System Administration Notes PDF

January 24, 2025 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson 1 January 24, 2025 Introduction to system administration Importance of system administration to information security...

January 24, 2025 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson 1 January 24, 2025 Introduction to system administration Importance of system administration to information security General system administration facilities provided by enterprise software 2 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson January 24, 2025 Definition A set of functions that … provides support services ensures reliable operations promotes efficient use of the system ensures that prescribed service-quality objectives are met System Administration 3 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson January 24, 2025 System administration functions installation, configuration and maintenance network equipment (switches, routers, DHCP, DNS servers etc) computer systems (database systems, email systems, ERP systems etc) System Administration 4 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson  January 24, 2025 Sec tio n Titl e Meet the personnels behind the information curtain 5 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson January 24, 2025 System administrators Definition Person responsible for the day-to- day operation of a technology system First line of defense System administrators secure critical information systems May also be system security System administrators officers Person responsible for writing, enforcing and reviewing security operating procedures Some of the most important IT personnel in an organization Keep IT humming (motto) 6 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson January 24, 2025 Motivation System administration is a foundational skill for an aspiring information security professional Most employers value these skills for entry-level positions Many students find system administration skills valuable Skills development requires Discipline System Administrators time Hence introduced early Hands-on activities after every chapter designed to refine system administration and technical skills Tempting to skip But persistence strongly encouraged 7 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson January 24, 2025 Relation to information security First line of defense for all the three dimensions of information security Confidentiality Integrity Availability Examples System Administrators Availability Anticipate failures Prevent the hardware failure from affecting end users Confidentiality Use appropriate file permissions Ensure that unauthorized people cannot not read or copy transcripts 8 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson January 24, 2025 Duties that keep the organization running 9 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson  January 24, 2025 Installation Definition Writing necessary data in the appropriate locations on a computer’s hard drive, for running a software program e.g. Installing operating system Installing application programs System administration challenge Streamline process across thousands of computers in the organization System Administrator Consumers often believe When in doubt, install Professional system administrators believe When in doubt, do not install Ta s k s 10 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson  January 24, 2025 Configuration Definition Selecting one among many possible combinations of features of a system Has information security implications Vulnerabilities can arise due to interactions among components System administrators must comprehend the implications of these interactions Challenge System Administrator Many software components desired by end users are not maintained by their creators Resulting information security hazards must be controlled Ta s k s 11 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson  January 24, 2025 Access control Definition Limiting access to information system resources only to authorized users, programs, processes, or other systems And, establishing what authorized users can do on a system Typically refers to Files or directories a user can read, modify or delete Can also include System Administrator Limiting access to network ports Application level Limiting rows and/or columns a user can see in a database Available screens in a business application. Ta s k s 12 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson  January 24, 2025 User Management Definition Defining the rights of organizational members to information in the organization Key component of access control Creating and removing user accounts Updating permissions when users change roles Challenge System Administrator Managing large numbers of users Commonly organized into groups users with similar privileges E.g., all faculty members in the CCS department Members of the CCS-Faculty group Ta s k s Granted access to laboratory folders lists for activity viewing and checking. 13 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson  January 24, 2025 Monitoring Definition listening and and/or recording the activities of a system to maintain performance and security Required continuously after installation and configuration To ensure desired performance and security Two kinds Reactive monitoring System Administrator Detecting and analyzing failures after they have occurred Problem notifications Analyzing logs after failures Identify modus-operandi Identify affected systems Ta s k s Proactive testing – continue at next slide 14 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson  January 24, 2025 Monitoring Proactive testing Testing a system for specific issues before they occur Vulnerability scanners Access systems and look for potential vulnerabilities. Prioritize and resolve identified vulnerabilities Penetration testing Usually carried out by a professional security firm System Administrator Actively exploiting vulnerabilities found Assessing the level of access that is gained Recent developments Chaos Monkey Deliberately destroy running systems Promoted by Netflix Ta s k s 15 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson  January 24, 2025 Updates Updates Replacing defective software components with components in which the identified defects have been removed Remove vulnerabilities detected during ongoing use and monitoring of software Two categories Operating system updates Fix issues with the low-level components of the system software System Administrator Developed and released by the operating system vendor All modern operating systems can automatically check for and install required security updates without system administrator intervention Ta s k s 16 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson  January 24, 2025 Updates Application updates Fix problems in individual applications Typically involve more effort Ensure functioning of plug-ins from other vendors And in-house additions Many customizations not well documented or tested Impact of an application update on customizations not predictable Manual updates often necessary to deploy application updates System Administrator Typical update procedure Install update on a development server Test all applications on the development system If successful Deploy update to production systems Ta s k s 17 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson  January 24, 2025 Risk Reduction Management Single points of failure A part of a system whose failure will stop the entire system from working is a single point of failure Related to hardware Availability implications Standard solution Redundancy Surplus capability, which is maintained to improve the reliability of a system System Administrator E.g. spare power supply Cold spares Extra parts used when necessary Involve down time Hot spares Redundant components already in operation that can replace the failed component Ta s k s No downtime Used in all mission critical components 18 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson  January 24, 2025 Recording Documentation - is crucial for maintaining and managing IT systems. It involves creating and maintaining records that describe the configuration, operation, and maintenance of computer systems and networks. Reporting - is essential for monitoring, managing, and optimizing IT infrastructure. These can provide insights into System Administrator system performance, security, and overall health in an up-to-date state. Ta s k s 19 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson January 24, 2025 20 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson  January 24, 2025 Available for all enterprise software Microsoft Windows Systems Center Configuration manager Monitor installation and configuration of software across enterprise Operations center Monitor hardware status across enterprise Unix/ Linux System Administration Various utilities Puppet, Oracle Jumpstart Utilities 21 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson  January 24, 2025 Unix family tree Unics BSD System III System Administration OpenBSD NetBSD FreeBSD SunOS System V Hp/ UX Utilities Mac OSX AIX Solaris XENIX 22 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson January 24, 2025 A case study on T J Maxx 23 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson January 24, 2025 What happened? Major corporate information 20.5 security incident 2007 19.5 Hackers had complete access to credit-card databases T. J. Maxx, Barnes and Noble, Office 18.5 Max and other retailers August 5, 2008 Sales ($ bn) 17.5 US government charged 11 individuals Wire fraud, damage to computer 16.5 systems, conspiracy, criminal forfeiture, and other related charges System administration failure 15.5 No encryption at T J Maxx stores Web application vulnerabilities at 14.5 other stores 2005 2006 2007 Year 2008 2009 2010 24 SAM Topic- 01 Prepared by: Jensar Joey Z. Sayson