In addition, security is never established finally. That is, security is a dynamic process, requiring that you understand the issues, keep up to date on them, and continually monitor your system with the many tools available. It is the intention of this chapter and the next to give you the information you need to establish a security policy and begin its implementation.
Chapter 5 discusses network security issues, and is intended for use after the issues discussed in this chapter have been addressed to your satisfaction. If you are not connecting to the Internet or any large network scheme but only establishing or connecting to a small, local area network, you should still read the first part of Chapter 5, "Local Area Network Access".
This chapter includes the following sections:
It is one thing to secure an isolated IRIX system, another to secure a local area network, and still another to secure a site that is connected to external networks such as the Internet. This chapter deals primarily with taking steps to secure an isolated system, but many of these same steps must also be taken before undertaking the more ambitious job of securing a network. For information regarding network security issues, refer to Chapter 5.