Security in Linux and How to Optimise It

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Article Source Linux User & Developer Magazine

Over the last few years, system security has gained a lot of momentum and software professionals are focusing heavily on this aspect. Linux is often treated as a highly secure operating system. However, the reality is that Linux too has its own share of security flaws. And these security flaws allow external hackers to get into your system and modify or even destroy your important data. But there’s no need to panic, since there are various mechanisms by which these flaws can be removed.

The security system is in two parts: authentication and access control. Authentication is responsible for ensuring that a user requesting access to the system is really the user with the account, while access control is responsible for controlling which resources each account has access to and what kind of access is permitted. Let’s take a look at the major causes for security problems in Linux…