[Info-vax] VMS and security

[Simon Clubley]

On 2022-11-02, IanD <iloveopenvms at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I would have thought VMS could leverage it's historical reputation in security to give it an advantage against Linux at least, but I'm not convinced it has done enough to ensure it's up to date in the modern security landscape and it really needs to make sure it has it's ducks all in a row and then some because any failure in the security arena could/would end VMS chances of making a comeback

Unfortunately, the idea of VMS security somehow being comparable to
today's expected security standards is utterly delusional.

Even Linux is _far_ in advance of what VMS offers.

For example, Linux has mandatory access controls and VMS is still stuck
back in the DAC world.

There's no ASLR/KASLR support on VMS.

There's nothing like the Unix chroot jails on VMS.

Compiler protections in generated code has been lacking on VMS compared
to what is available elsewhere, but John in recent years has started
looking at getting comparable protections in the VMS compilers, when it
comes to generating code, that currently exist elsewhere.

Back in the 1980s/early 1990s, VMS was a leader in security and it has
proudly remained there while the rest of the world has moved on.

Simon.

-- 
Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.