The three-day Security Best Practices course provides system and security administrators with the knowledge and tools necessary to secure Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server against local and network attacks. Solutions covered in the class include Mac OS X specific features as well as third party tools for monitoring and analysis. Students will design a security policy template in class to be used as a starting point for their IT security decisions. This course is a combination of lecture and hands-on case study exercises that provide practical real-world experience.
Who should attend? This class is for anyone responsible for administering Mac OS X computers or servers, and providing the proactive security measures necessary for the integrity and confidentiality of all computer systems and their data. Some understanding of file systems, directory services, and networking is necessary. Command-line options for graphical utilities are covered, so a familiarity with terminal is also desired.
Prerequisites Students should have the following prerequisite knowledge prior to attending this course:
• Experience with LDAP-based Directory Services under Mac OS X
• Completion of Mac OS X Directory Services Administration and Integration v10.4
• Network and Internet topical knowledge
Apple Certified System Administration Certification Successful completion of the Security Best Practices for Mac OS X 10.4 exam (9L0-612) earns 3 credits towards the Apple Certified System Administrator (ACSA) certification. A total of 7 credits is required for the ACSA certification.
Course Overview
Overview: Introduction to the basics of risk analysis and to Apple's security architecture.
Securing the Local System: Using the NSA Security Document to refine the security settings in Mac OS X for local systems.
Data Confidentiality: Keeping data confidential on local drives through the use of FileVault, file system permissions, and encrypted disk images.
Mobility Security Issues: Wireless security for Bluetooth and 802.11, and physical security issues specific to mobile devices.
Secure Network Connections: Comparing commonly used secure client protocols. Creating ssh tunnels, and configure VPN clients.
Secure Authentication: Secure local authentication using different shadow hashes, smart cards, and biometrics. Secure network authentication using certificates and Open Directory security.
Secure Network Configuration:Configuring Mac OS X Server for NAT, port forwarding, firewall, and VPN server.
Mail Security: Security options in Mail.app, as well as configuring certificates and real-time blacklists on Mac OS X server, and Clam/AV for mail-borne virus detection.
Web Security: Security options in Safari, as well as Apache web server security issues. Covers web server-specific file system security considerations, PHP vulnerabilities, and logging.
Maintenance, Intrusion Detection and Auditing: Apple certification compliance with various agencies, Common Criteria auditing tools, Apple's security update process. Analyzing Viruses, Macro Viruses, Trojans, and Worms, and exploring potential risks involved on Mac OS X.
