Lynis is a popular open-source security auditing tool that is used to assess the security posture of Linux and Unix-based systems. The tool can be used to perform various security tests, such as checking for outdated software, insecure configuration settings, and potential vulnerabilities.

Once Lynis has completed the security assessment, it generates a detailed audit report that contains the results of the tests and recommendations for improving the security of the system. In this article, we will explore the different sections of the Lynis audit report and learn how to interpret the information contained in it.

The Lynis audit report is divided into several sections, each containing specific information about the system and the security tests performed. Some of the key sections of the Lynis audit report are:

• System Information: This section contains general information about the system, such as the hostname, IP address, OS version, and kernel version.
• Security Advisories: This section lists any security advisories that apply to the system, such as known vulnerabilities and security patches that need to be installed.
• Security Warnings: This section lists any potential security issues that were detected during the security audit, such as outdated software, insecure configuration settings, and potential vulnerabilities.
• Security Suggestions: This section provides recommendations for improving the security of the system, such as disabling unnecessary services, enabling firewall rules, and applying security patches.
• Security Enhancements: This section lists the security enhancements that were made to the system during the security audit, such as enabling security features and installing security updates.

In addition to the sections mentioned above, the Lynis audit report also contains a section for each security test that was performed. These sections provide detailed information about the test, the results of the test, and any recommendations for improving the security of the system.

To interpret the Lynis audit report, you need to review each section of the report and analyze the information contained in it. If any security advisories or warnings are listed in the report, you need to take immediate action to address them. If any security suggestions are listed, you need to consider implementing them to improve the security of the system.

In conclusion, the Lynis audit report is a valuable tool for assessing the security posture of Linux and Unix-based systems. By reviewing the different sections of the report and analyzing the information contained in it, you can identify potential security issues and take action to improve the security of your system.

To use Lynis, you need to download and install it on your Linux or Unix-based system. The tool is available as a package for many Linux distributions, and you can install it using the package manager of your distribution.

Once Lynis is installed, you can run it by using the lynis command followed by the desired options and arguments. For example, to perform a full security audit of the system, you can run the following command:

lynis audit system

This command will perform a full security audit of the system, and generate a detailed audit report that contains the results of the tests and recommendations for improving the security of the system.

In addition to the audit system command, Lynis also supports other commands and options that can be used to perform specific tasks, such as checking for outdated software, testing specific security settings, and generating reports in different formats. To see a list of all the available commands and options, you can run the lynis command without any arguments, as shown below:

lynis

This command will print a list of all the available commands and options, along with a brief description of each. You can use this list to find the command or option that you need to perform the desired task.

Here are some examples of using Lynis to perform specific tasks:

To check for outdated software on the system, you can run the following command:

lynis update info

This command will check for outdated software on the system, and list any packages that need to be updated.

To test the SSH configuration of the system, you can run the following command:

lynis audit ssh

This command will perform a security audit of the SSH configuration, and generate a report that contains the results of the tests and recommendations for improving the security of the SSH configuration.

To generate a report in HTML format, you can run the following command:

lynis audit system --report-file /var/log/lynis-report.html

This command will perform a full security audit of the system, and generate a report in HTML format that can be viewed in a web browser. The report will be saved to the specified file, in this case /var/log/lynis-report.html.

In conclusion, Lynis offers a variety of commands and options that can be used to perform specific tasks, such as checking for outdated software, testing specific security settings, and generating reports in different formats. By using the appropriate command and options, you can easily use Lynis to perform the desired tasks and improve the security of your system.