Over the last 18 months since the Internet worm, perhaps the most strongly voiced opinion from the Internet community has been ``security through secrecy does not work.'' Nonetheless, there is still an appalling lack of communication about security. System breakers and troublemakers, on the other hand, appear to encounter little difficulty finding the time, energy, and resources necessary to break into systems and cause trouble. It is not that they are particularly bright; indeed, examining the log of a typical breakin shows that they follow the same methods that are publicized in the latest computer security mailing lists, in widely publicized works on security, and on various clandestine bulletin boards. The difference between them and the system administrators on the Internet seems to be communication. It is clear that the underground community has a well-established pipeline of information that is relatively easy for them to tap. Many system administrators, however, have no access to an equivalent source of information, and are thrust into their positions with little or no security experience. COPS should be particularily helpful in these cases.
None of programs in COPS cover all of the possible areas where a system can be harmed or compromised. It can, however, aid administrators in locating some of the potential trouble spots. COPS is not meant to be a panacea for all UNIX security woes, but an administrator who examines the system and its documentation might reduce the danger to his or her system. That is all that can ever be expected of any security tool in a real, operational environment.
Future work on COPS will be done at the CERT, and work on related tools and approaches will be done at Purdue. People are encouraged to get a copy of COPS and provide us with feedback and enhancements. We expect that as time goes on, and as the awareness of security grows, COPS and systems like it will be evolved through community effort. Increased communication and awareness of the problems should not be limited to just the crackers.