Linux has the potential to be a very secure operating system but is usually not that secure straight out of the box. Whether you’re new to Linux or a seasoned administrator, setting up a firewall and protecting your system from attacks can be daunting tasks. Luckily, there are a few references available, and this month we’ll look at two of them.
Real World Linux Security
Bob Toxen’s Real World Linux Security is a hefty tome, wherein he describes in great detail how to secure a Linux system. Toxen was one of the developers of Berkeley Unix and has been working with Unix-type systems for 26 years. His experience is evident throughout the book, which consists of 21 chapters that cover the gamut of security risks, how to detect and fix them, and what one should do in the event that your system is compromised. Some of the security issues described are strictly for high-security systems and highly paranoid system administrators.
Real World Linux Security is a complete book that covers all of the bases. Depending on the level of security needed on your system, it could take quite a while to work through the entire book and take care of all the security issues that Toxen explores. However, the security holes are listed in order of severity in Appendix H, giving the harried system administrator a laundry list of issues to deal with when time is short. The book also includes a CD-ROM…
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