# Web Server Hardening

**Last Updated On**: 23 Jul 2026  
**5 minutes read**

Web servers are prime targets for cyber attackers due to their central role and constant exposure to the internet. Endpoint Central helps you identify and remediate web server misconfigurations to protect sensitive information and maintain the integrity of digital services.

## Overview

Misconfigurations in web servers can lead to severe security breaches, data leaks, and service disruptions. Cyber attackers could exploit flaws in web servers, potentially gaining access to systems hosting web servers and performing unintended actions. Thus, hardening web servers and ensuring server security are important aspects of vulnerability management.

Web server hardening involves:

- Modifying the configuration file to eliminate server misconfigurations.
- Managing SSL/TLS certificates and their settings to ensure secure communication between the client and server.
- Restricting access permissions to the web server installation directory.

Endpoint Central uses predefined templates for security configurations designed to harden your web servers. These templates are curated from CIS (Center for Internet Security) and STIG (Security Technical Implementation Guide) benchmarks, ensuring adherence to industry standards. Any deviation from these templates will be listed as a misconfiguration and the console will provide resolutions to address the same.

**Applies to:**

- Windows
- Linux

> **Note:** Endpoint Central supports web server hardening for Apache, nginx, IIS, and Tomcat.

## Configure Web Server Hardening using Endpoint Central

![Web Server Misconfigurations view listing misconfiguration categories and affected servers count](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/vm3.png)

*Web Server Misconfigurations view showing misconfiguration categories and affected managed servers.*

To view the web server misconfigurations present across the managed web servers, navigate to **Threats & Patches → Threats → Web Server Misconfiguration**.

All web server misconfigurations are listed in this window. Under **Category**, you can see the misconfiguration type. Under **Affected Systems**, you can see the count of managed servers with that misconfiguration — clicking on the count shows the affected servers individually.

Click the **Filters** button to filter and prioritize misconfigurations based on specific criteria. Click **View Resolution** for each web server misconfiguration.

![View Resolution panel showing manual resolution steps for a selected web server misconfiguration](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/vm4.png)

*Resolution steps for the selected web server misconfiguration.*

Follow the resolution manually on the machine where the web server is installed.

> **Note:** Web Server Misconfiguration status for managed web servers will be updated after a [patch scan](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/patch-management/patch-scan.html).

### Modifying the configuration file

This is applicable only if the resolution involves modifying web server configuration files. A Graphical User Interface for accessing and modifying configurations is not available for any server except IIS. Therefore, for Apache, Tomcat, and nginx, you need to open the configuration file using a text editor such as Notepad or Notepad++ and perform the resolution mentioned. For IIS, modifications to server configurations can be made through **Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager**.

## Related

- [Vulnerability Management Overview](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/vulnerability-management/vulnerability-management-overview.html)
- [Preventing Security Misconfigurations](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/vulnerability-management/preventing-security-misconfigurations.html)
- [Vulnerability Assessment and Prioritization](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/vulnerability-management/assess-and-remediate-vulnerabilities.html)
- [Vulnerability Remediation](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/vulnerability-management/vulnerability-remediation.html)
- [Patch Scan](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/patch-management/patch-scan.html)