Prevent Social Engineering Attacks: Protect Your Linux Server

Prevent Social Engineering Attacks: Protect Your Linux Server

Overview:
As the Internet develops, security threats also increase. Social engineering attack is an attack method that uses social engineering principles to deceive users psychologically. To protect our Linux servers, we need to take a series of security measures to guard against these attacks.

1. Enhance user education for running Linux servers
   User education is the first step in preventing social engineering attacks. We need to educate server administrators and other users about security threats and tell them how to avoid falling victim to attackers.
2. Use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication
   Passwords are the first line of defense to protect the server. We should use strong passwords and change them regularly. At the same time, using multi-factor authentication can provide an extra layer of protection. The following is a sample code for setting strong password requirements:

$ sudo vi /etc/pam.d/common-password

Add the following content to the file:

password requisite pam_pwquality.so retry=3
password requisite pam_unix.so sha512 shadow use_authtok

Save and exit the file, then execute the following command to make the configuration effective:

$ sudo systemctl restart common-auth.service

3. Update and upgrade system software
   Keeping the latest version of system software is one of the important steps to prevent attacks. New versions usually fix known vulnerabilities and security issues. We can use the following commands to update and upgrade Linux systems:

$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt upgrade

4. Control external access and firewall settings
   Restricting external access to the server can reduce the possibility of attacks. By setting up firewall rules correctly, we can control inbound and outbound network traffic. The following is a sample code for configuring basic firewall rules:

$ sudo ufw enable
$ sudo ufw allow ssh
$ sudo ufw allow http
$ sudo ufw allow https

5. Back up data regularly
   Regularly backing up important data on the server is an important means to deal with various security threats. Whether due to social engineering attacks or other reasons, data loss can take a huge toll on a business. The following is a sample code for regularly backing up data:

$ sudo rsync -avz --delete /var/www /backup/

6. Use secure remote access methods
   Using the SSH protocol for remote access can provide a more secure connection. We can increase the security of SSH by taking the following steps:
7. Disable remote login for the root account
8. Use keys for authentication
9. Restrict SSH login to specific IP addresses

The following is a sample code for disabling remote login of the root account:

$ sudo vi /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Find the following line and modify it:

PermitRootLogin no

Save and exit the file, Then execute the following command to make the configuration take effect:

$ sudo systemctl restart sshd

Conclusion:
By strengthening user education, using strong passwords and multi-factor authentication, updating and upgrading system software, controlling external access and firewall settings, and regularly backing up data As well as using secure remote access methods, we can greatly reduce the risk of social engineering attacks on our servers. In the process of protecting Linux servers, continuous security awareness and action are crucial.

The above is the detailed content of Prevent Social Engineering Attacks: Protect Your Linux Server. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!