HP c3700 - Workstation Manual page 4

Figure 2: Collaborative Engineering Environment
UNIX/HP-UX View
of Security
02/04/00
An ideal security environment would be one that incorporates the security paradigms of
both Windows NT and UNIX in a consistent and integrated fashion. For example, when a
change in the access control or role-based model is made for a Windows NT or UNIX
system, it is reflected in the other security systems. However, a balanced approached to
these security paradigms, coupled with ease of use and cost of system management
consideration across platforms, should be a paramount concern in the current engineering
environments. A centralized security management system may assist in this integration
and interoperability of security functions between the Windows NT and UNIX platforms.
The UNIX operating system design was influenced to a certain extent, by a project at MIT
for an "A-Level" security compliant OS called Multics. In addition, UNIX was conceived
as a multi-user environment. Thus, security was considered as part of its basic design. And
since UNIX resources are for the most part accessed through file I/O, UNIX security has
also been historically centered around file I/O.
However, despite these original design concerns, standard UNIX security is rudimentary at
best. For example, most current versions of UNIX provide encrypted passwords in the
password file. Unfortunately, the passwords are transmitted over the network as clear text.
In addition, traditional UNIX does not address authentication of other systems on the
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