Re: [iwar] [fc:COMPUTER.SECURITY.SOME.THOUGHTS...METHODS]

From: Tony Bartoletti (azb@llnl.gov)
Date: 2002-06-21 12:28:11


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From: Tony Bartoletti <azb@llnl.gov>
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Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 12:28:11 -0700
Subject: Re: [iwar] [fc:COMPUTER.SECURITY.SOME.THOUGHTS...METHODS]
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The article is sound, but barely addresses one of the most difficult 
areas.  Except for the very limited "ultra secure" implementations, a 
globally accessible system will eventually fall prey to a hack.  When this 
happens, the elements of the system may have been so deeply subverted that 
the only way to really "clean-up" requires a complete rebuild of the system 
from unadultered media (to include re-application of all subsequent 
patches.)  This can be a wrenching experience, requiring many hours of 
effort, and then re-establishment of back-up data (DATA, not process-code).

If the difference between "poorly secured", and "moderately-well secured" 
translates only to a marginal increase in the "mean time between successful 
hacks", there is little motivation to make the adjustment.

I can see two elements to accommodate such an environment:

1.  There needs to be a way to distinguish "data" from "code".  This is 
problematic, since the distinction depends as much on the context as it 
does on the content.  But "back-ups" should cover only "data", which for 
our purposes here means "content whose subversion is unlikely to subvert 
automated processing".

2.  A system should be designed with a physical switch that toggles between 
parallel sets of disks, and allows no exchange between them.  When a system 
is seen to have been compromised, one would re-boot with the "clean" disk, 
while setting into motion the process that does a "clean-re-install and 
backup" to the affected disk.  Thus, down-time is minimized.

Just some more thoughts ...


____tony____



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