Continuing our exploration of system hardening, this episode focuses on host-based firewalls and intrusion prevention systems (HIPS), which defend individual devices by monitoring and controlling inbound and outbound network traffic. We explain how host firewalls add a granular level of defense that complements perimeter firewalls, allowing policies to be enforced per device or application. HIPS extends this capability by identifying malicious behavior at the system level and taking automated action to stop or quarantine threats. These tools are especially useful in detecting privilege escalation attempts, unauthorized access, and tampering with core system files. Host-based security ensures that even if perimeter defenses are bypassed, each system can still defend itself. It’s a layered approach that makes every machine its own guardian.