Linux for Networking Professionals: Strengthen your networking and security efforts with Linux

by Rob VandenBrink

Overview

Sharpen your networking and security skills by learning common and advanced Linux configurations, tools, and services

Key Features

• Solve critical networking problems using real-world examples
• Configure common networking services step by step in an enterprise environment
• Build infrastructure with defense against common attacks in mind
• Support and defend your network infrastructure with Linux
• Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Book Description

With Linux gaining popularity, more network services are being deployed on it due to its cost-effectiveness and flexibility. If you are a networking professional or an infrastructure engineer involved with networks, in-depth knowledge of Linux networking is paramount. Linux for Networking Professionals, Second Edition, is a comprehensive guide to building a strong foundation of Linux networking concepts. From basic Linux network configurations to major distributions and picking the right distro for your specific needs – this book covers it all. As you progress through the chapters, you’ll also find insights into diagnosing network issues, setting up robust firewall protection, and using Linux as a host for network services. The book takes you through a wide range of network services, explains why they're important, and how to configure them in an enterprise environment. With real-world examples, you'll learn how to securely configure various services and safeguard them against common attacks. As you advance to the final chapters, you’ll be well on your way towards building the foundation for an all-Linux data center. By the end of this book, you'll be able to not only configure common Linux network services confidently, but also use tried-and-tested methodologies for future Linux installations.

What you will learn

• Use Linux as a troubleshooting and diagnostics platform
• Explore Linux-based network services
• Configure Linux firewall and set it up for network services
• Deploy and configure DNS, IPS and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) services securely
• Configure Linux for load balancing, authentication, and authorization services
• Leverage Linux as a logging platform for network monitoring
• Implement Honeypot solutions to detect and foil attacks
• Use virtualization in Linux to support network operations and services

Who this book is for

This book is for IT and Windows professionals and admins looking for guidance in managing Linux-based networks. It will help you build a solid foundation of how to securely configure and operate Linux networks in a corporate IT environment. Basic knowledge of networking is necessary to get started with this book.

Read Full Overview

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781835881101
Publisher:	Packt Publishing
Publication date:	07/04/2025
Product dimensions:	75.00(w) x 92.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Rob VandenBrink is a consultant with Coherent Security in Ontario, Canada. He is a volunteer with the Internet Storm Center, a site that posts daily blogs on information security and related stories. Rob also contributes as a volunteer to various security benchmarks at the Center for Internet Security, notably the Palo Alto Networks Firewall benchmark, the Cisco Nexus benchmark and the Cisco FirePower benchmark. His areas of specialization include all facets of information security, network infrastructure, network and datacenter design, IT automation, orchestration, and virtualization. Rob has developed tools for ensuring policy compliance for VPN access users, a variety of networking tools native to Cisco IOS, as well as security audit/assessment tools for both Palo Alto Networks Firewall and VMware vSphere. Rob has a master's degree in information security engineering from the SANS Technology Institute and holds a variety of SANS/GIAC, VMware, and Cisco certifications.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1. Picking a Linux Distro
2. Basic Linux Network Configuration
3. Using Linux tools for Network Diagnostics
4. The Linux Firewall
5. Using Linux Hosts for Network Services
6. DNS Services
7. DHCP Services
8. Certificates and PKI
9. RADIUS Services
10. Load balancer
11. Packet Capture
12. Using Linux for Network Monitoring
13. Using Linux for Intrusion Prevention Services (IPS)
14. Honeypot solutions
15. Virtualization on Linux - Background
16. Virtualization on Linux - Background Part 2
17. Virtualization on Linux - Network Simulation
18. Virtualization on Linux - Network Simulation Part 2
19. Virtualization on Linux – Taking the next step
20. Virtualization on Linux – Taking the next step Part 2
21. Conclusion