Connecting to the internet today can make you vulnerable to a number of risks. While you cannot completely protect any computer system from all risks, there are steps that you can take that will make it very difficult for hackers to intrude into your system. Security is essential for anyone who regularly browses the internet and with open source software, it is very easy to get the security that you need. If you have a Linux based system, security may be easier than you think.
Physical security should be your first step when you want to protect your computer. If you limit access to your computer by others, you can help to keep your data safe. If you cannot completely limit access or lock your computer away in a safe place, you can implement a BIOS password. Choose a password that is very hard to decipher so that others cannot gain access to your system unless you authorize it.
You may also want to think about your firewall. You simply have to have a firewall installed in order to protect your computer from various risks. Firewalls are configured to specifically filter out traffic into or out of your computer that you have not authorized. You may need a bit of networking knowledge in order to install your own firewall and most Linux distributors provide a firewall enabled software.
Restricting root access can help you to keep your system safe as well. Certain tasks should require certain passwords. If you have certain tasks that you want to restrict, simply assign those tasks a hard to decipher password. You can limit the use of certain commands to only system administrators as well and although this can be a bit time consuming, it can go a long way in helping you to protect your system from unauthorized alterations.
Take the time to check the integrity of any software that you have installed. You should also avoid mounting devices on your machine automatically and use customization features to ensure that no UBS or CD drives are auto mounted when they are inserted. You can use this feature to also disable any file sharing across networks and set a password that will be required before certain devices can be accessed.
Linux based systems are relatively secure already. Most hackers create worms and viruses that are designed to attack other systems. Hackers however, can and have gotten into Linux based systems and caused some hefty damage. These hackers have learned new techniques and methods for accessing data in all computer systems, even Linux. Many internet users connect to the internet for long periods of time each day as well which can create a loophole that allows hackers in. It is essential that you have security software installed on your Linux system to lower your risk for these issues. Taking just a bit of time to check your security and ensure that all of your security systems are up to date will ensure that your system is protected as much as possible.
