Use this information to learn what system security you should have in place before you connect to the Internet.
Your system security measures represent your last line of defense against an Internet-based security problem. Consequently, your first step in a total Internet security strategy must be to properly configure i5/OS™ basic security settings. You should do the following to ensure that your system security meets the minimum requirements:
Set the security level (QSECURITY system value) to 50. Security
level 50 provides the highest level of integrity protection, which is strongly
recommended for protecting your system in high risk environments such as the
Internet. For more detailed information about
each iSeries™ security
level, see Plan
and set up system security. Note:If you are currently
running at a security level lower than 50, you may need to update either your
operating procedures or your applications. You should review information in
the book, iSeries Security
Reference before changing to a higher security level.
- Set your security-relevant system values to be at least as restrictive as the recommended settings. You can use the iSeries Navigator Security Wizard to configure the recommended security settings.
- Ensure that no user profiles, including IBM-supplied user profiles, have default passwords. Use the Analyze Default Passwords (ANZDFTPWD) command to check whether you have default passwords.
- Use object authority to protect your important system resources. Take a restrictive approach on your system. That is, by default restrict everyone (PUBLIC *EXCLUDE) from system resources such as libraries and directories. Allow only a few users to access these restricted resources. Restricting access through menus is not sufficient in an Internet environment.
- You must set up object authority on your system. .
To help you configure these minimum system security requirements, you can
use either the 
Security Planner (available from the IBM® Systems Software Information Center Web site) or the Security Wizard (available from
the iSeries Navigator
interface). The Security Planner provides you with a set of security
recommendations based on your answers to a series of questions. You can then
use these recommendations to configure the system security settings that you
need. The Security Wizard also provides recommendations based on your answers
to a series of questions. Unlike the Security Advisor, you can have the wizard
use the recommendations to configure your system security settings for you.
The inherent security features of the iSeries, when properly configured and managed, provide you with the ability to minimize many risks. When you connect your iSeries to the Internet, however, you will need to provide additional security measures to ensure the safety of your internal network. After you ensure that your iSeries has good general system security in place, you are ready to configure additional security measures as part of your comprehensive security plan for Internet usage.