Secure smtp

[ROSS HANSON]

Is there a sercure smtp protocol for HPUX. We just had a security audit and the inspector found 25
tcp possible errors with smtp

[Steven E. Protter]

To secure smtp, you need to do a few things.

If you use BIND for name resolution, you need to be on the latest version 9.2.1, avaiable for free on HP's web site.

This search presents you several good options there.
http://www.software.hp.com/cgi-bin/swdepot_parser.cgi/cgi/displayProducts.pl?group_type=search&group_name=BIND&search_free=1&search_trial=1&search_buy=1

Securing sendmail involves detail work.
/usr/newconfig/etc/mail/cf/cf/gen_cf generates sendmail.cf file. The default however is pretty secure and prevents relay

/etc/mail/access lets you limit by IP address what and who relays mail off your server.

You probably need to disallow the VFRY command which allows outsiders to query the status of sendmail and authenticate users as legitimate. Spammers use this to try and get valid addresses to send mail.

The Privacyoptions= flag handles most of these issues. You can find that with a man of sendmail.

In general, the configuration of sendmail.cf and the options with which you run sendmail will deal with your issues.

For more specific information, you might need to tell us what your auditors said, but check with management first, mine were pretty prickly after our first security audit.

HP has a great course called Practical Unix and Network Security and another called Internet Security that would be very useful to your improvement of security.

P