# Windows hardening privacy ratings

Tools that reduce Windows telemetry and harden Windows systems.

| Name | Grade | Jurisdiction | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [HardenTools](https://privacyratings.com/windows-hardening/hardentools/) | B (80/100) | Unknown | A utility that disables risky Windows, Microsoft Office, Adobe Reader and LibreOffice features that are commonly abused by malware. |
| [privacy.sexy](https://privacyratings.com/windows-hardening/privacy-sexy/) | B (80/100) | Unknown | An open source web and desktop app that generates and runs scripts to change privacy and security settings and remove telemetry on Windows, macOS and Linux. |
| [Win11Debloat](https://privacyratings.com/windows-hardening/win11debloat/) | B (80/100) | Unknown | An open source PowerShell script that removes preinstalled apps, disables telemetry and changes other settings on Windows 10 and 11, with options to undo changes. |
| [Windows Spy Blocker](https://privacyratings.com/windows-hardening/windows-spy-blocker/) | B (80/100) | Unknown | A Go tool that blocks Windows telemetry and tracking through firewall rules and hosts files built from captured network traffic. It is no longer actively maintained. |
| [GhostPress](https://privacyratings.com/windows-hardening/ghostpress/) | D (50/100) | Germany (Fourteen Eyes) | An anti-keylogger for Windows that blocks low-level keyboard hooks system-wide and can protect selected windows from screenshots. |
| [KeyScrambler](https://privacyratings.com/windows-hardening/keyscrambler/) | D (50/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Provides protection against software keyloggers. Encrypts keypresses at driver level, and decrypts at application level, to protect against common keyloggers. |
| [NetLimiter](https://privacyratings.com/windows-hardening/netlimiter/) | D (50/100) | Czechia | An internet traffic control and monitoring tool for Windows that shows per-application connections and sets bandwidth limits, quotas and blocking rules. |
| [SigCheck](https://privacyratings.com/windows-hardening/sigcheck/) | D (50/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | A CLI utility that shows file version number, timestamp information, and digital signature details. |
| [IIS Crypto](https://privacyratings.com/windows-hardening/iis-crypto/) | F (20/100) | Unknown | A Windows Server utility for enabling or disabling protocols, ciphers, hashes and key exchange algorithms and reordering TLS cipher suites for IIS and other Windows components. |
| [ShutUp10](https://privacyratings.com/windows-hardening/shutup10/) | F (20/100) | Germany (Fourteen Eyes) | A portable freeware tool from O&O Software that controls Windows 10 and 11 privacy settings, telemetry and built-in features. |
| [WPD](https://privacyratings.com/windows-hardening/wpd/) | F (20/100) | Unknown | A portable Windows tool that uses the Windows API to configure group policy, services, tasks and firewall rules related to telemetry, and to remove preinstalled apps. |
| [RKill](https://privacyratings.com/windows-hardening/rkill/) | F (0/100) | Unknown | A Windows utility that terminates known malware processes and removes some of their settings so that regular security software can then run and clean the computer. |
| [USBFix](https://privacyratings.com/windows-hardening/usbfix/) | F (0/100) | Unknown | A Windows tool that detects and removes malware spread through USB removable drives. |
| [Portmaster](https://privacyratings.com/firewalls/portmaster/) (rated under Firewalls) | B (80/100) | Austria | Application firewall for Windows and Linux that monitors and blocks network connections per app, with DNS filtering, tracker blocklists and an optional paid multi-hop network (SPN). |
| [simplewall](https://privacyratings.com/firewalls/simplewall/) (rated under Firewalls) | B (80/100) | Unknown | Windows tool that configures the Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) to allow or block network access per application, with a rules editor and built-in blocklists. |
| [TinyWall](https://privacyratings.com/firewalls/tinywall/) (rated under Firewalls) | B (80/100) | Unknown | Lightweight firewall for Windows that builds on Windows Filtering Platform, blocking all traffic by default and allowing apps through a whitelist without popups. |
| [Windows Firewall Control](https://privacyratings.com/firewalls/windows-firewall-control/) (rated under Firewalls) | F (20/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Freeware front end for the built-in Windows Firewall that adds filtering profiles, notifications for blocked outbound connections and easier rule management. |

## Criteria

- **Open source** (weight 3): Is all the source code needed to run the product public?
- **No trackers or telemetry** (weight 3): Are the website and apps free of third-party trackers, with any analytics anonymous and any telemetry off by default?
- **No ads or data sales** (weight 2): Is the product funded without advertising, ad targeting or selling user data?
- **Independent audit** (weight 2): Has an independent security or privacy audit been published within the last three years?

Source: https://privacyratings.com/windows-hardening/