1.2. Why use LIDS?

The current Linux setup has many problems that are inherent in many versions of *nix. Probably the single largest problem is the "all powerful" root account. When a process or user has root privileges, there is little if nothing to prevent that process or user from completely destroying the system. A malicious user/intruder with root access can cause much headache for us hard working sysadmins. LIDS implements access control lists (ACLs) that will help prevent even those with access to the mighty root account from wreaking havoc on a system. These ACLs allow LIDS to protect files as well as processes.