The spelling of the word SELINUX is pronounced as /sɛlɪnʌks/. The first syllable "SEL" is pronounced as /sɛl/, and the second syllable "IN" is pronounced as /ɪn/. The final syllable "UX" is pronounced as /ʌks/. SELINUX is an abbreviation for Security-Enhanced Linux. This operating system is built on an open-source platform and provides a secure environment with mandatory access control. The spelling of SELINUX is a combination of the words "security" and "Linux."
SELinux stands for Security-Enhanced Linux, which is a security framework that is implemented within the Linux kernel. It aims to provide an enhanced level of security by incorporating mandatory access controls (MAC) into the operating system. Unlike traditional discretionary access controls (DAC) which rely on user permissions and ownership, SELinux enforces fine-grained security policies and makes decisions based on labels assigned to processes, users, files, and other system resources.
The main purpose of SELinux is to protect the system against potential security vulnerabilities and limit the actions that processes and users can perform. It achieves this by defining a set of security rules and policies that determine what actions are allowed, denied, or audited based on the labels assigned to various system entities. These labels are categorized into different domains and types, and SELinux enforces rules based on the interactions between these labels.
SELinux provides a higher level of security by default, making it less susceptible to privilege escalation attacks or misbehaving processes. It can prevent unauthorized access to critical files, safeguard against network attacks, and control the behavior of different services running on the system. However, it requires proper configuration and management to ensure compatibility with applications and prevent unwanted restrictions. SELinux also includes tools for policy development, troubleshooting, and auditing, allowing administrators to monitor and investigate security incidents.