Windows News 1997 January/WnewsNo40.iso/Addons/Sentry53/SENTRY.HLP

Text File | 1996-07-17 | 23KB | 542 lines

The User Maintenance Menu

The User Maintenance Menu contains all actions that affect
users. The following options can be accessed through the User
Maintenance Menu:

    1.  Create User
    2.  Delete User
    3.  View Users
    4.  Toggle SuperUser Status
    5.  Change Account Exipry Date
    6.  Change Password Expiry Date
    7.  Change Account Password
    8.  Assign Max Invalid Logins
    9.  Return to SuperUser Menu

The Log File Maintenance Menu

The Log File Maintenance Menu contains all actions required to
manage the log file. The following options can be accessed
through the Log File Maintenance Menu:

    1. View Log File
    2. View Backup Log File
    3. Move Log File to Backup
    4. Return to SuperUser Menu

System Maintenance Menu

The System Maintenance Menu contains functions which allow the
SuperUser to perform special functions or system related tasks.
The following options can be accessed through the System
Maintenance Menu:

    1. Edit Initialization Settings
    2. Send a Message to a User
    3. Protect a File
    4. Export Initialization Settings
    5. Security Audit
    6. Modify Shell Commands
    7. Return to SuperUser Menu

Each option is described below.

Sentry DOS Shell

Selecting this option temporarily drops the SuperUser to a DOS
shell where they can execute any normal DOS commands. This shell
has limited memory and environment space, and should only be
used for simple file maintenance. Do not attempt to run any
large or complicated files while in the DOS shell.

Type "EXIT" to return to the SuperUser menu.

Exit

This simply returns you to the DOS prompt. It is the same as
pressing the ESCAPE key.






Create User

This option allows you to create users on your system. First of
all, you must enter the username (or login) you wish to assign
to that user. If you wish to create a user with SuperUser
status, type in the username and hold down the CONTROL key when
pressing enter. Otherwise, just press enter. Once that is
complete, Sentry asks for the password. The user should choose
and enter their own password. SuperUsers need not know what the
passwords are since they can still manage the accounts without
knowing them. The password is entered twice to ensure no typos
were made, and then saved in encoded form. The ESCAPE key will
abort this operationat any time.

Note: There is currently a maximum of 100 users allowed. This
limit can be exceeded if required (contact me for a larger
capacity version).

Delete User

The delete option is very simple. It brings up a list of all
users, and you simply use the cursor keys to highlight the user
you wish to delete. SuperUsers are denoted by a * to the right
of their username. Press enter to select the appropriate user.
If the selected user is a SuperUser, Sentry will give a warning.
SuperUser or not, Sentry will then ask if you are sure you want
to delete them. Any input other than a 'y' will not perform the
delete. The ESCAPE key will abort this option at any time.

View Users

This option allows you to view all users who currently have
accounts on your system. SuperUsers are again denoted by a * to
the right of their login name. The last login date/time, account
expiry date and password expiry date are also shown to the right
of the user's login name. In addition, the number of invalid
logins since the users last valid login are shown with the
number of invalid logins allowed before an account is locked up.
An "X" in the "Max Inv Log" (Maximum Number of Invalid Logins
Allowed) column means there is no limit. You can use the PAGE UP
and PAGE DOWN keys to scroll forward and back if there are
multiple pages of users. Arrows will be present if there are
additional pages above/below. The ESCAPE key will exit back
to the main menu.

Toggle SuperUser Status

When this option is selected, it first brings up a list of all
users on the system. Again, SuperUsers are denoted by a *. Once
you have selected a user, Sentry will ask you if you want to
grant/revoke SuperUser access to/from the appropriate user. Any
input other than a 'y' will not change that users status. Now
the user must enter a password. (Since the SuperUser status is
encoded in the password, and the password can never be decoded,
I can't change SuperUser access without resetting the password).
The user can re-enter their old password, or enter a new one
(the old one will be over-written). In a worst case scenario,
the SuperUser can re-assign a new password to the user if he is
unavailable to enter a new password himself. (A hostile user can
have SuperUser access revoked without having to enter a new
password; you can do it for him).

Change Account Exipry Date

This option lets you define when an account will expire on your
system. Expired accounts no longer have access. This option is
useful if a user will be leaving. Then you don't have to
remember to delete their account on the day they leave. You can
set it to expire, and delete it when you remember.

This option also works in conjunction with the "Assign Max
Invalid Logins" option. Once an account reaches it's maximum
number of sequential invalid logins, it expires. The only way to
re-activate the account is to change the expiry date with this
option.

