How to secure Samba shares in linux

Samba allows you to create "windows shares" in linux, so that your files can be accessed from a windows network easily. This is useful, but can be dangerous without proper security. This tutorial will explain how to safely secure your shares in Samba.

Step 1 Add username desired into samba by opening a terminal, and typing the following: "sudo smbpassed -a [USERNAME]". Remember this user must already be a user of this computer to be able to add them to samba.

Step 2 Share the directory desired using samba. This can normally be accomplished by right-clicking on the directory, and going to share.

Step 3 Type the following in the terminal: "sudo gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf". This will allow you to edit the samba configuration file. At the bottom of the page, there will be a section where the share you made is described. In this section, add the following: "valid users = [USERNAME]"

Step 4 Restart samba, by typing the following into the terminal: "sudo /etc/init.d/samba restart".