computing/linux/topics/linux-security

Online threats can target Linux computers just as easily as they can attack Windows PCs, so be aware of the threats and the steps required to defend your computer from intrusions, Trojans, viruses and other security risks.

Its bad enough that your exploits at last years Christmas party have already received a million hits on YouTube. At least your emails can still be sealed tighter than an Egyptian tomb thanks to the powerful encryption tools provided by Ubuntu. Learn how to get Top-Secret quality encryption!

If you’ve ever tried a remote desktop connection to Ubuntu, you have probably discovered that everyone can see what you’re doing - not very secure! Creating a secure session over a VNC, however, will allow you to do this, while using a standard SSH connection will afford secure command line access.

You don’t have to go to the trouble of manually creating a new account in Ubuntu just to use a new username - the operating system will carry out this task for you with just a few commands entered in the terminal.

Seahorse, also known as Passwords & Encryption, is an application included with Ubuntu that allows you to manage your PGP and SSH encryption keys. Seahorse integrates with the Ubuntu desktop, allowing you to encrypt, decrypt and sign files with your keys.

BestCrypt is a commercial encryption program developed by Jetico which runs Linux distributions such as Debian as well as Windows and Mac OS X. While Debian includes encryption utilities, BestCrypt lets you use the same encrypted containers on multiple operating systems.

Firewalls protect your computer against access from unauthorized sources and shield certain services from the Internet. Mandriva Linux includes a firewall which you can configure through the Mandriva Linux Control Center.

Kubuntu Linux tries to automatically mount storage devices at login but doesn’t have the proper permissions due to a bug. This results in Kubuntu asking the user for a password for each removable device every time the user logs in. Tweak Kubuntu’s settings and eliminate these password prompts.

This article will go through some history of the iptables firewall and why it is so secure and robust. Then it will give you a simple way to set up your own rules without the need of writing any commands! It will also give you a link if you do need a more complicated firewall to be set up.

Contrary to popular belief, Linux is no more or less secure than other operating systems. Ensure the security of your Linux PC by applying these security measures.