Once you select this option, some information about the account
will be displayed. If it is a SuperUser account, Sentry will
tell you so. It will then display the account's current expiry
date. You will be asked if you are sure you want to change that
user's expiry date. Any input other than a 'y' will abort the
process, otherwise you will be prompted for the year the account
will expire. The year must be entered as 4 digits (IE: 1997). If
you enter 'N' at the year prompt, no expiry date is assigned to
that account (it is valid forever). If you enter a valid year,
you will then be prompted for the expiry month, which is entered
as 2 digits (IE: 06 for June) followed by the expiry day, which
is also entered as 2 digits. Accounts expire at one second past
midnight on the date of expiry.

Change Password Expiry Date

This option lets you define when a users password will expire.
Once the password has expired, the user must enter a new one.
This forces the user to change their password. Once a password
has expired, the next time the user logs in he will be forced to
enter a new password. The new password is valid for the number
of days set by the initialization settings. Once a password has
expired, the user cannot re-enter it. He must select a new
password. (NOTE: Sentry does not keep historical records on
passwords, so a user may alternate back and forth between 2
passwords. This is not a secure practice and should be avoided).

Once you select this option, some information about the account
will be displayed. If it is a SuperUser account, Sentry will
tell you so. It will then display the current expiry date for
the password. You will be asked if you are sure you want to
change that user's expiry date. Any input other than a 'y' will
abort the process, otherwise you will be prompted for the year
the password will expire. The year must be entered as 4 digits
(IE: 1997). If you enter 'N' at the year prompt, no expiry date
is assigned to that password (it is valid forever). If you enter
a valid year, you will then be prompted for the expiry month,
which is entered as 2 digits (IE: 06 for June) followed by the
expiry day, which is also entered as 2 digits. Passwords expire
at one second past midnight on the date of expiry.

Change Account Password

This option allows the SuperUser to change an account's
password, in case the user forgot it, or some other strange
disaster has occurred. When assigning a new password to an
account, you should set the expiry date to be immediately, so the
user is forced to choose a new one. If the previous password had
no expiry date, none is assigned to the new password. Otherwise
the password expires in the number of days assigned in the
initialization settings. You can abort at any time by pressing
the ESCAPE key.

Assign Max Invalid Logins

This allows you to set the maximum number of invalid logins
allowed before an account is disabled. The default number is
defined in the initialization settings, and is assigned to all
accounts when they are first used.

To assign a new maximum, simply select the "Assign Max Invalid
Logins" option from the SuperUser menu. From here you will be
shown the complete user list, and asked to select the user you
wish to change. Pressing the ESCAPE key will abort the operation
here.

Once you have selected the user, you will be informed if that
user is a SuperUser.

NOTE: You should not assign a maximum number of invalid logins
to your last SuperUser account. If you do, and someone attempts
to break in to that account, you could be locked out of the
SuperUser menu!

Next you will be told what the user's current max invalid login
setting is, and asked if you want to change it. Any input other
than a 'Y' will abort the operation. Now you will be asked to
enter the number of invalid login attempts before an account is
disabled. Entering 'N' or a 0 will mean that there can be
unlimited invalid login attempts made.

Please note that a value of less than 10 may cause you more
trouble than good. You may be spending a lot of time re-setting
accounts if you pick too low a value, so consider this
carefully. Also note that when an account is locked up, it is
actually set to expire immediately. As a result, if you wish to
re-activate an account, you must change the account's expiry
date (see above). This is also handy for determining when the
account was actually de-activated. The expiry date for that
account it set the day it was locked out.

Every time a successful login is made to an account, the invalid
login counter is reset. This means that an account will not be
locked out if it has a valid login before the maximum is
reached. (For example, say an account has a maximum of 10
invalid logins. If there are 7 invalid logins before a
successful login, and then 5 more invalid logins, the account
will not be locked up. There must be 10 sequential invalid
logins for the account to be disabled.)

Once you have finished making the change, you can view the user
list to make sure it is acceptable.

Return to SuperUser Menu

This option simply returns you to the SuperUser menu. It is the
same as hitting the ESC key.


View Log File

Every time a user logs in, a record is kept on disk. If you want
to view that online record, select this option. You will be
asked if you want to view the log file for one or all users.
Entering 'o' (for one user) will bring you to the userlist,
where you can select the user you wish to view. Any other input
will show the log for all users.

