atlantsecurity/atlant-harden

AtlantHarden is a free Windows security tool that tightens the safety of your computer, web browsers, and Microsoft Office. It applies 606 hardening settings in total, including 354 controls from the DISA STIG standard for Windows 11, Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Office 365, plus 34 settings from the Australian Cyber Security Centre's Essential Eight guidance. You download a single zip file, extract it, and run the program as an administrator. The app is not code-signed yet, so Windows may show a warning prompt before you run it. The tool covers a wide range of security areas. It configures Windows Defender, enables all 19 of Microsoft's Attack Surface Reduction rules, hardens network protocols, protects credentials from theft, locks down browsers and Office, and strengthens cryptography. It also lets you turn off telemetry and advertising identifiers, remove pre-installed junk apps, and neutralize dangerous file types that ransomware often abuses. Nothing is removed or changed without your confirmation. Three one-click profiles let you choose how aggressive the hardening gets. Basic applies 95 high-impact settings with minimal friction. Recommended applies 325 settings that stop real malware and exploitation techniques while skipping strict lockdowns that might inconvenience you, such as disabling browser password managers or requiring a BitLocker pre-boot PIN. Maximum applies all 606 settings, including the strictest DISA STIG controls. Before applying any changes, AtlantHarden creates a backup and a Windows System Restore point. It keeps up to 20 timestamped backup versions and can export registry files for manual restoration. You can also save your selected settings to a JSON file, share that file across multiple computers, and run the tool silently from the command line for automated deployments. The interface uses a dark theme with a sidebar grouping hardening categories separately from DISA STIG compliance sections. A dashboard shows security scores and per-product compliance percentages, and a review screen lets you inspect every setting, including its registry change and current versus recommended value, before you commit to anything. The full README is longer than what was shown.