Re: AS/400 security ignored

Hi Brian,

Everyone can plead ignorance when moving to new platforms and technologies. That
is why one should ASK QUESTIONS, LISTEN to what they are told, TALK to
knowledgeable people, READ, READ, READ and LOOSE THE BIG HEAD...

It is SCARY that someone would have MULTIPLE profiles set this way. The AS/400 
is
without a DOUBT one of the most secure computer systems available - IF it has
been set up properly. This system is a JOKE if the right/wrong person managed to
get access. Sure that "might" be difficult, but then again, don't sell ANYONE
short (including internal folks - the VAST majority of tampering,  etc. is NOT
from external hackers but rather employees - WHY make it easy on them ?).

If he is the Security Officer he needs to read up on what that involves. There 
is
a TON of information out there to help with this. There SHOULD be a way to do 
the
FTP stuff without that authority. Ditto for just about EVERYTHING else.

This guy obviously has some knowledge but doesn't seem to have been properly
prepared for this roll. Who's this persons SUPERVISOR ? !

Good luck - what do you have planned ?

Chuck

brian wrote:

> I work at a bank which recently upgraded to a 620 running software from
> Jack Henry and Associates from an ES/9000 running VSE and bizarre custom
> software.  Needless to say, I was ecstatic.
>
> Despite repeated warnings, however, the ES/9000 guy has left several joe
> (userid=password) user profiles on the box.  Many of them are
> USRCLS(*SECOFR) or possess special authorities that would make gaining all
> other authorities trivial.
>
> One user profile, for example, is used exclusively for ftp transfers.  For
> some reason, it's *SECOFR.  Worse, it is found in several ftp scripts.
>
> The fact that the box does *bank* processing is especially worrisome to
> me.  Mere deletion of the entire box would be bad enough, but in this
> case, an attacker might instead do some very difficult-to-detect
> embezzlement.
>
> I am quitting my job there soon, for obvious reasons.  If you'd like to,
> offer predictions about the future of a bank that will not pay attention
> to important security matters.  I would find it amusing to prepare a stack
> of "fire him" emails from AS/400 professionals around the globe for my
> superiors.
>
> Thanks.
>
> -brian
>
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