Web server defense drafted

"Guidelines on Securing Public Web Servers"

Tackling one of the prime targets on a network for cyberattacks, the National Institute of Standards and Technology released a draft of its new guidance on securing public Web servers March 1.

The draft special publication is intended for technical personnel, as it contains detailed guidance and checklists on how to configure the Web server itself, as well as the underlying operating system and security products, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems.

The guide also covers security administration procedures for Web servers, including logging, backup, recovery, testing and remote administration.

In the appendices, the guide outlines the steps to secure the two most commonly used Web servers, the open-source Apache server and Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Information Server.

Comments on the draft are due to Wayne Jansen (jansen@nist.gov) by March 28.