Infrastructure Security Using Linux

Computer science / Cybersecurity

01
Introduction
Course Project:
• Deploying a Real Open-Source Web App on an Apache Web
Server
• Project Overview
• Students will deploy a real open-source web application on an
Apache web server running on an Ubuntu server. The project
involves configuring, securing, and testing the deployment to ensure
a stable and secure web application.

2
Project Requirements
1. Web App Selection
1. Choose a real open-source web application for deployment
2. Get approval for the selected web app during office hours (ASK ME!).
2. Server Setup and Configuration
1. Install and configure an Ubuntu server.
2. Set up the Apache web server and deploy the selected web app.
3. Configure local domain settings to use the host web browser on a Virtual
Network.
3. Security Implementation
1. Secure the Ubuntu server and Apache web server (e.g., firewall rules, SSH
hardening).
2. Apply best security practices to protect the web app (e.g., secure
configurations), Here HTTP is allowed due to static IP limitation. 3
Project Requirements
4. Penetration Testing
1. Use 3 well-known penetration testing tools to assess the security of both the
server and the web app.
2. Document vulnerabilities found and provide mitigation strategies.
5. Documentation and Submission
1. Submit a detailed report covering:
• Web app selection and rationale
• Deployment steps and configurations
• Security measures implemented
• Penetration testing results and mitigation strategies
2. Upload the report to LMS before the submission deadline (08/05/2025).
3. Late submissions will not be accepted.

4
Project Presentation
• Presentation
• The presentation schedule will be announced after submission.
• Students will demonstrate their deployment, security measures, and
testing process.

• This project evaluates students' ability to deploy, secure, and

assess the security of web applications in a Virtual environment.

5
Books
• Note: The course books are required for the exam. Students are
expected to study:
1.UNIX and Linux System Administration Handbook (5th Edition) (2017). Evi
Nemeth, Garth Snyder, and Trent Hein. Addison-Wesley Professional.
2.Proxmox VE Administration Guide (2024). Proxmox Server Solutions
GmbH.

• Ensure you have access to these books for exam preparation.

6
Overview …………
• Overview of infrastructure security principles
• Introduction to Linux

7
Overview of Infrastructure
Security Principles
Infrastructure Security Principles
• Infrastructure security involves protecting systems, networks, and
data across physical and virtual environments.
• By understanding foundational principles, administrators can
correctly manage IT Infrastructure and build defenses tailored to
organizational needs.

9
Core Security Concepts
• CIA Triad: Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability
• Confidentiality ensures that sensitive information remains accessible
only to authorized users.
• Integrity means data and systems remain accurate and unmodified by
unauthorized actions.
• Availability emphasizes continuous accessibility of resources.

• Together, these pillars guide security measures and risk

assessments.

10
The Threat Landscape
• Modern infrastructures face diverse attacks from a variety of
sources.
• Malware can compromise systems, phishing tricks users into
divulging secrets, and insider threats exploit privileges.
• Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) floods networks, crippling
service availability.
• Recognizing these threats shapes effective defensive strategies.

11
Risk Assessment & Management
• Security begins by identifying key assets (data, hardware,
applications).
• Pinpoint possible vulnerabilities, then measure the likelihood and
severity of risks.
• Addressing the greatest risks first ensures efficient use of security
resources. This cyclical process enables continuous
improvement.

12
Risk Assessment & Management
• Defense in depth combines multiple protective measures so that if
one fails, additional layers remain.
• Layers may include physical security, network segmentation,
firewalls, and access controls.
• This overlapping strategy makes unauthorized access more
difficult and costly for attackers.

13
Linux
Linux Distributions
What is Linux?
• Linux is an Operating System
● Linux OS =Linux Distribution
○ With flavor software's

● Distro / Flavor =Distribution

15
What is Linux?
• Linux is a Unix clone written from scratch by Linus Torvalds with
assistance from a loosely-knit team.
• Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system
originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell
Labs.
• Linux and IEEE
Unix strive to be POSIX (Portable Operating System
Interface ) compliant.
• 64% of the world’s servers run some variant of Unix or Linux.

16
Where can you find it?

• Smartphones (Android phone)

• Kindle run Linux.

