[ Thanks to LinuxSecurity
Contributors for this link. ]
LinuxSecurity.com: Why did you decide to write the
Security Guides?
Hal Burgiss: Mainly, because I see a certain amount of confusion
from new users on a range of issues. And then when I looked at what
is in the repository at linuxdoc.org, there was not really an
introductory level doc on this subject for inexperienced users.
LinuxSecurity.com: Who is your target audience and
why?
Hal Burgiss: Well, it’s an introductory level doc, so anyone new to
Linux. It’s primarily aimed at home desktop users. While there is a
wealth of security related information around, there is not so much
addressed to the new user who might be coming from another
platform. It’s one thing to say ‘turn off all unneeded services’,
but quite another if you don’t know what’s ‘needed’ and what’s not.
Or how to know what services are actually running, and where they
are getting started. And then verifying what you are doing has the
intended, lasting effect. It’s not rocket science, but something
new users need to get up to speed on quickly.
LinuxSecurity.com: How did you get started with Linux
and security?
Hal Burgiss: Well, let’s see…I guess it goes back to when I
switched from a part time dialup connection to full time DSL. I got
an instant case of paranoia, and tried to learn as much as I could,
as quickly as I could. I wanted to do some of those things that
full time connections and Linux are good for — mail server, etc.
And I wanted to make sure I could do this without worrying 24/7.
That led to just a general interest in the subject.”