I want to restrict access on a Windows device to basically block protocols like SSH, FTP, SFTP and so on. I am not sure if this is possible or not on Windows. I can't seem to find information on it so I figured I would ask around. Anyone got any ideas on how to do this?
I guess this depends on what you have access to and what you intend on blocking.
Using the Windows Firewall, you can block network access for specific applications ina few easy steps:
- Open the Start menu and type Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security, then open it.
- In the left pane, click on Outbound Rules.
- In the right pane, click on New Rule.
- Select Program and click Next.
- Browse to the executable of the application you want to block (e.g., C:\Program Files (x86)\Dropbox\Client\dropbox.exe).
- Select Block the connection and click Next.
- Select when the rule applies (Domain, Private, Public), then click Next.
- Give the rule a name and click Finish.
Outside of this you can also look into software restriction policies and third-party security software settings.
This sounds like something that would need to be addressed in the firewall. Although I do not think you will actively be able to achieve this as most of the tracking and data harvesting done on Windows is hidden. You can look into DLP platforms in this case.