These days there are many "out of the box" LAMP setups which allow even an inexperienced operator to set up a web-content platform. What many people miss though, is a basic understanding of Linux/UNIX system security. There are many ways to make a LAMP setup more secure, both integral to the applications at hand, and external in terms of system security. We want to introduce you to a few methods on how to make your latest self-contained web platform more safe from outside interference.

Topics covered:

• System Security: Permissions, Users and Jails
• Securing Apache: Access restrictions for webservers
• Safer MYSQL: How to make your MYSQL database less vulnerable
• Securing PHP: Options to keep PHP in check for damage control

Prerequisites: To understand this course you should be at least cursorily familiar with any kind of LAMP setup, for example a CMS like Drupal or Midgard. Also, a basic working knowledge of Linux/UNIX permission structure and system priviledges is assumed. If all of this means nothing to you, you can still follow the course out of pure interest of course.

Links:

Step by Step Apache Security
Step by Step MySQL Security
Step by Step PHP Security
mod-security documentation
mod-security presentation pdf
Securing Apache pdf