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Security Overview

PMDaemon provides multiple layers of security to protect your applications and the daemon itself. This guide covers security features, best practices, and configuration options.

Authentication and Authorization​

API Authentication​

PMDaemon supports multiple authentication methods for securing API access:

Token-Based Authentication​

[security.auth]
method = "token"
secret_key = "your-secret-key-here"
token_expiry = 3600  # seconds

JWT Authentication​

[security.auth]
method = "jwt"
jwt_secret = "your-jwt-secret"
jwt_algorithm = "HS256"
issuer = "pmdaemon"
audience = "api-clients"

Basic Authentication​

[security.auth]
method = "basic"
username = "admin"
password_hash = "$2b$10$..."  # bcrypt hash

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)​

Define user roles and permissions:

[security.rbac]
enabled = true

[security.rbac.roles.admin]
permissions = ["*"]  # All permissions

[security.rbac.roles.operator]
permissions = [
  "process:start",
  "process:stop",
  "process:restart",
  "process:read"
]

[security.rbac.roles.viewer]
permissions = ["process:read", "logs:read"]

User Management​

[security.users.admin]
password_hash = "$2b$10$..."
roles = ["admin"]

[security.users.ops_team]
password_hash = "$2b$10$..."
roles = ["operator"]

Network Security​

TLS/SSL Configuration​

HTTPS API Server​

[server.tls]
enabled = true
cert_file = "/path/to/certificate.pem"
key_file = "/path/to/private-key.pem"
ca_file = "/path/to/ca-bundle.pem"  # Optional

Certificate Management​

[server.tls]
auto_cert = true  # Enable automatic certificate generation
cert_domains = ["pmdaemon.example.com"]
acme_email = "admin@example.com"

Network Access Control​

IP Whitelisting​

[security.network]
allowed_ips = [
  "192.168.1.0/24",
  "10.0.0.0/8",
  "127.0.0.1"
]
blocked_ips = [
  "192.168.1.100"
]

Port Security​

[security.network]
# Bind to specific interfaces
bind_address = "127.0.0.1"  # Local only
# bind_address = "0.0.0.0"  # All interfaces (less secure)

# Custom port for security through obscurity
port = 8443  # Instead of default 3000

Firewall Integration​

[security.firewall]
enabled = true
default_policy = "deny"
rules = [
  { action = "allow", port = 8443, source = "192.168.1.0/24" },
  { action = "allow", port = 22, source = "admin_network" }
]

Process Security​

Process Isolation​

User/Group Isolation​

[app.myapp.security]
# Run process as specific user/group
user = "webapp"
group = "webapp"
umask = "0027"  # Restrictive file permissions

Directory Restrictions​

[app.myapp.security]
# Restrict process to specific directories
chroot = "/var/lib/myapp"
working_dir = "/var/lib/myapp"
temp_dir = "/var/lib/myapp/tmp"

Resource Limits​

[app.myapp.security]
# Prevent resource exhaustion attacks
max_memory = "512MB"
max_cpu = 50  # percentage
max_files = 1024
max_processes = 10

Environment Security​

Environment Variable Sanitization​

[app.myapp.security]
# Remove sensitive environment variables
env_blacklist = ["AWS_SECRET", "DB_PASSWORD"]
# Only allow specific environment variables
env_whitelist = ["NODE_ENV", "PORT", "LOG_LEVEL"]

Secure Environment Injection​

[app.myapp.env_secure]
# Encrypted environment variables
DATABASE_URL = { encrypted = "encrypted_value_here" }
API_KEY = { vault = "secret/api-key" }

Data Security​

Log Security​

Log Sanitization​

[logging.security]
# Remove sensitive data from logs
sanitize_patterns = [
  "password=\\w+",
  "token=\\w+",
  "\\b\\d{4}-\\d{4}-\\d{4}-\\d{4}\\b"  # Credit card numbers
]
replacement = "[REDACTED]"

