Data and equipment backup

Software management

The server software also requires monitoring and regular maintenance. To do this, you need to have a good understanding of the interdependencies of programs in the server infrastructure, which helps not only to better configure the software, but also to quickly find the reasons for unsatisfactory server performance.

It is also necessary to make regular updates to application software, firmware and operating systems. This improves both the performance of the entire IT system and its security, since poor server performance pulls other parts of the system with it and potentially creates vulnerabilities for cyberattacks to the IT system. It is also good practice to remove old software that is no longer in use.

Security

An important component of server management is security. Security policies can vary depending on the type and needs of the business. Common server security solutions may include: Aruba certified design expert (acdx)

installing and keeping up-to-date anti-virus software;

using firewalls to cut off unauthorized traffic from the external network;

using the installation policy and creating passwords for personnel access to equipment and software;

encryption of sensitive data in the storage system and on external connections for transmission over the network;

using SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) tools to better understand potential threats.

Data and equipment backup

For reliable and stable operation of the server, it is necessary to make regular backups of its data ("backup"). The loss of important data can be disastrous for any business. According to the American operator Verizon , about 70% of data loss occurs due to external factors. And 40% of small and medium enterprises in 2019 were unable to recover their business after losing a large amount of data. It is even more surprising that according to the research organization Ponemon Institute, 39% of small and medium-sized enterprises do not have any plan for recovering critical corporate information in the event of disasters and data loss.

Fortunately, there are many effective backup solutions available, including software backup for both physical and virtual servers.

The power supply to the servers must also be redundant so that data is not lost in the event of a sudden external power outage. For this purpose, autonomous power sources (diesel generators and batteries) are installed in data centers, and in data centers they also use the input of external lines from two electrical substations located in different "trees" of the power supply network topology.

Server management systems have special software tools that automatically back up and restore data, and monitor the status of server power elements to avoid potential data loss during power outages and power failures.

However, while there are many backup options available on a single server or corporate network, not all of them will work on large scale networks. In this case, you need special techniques and tools that cloud providers use.

Manage servers yourself or outsource?

Each business or organization must find an answer to the question: to manage their servers themselves or to use external management, or a combination of both. And decide what is more profitable in a particular case, taking into account many factors: economic, information security, reliability, etc.

If an enterprise has enough skilled staff, managing its own servers can give the advantage of being in complete control of its own computing environment. There are many tools for this purpose, such as automated regular reports and proactive alerts, that keep the server environment running efficiently and without fail. The functionality of these tools can vary significantly, from simple performance monitoring to proactive server management.

Choosing a server management system

It is quite difficult to provide a comprehensive guide to choosing a server management system. This task is akin to choosing the right car. No one has yet undertaken such work as writing a detailed guide to choosing a personal car. The same situation is with the choice of the server management system. There are too many different factors to consider.

Therefore, the best advice may be to use the services of a qualified expert who would understand the situation and needs of an enterprise or organization where a server management system is needed and recommend one or another system.

How fiber optic cables work

A fiber optic cable consists of one or more strands of glass, each only slightly thicker than human hair. The center of each wire is called the core, which provides the way for light to travel. The core is surrounded by a layer of glass called plating that reflects light inward to avoid signal loss and allow light to pass through the bends in the cable.

The two main types of fiber optic cables are single mode and multi-mode . Single-mode fiber uses extremely thin strands of glass and a laser to generate light, while multimode fiber optic cables use LEDs. 

Single-mode fiber optic networks often use Wave Division multiplexing techniques to increase the amount of data traffic that the cable can carry. WDM allows the combination of light at several different wavelengths (multiplexed) and subsequently separated (de-multiplexed), efficiently transmitting multiple communication streams through a single light pulse.

The advantages of fiber optic cables

Fiber cables offer more advantages over long-distance copper cables.

Fiber optics support higher capacity . The amount of network bandwidth that a fiber cable can carry easily exceeds that of a copper cable of similar thickness. 10 Gbps , 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps fiber cables are standard.

Because light can travel much longer distances on a fiber cable without losing its strength, the need for signal pulses is reduced.

A fiber optic cable is less sensitive to interference. A copper network cable requires shielding to protect it from electromagnetic interference. While this protection helps, it is not enough to prevent interference when many cables are tied together. The physical properties of fiber optic cables avoid most of these problems.

Fiber to the home, other implementations and fiber networks

While most fiber optics are installed to support long-distance connections between cities and countries, some residential ISPs have invested in expanding their fiber facilities in suburban neighborhoods for direct access by households. Suppliers and industry professionals use these state- of -the - art facilities .

Some of the best-known home-based fiber services include Verizon FIOS and Google Fiber . These services can provide households with gigabit internet speeds. However, it usually also offers customers smaller capacity packages. Different packages for home consumers are often abbreviated with obscure acronyms: Dark fiber network

FTTP (Fiber to Premise) : Fiber that is laid down to the building.

FTTB (Building / Block Fibers) : Same as FTTP.

FTTC / N (Fiber at the edge of the knot) : Fiber that is put on the knot but then copper wires complete the connection inside the building.

