What hardening technique can provide maximum protection for a laptop connecting to untrusted networks?

Installing a host-based firewall is a robust hardening technique for a laptop connecting to untrusted networks. A host-based firewall acts as a barrier between the laptop's operating system and potentially dangerous traffic from external networks. It monitors incoming and outgoing traffic and enforces security policies specific to that device. By controlling which applications can send or receive data, it minimizes the risk of unauthorized access and can block malicious connections.

In the context of untrusted networks, where users may encounter various security threats, a host-based firewall serves to actively protect the device from external attacks, such as unauthorized data access or malware that might come through a compromised network. This is especially important when you consider that untrusted networks can expose a laptop to a wide array of cyber threats since they may not have the same security controls as trusted environments.

While antivirus software is essential for detecting malware and providing virus protection, it does not prevent network-based attacks or unauthorized access attempts that a firewall is specifically designed to mitigate. Similarly, using a VPN can encrypt traffic and protect data privacy, but it does not provide the same level of control over what network traffic is allowed on the device itself. Finally, disabling all network connections would prevent any network access, which is impractical for a laptop that needs to