• 96% of 500 top supercomputers
• TVs
• Military applications
• Self-driving cars

17
Why Linux?

• Free
• Open Source
• Choose your own flavor
• Community support
• It’s a foundation for jobs

Apache HTTP server usage research

18
Unix
• brief history:
• Multics (1964) for mainframes
• Unix (1969)
• K&R
• Linus Torvalds and Linux (1992)

• key Unix ideas:

• written in a high-level language (C)
• virtual memory
• hierarchical file system; "everything" is a file
• lots of small programs that work together to solve larger problems
• security, users, access, and groups
• human-readable documentation included 19
The Linux Philosophy
The *Nix Philosophy of Doug McIlroy

• (i) Make each program do one thing well. To do a new job, build afresh
rather than complicate old programs by adding new features.
• (ii) Expect the output of every program to become the input to another,
as yet unknown, program. Don't clutter output with extraneous
information. Avoid stringently columnar or binary input formats. Don't
insist on interactive input.
• (iii) Use tools in preference to unskilled help to lighten a programming
task, even if you have to detour to build the tools and expect to throw
some of them out after you've finished using them.
20
Linux Kernel
• The kernel is the core.
• Linux Kernel + Apps = Distro
• kernel: The lowest-level core of an operating system.

• Features provided by an operating system:

• ability to execute programs (and multi-tasking)
• memory management (and virtual memory)
• file systems, disk and network access
• an interface to communicate with hardware
• a user interface (often graphical)
21
What is Linux?
• Linux + GNU Utilities = Free Unix

GNU: a set of small

programs written by Richard
Linux is an O/S core Stallman and others.
written by Linus Torvalds
They are the GNU utilities.
and others
http://www.gnu.org/
22
Linux
• Linux: A kernel for a Unix-like operating system.
• commonly seen/used today in servers, mobile/embedded devices, ...

• GNU: A "free software" implementation of many Unix-like tools

• many GNU tools are distributed with the Linux kernel

• distribution: A pre-packaged set of Linux software.

• examples: Ubuntu, Fedora

• key features of Linux:

• open-source software: source can be downloaded
• free to use
• constantly being improved/updated by the community
23
Linux Desktop
• X-windows: Display Server using a X protocol (Client and server communicate)
• Window managers
• The desktop environments can be roughly classified into the following categories:
• Similar to MS Windows Cinnamon, Mate or KDE Plasma
• Easy to use Gnome, XFCE or LXDE/LXQT
• Flexible and adaptable KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, XFCE
• Low hardware requirements LXQT, XFCE

• How can I try out Linux?

• Virtual machine
• labs
• OnWorks
24
Shell
• Shell: An interactive program that uses user input to manage
the execution of other programs.
• A command processor, typically runs in a text window.
• User types commands, the shell runs the commands
• Several different shell programs exist:
• Bash : the default shell program on most Linux/Unix systems
• We will use bash (x-terminal)
• Other shells: Bourne, csh, tsch

• Why should I learn to use a shell when GUIs exist?

25
Why use a shell?
• Why should I learn to use a shell when GUIs exist?
• Faster
• Work Remotely vary well (using SSH, and SFTP protocols)
• Programmable
• Customizable
• Repeatable

26
Small programs that do one thing well
• Network: ssh, scp, ping, telnet, nslookup, wget
• Shells: BASH, TCSH, alias, watch, clear, history, chsh, echo, set, setenv, xargs
• System Information: w, whoami, man, info, which, free, echo, date, cal, df, free,
info
• Command Information: man, info, help (h)
• Symbols: |, >, >>, <, &, >&, 2>&1, ;, ~, ., .., $!, !:<n>, !<n>
• Filters: grep, egrep, more, less, head, tail
• Hotkeys: <ctrl><c>, <ctrl><d>
• File System: ls, mkdir, cd, pwd, mv, ln, touch, cat, file, find, diff, cmp,
/net/<hostname>/<path>, mount, du, df, chmod, find
• Line Editors: awk, sed
• File Editors: nano, vim, gvim, emacs –nw, emacs, touch, vscode 27
Linux Has Many Distributions

There are over 600 active Linux distros (Linux Statistics – 2024) 28
29
Most popular Linux distributions

30
 Linux distributions
The most viable distributions are not necessarily the
most corporate. For example, we expect Debian
GNU/Linux to remain viable for a long time despite the
fact that Debian is not a company, doesn’t sell
Popular in: anything, and offers no enterprise-level support.

