HardeningKitty

Invoke-HardeningKitty -Mode Audit -Log

Audit Windows hardening with HardeningKitty, evaluating the configuration against benchmarks and generating the compliance report.

Run it when you need a Windows hardening audit with an open-source approach: HardeningKitty evaluates the system configuration against its catalogs (based on CIS and Microsoft recommendations) — password policies, privileges, registry, Windows Defender, auditing — and generates the report with the score and findings by category. Audit mode evaluates without changing anything; Harden mode applies remediation. In the hardening program, it's the lightweight alternative to CIS-CAT: per-host report, prioritized failed controls, and automated remediation with the same catalog.

Don't use it as a complete verdict: HardeningKitty's catalogs cover the main recommendations, not the entire hardening universe — environment-specific controls (applications, roles) are audited separately. Harden mode applies changes: review the catalog and test changes in a lab host before production (settings can break legacy apps). And watch out for performance and permissions: the full audit requires admin and takes time; schedule it in production. New Windows versions may not be covered by the catalog: verify compatibility first.