Hardening Systemd Services: A Practical Guide

This article explores enhancing the security of systemd services and Podman containers. It starts by introducing the `systemd-analyze security` command for assessing the security posture of systemd units. The article then details various security options within systemd unit files and Podman configuration files, such as `ProtectSystem`, `PrivateTmp`, `RestrictSUIDSGID`, and explains how to use them to limit privileges and reduce attack surface. It addresses troubleshooting service failures after configuration changes and using audit logs for debugging. Finally, it offers best practices, such as prioritizing external-facing services and tailoring security settings to specific needs.