Authentication

1
Authentication

• Best Practices Exchange 2006
• Wilmington, North Carolina
• Connie Frankenfeld, Digital Programs Librarian
• Illinois State Library
• Cfrankenfeld_at_ilsos.net

2
What is authentication of documents?

• Is the document retrieved from a depository
  unaltered from when it was deposited?
• Is what gets to a user of a depository the same
  as what was put in?

3
Risk Assessment

• What are we guarding against?
• Hacking into the host computer
• Tampering with a deposited official record
• Intercepting operator control messages
• Intercepting user communication
• Replacing the contents of an official Web site
• Can operations resume after damage occurs?

4
Defense against Hacking the Host Operating
System Security

• Up to date security patches
• Anti-virus software
• Physical security of the hardware
• Controlling privileges
• Secure protocols for sensitive connections
• Frequent reviews of logs
• Good backups

5
Defense against Tampering with a Deposited Record
Be Alert

• Restricting from administrative areas
• Comparing current copies with the original
• Quick response to possible tampering

6
Defense against Intercepting Control Messages
Passwords

• Use non-trivial passwords
• Change passwords often
• Dont write passwords where others can acquire
  them
• Dont share passwords!
• Transmit passwords
• Using only secure protocols, or
• Using special purpose devices

7
Defense against Intercepting User Communication
Low Risk

• Previous actions protect near the depository
  server
• Users are everywhere
• Lack of predictability for which document, when
  and which path

8
Defense against Spoofing Keep Users Out of Fake
Web Sites

• Register similar DNS names point to the real
  site.
• Conduct periodic Internet searches for fake
  sites.
• Maintain controls over friendly sites links
• Publish your URL widely
• Use a URL easy to remember spell
• Keep DNS names long after your project

9
Defense against Site Damage Prepare for
Restoration

• Damage can come from hacking, hardware failure or
  environmental disaster
• Backups
• Frequent
• Offsite
• Secure computer
• Different manufacture
• Offline
• Several locations

10
Illinois Systems Security CEP

• Weekly patches to UNIX
• Control access via HTTPs or SSH
• Remote backup after each harvest
• Backups tested
• Offline backups on Microsoft
• Offline backupsUNIX to DVD
• Offsite DVD copies

11
Illinois Systems Security CEP

• Not public or advertised
• Email reports of all changed files
• Monitor changes by samplingespecially ours!
• Unusually large number of file changes at one Web
  site gets attention

12
Illinois Systems Security EDI

• Weekly patches to UNIX
• Control access via HTTPs or SSH
• Daily backup to dissimilar type of computer
• Email report of changed files
• Backups as with CEP

13
Illinois Systems Security EDI Privileges

• 3 GSLIS operators edit metadata inspect
  deposits for completeness viruses
• ISL Tech Services edit metadata accept or
  reject for ingest
• Read-only password
• Individual accounts for agency depositors to
  upload files via HTTPs

14
Illinois Systems Security EDI

• Document Descriptors or Blue Cards
• MD5 crypto checksum values for all files
• Checksum created upon initial acquisition
• Both XML HTML
• Minimum of 3 files would be changed reported at
  nightly backup to alter files

15
Blue Card
16
Illinois Systems Security EDI Public Access
http//iledi.org

• Read only
• No passwords
• Via HTTP

17
Thanks to

• Larry Jackson
• Graduate School of Library and Information
  Science
• University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign
• lsjackso_at_uiuc.edu