Linux Security Fundamentals (LFS216)

The Linux Security Fundamentals (LFS216) course, offered by the Linux Foundation, is a self-paced, comprehensive training program designed to equip system administrators with the skills to secure Linux systems against evolving cybersecurity threats. As the demand for professionals adept at hardening systems, monitoring for attacks, and ensuring compliance with data security regulations grows, this course provides practical techniques, tools, and strategies to protect Linux environments. Covering security basics, physical and network security, auditing, encryption, and compliance testing, LFS216 prepares you to develop robust security policies and response plans, applicable across a wide range of Linux distributions.

Target Audience

This course is ideal for:

• System administrators seeking to enhance their Linux security skills.
• IT professionals responsible for securing Linux-based infrastructure.
• Security enthusiasts aiming to understand Linux hardening and monitoring.
• Managers and technicians involved in cybersecurity implementation.

Prerequisites

To succeed in this course, participants should have:

• Basic familiarity with Linux system administration and command-line tools.
• An introductory understanding of networking concepts (e.g., TCP/IP).
• Access to a Linux environment (native or virtual machine) for lab exercises.

What You Will Learn

In this course, you will gain expertise in:

• Assessing security risks and understanding attacker types and threats.
• Hardening Linux systems with encryption, authentication, and permissions.
• Monitoring and auditing systems using logs and detection tools.
• Ensuring compliance with data security regulations through testing and policies.

Benefits of the Course

By completing this course, you will:

• Develop practical skills to secure Linux systems against modern threats.
• Gain expertise to create and implement effective security policies.
• Enhance your career in the growing field of Linux cybersecurity.
• Acquire hands-on experience with tools applicable across Linux distributions.

Course Outline

• What is Security?
  • Overview of cybersecurity concepts and challenges
  • Importance of security in Linux environments
• Classes of Attackers
  • Identifying types of attackers (e.g., script kiddies, insiders, nation-states)
  • Understanding attack motivations and methods
• Physical Security
  • Securing physical access to Linux systems
  • Mitigating risks from hardware vulnerabilities
• Logging Overview
  • Configuring and analyzing system logs
  • Using logs to detect suspicious activity
• Auditing Basics
  • Introduction to auditing tools (e.g., Linux Audit system)
  • Monitoring system integrity and changes
• Bugs and Tools
  • Identifying common software vulnerabilities
  • Using security tools to detect and mitigate bugs
• Kernel and User Spaces
  • Understanding kernel vulnerabilities and protections
  • Securing user-space applications
• Encryption and Authentication
  • Implementing encryption for data at rest and in transit
  • Configuring authentication mechanisms (e.g., passwords, keys)
• Standard UNIX Permissions
  • Managing file and directory permissions
  • Applying least privilege principles
• TCP/IP Protocols Review
  • Reviewing core networking protocols
  • Identifying security implications of TCP/IP
• Network Tools
  • Using tools (e.g., tcpdump, Wireshark) for network analysis
  • Troubleshooting network security issues
• Network Basics
  • Configuring secure network settings
  • Understanding network architecture risks
• Unencrypted Protocols
  • Identifying risks of unencrypted communication
  • Mitigating exposure from legacy protocols
• Firewalling Basics
  • Setting up firewalls (e.g., iptables, nftables)
  • Filtering traffic to enhance security
• Preparation
  • Developing a security policy and response strategy
  • Planning for incident prevention and recovery
• Compliance Testing
  • Using tools like OpenSCAP for compliance checks
  • Ensuring adherence to data security regulations