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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 CentOS, and AppArmor in Ubuntu, that prevent intruders from taking control of a system.
Linux is a 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 CentOS virtual machines with VirtualBox, and installing the Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL) repository in the CentOS virtual machine
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 Bash shell to access Linux systems
How to keep your Linux systems updated

Key benefits

Deliver a system that reduces the risk of being hacked

Explore a variety of advanced Linux security techniques with the help of hands-on labs

Master the art of securing a Linux environment with this end-to-end practical guide

Description

From creating networks and servers to automating the entire working environment, Linux has been extremely popular with system administrators for the last couple of decades. However, security has always been a major concern. With limited resources available in the Linux security domain, this book will be an invaluable guide in helping you get your Linux systems properly secured. Complete with in-depth explanations of essential concepts, practical examples, and self-assessment questions, this book begins by helping you set up a practice lab environment and takes you through the core functionalities of securing Linux. You'll practice various Linux hardening techniques and advance to setting up a locked-down Linux server. As you progress, you will also learn how to create user accounts with appropriate privilege levels, protect sensitive data by setting permissions and encryption, and configure a firewall. The book will help you set up mandatory access control, system auditing, security profiles, and kernel hardening, and finally cover best practices and troubleshooting techniques to secure your Linux environment efficiently. By the end of this Linux security book, you will be able to confidently set up a Linux server that will be much harder for malicious actors to compromise.

Who is this book for?

This book is for Linux administrators, system administrators, and network engineers interested in securing moderate to complex Linux environments. Security consultants looking to enhance their Linux security skills will also find this book useful. Working experience with the Linux command line and package management is necessary to understand the concepts covered in this book.

What you will learn

Create locked-down user accounts with strong passwords

Configure firewalls with iptables, UFW, nftables, and firewalld

Protect your data with different encryption technologies

Harden the secure shell service to prevent security break-ins

Use mandatory access control to protect against system exploits

Harden kernel parameters and set up a kernel-level auditing system

Apply OpenSCAP security profiles and set up intrusion detection

Configure securely the GRUB 2 bootloader and BIOS/UEFI

What do you get with eBook?

Instant access to your Digital eBook purchase

Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats

Access this title in our online reader with advanced features

DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want

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Frequently bought together

€41.99

€44.99

Mastering Windows Security and Hardening

€41.99

Total € 128.97

Mark Grimshaw Jan 15, 2022

is was great as usually

Amazon Verified review

Amazon Customer Apr 09, 2023

Book good. Life change forever. Wife fix breakfast in bed. Geico call and offer discount. Life not been same.Lottery tickets all winners . Or possibly this has all been a coincidence!

Hugtrw Aug 23, 2021

Great book, read in a little under a week. Yes the book may be a little on the beginer side, but I honestly learned a lot even with being in IT for a year. A lot of the book covers REHL and Ubuntu but most of it can be applied else where as it goes over key concepts.I found 3 spelling errors and one sentence that i belived got cut off or the author could not finish their thought.I recomend this book if your getting in to security, or want to secure your server as its a good place to start.

F. Jul 16, 2023

This book is not bad, but it lacks few things that really hardens a bit more the Linux system. I am a student of Networking and Cybersecurity and I learned other things by the time that goes on. When I read this book, 1 major thing I found that is missing is the usage of a OS such as Kali Linux. The author is not teaching neither the users about the PAM libraries. It is not said anywhere neither about the various shells that can be used in /etc/passwd, such as /bin/false. I still found various useful methods in that book but I think it’s going enough deep in the subject. The author is talking somewhere about Kernel Hardening but still, it says not enough and don’t take the subject deeper than using Lynis to extract some /etc/sysctl.conf and put it there. The book also takes some hardening such as grub, which is crucial if the environment is not protected with an alarm system or a security guard. Once the system boots in grub, an attacker can easily take advantage of the system if Grub2 isn’t hardened. The thing that is bad in this book is it lacks details about that too. It only scratches the surface which makes it harder to really understand the thing and harden the system the bast as possible for different personal needs.I just bought the third version lastly, from the same author and same editor and I hope this version will reach my expectations, otherwise I’m never gonna buy again from this author and I will find a better author to read from and to harden my system with the latest techniques.

Mastering Linux Security and Hardening: Protect your Linux systems from intruders, malware attacks, and other cyber threats , Second Edition

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Mastering Linux Security and Hardening

Running Linux in a Virtual Environment

Looking at the threat landscape

Why do security breaches happen?

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