Security of FreeBSD as a Server Operating System

FreeBSD is known to be a very secure operating system. Installing FreeBSD offers many utilities and mechanisms that assure security of a FreeBSD server over a network. High-end security is an integral part of FreeBSD that makes it suitable to be used as a server operating system.

FreeBSD security is directly concerned with various forms of threats that may crash or corrupt the system making them unusable. While we talk about the security of a FreeBSD dedicated server, we keep consideration on some of the categorized threats like: denial of service attacks, user account compromises, root compromise through accessible servers or via user accounts, backdoor creation etc.

Protecting your Web Server from Vulnerabilities

To cope up with any kind of security vulnerability on a FreeBSD server, several well-balanced approaches are practiced. FreeBSD security is ensured by securing the root account and staff accounts on a FreeBSD dedicated server. Securing root account is the first priority. There is no point of securing staff account without securing the root account. However, it is a fact that the password must be always there for console access to the FreeBSD server machine. It is further managed in a way that using password outside the console is impossible even with su command. This arrangement can be understood in a way that direct root logins via telnet or rlogin are not permitted by assuring that the concerned ptys are specified as being insecure in the /etc/ttys file. Further, it must be ensured that direct logins are disabled also in case of other login services like sshd. This can be done by editing /etc/ssh/sshd_config file and setting NO for PermitRootLogin there.

Installing FreeBSD on a dedicated server requires several security concerns. In most of the cases, third party servers are considered to be the most bug-prone. Some of the FreeBSD servers do not require to be run as root such as the ntalk, comsat and finger daemons can be run in special user sandboxes. Even if one breaks in through a FreeBSD server in a sandbox, still he has to break out of the sandbox. It is also advised that services like telnetd or rshd or rlogind can be turned off if the server is running through which users only login via sshd.

Continued on the next page ---> FreeBSD Security

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