The log file will be displayed one screen at a time. You can
press ESC at any time to skip to the end of the file. Once the
entire log file has been displayed, Sentry will ask you if you
want to clear the log file. If you were viewing a single user's
log, Sentry will ask if you want to clear their file.

Any input other than 'y' will exit, leaving the log file in
tact. If you answer with a 'y', Sentry will clear out the old
entries. When viewing the log for all users, that means that all
entries will be removed. When viewing the log for a single user,
only that user's entries will be removed.

The log file itself will not consume much disk space, and so it
should be left in tact for historical reasons. You may find it
necessary to refer back to the log file to verify certain
events. If disk space is a constraint, you can use the "Move Log
File to Backup" option described later.

You should always keep a close eye on the log file as this will
often tell you when something is wrong on your system. All error
messages are saved to the log file, so you can see if Sentry has
run into any problems. Also, it records the current time, and
the username of the user attempting to log in. This will help
you to identify any potential attacks on your system. The log
file is hidden by Sentry, but you should also place it somewhere
safe so that users cannot tamper with it. You can set the
location of the log file via the initialization settings.

View Backup Log File

This option is the same as "View Log File" except it allows you
to view the information you have backed up. This is strictly for
historical purposes, so log file information is not lost.

Move Log File to Backup

This moves all of the information in the current log file to the
backup file. The backup file is not overwritten, the new
information is appended to it. This makes it easier to manage
when the log file gets large, but you don't want to clear it.

Return to SuperUser Menu

This option simply returns you to the SuperUser menu. It is the
same as hitting the ESC key.







Edit Initialization Settings

This option allows you to edit the initialization settings.
After installation, it is critical that you go through each and
every attribute, and make sure it is set to your liking. Many of
the initialization settings have serious implications on
security. Once this option is selected, all of the attributes
are displayed. Simply select the attribute you wish to modify,
and you will be given the following information:

        - A one line description of the attribute.
        - A brief description of the attribute and it's uses.
        - Valid settings for the attribute, if applicable.
        - Any security notes, if applicable.
        - The default value for the attribute.
        - The current value for the attribute.

At this time, you will be prompted to enter a new value for the
attribute. Pressing ENTER on a blank line, or pressing the ESC
key aborts any changes to the current value.

Sentry performs strict checking on the values you enter, and
will not save an invalid value.

See section 10 of the readme file for details on
individual settings.

Send a Message to a User

This option allows the SuperUser to send a one-line message to
any user on the system (including themselves). Once this option is
selected, you must pick the user you wish to send a message to
from the list of all users. Once this is done, you will be
prompted for your one-line message. If you wish to send more
than one line, simply send two or more messages to the same user.
After you have entered your message, you will be returned to the
SuperUser menu. The next time that person logs in, your message
will be displayed, including:

  - Who the message is from
  - The time and date the message was sent
  - The message itself

The user then has the option to delete the message. If they do
not delete the message, they will see it again on their next
login.

NOTE: Messages are displayed before any login information, so
you can send messages to users that are locked out. That way, if
you wish to send an explanation, you can.

Protect a File

This option allows you to protect executable files (.EXE, .COM
and .BAT). When this option is selected, it prompts for the file
name. You must enter a path to a file that exists, and the file
must be executable. If the file name is correct, Sentry then
processes that file, and "protects" it. Protection means that
the next time that file is run, Sentry will execute. If the user
enters a valid login and password, then the original file
executes. If not, then the file is not executed.

Make sure you make a backup of any files you wish to protect, as
there is no way to "unprotect" them - it's permanent!

This is useful for protecting individual files. After all, if a
person successfully logs into your computer, they have free
access to anything there. This will allow you to tighten up
access to individual files.

The current method of protection does not work with all files.
That is to say, I have tested it on some files that do not run
correctly once protected. (It seems to be memory or video
conflicts). Currently, a protected file has about 100k less
memory available to it than if it was run normally. Also,
protecting programs that run in Windows does not work. These
issues are "on the list" for research.

See section 7 for specific details on protecting files.

Export Initialization Settings

Selecting this option will export the Initialization Settings.
This will allow you to use the same settings and account
structure when you upgrade. The process for this is simple.
Select this option, and it will export the settings. Now simply
unzip the new SentryXX.zip into your directory (overwriting all
files), and run the Install.exe program. Install will
automatically sense the exported information, and ask if you
want to use it. If you say yes, the settings are automatically
updated to the new version, and loaded in.

