Solaris 8 Security

Chapter 6. Auditing and Accounting

THIS CHAPTER CONSIDERS TWO TECHNIQUES—auditing and accounting. These techniques do not defend systems or networks like most other technologies described in this book. Instead, they tell you what did or did not happen to your systems by keeping records of events. Behind both techniques is the principle of accountability— that is, being able to tell who did what, how, and when. In many cases, the mere knowledge that everything done on or to the system is recorded and will be analyzed and used against intruders can act as a deterrent to potential hackers. Although both auditing and accounting do exactly that, ...