Secure Baseline

Updated 28 Jul 2026

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def
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  a well-defined, documented standard for how secure an application/system environment should be (firewall settings, patch levels, OS file versions, etc.), which all instances must follow
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lifecycle
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  establish — create baselines, often available from the manufacturer/developer; operating systems can have thousands of possible settings, only some of which are security-related
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  deploy — usually via a centrally administered console (e.g., Active Directory group policy, [MDM](Mobile Device Management (MDM)) ); automation is key to deploying to hundreds or thousands of devices
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  maintain — many baselines rarely change, but others need ongoing updates (new vulnerabilities, updated applications, new OS versions); test to avoid baselines conflicting with each other
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related
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  Hardening Target

Linked references 4