DUMB VMS!

From: Paul Thompson <thompson_at_athenet.net>
Date: Fri Aug 6 11:02:58 1999

On Fri, 6 Aug 1999, Zane H. Healy wrote:

> Show me an OS that you can't break into with physical access to the system
> console, and I'll show you a dangerous OS! With Operating Systems like
> OpenVMS the physical security is an important part keeping that system
> secure. A secure system should be locked in a computer room with mulitiple
> levels of physical protection to insure that only authorized personal gain
> access to it. If you want it to be truely secure, even the terminals should
> be in areas with limited access.

You need an IBM OS tape/CD to regain a lost root login for recent versions
of AIX. Simple console access won't do. I seem to recall that various
other unices running "enhanced security" option might be similar.
Definitely there is a point of diminishing returns for security
requirements that significantly reduce the speed of recovery after
security problems.

> If you can't break into the system when you have physical access to the
> system, then what do you do when you forget your passwords. Remember
> passwords shouldn't be written down.
>
> Whoops, think I missed the smiley. What can I say, I take data security
> seriously!
>
> Zane
>
Received on Fri Aug 06 1999 - 11:02:58 BST