Security Ripcord

I am about to harden a Linux box and I need to re-read the documentation to Bastille. As I started typing the URL I remembered that the original URL I am use to following has been obtained by a Domain Squatter. I had originally heard about this incident while listening to PDC. I was then actually affected by it when I discovered that a link in the CIS VMware ESX Server Benchmark pointing one of Jay’s articles was broken because of the new bogus site put up by the Domain Squatter.

If you would like more information about this check out the letter Jay Beale wrote to the users of Bastille. It does seem that he will be able to get the site back through his lawyers. I am not sure if Bastille is trademarked and therefore might not fall under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act but I assume that he should, at least, have some copyright precedence to fall back on. He also points out that although the new site currently points to the actual Bastille download site he is worried about the potential for this site to distribute hacked versions of the software. To protect against this possibility he will be using his PGP key to create a signature for legitimate releases that users can use to verify the versions they obtain.

This whole thing really ticks me off. I agree that purchasing an original domain name (not a product name that has been trademarked), and selling it to somebody when they find the need for it, is perfectly legitimate. But I do not like the idea of people waiting around for a site’s domain registrations to expire, snatch them up before the original owner or organization can update the account, and then attempt to sell it back to the original owner for a large fee. One simple act by an outside individual could cost a company a lot of money either in the repurchase of the domain name or the re-branding of an entire product or line. Although for big business this might not be a problem, I can see a real impact to open source projects and small businesses.

I wish Jay the best of luck with this whole incident.

Go forth and do good things,
Cutaway

Bastille-Linux, Bastille-Unix, Linux, CISecurity, Security Ripcord, Jay Beale, domain squatter

Okay, I am getting a little sick and tired of the constant chatter about “this operating system is better than that operating system.” It is like the white noise in the background of any room where there is more than one technically savvy person. People just need to get over the fact that there is more than one tool out there and that a job can usually be done by any one of those tools. Sure, many times one of those tools does a better job than the rest, but guess what, that is true of everything else in life.

“Where is this coming from?” you ask. Well, this past week I had an interview for an Security Manager position and one of the system administrators asked the question, “So, how are you going to treat my linux server if you are hired to this position?” I told him that I didn’t have a problem with one operating system over another. I explained that any job can be done by any operating system and that a good security administrator will have to be ready to evaluate any system to determine how it is affecting the security of the environment. A pretty good answer in my mind but it seems that the statement “any job can be done by any operating system” raised a few hairs and ruffled a few tail feathers.

Look, in my heart of hearts I am a Linux man. However, I working in a Solaris and IRIX mixed environment that is moving to a Solaris and SUSE mix and periodically a Windows system will rear its ugly head. Do I mind? No. I am happy to secure or provided suggestions when securing any operating system. Has this hurt me a little in the fact that I am not completely conversant in any one operating system. Maybe, but I am ready for all encounters and I will overcome either with the knowledge in my head or a little bit of SANS Reading Room and/or Google.
Please get over it,

Cutaway