Subject: How do you harden electronics?

Whenever you hear about Electromagnetic Pulse, High Power Microwave, and 
Particle Beam weapons, the article invariable also mentions hardening 
electronics defends against such attacks.  I have been able to find grea, very 
detailed t articles on these three weapon technologies.  However, I have been 
unable to find an explanation of what it means to have hardened electronics, 
or how the hardening process is carried out.  

I understand EMP and HPM weapons work by emitting high powered pulses of radio 
or microwave radiation, respectively, and this radiation is absorbed by 
conductive materials, such as electronics, much like radio waves are absorbed 
by normal antennas.  This creates a large power surge that disrputs or fries 
any electronics connected to the affected material.  Particle beams contain 
their own electric current in the form of charged particles and induce current 
in electronics directly.  The logical solution would be to surround the 
structure you wish to defend with a conductive material that absorbs the radio 
waves, microwaves, or charged particles, but from what I have been able to 
find out this is called a Faraday cage and it seems to be unrelated to 
hardening.  So what exactly does hardening mean, how is it carried out, and 
how does it protect against EMP, HPM, and Particle Beam weapons?

Re: How do you harden electronics?