The Complete Guide to Linux Hardening: Securing Production Servers with Best Practices

Created by @tantainnovative and contributors

Welcome to the Linux Hardening Guide! This comprehensive resource is designed to help you systematically enhance the security of your Linux production servers. Inside, you'll find practical, actionable steps and best practices to protect your systems from evolving threats.

Why This Guide?

• Step-by-Step Guidance: We break down the hardening process into clear, manageable steps, covering both foundational concepts and advanced techniques.
• Best Practices Focus: Our emphasis is on proven strategies and industry-accepted standards for securing your Linux environment.
• Community-Driven: This guide welcomes contributions to ensure it remains current and relevant.

Introduction

In this guide, we delve into the critical aspects of Linux hardening, covering everything from foundational steps to advanced techniques. Our aim is to equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to fortify your Linux servers, making them robust and resilient in the face of potential attacks.

For more details, see the Introduction.

Table of Contents

1. Foundational Hardening Steps
   • System Inventory and Baseline Configuration
   • BIOS/UEFI Security
   • Disk Encryption and Partitioning
   • Boot Directory Protection
   • Disabling Unnecessary USB Ports
   • Regular System Updates
   • Package Management
2. Advanced Hardening Techniques
   • Secure SSH
   • Enable SELinux
   • Set Network Parameters
3. Security Monitoring and Logging
   • File and Directory Permissions
   • Centralized Logging
   • Audit Trails
4. Network Security
   • Firewall Configuration
   • TCP Wrappers
   • Network Segmentation
5. Application Hardening
   • Web Server Security
   • Database Security
   • Container Security
6. Backup and Disaster Recovery
   • Backup Strategies
   • Disaster Recovery Planning
7. Compliance and Standards
   • Adhering to Security Frameworks
   • Compliance Auditing
8. Automation and Tooling
   • Automation Tools
   • Security Scanners
9. Conclusion
10. References

Prerequisites

Before diving into this guide, ensure that you have a basic understanding of Linux administration and command-line usage. Familiarity with security concepts and best practices is also beneficial.

Contributing

We welcome contributions to this guide! If you have suggestions, improvements, or new content to add, please review our Contribution Guidelines for more information on how to get involved.

License

This guide is distributed under the MIT License. See the license file for more details.

Acknowledgments

A special thanks to all the contributors and sources that have helped shape this guide. Your expertise and insights are invaluable to the community.

Disclaimer

This guide is provided "as is" and is intended for educational purposes only. While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, we cannot guarantee the completeness or suitability of the content for any specific purpose. Please use this guide at your own discretion and consider consulting with professional security experts for tailored advice.

References

For further reading and exploration, check out the References section of this guide.