Recent research on cybersecurity reveals the fast-rising trend of cybercriminals launching attacks on Linux-based workstations and servers. So if you’re a Linux user, your computer is a potential target for malware attacks.
Why the sudden focus on Linux OS? Well, Linux servers are perfect for managing administrative tasks in different sectors. They also offer longer performance times and ensure business continuity.
Thus, most organizations prefer installing Linux servers for their administrative operations. It is especially popular among professional college paper writing service platforms. Since such websites offer college students help with their assignments, there are a lot of administrative tasks that need to be completed.
Linux is also suitable for personal purposes. Linux users must provide cybersecurity at all levels to enjoy the full benefits.
Unarguably, Linux offers more flexibility and configuration options, but it’s harder to manage. So, securing your system from desperate hackers should become a regular habit.
In this article, we’ll explain ten cybersecurity tips for all Linux users to use and protect their devices from cyber attacks.
Encrypt Your Drive
While some cybercrimes are not the user’s fault, security threats are ever on the rise. Linux users can protect their data, files, and systems from illegal access by ISPs and hackers by encrypting their drives.
Hackers can easily access your system when it’s stolen and retrieve sensitive data using a USB key. You can prevent this tragedy by generating secure encryption on your hard drive.
Enable full disk encryption (FDE) on your drive so that even if your computer gets missing, cybercriminals will not access your sensitive data.
Use a Secure Firewall
All Linux users should enable the Linux firewall to restrict all unauthorized access to their servers. Using third-party security might work, but some security threats require a peculiar Linux solution.
Ipstable is a Linux firewall component that fortifies your system against all sorts of cyberattacks while also organizing traffic to your computer. Think of it as Linux’s way of protecting itself against security threats.
Download Only Trusted Software
While software programs make your system operations easier, hackers might load malware to access your files and data.
Even if you have a powerful antivirus installed on your computer, it’s safer to download software directly from the official download site. Alternatively, use trusted sites like CNET, FileHippo, and SourceForge.
It is just as important for your digital security to access and use only trusted and protected platforms and services. For example, if you are a student looking for a professional essay writing service to get help with your assignments, the best thing you can do is first to check reviews of various websites. You can start with the EssayPro review by NoCramming.
Update the Software Regularly
While most people dislike manual software updates, it is essential for strengthening the security of your system. Linux software is no different, as updates improve the processing speed while providing better security updates.
Hackers love to exploit outdated Linux software because they can create loopholes that grant them access to user files. Make a habit of updating Linux regularly — you can even opt for automatic updates.
Download an Antivirus Software
Antivirus software applications are high-profile protection software designed to keep your system away from malware. Viruses are useful malware that these cybercriminals use to target systems and servers.
Make sure you have updated antivirus software running on your Linux OS because it doesn’t just protect the server but also the services hosted on the server. Your Linux server can attract viruses at any time, and an installed antivirus is your bounce-back weapon.
Get a Trusted VPN Service
Although most people use VPNs to mask their location, cybersecurity providers encourage Linux users to enforce VPN when connecting to the server. A reliable VPN connectivity is a surety for carrying out secure communications within encrypted channels.
Get triple chances to install the security on your device when you choose a trusted VPN service. The better news is that this option makes your service impenetrable to cybercriminals and ensures data privacy.
Some trusted VPN services for Linux users include ExpressVPN, Mullvad, Surfshark, and NordVPN.
Turn Off IPv6
IPv6 has the largest address space than other versions of IP protocols, which explains why most people use it. However, IPv6 is still vastly underused as most software applications support the IPv4 protocol.
Since most applications on your Linux Server don’t require the IPv6 protocol for use, you can disable it. Locate the network configuration file and enter the command lines to uninstall IPv6.
Use Strong Passwords
Hackers are always looking for loopholes, and your password might be an easy gate pass. Strong passwords are usually over ten characters long, infused with special characters as well as upper and lower case letters.
The best way to tighten your passwords’ security is by regularly changing strong passwords on your accounts. For effectiveness, don’t use the same password for multiple Linux users or across software systems.
Don’t Boot from External Devices
Some nefarious individuals can hack into your computer using external devices like USB thumb drives, CD/DVD, and floppy drives. When you disable permissions to boot external devices, you stop cybercriminals from accessing your computer in the least unsuspecting way.
View all USB ports and disable them by editing the blacklist.conf file located in /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf.
Review Activity Logs
Linux OS accommodates lots of users on one server, so it may be challenging to track the activities of all users at once. Use Linux tools such as ‘psacct’ or ‘acct’ to provide better analysis of activity logs of all users, to checkmate user activity on the system.
Also, store logs in their dedicated log servers to restrict unwanted users from modifying local logs. There are several Linux default log files available for your use.
Conclusion
It’s dangerous for Linux users to be complacent about implementing cybersecurity tips on their servers. More than ever, cybercriminals are on the loose, so your Linux OS requires extra protection.
If these hackers succeed in puncturing your security, they can gain access to your web history, emails, files, and all forms of valuable data. In worse cases, you could be in unprecedented danger.
Now you know how to tighten security around your system operations. Applying these tips will protect your computer from worms, malware, DDoS, and viruses.
