[95352] in RedHat Linux List
Re: Off-topic: Break-in attempts
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Michael Jinks)
Sat Oct 17 07:22:32 1998
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 1998 11:12:34 +0000
From: Michael Jinks <michael@twopoint.com>
To: redhat-list@redhat.com
Resent-From: redhat-list@redhat.com
Reply-To: redhat-list@redhat.com
Arda Tunccekic wrote:
>
> I only have 2 ports open, one the database connectivity port, the other is
> ssh port. is this hackable?
Absolutely not! <-- lie
It all depends; everything is hackable somehow, given infinite time and
resources. If the database app on the other end of the port can be made
to misbehave, then you're hackable. If some user misuses ssh in such a
way that it gives information to a bit sniffer, then you might be
hackable. If you have any users that you can't trust to keep their ssh
accounts secret, then you certainly should behave as if you are
hackable.
Remember (aren't we all sick of hearing this?) that security is not so
much a technical issue as it is a policy issue. If you're concerned
about security, you can never really behave as if your system were 100%
secure, even if it may be. Install something like tripwire and/or
argus, watch those logs, watch those newsgroups, and keep up as well as
you can. Also remember (see previous paranthetical) that most security
violations don't come from crackers cold-scanning a system. That's
often a high-effort way into a system, more suitable to t33n@&e h@ck3r$
than serious intruders, although it does happen. Your biggest security
risks are co-workers and trusted or semi-trusted clients.
--
Michael Jinks
mailto:michael@twopoint.com http://www.twopoint.com
Systems Administrator, Two Point Conversions, Inc.
"Push the button." -- Pitr
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