Chapter 19. Linux security
Security is an important but complex topic. The challenge is that it’s an ever-changing idea. Software we think of as secure can become insecure as hackers figure out how to break though whatever safeguards were once coded in. For users, it means being vigilant—staying on top of your system and considering security a recurring task rather than something you do once and can then be considered finished.
In this chapter, I’m going to run through the best practices for keeping your system secure. I’m not a hacker or a security expert so I’m not going to get very detailed. Instead, I’m going to explain some basic, fundamental, and essential security concepts and give you a few manageable things to do to keep your computer secure.
In this chapter, we’re going to discuss:
- The user and superuser concept and how and why it keeps your computer secure
- Linux viruses (and anti-viruses)
- Linux firewalls
- Privacy on Linux, including encrypting your hard drive, to protect your personal data
- Best practices in running commands safely
But don’t forget the important security lesson you learned in the last chapter: Make sure your system is always up-to-date. Regular security updates help to protect your system by constantly repairing any security issues. Security issues can send personal information, like logins and passwords, to malicious third parties. These issues can also give these same bad people access to all of your personal files.