Re: Secure FTP server for Windows

["Dana Epp" <dana () vulscan com>]

Oh come on now.

Comments like this are so unproductive to the conversation. Any operating 
system, including Windows, can be made secure. WHAT level of security is 
dependant on the risks you are trying to mitigate. You CAN make Windows 
secure, just as easily as how you can easily make Unix INSECURE. Its all in 
how you approach it.

It comes down that you need to quit thinking of the technical safeguards as 
THE solution and instead apply real world infosec policies to reduce the 
risks and protect the assets you need to by applying the safeguards as part 
of a bigger process. I blogged about this a year ago when I talked about the 
"8 rules of Information Security" 
(http://silverstr.ufies.org/blog/archives/000468.html)

In this case, you can definitely set up a secure SSH server on Windows, jail 
the enviroment and tighten the file ACLs to allow for SCP access for files 
you wish to exchange. This would be NO different than applying the same 
thing on a Unix environment. So instead of slagging the operating system 
think about what assets need to be protected, and what infosec policies need 
to be applied to effectively give access to those who need access to the 
asset. Then apply the technical safeguards in the OS as required.

I mean no disrespect Volker, but this kind of position doesn't help the 
situation. It only hinders any progress we can make by applying a higher 
level of thinking through sound infosec policies. And thats platform 
neutral.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Volker Kindermann" <ml () ps102 de>
To: <security-basics () lists securityfocus com>
Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2004 7:55 AM
Subject: Re: Secure FTP server for Windows


> Hi Derek,
>
>
> > Can anyone recommend an FTP server for Windows which has been written 
> > with security in mind? I only really know such things about Linux (where 
> > vsftpd is the obvious choice) but I've been asked to recommend a 
> > Windows2000 or WindowsXP product.
>
> please consider that you can't operate a secure ftp server on top of an 
> insecure operating system. With this in mind there is no secure ftp server 
> for windows.
>
>
>  -volker