Have you ever wondered whether the system you are using is the same as the one that you originally configured?

Making sure that the configuration and setting information that you configured is the same as when you configured it should be a basic part of any security procedure. After all, if an unscrupulous person has changed the configuration of your system, you want to know about it.

Tracking that information though can be difficult. You can’t expect to check the contents of every single file. Even if you automated the process, the potential quantity of information to be checked could be enormous and often what you want first is a quick indication of where to start looking.

In my new article, System Administration Toolkit: Testing system validity I show you a number of techniques for recording and verifying this information, and include sample scripts that will automate the process for you.

Read: Systems Administration Toolkit: Testing system validity