Mastering™ Network Security, Second Edition

Chapter 13. Unix-Based Systems

To secure a system running Unix, you must have a firm handle on how the operating system works. Although most Unix systems come with some type of GUI (Graphical User Interface), these systems usually won't walk you through the process, nor are there extensive Help buttons to click that will describe a particular setting and when it should be used. Unix systems are predominantly managed from the command line, although some utilities have been ported to the X Window System. Securing a Unix system, therefore, is extremely difficult for those not versed in the operating system.

The reward to learning Unix is the ability to manage a system that still controls a majority of the world's critical data. Although Unix has ...