Hi,

I am using redhat fedora core 5 with a DSL modem. I am using the computer mainly for web access. I don't need ftp, ssh, or any of those types of things running. /usr/bin/system-config-securitylevel says that all of the services are turned off and SELinux is "Enforcing." The firewall on system is enabled and there is also a firewall on the modem. I ran package updater and the system is now completely up to date. Am I safe? Is there anything else I should do to be safe? I am currently just using it for web access. There is no need at all for anyone to remotely login. Are there certain packages that I should make sure are installed and up to date. Aside from using a strong root password, is there anything else I should be doing?

Ed

I'm not an expert on security, but it sounds like you're as safe as you're going to get, as long as you don't start downloading e-mail attachments and running them as root or anything. Just a tip - if you don't need sshd/ftpd/whatever running, you can also use the Services config to keep them from starting at boot to save a little memory and processing power.

I'm not 100% sure, but I believe the system-config-security level settings control what ports are open on the firewall, not what services are running. To verify, open a xterminal and as root run the command: netstat -pantu
That will output a list of services that are listening for remote connections.

One of the most effective measures you can take to keep from getting cracked is to make sure that your system is kept updated with security fixes. Fedora has an automated utility called YUM that will retrieve and install updates by itself nightly. It's a good idea to enable this utility to ensure that you don't forget to check for updates.

If you are interested in learning more about system hardening, there are a number of good checklists in the Security Resources thread near the top of the forum.