Re: Security followup

Subject: Re: Security followup
From: Kevin McLauchlan <kmclauchlan -at- chrysalis-its -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 16:07:56 -0500


What about... run Linux?
And... run Linux and do your fileswapping from a
dedicated userID that has limited permissions and
belongs to almost no groups on your computer?

If you do that, then even if somebody gets hold
of that user, they don't have root access to the
file system. They don't even affect your "real"
userID and its files.

Even better, if you set up the whole shebang on
a separate, exclusive hard disk (i.e., the
dedicated userID has it's home directory on that
disk, which is separate from the rest of the
filesystem), an intruder can be as destructive as
he likes (or can manage), or can fill that disk to
overflowing, without deleterious effect on the
rest of your system.

As well, a little residential router like a D-Link
or Linksys has almost all ports closed by default,
requiring that you explicitly open any that you
think you want/need for your MP3 acquisition.
They cost less than a hundred bucks, U$. Useful
even if you have only one computer on your home
"network", and much more elegant than using one
computer as a gateway/router with two NICs and
crossover cables and... and... Besides, a
little residential router uses ever-so-much less
power than an old-PC-configured-as-router, and
has a much tinier footprint. Worth every penny,
and the two minutes it takes to set up.

But then <disclaimer> I'm not a security expert,
nor a Linux expert, nor a networking expert,
so your mileage/kilometrage(?) may vary
</disclaimer>.

Cheers,

/kevin

On Tuesday 14 January 2003 13:18, John Posada
wrote:
> >Sorry to throw this one out to all you music
> > enthusiast, but no more kaza desktop music
> > media. No more Kaza.
>
> Why do WE care if you got rid of it?
>
> Ok, seriously...I know what you mean. However,
> there's running away from something, and
> there's taking reasonable precautions.

[snip a couple of reasonable precautions]

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References:
RE: Security followup: From: John Posada

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