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List:       focus-ms
Subject:    Re: E-Mail gateway on IIS.
From:       Jitendra Kalyankar <jitendra.kalyankar () gmail ! com>
Date:       2005-06-14 6:07:30
Message-ID: 99a17ce405061323074d7e1fbf () mail ! gmail ! com
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Thanks much guys! I will go with two seperate boxes! Preferably with
*nix as mentioned in one of the mails below...

Sincerely,
Jitendra Kalyankar

On 6/13/05, Beauford, Jason <jbeauford@eightinonepet.com> wrote:
> An issue I can think of is this:
> 
> Say that Email gateway has a local quarantine, as does Brightmail, and
> is using LDAP authentications for AD users to log on to their local
> quarantine boxes.  If the IIS server is compromised (very common
> nowadays) then it would be trivial to capture those unencrypted LDAP
> authentications and essentially the hacker would have valid AD usernames
> and passwords.
> 
> Also:  Since it is an email gateway, (is this an Exchange backend?) then
> it probably has relay permissions on your backend mail server.  If IIS
> is comp'd then it would be trivial for a hacker to use your Backend mail
> server to relay mail.
> 
> I can imagine a situation where your IIS is hijacked or modded to host
> Phishing scams and your backend mail server is used to send out the
> initial phishing emails.  This of course would set off too many red
> flags for it to be viable, but it is still possible.
> 
> I'd put them on separate boxes with both boxes in the DMZ and a pinhole
> for port 25.  I'm sure you know not to make either a part of your Domain
> (if you're in an AD environment).
> 
> With regards to budgets:  Figure out the cost of mitigating the risk
> versus the cost of an intrusion where confidential corporate data is
> stolen (a recent popular trend - Motorola, Citibank etc.).  I'm sure the
> cost of a separate server plus the cost of maintenance < the cost of the
> intrusion.
> 
> Just my $.02.
> 
> JMB
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Meni Milstein [mailto:meni@kdm.co.il]
> Sent: Monday, June 13, 2005 1:04 PM
> Cc: focus-ms@securityfocus.com
> Subject: RE: E-Mail gateway on IIS.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You are looking at it from two perspectives. (or at least - you should
> be).
> 
> One machine is one point of attack - meaning if the machine is
> successfully attacked then both services are down... as Burton implies.
> 
> Two different machines are more costly to maintain and if you say that
> you run both sevrices on the same machine I assume that they have the
> same OS... which means that securing them would just about be the same
> Job (aside from securing the actual protocols themselves...)
> 
> I would go with two separate machines if I had the budjet... always
> cooler to have at least 50% of services running in case a of a real
> attack. But I see no real issue that can arise from running the services
> on one machine. Of course - this machine should be strong enough to
> support both services. If your mail GW scans outgoing mails for viruses,
> then  I guess, depending on the size of your org, the server may need to
> handle loads... in which case you should consider seperating the
> services.
> 
> In terms of security - I see no problem.
> 
> Good luck.
> 
> Meni Milstein
> http://www.lcs-guides.com
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Burton Strauss [mailto:BStrauss3@comcast.net]
> Sent: Monday, June 13, 2005 6:38 PM
> To: 'Jitendra Kalyankar'; focus-ms@securityfocus.com
> Subject: RE: E-Mail gateway on IIS.
> 
> Two separate boxes are two separate points of attack.  One box is a
> single point, slightly more attractive to the bad guy.
> 
> Two boxes mean both require the same OS patches and basic OS security
> (hardening).
> 
> Either way, each service needs to be secured individually.
> 
> It might be less disruptive to be able to reboot separately, or it may
> be easier to only need one reboot.
> 
> Probably can go both ways depending on your personal preference.
> 
> 
> -----Burton
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jitendra Kalyankar [mailto:jitendra.kalyankar@gmail.com]
> Sent: Monday, June 13, 2005 6:27 AM
> To: focus-ms@securityfocus.com
> Subject: E-Mail gateway on IIS.
> 
> MS Gurus -
> 
> I have on question about the e-mail gateway. I am working with this
> company where company has webserver as well as E-Mail gateway on the
> same server. Let me know if this will create any security risks. In
> other words is it recommanded that you need to have seperate webserver
> and e-mail gateway servers.
> 
> Any inputs on this are highly appreciated.
> 
> --
> Thanks,
> Jitendra Kalyankar
> 
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-- 
Thanks,
Jitendra Kalyankar

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