For those who seek to minimize their Windows 10 installs.

Today I Learned more about Ansible conditionals and variable management

Today I Learned more about Ansible conditionals and variable management

Today I Learned more about Ansible conditionals and variable management

Today I learned / Read About… # What SimeonOnSecurity learned about and found interesting today SimeonOnSecurity learned about Windows STIG Ansible and updated related repos. Also, studied various Microsoft and Ansible resources related to powershell, remoting, and executing shell/powershell commands on Windows using modules like invoke-command, start-process, win_powershell, win_shell, psexec, and win_psexec. New/Updated Repos: # simeononsecurity/Windows_STIG_Ansible simeononsecurity/windows_stigs Learning Resources: # microsoft - invoke-command microsoft - start-process microsoft - running remote commands ansible.

Today I learned / Read About… # What SimeonOnSecurity learned about and found interesting today SimeonOnSecurity learned and discovered several interesting things today related to Windows security and automation using Ansible. First, two new and updated repositories were identified. The Windows_STIG_Ansible repository provides a complete solution for configuring Windows systems to meet Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) requirements, using the Ansible automation platform. The windows_stigs repository is a collection of Ansible roles for configuring Windows systems to meet STIG requirements, and it is available on Ansible Galaxy, a central repository for sharing Ansible content.

Increase your logging abilities to further your ability to detect threats and malicious activity on your systems.

Today I learned / Read About… # What SimeonOnSecurity learned about and found interesting today SimeonOnSecurity learned and discovered several interesting things today related to Windows security and event monitoring. First, two new and updated repositories were identified. The Automate-Sysmon repository provides a solution for automating the installation, configuration, and management of Sysmon, a popular tool for monitoring and logging system activity on Windows systems. The Windows-Audit-Policy repository provides a solution for automating the configuration of Windows audit policies, which control the auditing of various security-related events on Windows systems.

This script blocks Telemetry related domains via the hosts file and related IPs via Windows Firewall.

For those who seek to minimize their Windows 10 installs.

For those who seek to minimize their Windows 10 installs.

A collection of example configurations and scripts to aid system administrators in hardening Apache web servers.GLVK Auto Install Script for KMS Activation

Harden Windows with Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC)

A collection of PowerShell Modules for Interacting with the VirusTotal API

Lock down system resources to bare minumum needed for basic OS functionality

Scripts and Documentation for Hardening Windows Command Prompt and PowerShell

A collection of PowerShell Modules for Interacting with the Shodan API

Automate the Windows Defender STIG

Harden Windows Defender by enabling enterprise or command line only features

Import all the GPOs provided by SimeonOnSecurity to assist in making your domain compliant with all applicable STIGs and SRGs.

Apply the Adobe Reader Pro DC STIGs in one simple script.

Automate STIGing Windows 10

On July 14, 2020, Microsoft released a security updatApplying the .NET STIG is definitely not straightforward. For many administrators it can take hours to fully implement on a single system. This script applies the required registry changes and modifies the machine.config file to implement FIPS and other controls as required.

Organizations like PrivacyTools.io and ffprofile have suggested changes to make FireFox more secure and private. These changes cover suggested browser extentions, blocking telemetry, disabling 3rd-party cookies, disabling trackers, etc.

The Firefox V4R29 isn’t the easiest of STIGs to apply. This script will implement most of the required FireFox policies. In the future, the FireFox ADMX templates and GPO’s will be applied in this script.

Many organizations have a need or want to control the branding of a Windows system. This includes the desktop wallpaper, the users avatar, the Windows lock screen, and sometimes the OEM Logo. In Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019 this is not particularly easy. But, with the aide of the linked script, we can partially automate it and make the process much easier.

The Oracle JRE STIGs aren’t so straight forward, requiring administrators to research JAVA documentation and generate java config files, when most administrators are used to solely STIG-ing using group policy.

A collection of example configurations and scripts to aid system administrators in hardening Apache web servers.

Windows 10 is an invasive and insecure operating system out of the box. Organizations like PrivacyTools.io, Microsoft, Cyber.mil, the Department of Defense, and the [National Security Agency have recommended configuration changes to lockdown, harden, and secure the operating system. These changes cover a wide range of mitigations including blocking telemetry, macros, removing bloatware, and preventing many digital and physical attacks on a system. This script aims to automate the configurations recommended by those organizations.

In today’s modern workplace environment, system administrators constantly are battling for time. Rolling out the latest Windows updates can be extremely time consuming taking up to a week given enough systems. Along with some assistance from Chocolatey, PSWindowsUpdates, and Startup Scripts, Systems Administrators can roll out update with as little as a single reboot of each machine.

Microsoft is aware of a new publicly disclosed class of vulnerabilities that are called “speculative execution side-channel attacks” and that affect many modern processors including Intel, AMD, VIA, and ARM.

Explore the power of PowerShell in enhancing cybersecurity operations and achieving compliance with industry standards through automation and streamlined processes.

Ansible Playbooks for SimeonOnSecurity’s STIG Scripts

This is a collection of recommended books from SimeonOnSecurity. The books cover various topics including coding and scripting automation, cybersecurity, networking, open-source intelligence, operating systems and software, privacy, and other related subjects. With a two-month trial of Amazon Kindle Unlimited, you can read most of these books for free. This collection offers a range of books for both beginners and experts, with titles such as Python Crash Course and The Art of Deception. Whether you’re looking to improve your coding skills or build a better understanding of cybersecurity, this collection has something for everyone.

Automate STIGing Windows Server 2012, 2016, and 2019