Lock Down Your Network with Tinc
Tutorials – Tinc
Block attackers from all your machines with a virtual mesh network.
We'll be honest, computer security is something we'd rather not have to deal with. It'd be much nicer if we lived in a world where we didn't have to remember different complex passwords for every service we used, or have to carefully configure every network-facing service to ensure it remains secure against attack, but we have to live with the reality of the world we live in.
Attacks are commonplace and getting more sophisticated every day. Weak passwords will be broken sooner or later, and any open port on the Internet is under a constant bombardment from scanners trying to find vulnerabilities (just take a look at your logfiles if you don't believe us). Network security is usually dealt with on a service-by-service basis, but we're going to look at a way of locking everything down with a single bit of software.
Where most secure protocols (e.g., SSH or HTTPS) are designed to bring two computers together securely, Tinc brings the same technology to groups of computers. It allows you to create a mesh network between multiple machines regardless of where they're physically located where all communication between the machines is encrypted and authenticated. (See the "A Whirlwind Guide to Communications Protocols" box for more information.)
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 is Available
Linus Torvalds has announced that the latest kernel has been released with plenty of core improvements and even more hardware support.
-
Kali Linux 2025.3 Released with New Hacking Tools
If you're a Kali Linux fan, you'll be glad to know that the third release of this famous pen-testing distribution is now available with updates for key components.
-
Zorin OS 18 Beta Available for Testing
The latest release from the team behind Zorin OS is ready for public testing, and it includes plenty of improvements to make it more powerful, user-friendly, and productive.
-
Fedora Linux 43 Beta Now Available for Testing
Fedora Linux 43 Beta ships with Gnome 49 and KDE Plasma 6.4 (and other goodies).
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.
-
AerynOS Alpha Release Available
With a choice of several desktop environments, AerynOS 2025.08 is almost ready to be your next operating system.
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for more than two weeks.