ChatGPT Storms Onto the Cybersecurity Scene
At JumpCloud, we are constantly investing and developing our Linux infrastructure and capabilities for our customers. We want to enable admins with the flexibility to manage and control Linux devices on the same platform as any other OS (ie. Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android) so they can continue to utilize the speed, stability and security of Linux-based systems wherever they need them.
Since the beginning of 2022, we had planned to increase the velocity and focus of our Linux capabilities. Some of the key areas of focus for Linux included:
- Enable Remote Security Management
- Improve and Strengthen Security Posture
- Provide Simple & Scalable Patch Policies
- Introduce New Popular Linux Distros
Just take a look at what our customers have been leveraging this year.
Security Commands
JumpCloud Commands let you quickly and easily automate tasks across multiple servers, launch those tasks based on a number of different types of events, and get full auditing of all command results. To that end, we added more security commands that allow Linux devices to remotely execute management commands, such as:
- Lock
- Restart
- Shutdown
- Erase
- Screensaver/ Inactivity Lock based on timeout period
New Linux Policies
We added new Linux policies to help organizations manage and secure their deployed Linux endpoints more efficiently while improving their overall security posture. They include:
- Partition Options
- File Ownership and Permissions
- Network Parameters
- Disable Unused Filesystems
- Additional Process Hardening
- Configure RSyslog
- Forbidden Services
- Secure Boot Settings
- Service Clients
- SSH Root Access
- SSH Server Security
Patch Management
JumpCloud Patch Management was launched in Q1, 2022 with initial support for Windows and iOS. Our Linux (Ubuntu) support was a fast-follow in April. The Ubuntu default policies are preconfigured with conservative defaults for the following settings:
- Defer Rollup/Patch Updates: The number of days to defer the availability of future minor OS updates. For Deferral Days, specify how many days to defer a minor OS update after it’s released.
- Defer Major Updates to Ubuntu LTS versions only: Specify how many days to defer the availability of future major LTS OS updates. For Deferral Days, specify how many days to defer a major OS update after it’s released.
Expanded Linux Agent Support
JumpCloud continues to build out our support across Linux-based systems to enable IT administrators the flexibility to manage all of their deployed devices. Expanding to a variety of new distributions, the JumpCloud agent can be deployed to secure, manage, and view these systems in the admin portal. Our Linux distros include:
- Amazon Linux and Amazon Linux 2
- CentOS
- Debian
- Fedora
- Mint
- Rocky Linux
- Ubuntu
- RHEL and more
What’s Next?
Exciting new capabilities are already in the pipeline for Linux. Perhaps a sneak peek is allowed as we bring good cheers to the new year. Linux support is coming to JumpCloud Remote Assist! Admins will be able to remotely access (view and control) a Linux laptop or desktop to help troubleshoot and resolve issues.
If you have not tried any of our Linux capabilities, sign up for a free account for up to 10 users and 10 devices. Support is available 24×7 within the first 10 days of your account’s creation!