Training Implementing RACF Security for CICS/ESA and CICS/TS

This course teaches how to implement security for CICS systems using RACF as an external security manager. The lecture material will first explain the implementation tasks for a CICS system in a single region, and then extend to CICS systems in multiple regions connected to an MRO or ISC. In the class, you will learn both the CICS and RACF definitions necessary to establish effective security controls for CICS. You will learn how to:

The course is designed for CICS security and support personnel who are responsible for designing, implementing or administering RACF security on CICS Transaction Server systems.

Day 1

• Welcome, course introduction and administration
• Unit 1 – CICS Overview
• Exercise 1 – Getting acquainted with CICS
• Unit 2 – RACF Overview
• Exercise 2 – Getting to know the RACF

Day 2

• Laboratory review of unit 2
• Unit 3 – Protection of the CICS region
• Exercise 3 – Protecting the CICS region
• Unit 4 – Login Security
• Exercise 4 – Login security

Day 3

• Unit 5 – Security of transactions
• Exercise 5 – Security of transactions
• Unit 6 – Security of CICS resources and SPI commands.
• Exercise 6 – Security of CICS resources and SPI commands

Day 4

• Unit 7 – Security of connections and links between CICS
• Unit 8 – Security of conversations between CICS

Day 5

• Laboratory review
• Unit 9 – Securing CICSPlex SM
• Unit 10 – Implementation Planning
• Unit 11 – CICS and DB2 security
• Unit 12 – CICS Network Services Security

You should know:

• RACF (perhaps as a security administrator) or CICS (perhaps as a member of the CICS technical support staff).

It is not assumed or necessary that you are familiar with both RACF and CICS.

• Identify tasks to be performed in RACF and CICS to implement safeguards
• Develop a detailed plan for implementing RACF security features in CICS systems
• Implementation of RACF-based security for CICS in single-system environments and CICS inter-system communications (MRO and ISC)
• Create definitions in RACF and CICS to protect transactions, CICS resources and SPI commands
• Secure CICS system resources so that only CICS has access and others, such as TSO users or batch jobs, are denied access
• Defining users of CICS terminals in RACF and limiting the CICS regions to which they can log in
• Control access to individual CICS transactions, CICS application resources used by those transactions, CICS SPI commands in transactions, and resources defined by the installation to meet application security requirements
• Using RACF to secure access to CICS from other platforms through Advanced Program-to-Program Communication (APPC) connections
• Identify key areas that need to be secured in the CICSPlex System Manager