Configuration Guidelines
Servers
NOTE: All servers must be registered with the ISO in order to comply with the Data Classification Standard. Click HERE to register your server.
Objective
This document provides ISO-approved baseline configuration standards for University owned servers. The CIS Security Benchmarks for each operating system can be found at the links above.
All servers must be compliant with Section ADM 5-602 of the HOP which states "All servers must be located in a location that is approved by the Office of Information Technology".
The process for creating a secure server can be summarized as follows:
- Use the first checklist (Server Creation) to aggregate the necessary information for creating a server.
- Use the second checklist (Minimum Standards) to insure basic security.
- Use the OS specific checklists (links above) to secure the server and insure compliance with University Standards.
Server Creation Checklist
Item |
Explanation |
Server Location |
ARDC or a campus location |
-Approved? |
OIT approval for location |
Virtual or Physical |
|
-Asset Tag # (if physical) |
|
-Serial # (if Physical) |
|
Server Name |
|
Server Owner |
Usually the head of the department or entity requesting the server (“application owner” in the HOP). |
Server Administrator |
OIT administrator or departmental administrator |
Server Purpose |
|
-Firewall Considerations |
What firewall changes will be made to allow this server to be utilized? |
-Data Sensitivity |
MANDATORY: register with the ISO HERE. |
Creation Date |
|
Vulnerability Assessment |
All servers must be scanned by the ISO before go-live. |
Minimum Standards
This section lists the minimum standards that should be applied and enabled in Category I, II, and III data systems that are connected to the university network. Standards for Category I are generally required.
If products are not available from reputable commercial or reliable open source communities for a specific requirement, then the specific requirement is waived until an appropriate solution is available. In such cases a security exception must be requested.
IT Owners and IT Custodians, lead researchers, and/or systems administrators are expected to use their professional judgment in managing risks to the information and systems they use and/or support. All security controls should be proportional to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability requirements of the data processed by the system.
Backups
Practice | Category I | Category II & III |
System administrators should establish and follow a procedure to carry out regular system backups. | Required | Recommended |
Backups must be verified at least monthly, either through automated verification, through customer restores, or through trial restores. | Required | Recommended |
Systems administrators must maintain documented restoration procedures for systems and the data on those systems. | Required | Recommended |
Change Management
Practice | Category I | Category II & III |
There must be a change control process for systems configuration. This process must be documented. | Required | Recommended |
System changes should be evaluated prior to being applied in a production environment.
|
Required | Recommended |
Computer Virus Prevention
Practice | Category I | Category II & III |
Anti-virus software must be installed and enabled. | Required | Required |
Anti-spyware software must be installed and enabled if the machine is used by administrators to browse Web sites not specifically related to the administration of the machine. In addition, anti-spyware software must be installed if users are able to install software. | Recommended | Recommended |
Anti-virus and, if applicable, anti-spyware software should be configured to update signatures daily. | Required | Recommended |
Systems administrators should maintain and keep available a description of the standard configuration of anti-virus software. | Required | Recommended |
Physical Access
Practice | Category I | Category II & III |
Systems must be physically secured in racks or areas with restricted access. Portable devices shall be physically secured if left unattended. | Required | Recommended |
Backup media must be secured from unauthorized physical access. If the backup media is stored off-site, it must be encrypted or have a documented process to prevent unauthorized access. | Required | Recommended |
System Hardening
Practice | Category I | Category II & III |
Systems must be set up in a protected network environment or by using a method that assures the system is not accessible via a potentially hostile network until it is secured. | Required | Recommended |
Operating system and application services security patches should be installed expediently and in a manner consistent with change management procedures. | Required | Required |
If automatic notification of new patches is available, that option should be enabled. | Required | Required |
Services, applications, and user accounts that are not being utilized should be disabled or uninstalled. | Required | Recommended |
Methods should be enabled to limit connections to services running on the host to only the authorized users of the service. Software firewalls, hardware firewalls, and service configuration are a few of the methods that may be employed. | Required | Recommended |
Services or applications running on systems manipulating Category-I data should implement secure (that is, encrypted) communications as required by confidentiality and integrity needs. | Required | Recommended |
Systems will provide secure storage for Category-I data as required by confidentiality, integrity, and availability needs. Security can be provided by means such as, but not limited to, encryption, access controls, file system audits, physically securing the storage media, or any combination thereof as deemed appropriate. | Required | Recommended |
If the operating system supports it, integrity checking of critical operating system files should be enabled and tested. Third-party tools may also be used to implement this. | Required | Recommended |
Integrity checking of system accounts, group memberships, and their associated privileges should be enabled and tested. | Required | Recommended |
The required university login banner should be displayed. | Required | Recommended |
Whenever possible, all non-removable or (re-) writable media must be configured with file systems that support access control. | Required | Recommended |
Access to non-public file system areas must require authentication. | Required | Recommended |
Strong password requirements will be enabled, as technology permits, based on the category of data the account is allowed to access. | Required | Required |
Apply the principle of least privilege to user, administrator, and system accounts. | Required | Recommended |
System Hardening
Practice | Category I | Category II & III |
If the operating system comes with a means to log activity, enabling and testing of those controls is required. | Required | Recommended |
Operating system and service log monitoring and analysis should be performed routinely. This process should be documented. | Required | Recommended |
The systems administrator must follow a documented backup strategy for security logs (for example, account management, access control, data integrity, etc.). | Required | Recommended |
All administrator or root access must be logged. | Required | Recommended |
Security Review for New Software and Systems
Departments evaluating the implementation of new software and/or systems, involving all categories of data, should request a security review by sending a written description of the proposed implementation to the Information Security Office prior to selecting vendors or products. Security reviews tend to be informal and can often be performed quickly, while ensuring that best practices are being considered.
Non-Compliance and Exceptions
For all system administrators — if any of the minimum standards contained within this document cannot be met on systems manipulating Category-I or -II data that you support, an exception must be requested that includes reporting the non-compliance to the Information Security Office, along with a plan for risk assessment and management. Non-compliance with these standards may result in revocation of system or network access, notification of supervisors, and reporting to the Office of Compliance.
UT Arlington employees are required to comply with both institutional rules and regulations and applicable UT System rules and regulations. In addition to university and System rules and regulations, UT Arlington employees are required to comply with state laws and regulations.