Background on Security Practices

The way an HP-UX trusted system is run determines how secure it will be.

This chapter describes some of the practices that help to enforce and maintain C-level HP-UX system security.

To run a secure system, you need to set up and run your system according to standard practices and be aware of potential threats. To do this you need a strong background in UNIX security basics. For background and details about the basics of UNIX security, refer to Practical UNIX Security, Second Edition by S. Garfinkel and G. Spafford. Some of the topics it presents are:

Types of UNIX security
Users, passwords, logging onto a UNIX system
UNIX file system and setting file permissions
Defending system accounts against unauthorized access
Securing data against loss due to theft, system failure, user error, or other disaster
Descriptions of UNIX log files and ways to use them
Protecting against programmed threats
Background on networks and security
Handling security incidents such as break-ins or attacks

This book is available from your local computer bookstore or by ordering ISBN 0-937175-72-2 from O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. at 1-800-889-8969 or via email at ORDER@ORA.COM.

Additional detailed information that describes good security practices is provided in "Guidelines for Running a Trusted System" in Chapter 12 of HP-UX System Administration Tasks. It provides the following information:

Guidelines for Handling setuid and setgid Programs
Guidelines for System Initialization
Guidelines for Trusted Backup and Recovery
Guidelines for Mounting and Unmounting a File system
Guidelines for Handling Security Breaches

Background on Security Practices

Technical documentation

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