[NCLUG] Network configuration

[R P Herrold]

> > A stock, non-firewalled, Redhat system is likely to be cracked within days
> > of being connected to the Internet.

... Simply FUD and opinion, unless you mean by 'stock,' "not
patched with updates" -- I daresay _that_ is true about ANY
mainline OS or distribution costing less than $30k.  Even
OpenBSD running a FTPD pre July 2000 would be vulnerable.

Also untrue.  I am called in to new sites to take over admin
when folks get out of their depth.  Often I cannot understand
how they were NOT cracked -- Open old named, open portmapper,
weak passwords, ancient sendmail, unsafe cron, all services
wide open and not wrappered.  I have one in mind that was
running an unpatched RH 5.0, and had been for years, with an
international clientele of users which was uncompromised.


That said, security is a risk exposure minimizaton process,
not a destination.  The first thing I did to that system
mentioned in the prior paragraph was turn off, remove,
wrapper, and update. 

-- Russ