Lab Due Date: ________________________________________________________________
Overview
The foundation of host-based security starts with the installation of the operating system (OS).
Contrary to popular opinion, there is no such thing as a secure operating system, but in this lab, you learned how to install the Linux CentOS operating system in a secure manner. You created a new virtual machine, partitioned the hard drive, and installed the Linux operating system. You also created a non-root user account and verified that key services were (or were not) running.
Lab Assessment Questions & Answers
1. During the Minimal install, NTP (Network Time Protocol) server was not installed.
From a security perspective, why is it important for a system to keep accurate time?
To keep the system in sync and up to date for logging purposes such as any incidents that occur. Otherwise a time may not be correct when checking logs for an incident.
2. During the install, you set a password for the root user. What is the root user, and when is it appropriate to use this account?
The root user is the system administrator. It is only appropriate to use this account for full access as a system admin to make appropriate system changes or configurations.
3. The Minimal installation process that was used in the lab did not include an X-Window interface. Why is it best practice not to run X-Window in a production environment?
Installing X-Window packages, especially base packages, can return errors during installation.
4. What partitioning options are available when installing CentOS?
Standard partition, LVM Physical Volume, LVM Volume Group
6. What is the significance of the swap partition in a Linux system?
The swap partition is an independent section of the hard disk used solely for swapping. It can be used for when the system needs more memory than what is physically available.
7. How is the passwd file used, and what fields make up its content? Explain.
It is a text-based database of information about users who may log into the system or other operating system identities that own running processes. It contains seven fields.
8. Why create a Logical Volume Manager (LVM) partition?
LVM creates a logical physical volume and then a logical volume as a group on top of the physical volume. If disk space becomes an issue, LVM can allocate more disk space to volumes from other partitions within the LVM without risking disk loss.
