Executive Summary — Infrastructure Hardening Playbook - for Brandon and Z

 Executive Summary — Infrastructure Hardening Playbook

Scope: Enterprise Linux, Proxmox, and Windows Server environments (on-prem and hybrid cloud)
Objective: Standardize baseline hardening, enforce secure configurations, and ensure compliance with CIS & NIST frameworks.
Owner: IT Security & Infrastructure Operations
Last Revision: [insert date]

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1. Governance & Scope

Purpose: Establish a unified security configuration baseline across compute, virtualization, and OS layers.
Frameworks Aligned:

• CIS Controls v8: 1–7 (Foundational) & 8–14 (Infrastructure)
• NIST 800-53: AC, AU, CM, CP, IA, MP, SC, SI families

Coverage Summary:

Layer	Systems	Controls Applied	Verification
Linux Servers	Ubuntu/RHEL-based hosts	CIS L1/L2, NIST CM-6, AC-2, AU-2	linux-hardening.sh, compliance validator
Proxmox Virtualization	Proxmox VE nodes & cluster	CM-7, SC-7, IA-2, AU-6	proxmox-harden.sh, API audit
Windows Servers	2016–2025+	CM-6, AC-3, IA-5, AU-12	windows-harden.ps1, GPO/Intune compliance
SIEM Integration	Graylog/Elastic	AU-6, AU-8, SI-4	Event forwarding & Sysmon

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2. Major Control Domains & Mappings

Domain	Key Safeguards	CIS v8 Mapping	NIST 800-53 Mapping
Asset Inventory & Configuration Management	Centralized inventory; immutable baselines; OS-level package validation	1.1, 2.1, 2.4	CM-2, CM-6
Access Control & Authentication	LDAP/AD integration, MFA (Duo), SSH key auth, WinRM HTTPS	5.2, 6.3	AC-2, IA-2, IA-5
System Hardening	Disable insecure services (SMBv1, Telnet, etc.), minimal packages	4.1, 4.3	CM-7, SC-7
Logging & Monitoring	Syslog/NXLog forwarding to Graylog; Sysmon for Windows; Auditd for Linux	8.2, 8.6	AU-2, AU-6, SI-4
Vulnerability & Patch Management	Auto security updates (apt/yum), WSUS/Intune policies	7.1, 7.4	SI-2, SI-7
Network Security & Firewalls	Layered firewalls (UFW, Proxmox FW, Windows Defender FW) limited to mgmt CIDRs	9.2, 9.4	SC-7, AC-4
Encryption & Key Management	BitLocker, LUKS, SSL/TLS enforcement, recovery key escrow	3.11, 13.4	SC-12, MP-5
Backup & Recovery	Offsite immutable backups (rclone, Proxmox snapshot, AD escrow)	11.2	CP-9, CP-10
Endpoint Protection	Windows Defender/EDR, ClamAV/Linux, Sysmon behavioral detection	10.1, 10.4	SI-3, SI-4
Audit & Compliance Validation	Scheduled compliance scripts, JSON reports ingested into SIEM	16.2, 16.4	CA-7, AU-12

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3. Implementation & Verification

Stage	Deliverables	Responsible	Validation
Staging	Deploy baseline scripts to test hosts	SecOps / SysAdmin	JSON compliance report generated
CI/CD Integration	Hardening + validation gates	DevSecOps	Pipeline check: all “passed”
Production Rollout	Hardened images (VM templates)	InfraOps	Snapshot verification, rollback tested
Ongoing Compliance	Weekly automated scans	Security	Drift reports & SIEM alerts

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4. Compliance Evidence & Metrics

Metric	Target	Tool / Output
Hardened hosts in compliance	≥95%	JSON report summary
Patch latency (critical updates)	≤7 days	WSUS/SCCM / apt log
Unauthorized admin accounts	0	validate-windows-compliance.ps1 / LAPS
Syslog forwarding uptime	≥99%	Graylog stream monitoring
BitLocker/LUKS key escrow verified	100%	AD / Vault key check

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5. Management Sign-off

Security Management Approval:
☐ Baseline reviewed and approved for production rollout
☐ Ongoing compliance monitoring integrated with SIEM
☐ Recovery and rollback tested successfully

Name / Role	Signature	Date
CISO / IT Security Lead	____________________	__________
Infrastructure Director	____________________	__________
Operations Manager	____________________	__________