Red Hat ENTERPRISE LINUX 4 - SECURITY GUIDE Manual

Also see for ENTERPRISE LINUX 4 - DEVELOPER TOOLS GUIDE: Installation guide Installation guide Tuning guide Installation guide Manual

Contents

Chapter 1. Security Overview4as the Mitnick and the Vladimir Levin cases (refer to Section 1.1.2, “Computer Security Timeline” formore information) that prompted organizations across all industries to rethink the way they handleinformation transmission and disclosure. The popularity of the Internet was one of the most importantdevelopments that prompted an intensified effort in data security.An ever-growing number of people are using their personal computers to gain access to the resourcesthat the Internet has to offer. From research and information retrieval to electronic mail and commercetransaction, the Internet has been regarded as one of the most important developments of the 20thcentury.The Internet and its earlier protocols, however, were developed as a trust-based system. Thatis, the Internet Protocol was not designed to be secure in itself. There are no approved securitystandards built into the TCP/IP communications stack, leaving it open to potentially malicious usersand processes across the network. Modern developments have made Internet communication moresecure, but there are still several incidents that gain national attention and alert us to the fact thatnothing is completely safe.1.1.2. Computer Security TimelineSeveral key events contributed to the birth and rise of computer security. The following timeline listssome of the more important events that brought attention to computer and information security and itsimportance today.1.1.2.1. The 1960s• Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) form the Tech Model Railroad Club(TMRC) begin exploring and programming the school's PDP-1 mainframe computer system. Thegroup eventually coined the term "hacker" in the context it is known today.• The DoD creates the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANet), which gainspopularity in research and academic circles as a conduit for the electronic exchange of data andinformation. This paves the way for the creation of the carrier network known today as the Internet.• Ken Thompson develops the UNIX operating system, widely hailed as the most "hacker-friendly" OSbecause of its accessible developer tools and compilers, and its supportive user community. Aroundthe same time, Dennis Ritchie develops the C programming language, arguably the most popularhacking language in computer history.1.1.2.2. The 1970s• Bolt, Beranek, and Newman, a computing research and development contractor for government andindustry, develops the Telnet protocol, a public extension of the ARPANet. This opens doors for thepublic use of data networks which were once restricted to government contractors and academicresearchers. Telnet, though, is also arguably the most insecure protocol for public networks,according to several security researchers.• Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak found Apple Computer and begin marketing the Personal Computer(PC). The PC is the springboard for several malicious users to learn the craft of cracking systemsremotely using common PC communication hardware such as analog modems and war dialers.• Jim Ellis and Tom Truscott create USENET, a bulletin-board-style system for electroniccommunication between disparate users. USENET quickly becomes one of the most popular forumsfor the exchange of ideas in computing, networking, and, of course, cracking.