Mastering Linux Security and Hardening: A practical guide to protecting your Linux system from cyber attacks, 3rd Edition

Price: $22.39
(as of Nov 05, 2023 09:57:13 UTC – Details)

Gain a firm practical understanding of how to secure your Linux system from intruders, malware attacks, and other cyber threats

Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free eBook in PDF format.

Key FeaturesDiscover security techniques to prevent malware from infecting a Linux system, and detect itPrevent unauthorized people from breaking into a Linux systemProtect important and sensitive data from being revealed to unauthorized personsBook Description

The third edition of Mastering Linux Security and Hardening is an updated, comprehensive introduction to implementing the latest Linux security measures, using the latest versions of Ubuntu and AlmaLinux.

In this new edition, you will learn how to set up a practice lab, create user accounts with appropriate privilege levels, protect sensitive data with permissions settings and encryption, and configure a firewall with the newest firewall technologies. You’ll also explore how to use sudo to set up administrative accounts with only the privileges required to do a specific job, and you’ll get a peek at the new sudo features that have been added over the past couple of years. You’ll also see updated information on how to set up a local certificate authority for both Ubuntu and AlmaLinux, as well as how to automate system auditing. Other important skills that you’ll learn include how to automatically harden systems with OpenSCAP, audit systems with auditd, harden the Linux kernel configuration, protect your systems from malware, and perform vulnerability scans of your systems. As a bonus, you’ll see how to use Security Onion to set up an Intrusion Detection System.

By the end of this new edition, you will confidently be able to set up a Linux server that will be secure and harder for malicious actors to compromise.

What you will learnPrevent malicious actors from compromising a production Linux systemLeverage additional features and capabilities of Linux in this new versionUse locked-down home directories and strong passwords to create user accountsPrevent unauthorized people from breaking into a Linux systemConfigure file and directory permissions to protect sensitive dataHarden the Secure Shell service in order to prevent break-ins and data lossApply security templates and set up auditingWho 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 ContentsRunning Linux in a Virtual EnvironmentSecuring Administrative User AccountsSecuring Normal User AccountsSecuring Your Server with a Firewall – Part 1Securing Your Server with a Firewall – Part 2Encryption TechnologiesSSH HardeningMastering Discretionary Access ControlAccess Control Lists and Shared Directory ManagementImplementing Mandatory Access Control with SELinux and AppArmorKernel Hardening and Process IsolationScanning, Auditing and HardeningLogging and Log SecurityVulnerability Scanning and Intrusion DetectionPrevent Unwanted Programs from RunningSecurity Tips & Tricks for the Busy Bee

From the Publisher

What’s new?

This third edition of Mastering Linux Security and Hardening covers the most up-to-date Linux distros and their associated security techniques and technologies. It covers the Red Hat-type distros up through the latest version 9 of Red Hat, and it covers Ubuntu Server up through version 22.04 LTS. You’ll be covering The Security Onion 2.3, Snort 3, and IPFire 2.27 in this new edition. I’ve also added a chapter on how to prevent unwanted and untrusted programs from running on your systems to prevent any data loss or system failures. Other topics include Discretionary Access Control, Mandatory Access Control, using the most secure encryption algorithms, the various firewall technologies (iptables, nftables, Uncomplicated Firewall, and firewalld), vulnerability scanning, regulatory compliance, and various other topics. Every topic has hands-on labs to go along with it.

Who is this book for?

This book is suitable for Linux administrators and individuals aspiring to become Linux administrators. Since security is an important aspect in the role of administrators to prevent unauthorized access of systems, this book is especially good for anyone working at a company that needs to comply with regulations from either the government or from some other regulatory organization. Although it’s not an official study guide for any Linux certification exam, the material in this book can help you pass the Linux Professional Institute Level-3 Security exam because it provides relevant knowledge related to the exams.

What’s different compared to competitor titles?

This book is much better at structuring knowledge for easy learning than other Linux security books. Additionally, many of the Linux security books I’ve encountered cover impractical topics that may not provide much value to administrators in real-life scenarios. In contrast, this book focuses on practical knowledge that can be readily applied in day-to-day operations. What sets this book apart is its coverage of important technologies that other books often overlook, such as utilizing OpenSCAP to ensure systems comply with regulations from certain regulatory organizations. Well, perhaps what is really the best part is that I’ve written this book to be entertaining as well as informative. (I don’t like boring books, and you shouldn’t either.)

Tech Update
Book covered older versions of the Ubuntu 18.04 and Red Hat-type distros 8 This book covers the newest versions of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and Red Hat 9

Release Year
2020 2023

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Packt Publishing; 3rd ed. edition (February 28, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 618 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1837630518
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1837630516
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 1.4 x 9.25 inches