You're reading from Mastering Linux Security and Hardening A practical guide to protecting your Linux system from cyber attacks

Product type Paperback

Published in Feb 2023

Publisher Packt

ISBN-13 9781837630516

Length 618 pages

Edition 3rd Edition

Languages

Tools

Linux

Concepts

Hardening

Author (1):

Donald A. Tevault

View More author details

Table of Contents (22) Chapters

Preface

1. Section 1: Setting up a Secure Linux System

2. Running Linux in a Virtual Environment FREE CHAPTER

3. Securing Administrative User Accounts

4. Securing Normal User Accounts

5. Securing Your Server with a Firewall – Part 1

6. Securing Your Server with a Firewall — Part 2

7. Encryption Technologies

8. SSH Hardening

9. Section 2: Mastering File and Directory Access Control (DAC)

10. Mastering Discretionary Access Control

11. Access Control Lists and Shared Directory Management

12. Section 3: Advanced System Hardening Techniques

13. Implementing Mandatory Access Control with SELinux and AppArmor

14. Kernel Hardening and Process Isolation

15. Scanning, Auditing, and Hardening

16. Logging and Log Security

17. Vulnerability Scanning and Intrusion Detection

18. Prevent Unwanted Programs from Running

19. Security Tips and Tricks for the Busy Bee

20. Other Books You May Enjoy

21. Index

Running Linux in a Virtual Environment

So, you may be asking yourself: Why do I need to study Linux security? Isn’t Linux already secure? After all, it’s not Windows. But the fact is, there are many reasons.

It’s true that Linux has certain advantages over Windows when it comes to security. These include the following:

Unlike Windows, Linux was designed from the ground up as a multiuser operating system. So, user security tends to be a bit better on a Linux system.
Linux offers a better separation between administrative users and unprivileged users. This makes it a bit harder for intruders, and it also makes it a bit harder for a user to accidentally infect a Linux machine with something nasty.
Linux is much more resistant to viruses and malware infections than Windows is. Certain Linux distributions come with built-in mechanisms, such as SELinux in Red Hat and its free-of-charge clones, and AppArmor in Ubuntu and SUSE, that help prevent intruders from taking control of a system.
Linux is free and open source software. This allows anyone who has the skill to audit Linux code to hunt for bugs or backdoors.

But even with those advantages, Linux is just like everything else that’s been created by mankind. That is, it isn’t perfect.

Here are the topics that we’ll cover in this chapter:

Looking at the threat landscape
Why every Linux administrator needs to learn about Linux security
A bit about the threat landscape, with some examples of how attackers have, at times, been able to breach Linux systems
Resources for keeping up with IT security news
Differences between physical, virtual, and cloud setups
Setting up Ubuntu Server and Red Hat-type virtual machines with VirtualBox, and installing the Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL) repository in the Red Hat-type virtual machines
Creating virtual machine snapshots
Installing Cygwin on a Windows host so that Windows users can connect to a virtual machine from their Windows hosts
Using the Windows 10/11 Bash shell to access Linux systems
How to keep your Linux systems updated