Securing your system with Linux Intrusion Detection System

Closing the Lid

© Bratscher, photocase.com

© Bratscher, photocase.com

Article from Issue 106/2009
Author(s):

If you're ready for mandatory access control and you're looking for an alternative to SELinux and AppArmor, try locking down your system with Linux Intrusion Detection System.

Conventional Linux security gives an all-powerful user access to the entire system. The Linux root user has the power to do anything and everything. This design has led to a number of issues. For instance, an intruder who gains the root password or forces a root-level application to crash can quickly get control of the whole system. Also, many threats come from within, and managers often worry about who is watching the watchers. In these environments, it makes sense to limit the privileges of the root user.

Developers have rolled out several solutions over the years that supplement the conventional Unix discretionary access controls with a system of mandatory access control. Mandatory access control systems such as SELinux [1] and AppArmor [2] provide several benefits, including the chance to limit the activities of root.

Another security solution offering mandatory access control for Linux is the Linux Intrusion Detection System (LIDS) [3]. LIDS has been around for several years, and the developers continue to update it for new kernel versions (although the documentation is due for an upgrade). The latest version supports Linux kernel 2.6.28.

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