12 Security Oh, I’m Sorry, Sir, Go Ahead, I Didn’t Realize You Were Root Unix is computer-scientology, not computer science. —Dave Mankins The term “Unix security” is, almost by definition, an oxymoron because the Unix operating system was not designed to be secure, except for the vulnerable and ill-designed root/rootless distinction. Security measures to thwart attack were an afterthought. Thus, when Unix is behaving as expected, it is not secure, and making Unix run “securely” means forcing it to do unnatural acts. It’s like the dancing dog at a circus, but not as funny— especially when it is your files that are being eaten by the dog. The Oxymoronic World of Unix Security Unix’s birth and evolution precluded security. Its roots as a playpen for hackers and its bag-of-tools philosophy deeply conflict with the require- ments for a secure system.
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