Securing an inherited Linux system

Learn how to secure an inherited Linux system you didn’t build but are suddenly responsible for:

They say that buying a used house or car is just buying someone else’s problems. What ducttape repairs are hiding inside the walls or under the hood? Without knowing the maintenance history, you need to investigate to avoid the unexpected.

Whether there is a rogue server, admins departing the company, or acquisitions and mergers, at some point in your sysadmin journey you will inherit a server that you didn’t build but are suddenly responsible for. This article will focus on a few areas to start securing and getting familiar with the new system. Taking a triage approach is only a starting point: Security is part of the ongoing life cycle of managing a system.

Be mindful that this system is hosting an application or service that needs to remain available. Use any required change management processes your company has in place. Also, be familiar with your company’s security policies and where you can reference them for appropriate settings.

The link for this article located at RedHat is no longer available.