Re: Audit

Good security requires people thinking outside the box, as well has having a
good understanding of the box. In my experience companies do not use
computer security auditors who are familiar with the systems they are
auditing, let alone think outside the box.

Our accounting auditor is not familiar with our ERP ... they visit many
companies with great regularity where every single place they audit is on a
different ERP, and uses a different approach for their paperwork. What a
nightmare job! I told them about the Auditor's manual about BPCS gotchas
but they not have time to look at it. I asked if they are interested in me
telling them how easy it is to embezzle with our system. No, they have been
asked only to audit certain things.

There are multiple packages out there to audit the 400/i whatever, and some
that are package-specific, where the developers of the packages have a good
understanding of trade-offs, then along comes some auditors not relying on
such packages, but instead know something about UNIX, Windoze, 400/i, but do
not have a comprehensive picture of the real trade-offs, in a world of
perpetually evolving technology & risks.

Most of the places with the spectacular breaches had passed security audits,
like were PCI-certified. That's because there usually is a huge disconnect
between what ought to get audited, and what does get audited.

We used to have the PCs for shipping / receiving right next to loading
docks, until personnel back turned, and the PCs took a hike. They were
moved further away for security, bolted down, then later management moved
them back because convenience to loading docks was more important.

Many folks use VPN from home. This is on ISPs in trouble for intercepting
customer data streams to replace any ads with their own.

Remember the IBM office that was breached? The crooks never went thru the
locked door, where IBMers had to use mag strip on a plastic card & key in
some password & I forget what else. They broke into a lightly secured
office next door in the same building complex, then went over the false
ceilings to the IBM offices.

You ever drive past a factory where the padlock is hanging open from the
gate, for the convenience of closing time not having to have the key handy?
Crooks can replace that with their own, show up at dead of nite, unlock
their oown, rob the place, then lock up with the company padlock.

Al Macintyre

Alan Shore wrote

Hi Rob
I used to work for a bank so we went through one of these at least once
every four months. A real pain in the @#$
However, to answer your question (at least I think you are asking a
question)
You are saying that there is no twinax that leaves the locked door
Well what about a disgruntled employee?
They can sign on cant they?
Ever heard of the phrase "Must have been an inside job"
All your other questions that the auditors seem not to be asking
should be a concern for you. It might also be a test by the
auditors. If you (the company) are not asking the auditors these
questions, the auditors may be thinking that the security of the box
may be a concern.

Good luck with the audit

Alan Shore
Programmer/Analyst, Distribution
E:AShore@xxxxxxxxxxx
P:(631) 200-5019
C:(631) 880-8640
"If you're going through Hell, keep going" - Winston Churchill

midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote on 11/25/2008 01:34:59 PM:

Boss is asking me to gather data for an IT audit. You know, I would be
hard pressed to find a worse waste of time. As usual, they want the list

of system values. I am sure that is so they can consider it a ding if we

allow a user to have more than one session. Doesn't matter if they can

go

to 30 PC's and fire up browsers and look at the data but two 5250

sessions

is a concern.
Then they have the usual commands they want to be secured: STRSEU,

UPDDTA

that sort of rot. Of course WRKQRY, RUNQRY QRYFILE..., STRSQL, EDTF are
not in the list. And no mention of WDSC, etc.
And, why be concerned about the special authority of *ALLOBJ when they
don't check one file at all to see if you are using resource security?
Does it matter if no one has *ALLOBJ yet *public has *all authority to

the

list of social security numbers and everyone has iSeries Access (or ftp,
or ...)?
Gee, why don't we tell them that there is no twinax that leaves the

locked

door? Based on the above wouldn't that then constitute a secured system?

Rob Berendt
--
Group Dekko Services, LLC
Dept 01.073
Dock 108
6928N 400E
Kendallville, IN 46755
http://www.dekko.com