8.1 Create Warnings for Standard Login Services - etc/issue contents

Information

The contents of the /etc/issue file are displayed prior to the login prompt on the system's console and serial devices and also prior to logins via telnet and Secure Shell. The contents of the /etc/motd file are generally displayed after all successful logins, regardless from where the user is logging in.

Warning messages inform users who are attempting to login to the system of their legal status regarding the system and must include the name of the organization that owns the system and any monitoring policies that are in place. As implementing a logon banner to deter inappropriate use and can provide a foundation for legal action against abuse, this warning content should be set as appropriate. Consult with your organization's legal counsel for the appropriate wording as the examples below are for demonstration purposes only.

Solution

Perform the following to implement the recommended state:
# echo "Authorized users only. All activity may be monitored and reported." > /etc/motd
# echo "Authorized users only. All activity may be monitored and reported." > /etc/issue
# chown root:root /etc/issue
# chmod 644 /etc/issue

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/611

Item Details

Category: ACCESS CONTROL

References: 800-53|AC-8

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: f233dead34339552d0643560cdc165f743b89e433e80331af95fd271668454f1