Question

Please write an research paper, you will write a short research paper that sets out best practices in Linux system administration. To help you manage your paper, use the following key system administration functions:

• Physical Security
• Super user password
• Delegating Super user Tasks
• User password
• Restrict user
• Knowledge Update
• User Education
• Vulnerability Testing
• Backup and Disaster Recovery

Please use more than 300 words no copy and paste. (linux)

Answer 1

Physical Security:
Physical security is always the first line of defence for any system. Proper access control should be implemented at every level of access right from the entry. Who ever entering the building should properly audited at every audited. Always the principal of least privilege should be followed when access is being granted. Also if any employee leaves the organisation or no longer access is required for example if an employee changes from one role to another physical access should be removed. Also there shouldn't be any drop ceilings. If it's a data center system it recommended not to put in ground floor or top floor. Proper fire extinguishers(electronic fire ) should be kept in handy. There should be a HVAC systems and should be monitored countinously. Also there should be power supply so that will not be any surge or any other problems. Where ever necessary we can use security controls like RFID, mantraps etc.

Super user password:
Super user privileges are the highest level of prifileges. These should be properly maintained in a secure way and It should be with required people only. There should be proper policies for a strong password those are like complexity of the password, including capital letters, numbers and special symbols and soon. there should be a policy in place that password should be changed regularly. These policies should be designed by keeping in mind orgnization security policy and the kind of data stored in the system. For example: if there is any payment card related data stored reside in the system. PCI compliants should be followed.

Delegating Super user Tasks:
if there is any super user tasks deligted to another user, all the activities should be monitored. The useer should only be allowed to do a specific task that is assigned to him and once the task is completed then the priviliges should be revoked.

User password:
User should maintain the Password priviliges. User must defiend the password by compling with organization security polices. User should change the password regularly and user shouldn't write those passwords on any notepads or on sticky notes or anywhere. User shlould be educated to not to share the password with others in any circumstances. User logins and activities should be audited at the required levels.

Restrict user:
The principle of least privilge should be followed always. Users shouldn't be assigned with any additional privilige which he doesnt require. when the user is being onboarded he should be given the least level of access and also whenever a user changes his role, the previous access should be removed. there should be proper auditing in place for all these activities. whenever a user wants another additional priviliage, user should raise a requset for the required access and user should provide a business justification. There should not be any privilige creep.

Knowledge Update:
System should be updated to latest versions after testing properly. if there is any new issue, proper measurement should be taken accordingly. Example shellshock vulnerbility, measures should be taken immediately.

User Education:
Security team should educate the user regarding to the password priviliges. Team should send the mails frequently to users to tell that not to share the passwords and for phising mails and not to send any personal mails.

Vulnerability Testing:
Vulnerablity testing should be done on regular basis. All the findings in Vulnerability Testing should be addressd accordingly. There are different tools in market to do Vulnerability testing. For example: NESSUS, QUALYS. It is always recommended to do authentiated scans. Using these tools we can also do compliant checks like PCI and CIS compliants and etc. If there is any vulnerbilty that is spreading very quickly and causing many issues , patch should be deployed immediately.

Backup and Disaster Recovery:
Depending on the criticality of the system proper Disaster Recovery plan should be there. Continous backup of the system should be taken. Full backup or differentail backup is depend on the data. These Disaster Recovery should be tested on frequent basis. Disaster Recovery test should be conducted accordingly. Before doing business impact accessmnet should be done on the system based on the BCP should be defined. We can use different mechanisms like RAID to provide fault tolerance.