Sunday, November 4, 2012

What You Need To Know About Linux Server Security

By Tonia Michael


There are many important safety features that should be put in place to ensure that no security breaches and problems affect a server. This is because servers are the backbone of any network, and if they are compromised then the whole system is compromised. There are some Linux server security features that you can use to avoid this.

You should start by creating a difficult password. It is a simple safety measure that most people assume. However, it is advised that you follow the hints and guidelines that are issued about creating a strong password, provided by most sites. Easy passwords include your name, date of birth or name of your favorite pet. Anyone can guess them and log into the system without authorization. Therefore, when creating a password, include numbers, arithmetic symbols and letters to make it difficult to guess.

If a password is long and has varied characters, it is not simple to crack despite the use of decryption applications. The reason being, these kinds of programs normally peruse the entire ascii code as they try to decrypt every character within the password. When the characters are varied, the application requires a longer time to decode.

The length of the password is also another very important factor that must be considered. The longer it is, the more difficult it is to crack. Short ones are take a shorter time to decode, since they have fewer characters. The minimum number of characters acceptable in linux systems is 5. For extra security, you can ensure that yours do not go below 8 characters.

When you transfer files over the network to the server, you make it vulnerable. You should not do that directly. Instead, you should first stop the FTPD. To add more security, also use SCP which has more and better safety features. It utilizes the SSH to move the data and information and applies parallel authentication which makes the system more secure.

Whenever you transfer documents through the network to the host computer, you render it susceptible to attack. That is why you should avoid doing that without taking any safety measures. Rather, you need to first end the FTPD program. To improve on security, utilize the SCP. It has many better protection features and incorporates the SSH to maneuver data and information. It also uses parallel authentication that boosts the safety.

Linux operating system also uses BIOS CHIP features to improve safety. The BIOS CHIP is a fragile segment of the system and if not properly safeguarded, can be utilized as a loophole to attack and take control the whole network. To stop this, it has security features added to it. With them, it is possible to prevent hackers from bypassing the server security while using external storage devices like flash disks. As it is safeguarded with passwords one cannot change the options without authorization.

Creating multiple accounts can also make the system vulnerable. The reason being it provides hackers with numerous options to utilize. Remove all other user accounts except those that are used. Cyber-terrorist mostly target idle accounts. They get the passwords and make use of the accounts to get into the system without you knowing. Therefore, make sure you only have one account that can be used to log into the machine. This way you will improve your linux server security.




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