PAA Automation Security Hardening

Security
Hardening
with PASH

Automated enforcement of CIS Benchmarks across Linux and Windows servers — eliminating configuration drift and reducing your attack surface at scale.

Learn About PASH See Benefits
10+
Supported OS Variants
600+
Scalable Infrastructure
CIS
Benchmark Compliant
CIS Benchmark EnforcementIndustry-standard security baselines applied automatically
Agentless ArchitectureNo agent installation required on target servers
Granular RollbackRestore only affected configs without full system rollback
Foundation

What is Security Hardening?

The systematic implementation of baseline security configurations to reduce system exposure and mitigate exploitation risks.

Systematic implementation of baseline security configurations to reduce system exposure, enforce least privilege, and mitigate exploitation risks by tightening system configurations and closing potential security gaps.
Attack Surfaces Threats
  • System-wide directories
  • Unused filesystems & network protocols
  • Unnecessary services
  • Unnecessary processes
  • File authorization not configured
Cyber Attack → Security Hardening
Hardening Actions Solutions
  • Separate Partitions & Secure Mount Options
  • Disable unused filesystems & network protocols
  • Disable unnecessary services
  • Stop unnecessary processes
  • Configure file authorization
Automated Enforcement

Security Hardening Solution
Using PASH

Modern security requires moving beyond manual configurations to automated enforcement of global security standards.

01

CIS Benchmarks

Industry-recognized security baselines from Center for Internet Security ensure globally accepted hardening standards across all systems.

02

Automated Enforcement

Consistent application of security controls across all systems eliminates human error and configuration drift at scale.

03

Audit-Ready Systems

Continuous compliance monitoring ensures systems remain compliant and ready for regulatory audits at any time.

CIS Standards

Sample CIS Rules and Benefits

Concrete hardening rules that directly reduce your attack surface and strengthen compliance posture.

CIS Hardening Benefits
  • Reduced Credential Attack Risk: Brute-force & password spraying reduced
  • Unauthorized Access Prevention: Local & anonymous access restricted
  • Data Leakage Mitigation: Disables weak legacy auth and anonymous network access vectors
  • Lower Malware & Privilege Escalation Risk: Blocks unauthorized driver/software installation

Enforce Account Lockout

  • Lockout duration set to 15+ minutes
  • Lockout threshold: 3 or fewer invalid attempts

Avoid Unauthorized Access

  • 'Allow log on locally' set to Administrators
  • Anonymous user permissions disabled

Prevent Data Leakage

  • Configure anonymous named pipe access
  • LAN Manager: NTLMv2 only — refuse LM & NTLM

Reduce Malware Risk

  • Prevent users from installing printer drivers
  • Disable user control over installs
Alignment

CIS and Security Standards

CIS Benchmarks translate governance frameworks into concrete, auditable technical configurations.

CIS and ISO 27001
ISMS Framework & Technical Guide
ISO 27001 → WHAT (Governance)
CIS → HOW (Technical)

ISO/IEC 27001 Annex A 8.5 — Secure Authentication

  • Ensure sshd MaxAuthTries is configured
  • Ensure sshd PermitRootLogin is disabled
  • Ensure sshd ClientAliveInterval and ClientAliveCountMax configured
CIS and NIST
Framework & Technical Implementation
NIST → WHAT & WHY (Framework)
CIS → HOW (Technical)

NIST IR 7966 — Security of Interactive and Automated Access Management Using SSH

  • Ensure sshd ClientAliveInterval and ClientAliveCountMax configured
  • Ensure sshd MaxAuthTries is configured
Key Insight: ISO 27001 and NIST define the security framework and controls, while CIS Benchmarks translate them into concrete, auditable technical configurations.
Platform

What is PASH?

PASH is automation-based security hardening and compliance monitoring platform that provides visibility into security posture and compliance scores.

Objective

PASH is designed to automate the security hardening process for Linux and Windows servers, ensuring system configurations comply with organizational security standards.

Security Benchmarks

PASH enforces security configuration baselines based on CIS Benchmarks, ensuring target systems adhere to industry best practices for security hardening and compliance.

Integration & Connectivity

AGT
Agentless Architecture

PASH does not require any agent to be installed on target servers — zero footprint deployment.

LNX
Linux Integration

Connects to Linux servers via SSH (port 22) using a dedicated OS user.

WIN
Windows Integration

Connects to Windows servers via WinRM (port 5986) using a dedicated OS user.

Value Proposition

PASH Key Point Benefits

Operational, security, and cost advantages delivered through automation.

Cost & Efficiency

  • Reduce engineering manpower cost via automation
  • Significantly reduces manual effort
  • Consistent and standardized configuration
  • Minimizes human error and inconsistencies

Security

  • CIS Benchmarks enforcement
  • Reduce attack surface
  • Compliance & posture visibility
  • Periodic auditing and compliance monitoring

Operational

  • Agentless connection architecture
  • Granular rollback capability
  • Does not require service downtime
  • Does not require a server restart
Stakeholders
Auditor
ITSec / CISO
Ops / Infra / Apps
Process

PASH Security Hardening Flow

A structured four-phase process from scanning to optional rollback.

Scanning Tasks

Check PASH integration with target host. Gather facts to get information about the target host.

Verification Tasks

Check current security posture per the CIS checklist. Generate reports displayed in PASH dashboard.

Hardening / Remediation

Apply OS changes per the security checklist. Create configuration backups for rollback operations.

Rollback Tasks

Rollback last applied changes. Granular rollback of specific rules without full system rollback.

Coverage

Supported Operating Systems

OS hardening rules are based on CIS Benchmarks across all major Linux distributions and Windows Server variants.

10+
Supported OS Variants
RH

Red Hat Linux Variant

  • RHEL 6
  • RHEL 7
  • RHEL 8
  • RHEL 9
SU

SUSE Linux Variant

  • SUSE Linux 11
  • SUSE Linux 12
  • SUSE Linux 15
CE

CentOS Linux Variant

  • CentOS 7
RO

Rocky Linux Variant

  • Rocky Linux 8
  • Rocky Linux 9
DB

Debian Linux Variant

  • Debian Linux 10
  • Debian Linux 11
  • Debian Linux 12
OR

Oracle Linux Variant

  • Oracle Linux 7
WS

Microsoft Windows Server

  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Windows Server 2016
  • Windows Server 2019
  • Windows Server 2022
Strategy

Implementation Strategy:
The 20-Server Pilot

01
Phase 01

Low-Risk Start

Proof of Concept on 20 servers demonstrates value without operational disruption to production systems.

02
Phase 02

Measurable Outcomes

Track compliance score improvements and vulnerability reduction with quantifiable metrics and reporting.

03
Phase 03

Scalability Plan

Once validated, expand hardened configurations across the entire 600-server infrastructure seamlessly.