Direct fiber : Fiber that leaves the central office and is attached directly to a customer. It offers the highest bandwidth, but direct fiber is expensive.

Common fiber : similar to direct fiber, except that as the fiber approaches the premises of nearby customers, it splits into other optical fibers for those users.

Patch Now: F5 Vulnerability with CVSS 10 Severity Score

F5 Networks, a provider of networking devices and services, urges users to patch their BIG-IP networking systems as soon as possible, after the provider disclosed two vulnerabilities. First of these is CVE-2020-5902, a critical remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability found in BIG-IP device’s Traffic Management User Interface (TMUI).  

CVE-2020-5902 received a 10 out of 10 score on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) v3.0 vulnerability severity scale. After this vulnerability was made public, threat actors were quick to take advantage of it by launching attacks on the impacted devices, as spotted by NCC Group security researcher Rich Warren.

Another less critical vulnerability, CVE-2020-5903, involves cross-site scripting (XSS). F5 has now released patches for both in the vulnerabilities’ respective security advisories (one advisory for CVE-2020-5902 and another for CVE-2020-5903). Both vulnerabilities were revealed to the company by Mikhail Klyuchnikov, a security researcher from Positive Technologies.

The severe vulnerability: CVE-2020-5902

CVE-2020-5902 is an RCE vulnerability found in BIG-IP’s TMUI, also known as the Configuration utility. In a properly configured network environment, this configuration portal should not be accessible to an attacker – unless he already has access to the network from inside. The vulnerability is reported to be easily exploited and automated, as it could be used over the internet and does not require advanced coding skills to abuse.

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker has to send a specifically crafted HTTP request to the server that houses BIG-IP’s TMUI. By abusing CVE-2020-5902, unauthenticated users can perform the following actions even without valid credentials: F5 networks careers

Execute arbitrary commands and code

Create or delete files

Disable services

Klyuchnikov stresses in Positive Technoligies’ report that “RCE in this case results from security flaws in multiple components, such as one that allows directory traversal exploitation. This is particularly dangerous for companies whose F5 BIG-IP web interface is listed on search engines such as Shodan. Fortunately, most companies using the product do not enable access to the interface from the internet." As stated in ZDNet's article, there are approximately 8,400 BIG-IP devices connected to the internet according to a Shodan search.

F5 warned users that this vulnerability might result in a complete system compromise. The full list of affected devices, their patches, and mitigations (in case upgrades are not possible) are available in F5’s security advisory for CVE-2020-5902.

The United States Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency also released a statement that encourages users and administrators to patch their devices.

CVE-2020-5903 cross-site scripting vulnerability

Similarly, the less critical XSS vulnerability CVE-2020-5903, discovered by F5 in another security advisory, also affects the TMUI. It allows running malicious JavaScript code as an authenticated logged-in user. The list of affected devices, recommendations, and mitigations can be found in the same advisory.

Affected companies

ZDNet's report states that BIG-IP devices are utilized on the networks of 48 companies included in the Fortune 50 list, as F5 divulged on their official website. The products are also used in networks and cloud data centers of enterprises, government organizations, and internet providers, among other industries.

A surge in demand for F5 solutions has been witnessed recently, a major reason for which is the abrupt transition to work-from-home arrangements by many companies as necessitated by the global coronavirus pandemic.

Protecting vulnerabilities from attackers

As threat actors are on the constant lookout for vulnerabilities to exploit, it is highly advised that security teams and users follow security measures to ensure that their systems remain protected. Some of these basic recommendations are the following:

Periodically patch and update operating systems, firmware, programs, applications, and other software.

Keep abreast of the latest reports on vulnerabilities affecting devices and software from different providers.

Deploy security solutions to detect threats before they can compromise the systems.

DevOps Engineer / Linux System Administrator

What we will trust you: linux administrator

Deployment of company projects on servers;

Administration of the existing infrastructure;

Investigation of problems and support of Linux-based servers, including work to support software developed in the company;

Localization and analysis of the causes of bottlenecks in the performance of applications and servers;

Participation in projects to increase infrastructure, increase bandwidth, integrate new systems and software products, build test systems;

Support for internal services (DNS, Gmail, Confluence, JIRA, Gitlab, company website, etc.) required for the team's work;

Deployment and support of continuous integration systems (gitlab, jenkins, servers for building projects)

What are we waiting for:

Work experience as a Linux (Ubuntu) system administrator at least 3 years;

Deep knowledge of Linux (Ubuntu) OS, remote server administration, experience in shell scripting;

Experience in finding / diagnosing faults;

Administration of the Nginx web server;

Experience in setting up monitoring;

Knowledge of network protocols;

Teamwork experience;

Experience in DBMS administration (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, Clickhouse);

It will be an additional plus:

Experience in server administration with Node.js applications;

Experience in building monitoring of distributed systems;

Experience in administering / supporting a high-load service operating in 24x7 mode;

Experience with configuration management systems;

Experience with Docker, Nagios / Icinga, Fluentd, Elastic Stack, RabbitMQ;

Experience with Amazon services;

Experience with orchestration systems;

Using an infrastructure-as-code approach