Need to respond to the below two students’ initial posts, and each of these responses should be at least 150 words. The question the students are answering are in bold below.

For this assignment, answer the following:

• What is the purpose of the mysql_install_db script?
• What are some of the problems that can occur while running the mysql_install_db script?
• Why are usernames considered just as important as passwords?

Student one:

Part One

The mysql_install_db script automatically creates a basic data file directory and grant tables for user permissions. This script creates the data directory and grant tables used to access data elements within a database. Following the mysql_install_db script execution, the administrator can apply changes to the default directories and grant tables at any time. After initialization, user accounts are created along with privilege table entries for each account. A key detail about this script is that it does not overwrite any existing privilege tables or affect data (MySQL, n.d.).

Part Two

If errors occur following the execution of the mysql_install_db script, problems are likely to be experienced. Some of the most common problems that can result from using this script include grant table install failures, write access issues, or multiple servers bound to the same TCP/IP port or Unix socket. First, if the grant table fails to install then administrators should review the error log file to determine potential causes for this and include the log file when reporting bugs to customer support (MySQL, n.d.). Second, write access issues can occur if a person does not have permissions to create temporary or Unix socket files in the default /tmp directory. This circumstance can be mitigated by changing the location where temporary files are stored by manual programming the desired directory to store these files. Lastly, two or more servers that are assigned to the same TCP/IP port or Unix socket may cause problems when attempting to run both servers simultaneously (MySQL, n.d). It is best practice to assign a different port or socket to each server.

Part Three

Usernames are considered just as important as passwords because they can easily be discovered and exploited. Since the mysql_install_db script automatically generates default user accounts, it is likely that intruders will know which accounts to look for when attempting to gain access to data, such as accounts with administrator access. Default usernames should be changed to something that does not indicate a user’s privilege level as a security measure against intruders (Basta & Zgola, 2012). Also, implementing the principle of least privilege can help minimize the damage caused by a compromised user account.

References

Basta, A. & Zgola, M. (2012). Database Security. [VitalSource Bookshelf]. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/97813053284…

MySQL. (n.d.). Problems Running mysql_install_db. Retrieved May 15, 2019, from https://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql-linuxunix-excerpt/5.5/en/mysql-install-db-problems.html

-Torres

Student two:

What is the purpose of the mysql_install_db script?

The mysql_install_db script is used after the database installed. The installation is just the beginning, and after the basic platform is installed, the database must be configured. The mysql_install_db script creates a file structure and tables for permissions. Sometimes this script is run automatically, but it can also be manually run as well. (Basta, Zgola, & Bullaboy, 2012) Running a standard configuration script each time helps to ensure that the configuration is performed the same way every time and helps to remove the risk of human error by executing the configuration steps manually.

What are some of the problems that can occur while running the mysql_install_db script?

The mysql_install_db script can run into a number of potential issues. It can fail to create the permissions tables, can fail to run because the mysqld process is already running, or the administrator running the script may not have access to the /tmp directory which is required when the script is run. If an administrator runs into these issues, they should look at any error logs carefully, check to see if the mysqld process is already running, and verify their administrative permissions for the /tmp directory. (MySQL 5.6) When in doubt, check the small things. The details matter! Even after running the mysql_install_db script, it’s important to make sure to set a strong passwords for the MySQL root account. The mysql configuration script creates up to five accounts as a part of the configuration, and each one needs to have a strong password set. (Basta, Zgola, & Bullaboy, 2012)

Why are usernames considered just as important as passwords?

A username is half of the key to the database kingdom (so to speak). The other half of the key is the password. An administrator never wants an attacker to obtain their full key, or really any part of this key, as that will give an attacker access to the database. The default account names for databases are often available online since they are often standard across the platform. This is why it important to change default usernames and set strong passwords on all accounts so that attackers cannot easily guess the account names by doing a couple Google searches. If the username is left as the default, then an attacker is already halfway there to compromising the system. (Basta, Zgola, & Bullaboy, 2012)

References

Basta, A., Zgola, M., & Bullaboy, D. (2012). Database security. Boston, MA: Course Technology/Cengage Learning.

MySQL 5.6 Reference Manual :: 2.10.1.1 Problems Running mysql_install_db. (n.d.). Retrieved May 15, 2019, from https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.6/en/mysql-install-db-problems.html

-Crutcher