T 3.34 Unsuitable configuration of the management system

In order for a network management system and/or a system management system to be used securely, all components involved must be configured consistently. Although the individual components are usually managed from a central entity (management console), the management system is made up of a number of individual components which are distributed among the network components to be managed. A consistent configuration of such a system can be subdivided into two areas:

• On the one hand, the configuration of the system components (e.g. computer, router) set with the help of the management system must be consistent as a whole. A server should, therefore, be configured in such a way that all authorised client computers have access but no others do.

• On the other hand, the management software itself must be configured consistently.

If the consistency of the configuration is damaged, either intentionally or unintentionally, then the components cease to work together smoothly, which can cause security problems. For example, a server may become inaccessible or access rights may become too relaxed.