Securing your network with PacketFence


 
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Old 09-23-2008
Securing your network with PacketFence

09-23-2008 08:00 AM
Network access control (NAC) aims to unify endpoint security, system authentication, and security enforcement in a more intelligent network access solution than simple firewalls. NAC ensures that every workstation accessing the network conforms to a security policy and can take remedial actions on workstations if necessary. For example, NACs can check if a workstation has antivirus software installed and, if not, NAC will limit the workstation's access to the network. In some cases, if NAC is capable of remedial measures, it can force-install an antivirus program on the workstation so that it will conform to the security policy. Although NAC can improve the security of your environment, most commercial NACs cost several thousand dollars. However, using NAC does not need to be that expensive. PacketFence, a free open source NAC application, gives you the security of NAC for free.



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hosts.equiv(4)						     Kernel Interfaces Manual						    hosts.equiv(4)

NAME
hosts.equiv, .rhosts - security files authorizing access by remote hosts and users on local host DESCRIPTION
The file and files named found in users' home directories specify remote hosts and users that are "equivalent" to the local host or user. Users from equivalent remote hosts are permitted to access a local account using or or to to the local account without supplying a password (see rcp(1), remsh(1), and rlogin(1)). The security provided by is implemented by the library routine, (see rcmd(3N)). In this description, hostequiv means either the system file or the user file. Note that must be owned either by the root or by the user in whose home directory it is found and it must not be a symbolic link. The file defines system-wide equivalency, whereas a user's file defines equivalency between the local user and any remote users to whom the local user chooses to allow or deny access. An entry in the hostequiv file is a single line (no continuations) in the format: Thus, it can be: o A blank line. o A comment line, beginning with a o A host name, optionally followed by a comment. o A host name and user name, optionally followed by a comment. A host or user name is a string of printable characters, excluding whitespace, newlines, and Names are separated by whitespace. For a user to be granted access, both the remote host name and the user name must "match" an entry in hostequiv. When a request is made for access, the file is searched first. If a match is found, access is permitted. If no match is found, the file is searched, if one exists in the local user's home directory. If the local user is a superuser, is ignored. A host name or user name must match the corresponding field entry in hostequiv in one of the following ways: Literal match A host name in hostequiv can literally match the official host name (not an alias) of the remote host. A user name in hostequiv can literally match the remote user name. For a user name to have literal match in the file, the remote user name must literally match the local user name. Domain-extended match The remote host name to be compared with entries in hostequiv is typically the official host name returned by (see gethostent(3N)). In a domain-naming environment, this is a domain-qualified name. If a host name in hostequiv does not literally match the remote host name, the host name in hostequiv with the local domain name appended may match the remote host name. If the host name in hostequiv is of this form, and if name literally matches the remote host name or if name with the local domain name appended matches the remote host name, access is denied regardless of the user name. If the user name in hostequiv is of this form, and name literally matches the remote user name, access is denied. Even if access is denied in this way by access can still be allowed by Any remote host name matches the host name in hostequiv. Any remote user matches the user name netgroup_name is the name of a network group as defined in netgroup(4). If the host name in hostequiv is of this form, the remote host name (only) must match the specified network group according to the rules defined in net- group(4) in order for the host name to match. Similarly, if the user name in hostequiv is of this form, the remote user name (only) must match the speci- fied network group in order for the user name to match. netgroup_name is the name of a network group as defined in netgroup(4). If the host name in hostequiv is of this form, and if the remote host name (only) matches the specified network group according to the rules defined in netgroup(4), access is denied. Similarly, if the user name in hostequiv is of this form, and if the remote user name (only) matches the specified network group, access is denied. Even if access is denied in this way by access can still be allowed by EXAMPLES
1. on contains the line: and on is empty. User on can use to or to account on without being prompted for a password. will, however, be prompted for a pass- word with or denied access with from to If in the home directory of user on contains: or then user can access from 2. is in the domain and are in the domain in the home directory of user on contains: User can access from since matches with local domain appended. But user from cannot access since does not match In order for user to be able to access from file on must contain: since is in a different domain. 3. in the home directory of user on contains: on contains the line: However, there is no file in the home directory of user on The user on can to account on without being prompted for a password, but on cannot to account on 4. in the home directory of user on contains: User from any host is allowed to access account on User from any host except can access account on 5. on contains the lines: Any user from except is allowed to access an account on with the same user name. However, if in the home directory of user on con- tains: then user from can access account on 6. on contains the line: The network group consists of: If is not running Network Information Service (NIS), user on any host can access account on If is running Network Information Service (NIS), and is in the domain user on any host, whether in or not, can access account on However, if in the home directory of user on contains the line: and is either not running Network Information Service (NIS) or is in domain no user on any host can access the account on If is run- ning Network Information Service (NIS) but is not in the domain this line has no effect. 7. on contains the line: The network group consists of: All users on are denied access to However, if in the home directory of a user on contains any of the following lines: then user on can access that account on WARNINGS
For security purposes, the files and should exist and be readable and writable only by the owner, even if they are empty. Care must be exercised when creating the The option to and prevents any authentication based on files for users other than a superuser. AUTHOR
was developed by the University of California, Berkeley. The and extensions were developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. FILES
SEE ALSO
rcp(1), rdist(1), remsh(1), rlogin(1), remshd(1M), rlogind(1M), gethostent(3N), rcmd(3N), netgroup(4). hosts.equiv(4)