Please note that you should not export the settings unless you
plan to import them right away into a new version (it can cause
a slight security risk).

Security Audit

This is one of the more powerful options in Sentry. Selecting
this option will cause Sentry to automatically search for
weaknesses in your setup. The audit searches in three main
areas:

    - Your System
    - Your Initialization Settings
    - Your Account Structure

As each of these sections is tested, the user will be informed
of Sentry's findings. If a section has no weaknesses detected,
then an "Ok" will appear. Otherwise, Sentry will describe the
weakness, and ask if you want to fix it. Pressing 'y' will
either fix the problem automatically, or prompt you for a new
value, depending on the situation.

In each section, the following items are checked during an
audit:

    System

    Check for the following:
    - no "switches" line in CONFIG.SYS (non-Win95 only)
    - no "BootKeys" line in MSDOS.SYS (Win 95 only)
    - no call to Sentry from the AUTOEXEC.BAT file
    - a "break on" command in the CONFIG.SYS file

    Initialization Settings

    Check for the following:
    - a short max or short min password length
    - a high number for maximum login attempts
    - a low number for wait delay
    - password echoing should be off or masked
    - a password expiry max of over 365 days
    - an unused account expiry max of over 365 days
    - a long wait for the screen saver (over 600)
    - case sensitivity is off

    Accounts

    Check for the following:
    - accounts that have expired
    - SuperUser accounts with a max inv log setting
    - normal accounts with no max inv log setting
    - accounts where the number of failed login attempts is
        exceeded
    - accounts with no expiry date
    - passwords with no expiry date

As a SuperUser, you should run the audit frequently. If all is
well, it completes in a few seconds, but it can alert you to
potential problems or suspicious activity that you might not be
aware of otherwise.

The message "Audit Complete" will appear when the audit is
finished. At this point, the user may press any key to return
to the SuperUser menu.

Modify Shell Commands

This option allows the SuperUser to control the commands
are available to users at the DOS prompt. This option can be
extremely valuable when implementing a total security plan.

To begin with, the SuperUser is prompted for the location of the
command interpreter. This is usually located in the root
directory (C:\), or in C:\DOS for regular DOS installations, or
in C:\windows for Windows 95 users. Sentry will use the location
held in the COMSPEC environment variable as the default, making
it easier for you to find the right file.

Once you enter the location of your command interpreter, Sentry
scans it in an attempt to discover what commands it controls. If
Sentry cannot find any valid commands, it will inform the
SuperUser, and nothing will be modified.

If Sentry can locate some commands, they will be displayed in a
menu format. At this point, the user may disable or edit any of
the commands shown.

NOTE: It is *strongly* advised that a bookdisk is made before
attempting any changes to your command interpreter. Although
Sentry has been tested successfully on various command
interperters (such as DOS 6.22, Windows 95 an Noron DOS), it may
act in an inconsistent manner when faced with an unknown
format.

To disable a command, simply hit 'd' once. Hitting 'd' again
will re-enable the command. To edit a command, simply hit 'e'
and you will be prompted for the new command.

ANOTHER NOTE: Is is also very advisable to make the new command
the same length as the old command. Changing the length of a
command can also have unpredicatable results, and is less likely
to work.

On the menu, commands that have been disabled are designated
with a 'X', while commands that have been edied are designated
with a '*', and commands that have not been modified are
designated with a '-'.

Once all required changes have been made, simply press enter.
All changes will be summarized, to make sure no mistakes have
been made. At this point, the SuperUser should ensure that all
changes look ok, and then either accept or reject them.

If the changes are accepted, Sentry runs the modified command
interpreter as a test, before replacing the real interpreter.
This means that if there are any problems, you can discard the
changes, and start again.

When the new shell runs, make sure you test it thoroughly. Don't
perform any "large" operations or run any major programs, as
that may upset the process. Once you are satisfied, type "EXIT"
to return to Sentry, where you will be asked if there were any
problems.

If you answer 'N' to this prompt, your command interperter will
be replaced with the new one, effectively making the changes
permanent. Any other input will discard the changes.

ONE FINAL NOTE: It is advisable to keep a "clean" copy of your
COMMAND.COM somewhere safe, as you may want it later. Many of
the changes you make throguh Sentry can also be undone through
Sentry, however it is much safer to simply restore your original
from backup. The more times you modify the same command
interpreter, the greater the chance of something going wrong.

Return to SuperUser Menu

This option simply returns you to the SuperUser menu. It is the
same as hitting the ESC key.