OpenSCAP is an open-source project that provides a set of tools for implementing and enforcing security policies on Linux systems. It is based on the Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) standard, which is a suite of specifications for standardizing the format and nomenclature by which software flaw and security configuration information is communicated.
To install OpenSCAP on a Linux system, you can use the package manager for your distribution. For example, on a Debian-based system, you can use:
sudo apt-get install libopenscap8
On a Red Hat-based system, you can use:
sudo yum install openscap-scanner
Here is a basic example of how to use OpenSCAP to scan your system:
Download a SCAP content file: You can find SCAP content files from various sources, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Run the scan: Use the oscap command to run a scan against the downloaded content file. For example:
sudo oscap xccdf eval --profile xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_profile_standard --results-arf results.xml scap-content.xml
Review the results: After the scan is complete, review the results to identify any issues and take appropriate actions to remediate them.
By using OpenSCAP, Linux server administrators can ensure their systems are compliant with various security standards and are protected against known vulnerabilities.