Week 3 of The Undercroft’s UC Baseline cybersecurity program is about to begin, and it’s all about operating systems! From Monday to Wednesday, it’s Linux from a cybersecurity point of view, and we’ll close out the week with Windows.
Not all of us are programmers, and not all of us live in the command line. I’m also not so smug that I can’t benefit from a review of T3H LUN1X!!1!!1, and unlike my normal Linux use case, where I use a desktop installation (I run Mint, Peppermint, and Raspberry Pi OS), we’ll be booting into a server setup.
For the benefit of my fellow classmates — and hey, it’d do me some good as well — here are some videos that will come in handy over the next couple of days.
Linux Terminal Introduction (ExplainingComputers, Jan. 2020)
In the Windows world, it’s called the Command Line. In the Unix world — which includes Linux and macOS — it’s the terminal, and it’s where we’ll be living for the next three days. Here’s a tour.
Beginner’s Guide to the bash Terminal (Joe Collins, Mar. 2017)
Ready for a longer intro to the Linux command line? Here’s a good one:
Linux File System/Structure Explained! (DorianDotSlash, May 2018)
You’re no longer in Windows’ C:, Program Files, and Documents folders any more! You’re in Linux, where the directories are cryptic, with names like /bin, /sbin, /etc, /dev, /usr, /var, and more! This will give you a quick intro to what they are and what they’re for.
Linux File System | Complete Overview (Chris Titus Tech, Sept. 2019)
Also worth checking out.
Vim Basics in 8 Minutes (tutoriaLinux, Oct. 2018)
We’re going GUIless, so all text editing will be done on some command-line editor — most likely Vim. If you’re new to Vim, you’ll find its modes maddening, as it’s a direct descendant of a program that traces its roots back to 1970s computer terminals. You’ll definitely want to watch this video.
Introduction to Linux for Cybersecurity Crash Course 2020 (Grant Collins, Jan. 2020)
Here’s a more in-depth introduction to Linux from a cybersecurity point of view.
Linux for Ethical Hackers (FreeCodeCamp, Jul. 2019)
Here’s another course on Linux as seen from a cybersecurity point of view. This one focuses on Kali Linux, a distribution specifically made for the purposes of ethical hacking, penetration testing, and general cybersecurity-related stuff.
The mind behind Linux (2016)
This won’t be covered in the course, but it doesn’t hurt to find out more about Linux’s creator, Linus Torvalds. This TED conversation from 2016 is a pretty good introduction.