UNIX OVERVIEW AND SITE INFORMATION

Organizational Relationships

Organizational relationships play a significant role in providing secure computing environments.

The site must provide a robust and secure environment that protects the software environment

from unauthorized access. This includes the protection of system-level resources (i.e., database

systems, applications, and other utilities) used by the DOD user community. Data owners must

define access requirements for their resources (i.e., actual databases, master files, and interactive

transactions). Data owners are responsible for providing an access matrix that reflects subjects

(processes and authorized personnel) and their access to resources (databases and applications).

Security Administration

Security administration is accomplished through the ongoing efforts of a number of personnel.

The SM is the principal advisor to the site Commander/Director for the administration and

management of the overall site security program. The IAM is responsible for the information

assurance program of a DOD information system or organization. The IAO is responsible for

implementing security requirements and ensuring the operational Information Assurance (IA)

posture is maintained for a DOD information system or organization. The IAO is responsible to

the IAM. The SA is responsible for the operational readiness and secure state of a computer

system. The SA assists the IAO with implementing security directives in the operations

environment and reports to the IAO.

Processing Environment

There are many objectives and goals to be considered when securing a UNIX operating system.

When configuring UNIX operating system security, consider these critical principals of security

known as the Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA) triad:

- Confidentiality Access controls protect the systems and resources from unauthorized access and in some

implementations can determine levels of authorizations. Access controls can include physical

access restrictions to ensure only authorized personnel may access system equipment and the

environments in which these systems reside. Access controls may also include system level

access controls. System level access controls restrict access to system resources and objects, as

well as restricting the capabilities of subjects to communicate with other subjects.

Auditing tools can track system activities to warn an SA of suspicious activity, allow the SA to

understand the types of access that took place, identify a security breach, and aid in the research

of the breach.

Backups are performed with prevention and recovery in mind. This includes, but is not limited

to, the prevention of data loss and the loss of availability to data and resources. A daily backup

of all changeable data and the proper storage of the data are invaluable in restoring data once a

compromise has been detected and traced to the time it first occurred. Without these continual

and consistent backups, recovery procedures are not reliable. Backups are also the most

common way Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) is implemented during catastrophe, natural

disaster, hardware failures, and other circumstances. In all cases, the quality and depth of

backups and the security of backup storage will have a direct impact on the quality and depth of

restorative operations and COOP. Backups are the only path back to confidentiality, integrity,

and availability of data once there has been a compromise, a natural disaster, or a catastrophe.

- Integrity

- Availability

In addition to incorporating security controls that relate to the CIA triad, there are three

additional security features that directly affect CIA and aid the overall site security program:

- Access control

- Auditing

- Backups

Access controls protect the systems and resources from unauthorized access and in some

implementations can determine levels of authorizations. Access controls can include physical

access restrictions to ensure only authorized personnel may access system equipment and the

environments in which these systems reside. Access controls may also include system level

access controls. System level access controls restrict access to system resources and objects, as

well as restricting the capabilities of subjects to communicate with other subjects.

Auditing tools can track system activities to warn an SA of suspicious activity, allow the SA to

understand the types of access that took place, identify a security breach, and aid in the research

of the breach.

Backups are performed with prevention and recovery in mind. This includes, but is not limited

to, the prevention of data loss and the loss of availability to data and resources. A daily backup

of all changeable data and the proper storage of the data are invaluable in restoring data once a

compromise has been detected and traced to the time it first occurred. Without these continual

and consistent backups, recovery procedures are not reliable. Backups are also the most

common way Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) is implemented during catastrophe, natural

disaster, hardware failures, and other circumstances. In all cases, the quality and depth of

backups and the security of backup storage will have a direct impact on the quality and depth of

restorative operations and COOP. Backups are the only path back to confidentiality, integrity,

and availability of data once there has been a compromise, a natural disaster, or a catastrophe.