Security Basics mailing list archives

Re: About Operating Systems security


From: "Chris Berry" <compjma () hotmail com>
Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 16:50:54 -0700

From: "yannick'san" <yannicksan () free fr>
First of all, I know the subject I'm going to talk about has largely been
discussed everywhere but, up today, the main problem I have is that I can't
really find the right Documentation I'm looking for and as much as I read
reports, the task become harder to do. So, now, I ask for some helps to the
list...
Ok, here I start. Considering the following fonctionnalities installed and
the same machine and nothing more :
(a) a firewall
(b) a web server
(c) a database
I have already prouved that the security level will be the highest if I use
OpenSources for (a,b,c), and for reaching that point, not only the security
process and procedures has already been written (Process and procedures for
regularly auditing the fonctionnalities installed and also for dealing with
a recovery plan, for exemple) but also the code and reviews that could be
done or have been done.
But as (a,b,c) is supported by an OS, the hardest problem I have is how to
introduce a new one in a companie - Probably I should have started to think
about that before...- How to prove that the OS choosen for only supporting
the fonctionalities ennonced before, will be the most secured OS between
all. How to prove that it in front of directors, managers and Engineers.

Any pointers, news or documents are welcome and I'll keep everybody informed
on the result :)

Can you say that again, I don't even understand the question. Are you asking us to recommend a good open source operating system? BSD or Linux would be good depending on your background. Or are you asking for application recommendations? For firewalls see the recent thread thats been going for the last two weeks, for webserver apache is definietly the way to go, for database I'd say mysql or postgresql depending on your needs. Or were you asking something else entirely?

Chris Berry
compjma () hotmail com
Systems Administrator
JM Associates

"All I want is a few minutes alone with the source code for the universe and a quick recompile."

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