be easily exploited by attackers. By removing or disabling these accounts, the administrator minimizes the potential entry points for unauthorized access, making the server more secure.
B) Add the server to the asset inventory.
While adding the server to the asset inventory is an important administrative task for asset management, it does not directly contribute to the hardening process. This step is more about organizational tracking rather than enhancing the server's security.
C) Remove unnecessary services.
Removing unnecessary services significantly reduces the attack surface of the server. Each running service can potentially be exploited, so by disabling those not required for the server's intended function, the administrator strengthens the overall security of the system.
D) Document default passwords.
Documenting default passwords does not enhance security; rather, it may lead to potential vulnerabilities if these passwords are not changed post-deployment. This step does not contribute to hardening and can be counterproductive if the passwords remain unchanged.
E) Send server logs to the SIEM.
Sending server logs to the SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) system is a best practice for monitoring and incident response rather than a hardening step. While this action improves the ability to detect and respond to incidents, it does not directly secure the server before deployment.
F) Join the server to the corporate domain.
Joining the server to the corporate domain is primarily an administrative function that facilitates management and policy enforcement. However, it does not directly contribute to hardening the server itself, making it irrelevant in this context.
Conclusion
The correct steps for server hardening are to disable default accounts and remove unnecessary services, as these actions directly mitigate risks and vulnerabilities. Other options, while important for overall system management and security monitoring, do not specifically contribute to the hardening process, thus failing to meet the core objective of enhancing server security before deployment.