System iNetwork

Security

November 18, 2008

Keeping Your IFS Secure

When it comes to the IFS, the i system's native security simply doesn't cover it. The reason you need to be on the alert when it comes to the IFS is because, as Mel Beckman says in "Virus Protection for the IFS," the system's "robust object security doesn't extend to portions of the IFS--specifically, the portions in the root directories accessible remotely to virus-laden Windows desktops and servers. When a remote system accesses the IFS, it can potentially infect IFS files with virus code. Uninfected systems that later read the infected files can themselves become infected. A virus can spread in this way throughout an enterprise network in just minutes, resulting in incalculable damage."

This quoted little gem indicates that not only do you need virus protection for your IFS, but you also need to know how to securely map IFS file permissions and how to protect various IFS file transfer protocols. Our own Mel Beckman is offering a webcast about this very topic on November 20, and it's free. Sign up soon to make sure you get a seat.

In the meantime, you might want to learn more about the IFS and how you can use it, and System iNetwork is rife with IFS articles. Here is a particularly practical series of articles, written by Scott Klement, about using the IFS from RPG. Each article also offers downloadable code to illustrate the techniques explained. (Note that these articles require ProVIP membership.)

Introduction to Stream Files, November 2004, article ID 19312

A Text File Primer, December 2004, article ID 19473

Text Files in the World, January 2005, article ID 19626

Binary Stream Files, February 2005, article ID 19751

Getting Information About Your Files, May 2005, article ID 20050

Working with Links, June 2005, article ID 20141

Working with Directories September 2005, article ID 20235

--Linda Harty, security & networking/connectivity editor

Posted by lharty on November 18, 2008 at 1:22 PM | Comments (0)

July 14, 2008

IT Managers: Patch Your DNS Servers Now!

A recently discovered DNS cache-poisoning flaw has been called one of "the most dangerous to have been discovered in the DNS protocol," and it affects every DNS server--that's right: every single one. So you need to act now to ensure that your organization's servers are patched. The Computerworld article "Patch domain name servers now, says DNS inventor" describes the problem in adequately dire terms that should motivate you to act immediately. A US-CERT advisory has all the details and lists more than 80 vendors whose products are at risk of being exploited. Some vendors have already released patches, so check the US-CERT site or contact your vendor(s).

--Linda Harty, security & networking/connectivity editor

Posted by lharty on July 14, 2008 at 3:55 PM | Comments (0)