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

Book 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.

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
Who this book is 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.

Table of Contents
Running Linux in a Virtual Environment
Securing User Accounts
Securing Your Server with a Firewall – Part 1
Securing Your Server with a Firewall – Part 2
Encryption Technologies
SSH Hardening
Mastering Discretionary Access Control
Access Control Lists and Shared Directory Management
Implementing Mandatory Access Control with SELinux and AppArmor
Kernel Hardening and Process Isolation
Scanning, Auditing, and Hardening
Logging and Log Security
Vulnerability Scanning and Intrusion Detection
Security Tips and Tricks for the Busy Bee