To perform server hardening before deployment, the administrator should disable default accounts and remove unnecessary services. These steps are crucial to reducing the attack surface and enhancing the security of the server.
* Disable default accounts: Default accounts often come with default credentials that are well-known and can be exploited by attackers. Disabling these accounts helps prevent unauthorized access.
* Remove unnecessary services: Unnecessary services can introduce vulnerabilities and be exploited by attackers. Removing them reduces the number of potential attack vectors.
* Add the server to the asset inventory: Important for tracking and management but not directly related to hardening.
* Document default passwords: Documentation is useful, but changing or disabling default passwords is the hardening step.
* Send server logs to the SIEM: Useful for monitoring and analysis but not a direct hardening step.
* Join the server to the corporate domain: Part of integration into the network but not specific to hardening.