BTP wrote:
Hi All, This is my first time posting to the list as I am a beginning my journey into the realm of Linux. One of the first things I'd like to establish is the security of my system.
If you are paranoid, you should also install/activate a firewall...If you are new to linux, it's not a good idea to be paranoid. The system is rather complex and (compared to certain proprietary operating systems) you could configure almost any aspect of it to make it more secure.
Compared to those proprietary operating systems, in my experience default settings are quite secure and the possiblity of installing and configuring and securing thousands of packages manually will overwhelm anyone new to it. If you don't have special requirements, like a bank, a internet provider... you shouldn't start worrying too much.
If you keep good backups of your data (including configuration and information on packages installed), in case of emergency you can reinstall the system from scratch quickly (without registration or buying a licence).
Having said all that, it's good practice to only install those services/packages that you actually use.
Have fun! JohannesNB: you've already been told, how to remove portmap and friends, although I would recommend using aptitude and stick to it, if you can't name a reason for not doing so (It's more user friendly and is supposed to treat dependencies better than apt: aptitude purge portmap).