It's that time of year when everyone feels a little queasy about Covid-19 and its potential for worldwide pandemic.
This year it's particularly bad due to the unusually high numbers of the particularly nasty SARS-CoV2 strain of the flu.
The US had its first case on January 2020, and is now reporting 592,409 deaths.
The India also had its first case on January 2020, and is now reporting 226,188 deaths.
So, now you begin to see why the headlines are screaming that this may be the worst outbreak of flu in years.
I tell you this not to frighten you. I tell you this not to make you go out and stock up on antiviral drugs.
I tell you this to make you aware that you need to prevent a third kind of infection: computer infection.
Well not infection per say but protecting it.
That's why I'd like to share with you some things you can do to protect your own NetBSD experience from the latest threats to our security.
Part 1: Your NetBSD Firewall npf
NetBSD comes with an integrated firewall npf. Little guide for which written by our mod @JuvenalUrbino is found here : https://archive.unitedbsd.com/t/netbsd-desktop-pt-3-simple-stateful-firewall-with-npf/286
Part 2: Verifying the Integrity of Your Files with Veriexec
Reading security (7) man page of NetBSD gives little more idea about how one can improve security of their workstation.
More about veriexec is detailed here
https://www.netbsd.org/docs/guide/en/chap-veriexec.html && https://man.netbsd.org/amd64/veriexec.8
Part 3: Protecting users
Per user /tmp file can protect user from potential security issues. More about setting that up is in man page security (7)
Part 4 : Security Curtain
NetBSD provides a way to stop user from getting access to information other than what they own from kernel to userland.
# sysctl -w security.curtain=1
Part 5: Administrative security
Admin can setup basic consistency scripts daily as well thirdparty package vulnerabilty check little guide for that written by @JuvenalUrbino is found here https://www.unitedbsd.com/d/438-pkgsrc-security-practices
As well as do read this man page https://man.netbsd.org/amd64/security.conf.5
