CYBER NEWS

Ubuntu 18.04 has been updated with a brand new security guidance released by the National Cyber Security Centre, a department of GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters). The guidance was developed after testing on devices running Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.









More about the Ubuntu 18.04 Security Recommendations

“It’s important to remember that this guidance has been conceived as a way to satisfy the 12 End User Device Security Principles. As such, it consists of recommendations and should not be seen as a set of mandatory instructions requiring no further thought,” the organization noted.

Moreover, the recommendations are created in accordance with the NCSC’s best security practices and are meant for the public and private sectors wishing to set up new systems. The recommendations are also suitable for home users.

The Ubuntu 18.04 security guide is focused on 12 areas, such as the following:

Data-in-transit protection, which focuses on how to keep data private while being transmitted over the internet;

Data-at-rest protection, which focuses on keeping one’s files safe locally;

Authentication;

Secure Boot to make sure that the OS boot process hasn’t been tampered with;

Platform integrity and application sandboxing, focused on keeping users protected against malware attacks;

Application whitelisting which takes care of restricting software to a known list.

The security document also provides insight on how to configure remote access using a VPN, as well as enforce an adequate password policy, configure UEFI, enable Livepatch for kernel updates without needing to root, prevent binary files execution from the home partition, enable and configure a firewall, and finally, auditing.

As explained by Ubuntu’s Desktop Engineering Manager, Will Cooke:

Ubuntu has been built on a foundation of enterprise-grade, industry leading security practices. From our toolchain to the suite of packages we use and from our update process to our industry standard certifications, Canonical never stops working to keep Ubuntu at the forefront of safety and reliability. When combined with NCSC’s guidance and instructions you can can be assured of a reliable set up to allow you to work safely and securely from a portable computer while online.

For more information, make sure to have a look at the security guidance.