Limit Physical Access; Limit Administration Access; Choosing Passwords - Netscape ENTREPRISE SERVER 6.1 - 08-2002 ADMINISTRATOR Administrator's Manual

• Preventing Clients from Caching SSL Files
• Limiting Ports
• Knowing Your Server's Limits
• Making Additional Changes to Protect Servers

Limit Physical Access

This simple security measure is often forgotten. Keep the server machine in a
locked room that only authorized people can enter. This prevents anyone from
hacking the server machine itself.
Also, protect your machine's administrative (root) password, if you have one.

Limit Administration Access

If you use remote configuration, be sure to set access control to allow
administration from only a few users and computers. If you want your
Administration Server to provide end-user access to the LDAP server or local
directory information, consider maintaining two Administration Servers and using
cluster management, so that the SSL-enabled Administration Server acts as the
master server, and the other Administration Server is available for end-users'
access.
For more information regarding clusters, see "About Clusters," on page 139.
You should also turn on encryption for the Administration Server. If you don't use
an SSL connection for administration, then you should be cautious when
performing remote server administration over an unsecure network. Anyone could
intercept your administrative password and reconfigure your servers.

Choosing Passwords

You use a number of passwords with your server: the administrative password, the
private key password, database passwords, and so on. Your administrative
password is the most important password of all, since anyone with that password
can configure any and all servers on your computer. Your private key password is
next most important. If someone gets your private key and your private key
password, they can create a fake server that appears to be yours, or intercept and
change communications to and from your server.
Considering Additional Security Issues
Chapter 5 Securing Your Enterprise Server 131