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Date:      Mon, 21 May 2007 14:29:43 -0600
From:      Chad Perrin <perrin@apotheon.com>
To:        questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: just general questions about fbsd
Message-ID:  <20070521202943.GA94928@demeter.hydra>
In-Reply-To: <465140C0.7070409@u.washington.edu>
References:  <20070520221917.GA91736@ezekiel.daleco.biz> <BMEDLGAENEKCJFGODFOCCEBHCAAA.tedm@toybox.placo.com> <1a9901c79b3c$4774abc0$6600a8c0@tamouh> <20070521044430.GB91151@demeter.hydra> <465140C0.7070409@u.washington.edu>

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On Sun, May 20, 2007 at 11:48:32PM -0700, Garrett Cooper wrote:
> Chad Perrin wrote:
> >On Sun, May 20, 2007 at 08:09:19PM -0400, Tamouh H. wrote:
> >>On the other hand, Windows has the ability to change the administrator 
> >>user or completely disable it. Something not available in Unix systems. 
> >>For example, a cracker or hacker targeting UNIX system will automatically 
> >>try to compromise the "root" user. It is 100% guaranteed to be there. On 
> >>the other hand in Windows, good sys admins will rename or complete 
> >>disable the administrator user hence making it more difficult to know the 
> >>administrator user.
> >>
> >
> >Actually . . . technically, root users can be renamed and can, in many
> >ways, be disabled.  They can certainly be made inaccessible remotely.
> >
> 
> That can break many scripts though, can't it, if the dev improperly 
> looks up the name, not the UID?

Probably -- if you're talking about disabling or renaming the root
account for users.  I've never personally done it, so can't really
comment on that.  I have, however, generally made the root account
inaccessible remotely -- and that hasn't cause me any problems at all.

-- 
CCD CopyWrite Chad Perrin [ http://ccd.apotheon.org ]
MacUser, Nov. 1990: "There comes a time in the history of any project when
it becomes necessary to shoot the engineers and begin production."



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