The biggest threat for a web server, is exploiting a vulnerability and gaining 
root access. How are you going to restrict access to files for root with 
standard permissions?

The ability to restrict not only what files but which commands a user can 
access, and what files a process can access is amazing.

I agree you can shore up a server pretty tight with the standard tools, but 
SELinux just takes it that step further and if used correctly makes if far 
simpler to manage. I see the old way as micro managing, and its a lot easier to 
make mistakes when doing so. 
I see KISS used a lot to imply that the simpler the tool the better, I see it 
as the simpler to configure the better. And SELinux falls into the latter 
category IMO.

This is an article I found helpful when setting up SELinux the first time 
round. Related to Apache. I would be interested in how you could accomplish 
something like this without SELinux?
http://isrlabs.net/wordpress/?p=129

And this is the video that stopped me disabling SELinux… Skip to about 4:30 if 
you want to skip the introduction and get to the presentation proper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxjenQ31b70

Daniel.

> Personally cannot think of a single use case for "if the file is under
> this directory, I want permissions XYZ" which can't be delivered by the
> current MAC/DAC/umask system... well, not one I'd want to see on a
> production server - KISS is paramount! Use of secondary groups+setgid
> +(rarely) umask+pam.d changes has done just about everything I need*
> 
> Steve

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