Linux Kernel Hardening

Source: SecurityFocus

This article will cover the issues of Linux hardening, with a specific focus on kernel hardening and its use on production systems. Several kernel-hardening approaches and their usability will be analyzed.

Is Linux secure? The question is much less useful, than 'Is Linux "securable"?' The answer to the latter is a definite yes. Being securable means that Linux can be made more secure (to whatever degree necessary) by applying a clearly defined sequence of steps that always produces the same result, and that can be automated and applied to systems that have been in operation for a long time. It would be ideal to be able to make securing systems understandable by regular system administrators who don’t have formal security training. However, the last requirement might be pushing it a bit, since security will likely always require expertise.