- Lab
- A Cloud Guru
Configure an Account Lockout Policy
In this lab, we will use the Pluggable Authentication Module (PAM) to create an account lockout policy. Account lockout policies are crucial in preventing brute force password attacks from being successful. *This course is not approved or sponsored by Red Hat.*
Path Info
Table of Contents
-
Challenge
Install PAM
- To install PAM, run the following command:
sudo yum install -y pam-devel -
Challenge
Create an Account Lockout Policy
- To set up an account lockout policy that will lock for 15 minutes after 3 consecutive failed logins and includes the root account in the policy, you'll need to add the following lines to both
/etc/pam.d/password-authand/etc/pam.d/system-auth:
auth required pam_faillock.so preauth silent audit deny=3 even_deny_root unlock_time=900 auth [default=die] pam_faillock.so authfail audit deny=3 even_deny_root unlock_time=900- The first line above should be the second uncommented line in the files
- The second line above should be the fourth uncommented line in the files.
- Next, we need to add the following line as the first line in the
accountsection of thepassword-authandsystem-authfiles:
account required pam_faillock.so - To set up an account lockout policy that will lock for 15 minutes after 3 consecutive failed logins and includes the root account in the policy, you'll need to add the following lines to both
-
Challenge
Test the Account Lockout Policy
- Open a new shell to your host
- Enter incorrect login credentials for
cloud_user - Run the command
faillockand you now see the recorded failed logins
What's a lab?
Hands-on Labs are real environments created by industry experts to help you learn. These environments help you gain knowledge and experience, practice without compromising your system, test without risk, destroy without fear, and let you learn from your mistakes. Hands-on Labs: practice your skills before delivering in the real world.
Provided environment for hands-on practice
We will provide the credentials and environment necessary for you to practice right within your browser.
Guided walkthrough
Follow along with the author’s guided walkthrough and build something new in your provided environment!
Did you know?
On average, you retain 75% more of your learning if you get time for practice.
