Re: what makes linux so secure?

[Ed Wilts <ewilts ewilts org>]

On Wed, Jun 25, 2003 at 12:24:00PM -0700, Jonathan Bartlett wrote:
> Another thing is that I really think that for system data, ACLs cause more
> security problems than they help.  Auditting a Linux system is much easier
> than an NT box, because you don't have ACLs to worry with.

I haven't chuckled this hard for a while.  ACLs, properly implemented,
are absolutely fantastic in any large organization.  My VMScluster can't
survive ACLs - I'd have security holes like crazy without them.

Just because you don't know how to audit for ACLs properly doesn't mean
they're not a good thing - it means your audit tools suck.

> What's SUID on my machine?

SUID is a hack for a system that doesn't have proper privilege and
access mechanisms.  Give me VMS security with its privileges and ACLs
any day of the week.  Privilege should not be a binary function.

-- 
Ed Wilts, Mounds View, MN, USA
mailto:ewilts ewilts org
Member #1, Red Hat Community Ambassador Program