• Banks
Debian benefits from a committed group of
• Airlines
contributors and from the enormous popularity of the
• Telecoms
Ubuntu distribution, which is based on it.
• Healthcare 31
Example of a Linux distribution
Debian (pronounced deb-ian, named after Debra and Ian Murdock) is
one of the oldest and most well-regarded distributions. It is a
noncommercial project with more than a thousand contributors
worldwide.
Debian maintains an ideological commitment to community
development and open access, so there’s never any question about
which parts of the distribution are free or redistributable.
Debian defines three release that are maintained simultaneously:
• stable: targeting the production servers,
• unstable: with current packages that may have bugs and security vulnerabilities
• testing: a mix of stable and unstable.
32
Example of a Linux distribution
Ubuntu: is based on Debian and maintains Debian's commitment to free and open-
source software. Ubuntu is a commercial distribution, and it is backed by a company
called Canonical.
Ubuntu version numbers derive from the year and month of release, so 18.04 was released
in April 2018. Each release also has a code name, such as Bionic Beaver for 18.04 or Focal
Fossa for 20.04.
Two versions of Ubuntu are released every year, one in April and one in October. The April
release is a long-term support (LTS) release, which is supported for five years. The October
release is supported for nine months.
Popular in:
• Startups
• SaaS
• Social Networks
• Cloud Based
33
Example of a Linux distribution
Red Hat has been a dominant force in the Linux world for more than two
decades, and its distributions are widely used in North America and beyond. By
the numbers, Red Hat, Inc., is the most successful open-source software
company in the world.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux, often shortened to RHEL, targets production
environments at large enterprises that require support and consulting services
to keep their systems running smoothly.
Somewhat paradoxically, RHEL is open source but requires a license. If you’re
not willing to pay for the license, you’re not going to be running Red Hat.
Red Hat also sponsors Fedora, a community-driven distribution that is a
proving ground for new technologies that may eventually be included in RHEL.
Fedora is a good choice for developers and enthusiasts who want to stay on the
cutting edge of Linux. s
34
Example of a Linux distribution
CentOS is a free, open source, community-driven distribution that is
functionally compatible with RHEL.
The CentOS distribution lacks the RHEL branding and logos, but it is otherwise
identical to RHEL. CentOS is a good choice for organizations that want the
benefits of RHEL without the cost.
TTU uses CentOS in its web services Linux cluster which is a free version of
RedHat Enterprise Linux with the trademarks removed.
On June 30, 2024 reached end of life (EOL), and the CentOS Project
discontinued updates and releases at that time. If you’re still
running CentOS Linux, you’re at risk of exposing your organization
to unpatched vulnerabilities and potential security breaches.
But, EOL is changed to 2030 (Contingent on end of full support
Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, Oracle Linux or Ubuntu phase of based on RHEL 10)
35
Example of a Linux distribution
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) is a commercial distribution
that is popular in Europe. SLES is developed and maintained by the
German company SUSE.
SUSE also sponsors openSUSE, a community-driven distribution
that is a proving ground for new technologies that may eventually be
included in SLES.

36
Example of a Linux distribution
FreeBSD, first release in late 1993, is the most widely used of the
BSD derivatives.
Unlike Linux, FreeBSD is a complete operating system, not just a
kernel.
Both the kernel and userland software are licensed under the
permissive BSD License, a fact that encourages development by
and additions from the business community.

37
Linux isn't just for business:
• Linux Mint
• Debian
• Mageia
• Fedora
• Arch Linux
• Slackware
• Ubuntu
• SuSE

38
Connecting to a Linux Host

• You need a “xterm” emulation – software that emulates an “X”

terminal and that connects using the “SSH” Secure Shell protocol.
• Windows
• If you don’t need windowing, “putty” is good:
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html
• If you need windowing, use StarNet “X-Win32:” or “Bitvise SSH Client”

You can also connect to a Linux machine by

using VNC to get a whole desktop if it’s
supported by the server.

39
Connecting to a Linux Host – Mac OS X Client Software
• Mac OS X
• “Terminal” is already installed
• Why? Darwin, the system on which Apple's Mac OS X is built, is a
derivative of 4.4 BSD-Lite2 and FreeBSD. In other words, the Mac is a
Unix system!

