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Re:Macintosh Web Server Issues
At 1:48 PM -0400 5/15/96, Blake Sobiloff wrote:
>At 7:58 AM -0400 5/15/96, Winkler Vic wrote:
>>Consider the fact that the Mac (vanilla OS/HW) -- despite it's
>>capabilities as
>>the quintessential desktop platform -- has never been seriously considered
>>for a
>>substantial security/trust rating by any organization qualified to do so.
>
>Oh, please--do we have to have another OS flamewar?
please, no
>Every platform can be misconfigured to allow folks the freedom to do things
>you didn't want them to do, and it really has very little (if anything) to
>do with whether the OS has a security rating or not. Karl Mitze
><kgmlists@3rdmill.com>, the original poster of this thread, simply wanted
>to know what security threats his Mac web server might be susceptable to.
>David Ray <daver@idiom.com> and Matthew McGlynn <mcglynn@sentius.com>
>helpfully pointed out a few configuration and software issues to be aware
>of.
There is one more item of concern that I have not seen brought up on this
issue. Everyone has been talking about attacks via TCP over a network. A
WebStar-based server (or even more interestingly, Apache running on MachTen
or something :-) ) can be configured to be as secure a one wants given
appropriate diligence, but even wearing my Mac evangelist hat (when not
wearing my UNIX one), I have to say that the greatest threat to a Mac-based
server would be a person who sits at the machine. You see, unless you are
using FolderBolt or some other login utility, anyone can come by and drag
your http server straight to the trash--end of web service. At least with
a UNIX box you have a login, or if a session is in use at console, you can
xlock the screen.
Enrico
--
Out the 10Base-T, off the bridge, round the token-ring, past the firewall,
through the router, down the T1, over the leased line ... nothing but Net.
ecantu@uh.edu http://www.bchs.uh.edu/~ecantu/ GC at chembb@menudo.uh.edu
Department of Biochemical and Biophysical Sciences, University of Houston
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