Enterprise Linux Security Administration
Private Training

Course Summary

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This highly technical course focuses on properly securing machines running the Linux operating systems. A broad range of general security techniques such as packet filtering, password policies, and file integrity checking are covered. Advanced security technologies such as Kerberos and SELinux are taught. Special attention is given to securing commonly deployed network services. At the end of the course, students have an excellent understanding of the potential security vulnerabilities – know how to audit existing machines, and how to securely deploy new network services.

Audience
System and network administrators working with wide network security and authentication.
Course Length
5 Days
Prerequisites
Experienced systems administrators with current Linux or UNIX systems administration.

Objectives

Understand security techniques and principles

Learn to secure filesystems and common services

Detect system compromise

Understand system vulnerabilities

Generate detailed audit reports

Learn Discretionary Access Control (DAC)

Manage Port Contexts

Activating and Deactivating Apache Modules

Securing email systems

Detailed Outline

  1. Security Concepts
    • Basic Security Principles
    • RHEL6 Default Install
    • RHEL6 Firewall
    • SLES11 Default Install
    • SLES11 Firewall
    • SLES11: File Security
    • Minimization – Discovery
    • Service Discovery
    • Hardening
    • Security Concepts
  2. Scanning, Probing, and Mapping Vulnerabilities
    • The Security Environment
    • Stealth Reconnaissance
    • The WHOIS database
    • Interrogating DNS
    • Discovering Hosts
    • Discovering Reachable Services
    • Reconnaissance with SNMP
    • Discovery of RPC Services
    • Enumerating NFS Shares
    • Nessus Insecurity Scanner
    • Configuring OpenVAS
  3. Password Security and PAM
    • UNIX Passwords
    • Password Aging
    • Auditing Passwords
    • PAM Overview
    • PAM Module Types
    • PAM Order of Processing
    • PAM Control Statements
    • PAM Modules
    • pam_unix
    • pam_cracklib.so
    • pam_pwcheck.so
    • pam_env.so
    • pam_xauth.so
    • pam_tally2.so
    • pam_wheel.so
    • pam_limits.so
    • pam_nologin.so
    • pam_deny.so
    • pam_warn.so
    • pam_securetty.so
    • pam_time.so
    • pam_access.so
    • pam_listfile.so
    • pam_lastlog.so
    • pam_console.so
  4. Secure Network Time Protocol (NTP)
    • The Importance of Time
    • Hardware and System Clock
    • Time Measurements
    • NTP Terms and Definitions
    • Synchronization Methods
    • NTP Evolution
    • Time Server Hierarchy
    • Operational Modes
    • NTP Clients
    • Configuring NTP Clients
    • Configuring NTP Servers
    • Securing NTP
    • NTP Packet Integrity
    • Useful NTP Commands
  5. Kerberos Concepts and Components
    • The Importance of Time
    • Hardware and System Clock
    • Time Measurements
    • NTP Terms and Definitions
    • Synchronization Methods
    • NTP Evolution
    • Time Server Hierarchy
    • Operational Modes
    • NTP Clients
    • Configuring NTP Clients
    • Configuring NTP Servers
    • Securing NTP
    • NTP Packet Integrity
    • Useful NTP Commands
    • Common Security Problems
    • Account Proliferation
    • The Kerberos Solution
    • Kerberos History
    • Kerberos Implementations
    • Kerberos Concepts
    • Kerberos Principals
    • Kerberos Safeguards
    • Kerberos Components
    • Authentication Process
    • Identification Types
    • Logging In
    • Gaining Privileges
    • Using Privileges
    • Kerberos Components and the KDC
    • Kerberized Services Review
    • Kerberized Clients
    • KDC Server Daemons
    • Configuration Files
    • Utilities Overview
  6. Implementing Kerberos
    • Plan Topology and Implementation
    • Kerberos 5 Client Software
    • Kerberos 5 Server Software
    • Synchronize Clocks
    • Create Master KDC
    • Configuring the Master KDC
    • KDC Logging
    • Kerberos Realm Defaults
    • Specifying [realms]
    • Specifying [domain_realm]
    • Allow Administrative Access
    • Create KDC Databases
    • Create Administrators
    • Install Keys for Services
    • Start Services
    • Add Host Principals
    • Add Common Service Principals
    • Configure Slave KDCs
    • Create Principals for Slaves
    • Define Slaves as KDCs
    • Copy Configuration to Slaves
    • Install Principals on Slaves
    • Create Stash on Slaves
    • Start Slave Daemons
    • Client Configuration
    • Install krb5.conf on Clients
    • Client PAM Configuration
    • Install Client Host Keys
  7. Administering and using Kerberos
    • Administrative Tasks
    • Key Tables
    • Managing Keytabs
    • Managing Principals
    • Viewing Principals
    • Adding, Deleting, and Modifying Principals
    • Principal Policy
    • Overall Goals for Users
    • Signing In to Kerberos
    • Ticket types
    • Viewing Tickets
    • Removing Tickets
    • Passwords
    • Changing Passwords
    • Giving Others Access
    • Using Kerberized Services
    • Kerberized FTP
    • Enabling Kerberized Services
    • OpenSSH and Kerberos
  8. Securing the Filesystem
    • Filesystem Mount Options
    • NFS Properties
    • NFS Export Option
    • NFSv4 and GSSAPI Auth
    • Implementing NFSv4
    • Implementing Kerberos with NFS
    • GPG – GNU Privacy Guard
    • File Encryption with OpenSSL
    • File Encryption with encfs
    • Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS)
  9. AIDE
    • Host Intrusion Detection Systems
    • Using RPM as a HIDS
    • Introduction to AIDE
    • AIDE Installation
    • AIDE Policies
    • AIDE Usage
  10. Accountability with Kernel Audit
    • Accountability and Auditing
    • Simple Session Auditing
    • Simple Process Accounting & Command History
    • Kernel-Level Auditing
    • Configuring the Audit Daemon
    • Controlling Kernel Audit System
    • Creating Audit Rules
    • Searching Audit Logs
    • Generating Audit Log Reports
    • Audit Log Analysis
  11. SELinux
    • DAC vs. MAC
    • Shortcomings of Traditional Unix Security
    • AppArmor
    • SELinux Goals
    • SELinux Evolution
    • SELinux Modes
    • Gathering Information
    • SELinux Virtual Filesystem
    • SELinux Contexts
    • Managing Contexts
    • The SELinux Policy
    • Choosing an SELinux Policy
    • Policy Layout
    • Tuning and Adapting Policy
    • Booleans
    • Permissive Domains
    • Managing File Contexts
    • Managing Port Contexts
    • SELinux Policy Tools
    • Examining Policy
    • SELinux Troubleshooting
  12. Securing Apache
    • Apache Overview
    • httpd.conf – Server Settings
    • Configuring CGI
    • Turning Off Unneeded Modules
    • Delegating Administration
    • Apache Access Controls (mod_access)
    • HTTP User Authentication
    • Standard Auth Modules
    • HTTP Digest Authentication
    • Authentication via SQL
    • Authentication via LDAP
    • Authentication via Kerberos
    • Scrubbing HTTP Headers
    • Metering HTTP Bandwidth
  13. Securing PostgreSQL
    • PostgreSQL Overview
    • PostgreSQL Default Config
    • Configuring SSL
    • Client Authentication Basics
    • Advanced Authentication
    • Ident-based Authentication
  14. Appendix A – Securing Email Systems
    • SMTP Implementations
    • Security Considerations
    • chrooting Postfix
    • Email with GSSAPI/Kerberos Auth