Security at Memphis Linux

By default, send the OS vendor:

• System diagnostics
• App usage data
• Advertising ID
• Typing patterns
• Location data
• Crash reports
• Search queries

Hard to disable. Phones home constantly.

• Sends nobody nothing
• No telemetry by design
• Not a feature you disable — it doesn’t exist

Your computer is constantly under attack. Hackers scan millions of IP addresses daily, looking for open doors. Memphis Linux comes with a firewall already locked.

What it does

• Rejects unauthorized connection attempts
• Blocks malware from “phoning home”
• Prevents remote access
• Monitors outgoing connections

No setup required

• It’s on by default
• You don’t configure it
• It works while you sleep

Why it matters

• Some operating systems have weak firewall defaults
• Others disable the firewall by default
• The Memphis firewall is strong from day one

Memphis Linux is built with security-first decisions.

File permissions

• Users can’t accidentally run malware as administrator
• System files are protected from tampering
• Applications have limited access to your data

Memory protection

• Protects against buffer overflow attacks
• ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) enabled
• Prevents exploits that work on weaker systems

Secure Boot

• Ensures only authorized software loads
• Prevents rootkits from gaining control
• Optional UEFI Secure Boot support

SELinux / AppArmor

• Mandatory Access Control (MAC)
• Apps run in sandboxes
• Even if malware gets in, it’s contained

Included in Neithotep, the Home edition.

Custodian — see what matters, respect privacy

• View screen time patterns, not spy
• See which apps are used most, as aggregated data
• Get weekly summaries
• No message logging, no keystroke tracking, no screenshots

Open DNS — safer internet

• Blocks 65M+ known malicious domains
• Works at network level
• No history saved
• Optional to enable

Screen time controls

• Daily limits — healthy rhythm, not prison
• Per-app limits, games vs. homework
• Bedtime mode, no blue light at night
• Users can still access school apps when a limit hits

• Automatic security patches for the OS
• Package manager for safe app updates
• Transparent changelog — see exactly what’s fixed
• Community auditing — thousands of eyes on the code

• Only the company’s engineers review the code
• Bugs hide for years
• Security vulnerabilities discovered secretly
• You trust they’re fixing them, but you can’t verify

• Thousands of volunteers review the code
• Bugs are found and reported quickly
• Security fixes are transparent
• You can inspect it yourself, or have someone you trust do it

100% open source

• Linux kernel
• KDE Plasma desktop environment
• All standard applications
• Firewall configuration
• Security scripts
• Parental controls (Custodian)

Partially open, for security reasons

• Installation & provisioning security controls
• Closed to prevent installation attacks
• We publish security audits publicly
• You don’t need to see this to be safe

Memphis Linux undergoes regular security audits by independent third parties.

• Code review
• Penetration testing
• Vulnerability scanning
• Public audit reports

If someone finds a security issue:

• Report it to security@memphislinux.com
• We patch it within 48 hours (critical) or 7 days (standard)
• We credit the researcher
• We publish a security advisory
• We recommend users update

We offer bounties for responsibly disclosed vulnerabilities.

Details: security@memphislinux.com

• Malware from untrusted websites
• Network-based attacks
• Unauthorized remote access
• Privilege escalation
• Accidental data exposure
• Weak firewall defaults
• Corporate data harvesting

• Phishing emails — clicking bad links
• Social engineering — someone tricking you
• Weak passwords — easy to guess
• Physical theft — someone stealing the computer
• Malware you intentionally install

• Quantum computing attacks — decades away
• Nation-state adversaries with unlimited resources
• You becoming careless with security