Chapter 8. Using Some Tools and Services

Chapter 2 probably convinced you that we don’t think much of the security of most standard network services. Very few fit our definition of “secure.” We have three options:

  • Live with the standard services we trust

  • Build new ones that are more likely to be secure

  • Find a way to tame those unsafe, but useful services

Note carefully our use of the word “service.” By it, we include both the protocols and their common implementations. Sometimes the protocol itself is unsafe—reread Chapter 2, if necessary—but sometimes the problem is with the existing code base.

The first option limits us too much; there are very few standard or Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) programs we trust. The second is a bit more appealing, ...

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