Use Lifecycle Hardening when rolling out Windows 11. This will significantly reduce the attack surface of your new operating system right from the start and better protect your company’s data assets. Please note the following important measures and practical tips.
Deploying Windows 11 Correctly – and Securely
October 14, 2025, is a significant date for everyone involved in IT. On this day, official support for Windows 10 will end. After that, there will be no more updates for this still very popular operating system (market share in May 2025: over 50%) – unless you use the paid “Extended Support.”
Still, it’s clear: Windows 10 is no longer “state of the art” and must be replaced swiftly! Many companies are therefore turning to its successor.
Are you also faced with the task of introducing Windows 11 in your company? If so, you know: this challenge involves a lot of effort and is often linked to a rollout project. It also represents a critical moment. If everything goes well, you’ll have implemented Microsoft’s latest OS. But if you forget something or if something goes wrong, you may end up opening the door to cyberattacks.
👉 Therefore: An essential part of your Windows 11 rollout should be intensive and sustainable System Hardening. In an era where cyberattacks are increasing massively and affecting organizations of all sizes, the Secure Configuration of your systems is no longer a “nice to have.” Depending on your industry and regulatory situation, it is even legally required!
Windows 11 Rollout: Why Hardening is essential
System Hardening, also known as Secure Configuration, involves thoroughly and securely configuring your systems. It’s not just about securing individual workstations, but ideally your entire IT landscape.
The aim of System Hardening is to proactively close potential vulnerabilities so they can no longer be exploited. As a result, the attack surface that hackers and other attackers can leverage shrinks significantly. That’s why Hardening is considered an essential basic measure by the BSI, CIS, DISA, and increasingly by cyber insurers, as well as by regulations, laws, and standards like DORA and ISO 27001.
Preventative work through Hardening is far more effective than a stressed-out SOC team constantly — metaphorically speaking — monitoring open doors. It’s much better to keep all doors closed in the first place.
However, designing and implementing system-wide Hardening can be very time-consuming. Since IT departments are constantly juggling multiple projects in parallel, it’s usually very hard to find the “perfect” time for it. But now, there actually is a perfect time, because an operating system migration is coming up! Take advantage of the Windows 11 rollout to perform and integrate System Hardening.
This so-called Lifecycle Hardening is both highly effective and efficient. It combines the Hardening measures directly with your Windows 11 rollout project. In simple terms, you’re killing two birds with one stone.
Basic tips for Windows 11 rollout integration
Since you already need to evaluate and test every new image anyway, the additional effort required for Lifecycle Hardening is manageable. To ensure the success of your initiative, pay attention to the following points:
➡ Recognize and communicate the necessity
Cyberattacks affect everyone, sooner or later. Large attack surfaces are therefore an inherent risk. Make it clear to yourself and everyone involved that System Hardening helps preventively close many exploitable vulnerabilities and is thus a “must-have.”
➡ Plan your project comprehensively
Lack of knowledge about one’s own infrastructure, poor documentation, and outdated management practices are common pitfalls when introducing hardening systems. This may be unpleasant, but it is necessary to truly understand your own system landscape.
➡ Choose a benchmark
There are various industry-tested standards for System Hardening, such as the Microsoft Security Baselines, DISA STIGs, and CIS Benchmarks. The BSI’s SiSyPHuS study also provides a very good foundation.
The good news: Many measures for Windows 10 Hardening can also be used for Windows 11 Hardening.
➡ Define the scope
When selecting the benchmark, pay attention to aspects such as how up-to-date it is (does it consider new features/releases?) and the scope of your project (is it general OS Hardening or, for example, Browser Hardening specifically?).
Identify systems according to their protection needs or tiering. For example, use CIS Level I for normal protection needs and CIS Level II (combined with L1) for high protection needs.
➡ Customize your Hardening
No Windows 11 system is exactly the same, as every organization has its own requirements, guidelines, and preferences. For example, Bluetooth devices are often allowed on office computers, even though various benchmarks recommend disabling them.
Moreover, be aware that there will never be 100% Hardening. Therefore, you must develop an adapted, Secure Configuration for your rollout.
➡ Find an implementation method
Determine how the Secure Configuration should be implemented technically. In large system landscapes, a manual configuration is not feasible due to time constraints. Even a centralized configuration using Group Policies (GPOs) is considered a no-go, as GPOs quickly reach their limits with the complex challenges involved.
More reasonable: Hardening via PowerShell scripts or — even better — PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC). You’ll need to implement these yourself — or use the “shortcut” provided by Enforce Administrator.
➡ Rely on pilot systems
Testing is not a weakness, but wisdom! Therefore, start rolling out the hardened Windows 11 with a carefully selected group of target systems to test rigorously.
Gather all insights, learn from them, and optimize your configurations. In short: follow the PDCA method (Plan-Do-Check-Act).
➡ Ensure clear communication
Define fixed roles in your team for planning, preparation, rollout, and troubleshooting. Clear responsibilities prevent chaos and reduce long response times when issues arise.
Also, exchange ideas with the “end users” in your company. After the rollout, some applications might not work reliably because they have been configured “too strictly.”
➡ Integrate the rollout into existing processes
Integrate the Hardening seamlessly into existing IT processes. For example, in provisioning: every new system must be delivered hardened- this is mandatory.
Hardening and other configuration changes must be documented in the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). Deviations must be identified and reported by incident/event management.
➡ Keep everything up to date
Your internal system landscape is constantly evolving, as are external threats. Therefore, you should regularly check, adjust, and document your configurations (for example, with a tool like AuditTAP).
Independently assess the impact and risk of changed settings. Or even easier: look at the AuditTAP Risk Score.
Examples from practice: What Hardening achieves
With professional System Hardening, you significantly reduce the attack surface by disabling insecure protocols and algorithms, among other things.
🛑 NTLMv1
This outdated authentication protocol is less secure than Kerberos and is vulnerable to attacks such as NTLM relaying or pass-the-hash. Microsoft aims to completely phase out NTLM, including v2. In Windows 11 24H2, NTLMv1 is already absent. Hardening involves disabling NTLMv1 and at least enforcing NTLMv2.
🛑 SMBv1
Another completely outdated protocol. It was exploited by the WannaCry ransomware, for example. Disabling SMBv1 is a fundamental Hardening measure. This prevents the so-called “EternalBlue exploit.”
👉 Further examples of how versatile and effective proper Hardening can make your systems more secure can be found in our article “System Hardening on the the test bench: examaples and real-life results”.
Conclusion
By firmly integrating System Hardening into your Windows 11 rollout, you ensure that every new system has a significantly higher security level from the very first moment. The effort involved is absolutely worth it.
And be aware: If you currently have no or only inadequate Hardening, Windows 11 Hardening is not an optional task – it is a fundamental necessity!
Do you have any questions?
Would you like to know more about System Hardening? Or are you interested in learning how to achieve automated System Hardening with Enforce Administrator and implement it in your company? Reach out to us – our experts are happy to help!
Images: Freepik, FB Pro