Thank you for reading the LinuxSecurity.com weekly security newsletter. The purpose of this document is to provide our readers with a quick summary of each week's most relevant Linux security headlines.

LinuxSecurity.com Feature Extras:

Securing a Linux Web Server - With the significant prevalence of Linux web servers globally, security is often touted as a strength of the platform for such a purpose. However, a Linux based web server is only as secure as its configuration and very often many are quite vulnerable to compromise. While specific configurations vary wildly due to environments or specific use, there are various general steps that can be taken to insure basic security considerations are in place.

Password guessing with Medusa 2.0 - Medusa was created by the fine folks at foofus.net, in fact the much awaited Medusa 2.0 update was released in February of 2010. For a complete change log please visit

New security holes found in D-Link router (Nov 14)

A new spate of vulnerabilities have been found in a D-Link router, a security researcher said Monday.The D-Link 2760N, also known as the D-Link DSL-2760U-BN, is susceptible to several cross-site scripting (XSS) bugs through its Web interface, reported ThreatPost.
(Nov 13)

A widely accepted definition of information security risk is the potential of a specific threat exploiting the vulnerabilities of an information asset, with the following formula used to represent information security risks: Risk = Likelihood x Impact.
Dan Geer Explains the Government Surveillance Mentality (Nov 11)

This talk by Dan Geer explains the NSA mindset of "collect everything": I previously worked for a data protection company. Our product was, and I believe still is, the most thorough on the market. By "thorough" I mean the dictionary definition, "careful about doing something in an accurate and exact way." To this end, installing our product instrumented every system call on the target machine.
(Nov 14)

Although Google is often blamed for intruding into our privacy, do you know there are many Google tools that also ensure that your data is fully secured? Here we bring to you 7 such tools, which keep your information secured.
OpenStack Cloud Vendors Vigilant in the Face of NSA Snooping (Nov 12)

The Edward Snowden revelations about NSA snooping in the cloud are not having an impact on OpenStack cloud vendors, including Rackspace and Dreamhost.
10 Tips For Developers To Secure And Safeguard Code (Nov 15)

With the increasing number of breaches in security with respect to credit card, mobile etc it is becoming imperative that we do all that we can to safeguard our property. So is the case with software developers.
(Nov 14)

Federal prosecutors called it "a massive 21st century bank heist that reached across the Internet," but at least some of its operatives won't be riding off into the sunset.
NSA spying prompts open TrueCrypt encryption software audit to go viral (Nov 11)

A unique effort to crowdsource a security audit of the popular TrueCrypt open source encryption software appears to be going viral three weeks after it was launched by two U.S. based researchers in response to concerns that the National Security Agency may have tampered with it.
Want to protect your Android phone? Here's how to kill its crapware. (Nov 11)

The pre-installed crapware that fills many Android phones is more than just annoying -- it also frequently opens up big security holes. Here's how to kill the crapware and keep your phone safe and in tip-top shape.
On the first day of Christmas, my hacker gave to me (Nov 13)

Online threats are part-and-parcel of life on the Web -- but the end of the year proves to be a lucrative time to give cybercriminals the gift of your bank details or personal data.
Singapore arrests man, investigates others over hacker attacks (Nov 12)

Singapore charged on Tuesday a 35-year-old man suspected of hacking a website linked to the prime minister and police said five other men were assisting in separate investigations into a recent series of high-profile hacker attacks.
(Nov 12)

AT&T reportedly has a contract with the CIA to provide the agency with data on certain phone calls.Citing information from unnamed government officials, The New York Times said on Thursday that AT&T receives more than $10 million a year from the Central Intelligence Agency in exchange for providing customer phone records used to help track down potential terrorists.