40
Specialization and adjacent disciplines
• DevOps: DevOps is not so much a specific function as a culture or
operational philosophy. It aims to improve the efficiency of
building and delivering software, especially at large sites that have
many interrelated services and teams.
• Organizations with a DevOps practice promote integration among
engineering teams and may draw little or no distinction between
development and operations.
• Experts who work in this area seek out inefficient processes and
replace them with small shell scripts or large and unwieldy Chef
repositories.
41
Specialization and adjacent disciplines
• Site Reliability Engineering (SRE): Site reliability engineers value
uptime and correctness above all else. Monitoring networks,
deploying production software, taking pager duty, planning future
expansion, and debugging outages all lie within the realm of these
availability crusaders.
• Single points of failure are site reliability engineers’ nemeses.

42
Specialization and adjacent disciplines
• Architects: Systems architects have deep expertise in more than
one area. They use their experience to design distributed systems.
• Their job descriptions may include defining security zones and
segmentation, eliminating single points of failure, planning for
future growth, ensuring connectivity among multiple networks and
third parties, and other site-wide decision making.
• Good architects are technically proficient and generally prefer to
implement and test their own designs.

43
Specialization and adjacent disciplines
• DevSecOps stands for development, security, and operations.
It's an approach to culture, automation, and platform design that
integrates security as a shared responsibility throughout the entire
IT lifecycle.

5-minute read
https://www.redhat.com/en/topics/devops/what-is-devsecops 44
Basic Linux Commands
• ls - Lists directory contents, -l Option long listing format
• cd - Changes the current directory.
• pwd - Displays the present working directory.
• cat - Concatenates and displays files.
• echo - Displays arguments to the screen.
• man - Displays the online manual.
• exit - Exits the shell or your current session.
• clear - Clears the screen
• which - Locate a command
• Ask commands for help with --help or -h.
45
The MAN pages
• Man pages are concise descriptions of commands, drivers; file
formats, or library routines. They do not address more general
topics such as "How do I install a new device?" or "WHy is this
system so damn slow?"
• On Linux systems, you can find out the current default search path
with the manpath command. If necessary, you can set the
MANPATH environment variable to override the default search
path.

$ export MANPATH=/home/share/localman:/usr/share/man
46
System Information
• After you connect to Lunix, type
• whoami
• hostname
• date
• cal
• free
• Commands have three parts; command, options and parameters. Example:
cal –j 3 1999. “cal” is the command, “-j” is an option (or switch), “3” and
“1999” are parameters.
• Options have long and short forms. Example:
• date –u
• data --universal
What is the nature of the prompt?
What was the system’s response to the command? 47
Help with Commands
• Type
• hostname –-help
• man hostname
• info hostname (gives the same or most information, but must be paged)

• And “Yes,” you can always Google it

48
Editing the Command Line with Emacs Keys
• <Ctrl-a> go to beginning
• <Ctrl-e> go to end
• <Alt-f> forward one word
• <Alt-b> back one word
• <Ctrl-f> forward one character
• <Ctrl-b> back one character
• <Ctrl-d> delete character
• <Alt-d> delete word
• <Ctrl-u> delete from cursor to beginning of line
• <Ctrl-k> delete from cursor to end of line
See emacs-editing-mode.pdf and emacs-editing-mode-short.pdf
Go to through command history in shell and practice editing. 49
root

The root user is the master

50
Linux Directory Structure
The Filesystem Hierarchy “Google it for now”
# Linux is ?
• Linux concepts are universal.
• Each distro is slightly different.
• You can accomplish the same goals on most Linux distros.
• You can't make a "wrong" choice!
• Linux Distro = kernel + software
• For Enterprise use what you recommending RHEL Or Ubuntu ????
• CentOS = RHEL - branding/logos

52
Other Sources
• Linux : The Linux Foundation's official website.
• Linux Foundation : Employer of Linus Torvalds and steward of the Linux
kernel.
• LWN : A weekly publication that covers the Linux kernel and other open-
source software.
• Servers for hackers : High-quality videos, forums, and articles on
administration
https://serversforhackers.com/s/fresh-server-security-setup

53