Documentation

Linux hardening baseline (procedure-driven)

Last updated: YYYY-MM-DD • Category: Lab Notes

A starter baseline for hardening a lab Linux VM with validation steps after each change.

Environment / assumptions

  • IPs anonymized (e.g., 10.0.x.0/30, fd00:xxxx::/64)
  • Simulated environment for demonstration (not production)

Procedure

  1. Updated packages and rebooted if required.
  2. Hardened SSH settings (key auth, disable root login) and verified access remains.
  3. Enabled firewall rules and tested allowed/blocked ports.
  4. Reviewed logs to confirm expected events are captured.

Verification

  • List the outputs that prove success.
  • Include command outputs (anonymized) when possible.

Troubleshooting

  • Issue:
  • Cause:
  • Fix:

Artifacts

  • Configs, diagrams, logs