Hands-On Penetration Testing with Kali NetHunter

The Linux baseline

As we learned in the previous section, a security baseline typically involves creating images that allow for the secure, easy deployment of machines. The following is a guide to creating a security baseline for Linux operating systems:

• Ensure the Linux operating system is always up to date with the latest security patches. This action can be done using the yum update or apt-get update && apt-get upgrade commands.
• Ensure a strong password policy is enforced.

• Disable any unused services.
• Enable disk encryption.
• Enable logging and auditing.
• Configure firewall policies.
• Disable USB devices.
• Secure web services.
• Create backup and retention policies.
• Avoid using unsecured services, such as HTTP, Telnet, and FTP.

Both the ...