ArcGIS Server security

Now that we have gotten some general security items out of the way, let's discuss ArcGIS Server security.

Fundamentals of ArcGIS Server security

In an abstract sense, security is a simple concept; by securing an IT system (such as your GIS system), we are protecting it from harm, either accidental or intentional, that could come as the result of unauthorized access. With that said, let's start with looking at how ArcGIS Server is initially configured upon post-installation, and ways we can further strengthen the security of the deployment.

The post-installation scene

After a fresh new installation of ArcGIS Server, you have a simple system:

• There is only one account in ArcGIS Server--the primary site account (PSA) that was specified upon site creation
• All admin and publishing services are secured
• All services are publicly accessible (no security is set up yet, so any service that gets published is open to the public by default)

For an internal-only development or testing environment...