Overview

In today's digital age, where Linux powers a significant portion of internet servers, prioritizing the security of Linux systems is crucial in preventing cyber-attacks and data breaches. This Practical Linux, Security, and Hardening project guide individuals seeking to implement security measures and best practices to secure and harden their Linux systems.

This guide is based on OpenSCAP configurations, including the U.S. Government Commercial Cloud Services (C2S) baseline inspired by CIS v2.1.1, C2S for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 v0.1.43, and the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG). In addition, these configurations are derived from NIST 800-53 and related documents.

This project provides valuable insights into how attackers can breach Linux systems when they have physical access and various countermeasures to safeguard against such attacks. It also covers the authentication systems utilized in Linux, including creating strong passwords and managing account and password expirations for different account types.

The networking section of the project offers guidance on securing network services running on Linux systems and configuring the local firewall. Furthermore, the project delves into Linux file system security, including permissions, special modes, file attributes, and ACLs, to ensure adequate protection against data breaches.

Lastly, the project emphasizes the importance of staying up-to-date with the latest security concerns for your Linux distribution and continuing your security education.

Overall, this technical project provides a comprehensive guide to securing and hardening a Linux system using various techniques and tools based on OpenSCAP configurations. By implementing these security measures and best practices, users can reduce vulnerability to attacks and ensure better protection against data breaches.