Log Encryption​

[logging.security]
encrypt_logs = true
encryption_key = "your-encryption-key"
cipher = "aes-256-gcm"

Configuration Security​

Encrypted Configuration​

[security.config]
encrypt_sensitive = true
encryption_key_file = "/etc/pmdaemon/encryption.key"

Configuration Validation​

[security.config]
validate_schema = true
schema_file = "/etc/pmdaemon/config.schema.json"
strict_mode = true

Monitoring and Auditing​

Security Monitoring​

Failed Authentication Tracking​

[security.monitoring]
track_failed_auth = true
max_failed_attempts = 5
lockout_duration = 300  # seconds
alert_on_repeated_failures = true

Suspicious Activity Detection​

[security.monitoring]
detect_anomalies = true
alert_on_privilege_escalation = true
monitor_file_access = true
track_network_connections = true

Audit Logging​

Security Event Logging​

[security.audit]
enabled = true
log_file = "/var/log/pmdaemon/security.log"
events = [
  "authentication",
  "authorization",
  "process_start",
  "process_stop",
  "config_change",
  "file_access"
]

Compliance Logging​

[security.audit]
format = "json"
include_request_details = true
include_response_data = false
retention_days = 90

Vulnerability Management​

Security Updates​

Automatic Security Updates​

[security.updates]
auto_update = true
security_only = true
update_check_interval = 86400  # daily

Dependency Scanning​

[security.scanning]
scan_dependencies = true
vulnerability_database = "/var/lib/pmdaemon/vuln.db"
alert_on_critical = true

Security Hardening​

System Hardening Checklist​

  • Run PMDaemon as non-root user
  • Use dedicated user accounts for applications
  • Enable TLS for all network communication
  • Implement proper firewall rules
  • Regular security updates
  • Monitor security logs
  • Use strong authentication methods
  • Implement principle of least privilege

Container Security (if using containers)​

[app.myapp.container.security]
read_only_root = true
no_new_privileges = true
drop_capabilities = ["ALL"]
add_capabilities = ["NET_BIND_SERVICE"]

Incident Response​

Security Incident Detection​

[security.incident_response]
enabled = true
alert_threshold = "medium"
notification_channels = ["email", "slack"]

Automated Response​

[security.incident_response.automation]
# Automatic actions on security events
block_suspicious_ips = true
kill_compromised_processes = true
backup_logs = true
notify_administrators = true

Recovery Procedures​

[security.recovery]
backup_config = true
backup_logs = true
emergency_shutdown = true
safe_mode_enabled = true

Security Best Practices​

Configuration Security​

  1. Use Strong Authentication: Always enable authentication in production
  2. Encrypt Communications: Use TLS for all network traffic
  3. Principle of Least Privilege: Grant minimal necessary permissions
  4. Regular Updates: Keep PMDaemon and dependencies up to date
  5. Monitor Continuously: Set up comprehensive security monitoring

Operational Security​

  1. Secure Deployment: Use secure deployment practices
  2. Environment Separation: Separate development, staging, and production
  3. Access Control: Implement proper access controls
  4. Backup Security: Secure backup storage and access
  5. Incident Response: Have a security incident response plan

Development Security​

  1. Secure Coding: Follow secure coding practices
  2. Dependency Management: Regularly audit and update dependencies
  3. Code Review: Implement security-focused code reviews
  4. Testing: Include security testing in your CI/CD pipeline
  5. Documentation: Document security configurations and procedures

Compliance and Standards​

Compliance Frameworks​

  • SOC 2 Type II
  • ISO 27001
  • NIST Cybersecurity Framework
  • OWASP Top 10

Security Standards​

  • TLS 1.3 for encryption
  • OWASP guidelines for web application security
  • CIS Controls for infrastructure security
  • NIST guidelines for authentication and access control

For specific authentication configurations, see our Authentication Guide. For more security configurations, refer to our Configuration Best Practices.