Linux security guides

Plain-language guides to checking and improving the security of a Linux desktop: firewalls, DNS, Secure Boot, disk encryption, kernel hardening and more.

• Connect an AI assistant to your Linux computer, safely

  What MCP is, what an AI assistant can read, plan and propose through IbexWall (never apply), how keys and presets limit it, and the risks to know first.

  Updated: 2026-11-06

• Disk encryption on Linux: LUKS, TPM2 unlock, swap and sleep

  What LUKS disk encryption protects against, how LUKS2 and TPM2 auto-unlock trade convenience for safety, the swap and hibernation gap, and how to check.

  Updated: 2026-11-06

• DNS over TLS and DNS over HTTPS explained, and how to check

  Plain DNS shows every site you visit to your network. See what DoT and DoH change, how to pick a resolver, the captive portal catch and how to test yours.

  Updated: 2026-11-06

• Do you need a firewall on a Linux desktop? What it does

  A Linux desktop accepts everything by default. See what actually listens, how nftables, ufw and firewalld relate, and inbound versus per-program rules.

  Updated: 2026-11-06

• How secure is my Linux computer? A 10 minute self-check

  Check updates, disk encryption, firewall, Secure Boot, open ports, SSH, users and backups in about ten minutes, and learn what a security score means.

  Updated: 2026-11-06

• Is Secure Boot worth it on Linux? What it covers and misses

  Secure Boot checks that the code starting your computer is signed. See what it protects, what it does not, how shim and MOK work, and how to check yours.

  Updated: 2026-11-06

• Linux kernel hardening with sysctl, in plain words

  What sysctl hardening is, which settings are safe to start with, which ones can break Flatpak, VPNs or IPv6, and how to apply and undo them cleanly.

  Updated: 2026-11-06

• Why a security tool should send nothing home, and how to check

  A security tool sees your ports, apps and logs, so it should never phone home. See what IbexWall sends, which is nothing, and how to verify it yourself.

  Updated: 2026-11-06

• SELinux vs AppArmor for a desktop user: what to know

  Mandatory access control limits a hacked program. See which distributions use SELinux or AppArmor, how to check, and what to do when it blocks something.

  Updated: 2026-11-06

• How to undo a security change on Linux, and recover a lockout

  Take a snapshot before every change, roll back from History, see why network changes wait for confirmation, and recover when a rule locked you out.

  Updated: 2026-11-06