Linux/unix firewalls?

Paul_282 · 02-22-2005, 01:11 PM

My bruv (fresh back from university) lives with this guy... sick computer.... 2 parallel GeForce6800....... Zalman reserator 1... sick stuff.... but anyway, we r networking the house, and we need a secure firewall, and my bruv and his friend Waz (www.ejecutive.co.uk -He has the trippin' in the rain video!) has said that Linux/Unix on a server is secure.... but i dont see how it can be? Can it be secure without being strapped up in security measures? Or is it seriously strapped up and i'm missing out?

Anyone care to fill me in? Thanks a million!

**Wilber** · 02-23-2005, 02:53 AM

Well It's certainly true that there are hardly anyvirus'/ programs which try to take advantage of linux Operating systems. Windows based trojans etc just won't work on Linux as the two have different architectures, the executables are compiled differently for each type of system. So in one sense it is more safe due to the lower threat of someone/something trying to compromise your machines. I will look into Linux network firewalls and post something, unless someone does it first. We use linux at our work, Windows is almost forbidden in the building

, so I will ask a techie what we do for security.

**Wilber** · 02-23-2005, 07:07 AM

Most Linux OS' have thier own inbuilt Firewall. It is a bit bare bones compared to retail user friendly Windows ones but basically you can configure it to so that only certain ports can be used. The main security bonus is that it is less likely to get hacked by anyone.

There should be loads of stuff on the web about using Linux boxes as network servers and the secutiry configurations, I just googled "linux box network server security" and it came up with a whole host of websites that detailed how to do it and how to comfigure firwalls etc.

this website looked quite informative

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/docs/colsfaq.html

Paul_282 · 02-23-2005, 12:56 PM

Ok great thanks alot! As long as our system is secure... and i hate the user friendly stuff... it doesnt make it easier, just more time consuming and basically obscure... like norton... terrible software, it like... takes over your PC and slows things down... Cheers for all the help! I'll check out the security site... I owe u one!

Oh and btw... nice lil picture thing... bit of WH.... cool man.

**LoneWolf071** · 02-23-2005, 01:32 PM

i myself would use linux as a duel boot becuase there are few programs good programs for linux, but linux is very secure. inbuilt fire-walls, no AVS, but there are little to no viruses for linux to be worried about. linux has a lot of server features like VNC, Telnet, http, ssh, so with the network, you can connect many ways. but have windows on the duel boot because there are so many programs that need windows to run.

02-22-2005, 01:11 PM	#1 (permalink)
Paul_282 Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: A small isolated farm in the sea Posts: 39 OS: WinXP profession/Linux	Linux/unix firewalls? My bruv (fresh back from university) lives with this guy... sick computer.... 2 parallel GeForce6800....... Zalman reserator 1... sick stuff.... but anyway, we r networking the house, and we need a secure firewall, and my bruv and his friend Waz (www.ejecutive.co.uk -He has the trippin' in the rain video!) has said that Linux/Unix on a server is secure.... but i dont see how it can be? Can it be secure without being strapped up in security measures? Or is it seriously strapped up and i'm missing out? Anyone care to fill me in? Thanks a million! Last edited by Paul_282; 02-22-2005 at 01:14 PM.

02-23-2005, 02:53 AM	#2 (permalink)
Wilber I helped the forums. Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Liverpool (England) Posts: 83 OS: Win XP Home, Fedora core 3 64 bit	Well It's certainly true that there are hardly anyvirus'/ programs which try to take advantage of linux Operating systems. Windows based trojans etc just won't work on Linux as the two have different architectures, the executables are compiled differently for each type of system. So in one sense it is more safe due to the lower threat of someone/something trying to compromise your machines. I will look into Linux network firewalls and post something, unless someone does it first. We use linux at our work, Windows is almost forbidden in the building , so I will ask a techie what we do for security. __________________ "One who is a Samurai must before all things keep constantly in mind, by day and by night... the fact that he has to die" -Daidoji Yuzan 16th century Last edited by Wilber; 02-23-2005 at 02:56 AM.

02-23-2005, 07:07 AM	#3 (permalink)
Wilber I helped the forums. Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Liverpool (England) Posts: 83 OS: Win XP Home, Fedora core 3 64 bit	Most Linux OS' have thier own inbuilt Firewall. It is a bit bare bones compared to retail user friendly Windows ones but basically you can configure it to so that only certain ports can be used. The main security bonus is that it is less likely to get hacked by anyone. There should be loads of stuff on the web about using Linux boxes as network servers and the secutiry configurations, I just googled "linux box network server security" and it came up with a whole host of websites that detailed how to do it and how to comfigure firwalls etc. this website looked quite informative http://www.linuxsecurity.com/docs/colsfaq.html __________________ "One who is a Samurai must before all things keep constantly in mind, by day and by night... the fact that he has to die" -Daidoji Yuzan 16th century

02-23-2005, 12:56 PM	#4 (permalink)
Paul_282 Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: A small isolated farm in the sea Posts: 39 OS: WinXP profession/Linux	Ok great thanks alot! As long as our system is secure... and i hate the user friendly stuff... it doesnt make it easier, just more time consuming and basically obscure... like norton... terrible software, it like... takes over your PC and slows things down... Cheers for all the help! I'll check out the security site... I owe u one! Oh and btw... nice lil picture thing... bit of WH.... cool man.

02-23-2005, 01:32 PM	#5 (permalink)
LoneWolf071 Be Free Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Texas Posts: 840 OS: Windows XP, Linux	i myself would use linux as a duel boot becuase there are few programs good programs for linux, but linux is very secure. inbuilt fire-walls, no AVS, but there are little to no viruses for linux to be worried about. linux has a lot of server features like VNC, Telnet, http, ssh, so with the network, you can connect many ways. but have windows on the duel boot because there are so many programs that need windows to run.