Planning Volume 2, Control Workstation and Software Environment

Protecting your authentication database

A primary consideration when you install and configure your SP system is the security of the workstations on which the authentication servers are to run. Because the authentication server is the repository of the secret keys for all principals, you need to protect it. Consider taking the following steps:

• Locate authentication server systems in physically secure areas, with access limited to administrators authorized to perform tasks related to their maintenance.
• Do not give user IDs for these systems to users, including SP system administrators, who are not authorized as security administrators. Do not enable remote access to them using telnet, rlogin, or ftp.
• Enable AIX system auditing to record security events on these systems.
• Implement an appropriate password selection and aging policy for the master password, and change the password regularly.
• Compromise of the master password would expose all private keys stored in the database. Establish a recovery plan that includes changing all passwords, replacing all server key files, and destroying all outstanding tickets.