Another suspected NASA hacker indicted

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It is impossible.

It is impossible to secure a network so well that no hacker will be able to access it.
I am a Network Admin for a large and well to do university, and although I control
access between 1500+ computers and the real world by the room next to me, I
can not protect the computers from everything.

Every piece of hardware can be hacked, every piece of software has security flaws,
there is no such thing as the perfect network. The only way it can be perfect would
be to be taken off the net, and allow them to access the internet through a
completely different network.

The best a network admin would be able to do would be to stop the attack as it is
happening, or tighten down the network so strongly that it would not be
functional...

The problem is the way not only how computer OSs are built, but also the way that
networking, and protocols were developed. Protocols were designed to be
accessed by trusted people, hence the lack of real security right out of the box
with most systems, unless the OS specifically has a firewall built into it.

If you are to have a 100% secure network, treat everyone from the outside, and
inside as hackers, don't let packets go through unless they can be verified, and
make sure that the sender has the same security measures you have set up as
well, for all you need is one person to be sloppy and your entire network can be
compromised.

If you want to have a completely secure network here are some starting steps.

Don't let foreign computers on your network, don't let wireless points, and portals
to be open to the general public, create a 64 character password with alpha
numeric, and case sensitive needs. Don't let your people know what it is, so you
can be the only one to allow people on the network at any given time.

Don't allow E-mail from AOL, MSN, Yahoo!, or any other web service, or company
that has been compromised in the past, don't accept e-mails from specific
countries which have hackers running rampant. (Block IP clusters), and don't let
your friends use your computer...

Also block any website that you have not gone to yourself, block all java, flash, or
script that may cause damage to your system, don't allow floppies or CDs brought
from home onto your network, don't allow file sharing, don't allow network
sharing, don't allow printer sharing. Don't allow anything that makes your
computer noticeable to the network and the internet as a whole.

Turn off AppleTalk, turn off all chatty communications, don't use 3rd party
programs for conversations, don't use SKYPE, or any other free internet phone
service...

Don't allow game consoles which use the internet on your network either.

Create a separate network for games, and abuse, so if it crashes, your network will
not be compromised. Make sure no one has a company computer on that network,
and make sure that there is no way for the game network to be available to the
protected network and visa versa.

Then you may have a shot at being secure, but know what, you are also alone. For
a computer with just a handful of these don'ts means you are secluded from the
world in one manner or another.

This is what is required on a daily basis to keep a network secure, you sure it is
possible for one person to keep track of 1500 people, or 20 people to keep track
of 5,000 people at any given time?

Not going to happen.

Posted by: Mercat   Posted on: 12/05/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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