Trusted AIX administration

Managing a Trusted AIX® system involves a number of factors that are specific to Trusted AIX.

Trusted AIX installation
Trusted AIX can be enabled only during base operating system installation using the Security Model option of the install menu.
Run modes
Two run modes, configuration mode and operational mode, are available to allow for system configuration and maintenance and for daily operations.
Kernel security flags
Kernel security flags are used to enable/disable certain security features such as label check enforcement, checking for integrity labels during read operations, and other purposes.
Setting kernel parameters
The Trusted AIX kernel can be configured to enforce security constraints as required by site policies.
Customizing the /etc/security/enc/LabelEncodings file
The labels for a system are defined in the /etc/security/enc/LabelEncodings file and can be customized for each site.
Starting up the system
System security is automatically invoked during the system startup sequence. You should verify that the security parameters displayed during the startup sequence are correct for the system.
Shutting down the system
System shutdown is a privileged operation and is protected by the aix.system.boot.shutdown authorization.
Trusted recovery
There may be times when the system powers off in an unclean state. This can be the result of a power outage, an accidental power off, or a hardware failure. Trusted AIX can recover from these circumstances without special reboot procedures.
Login
Every Trusted AIX user should have the proper sensitivity and integrity clearances assigned so that they can log in to the system.
Reasons for login failures
A login attempt can fail for a number of reasons.
Switching user with the su command
On a Trusted AIX system, when the su command with the - option is invoked, the current user’s clearances must dominate the new user’s clearance level.
User security responsibilities
There are certain responsibilities which users must be aware of, understand, and follow. Users must keep passwords private, report changes in their user status, report suspected security violations, and more.
Secure system management
Management of a secure computer system involves the creation and enforcement of security policies and regular system monitoring.
Trusted AIX system management
Guidelines for proper management of a Trusted AIX system must be followed to ensure system security.

Parent topic: Trusted AIX