Introduction

As organizations seek to strengthen the security and integrity of their z/OS environments, the demand for reliable and efficient audit tools continues to grow. IBM zSecure Audit for RACF plays a critical role in enabling IT security professionals and auditors to assess compliance, detect misconfigurations, and improve access control mechanisms within RACF-protected mainframe systems. This powerful solution simplifies and automates the auditing process while offering in-depth insight into RACF settings, user authorities, dataset access, and system vulnerabilities.

This specialized 5-day course offered by Gentex Training Center equips participants with comprehensive knowledge of IBM zSecure Audit functionalities. It empowers professionals to conduct thorough RACF audits, understand reporting features, apply best practices, and improve security oversight within their enterprise environments. The course blends theoretical instruction with hands-on practical exercises to provide a robust and applicable learning experience.

IBM zSecure Audit for RACF Course Objectives

• Understand the structure and role of RACF within the z/OS security subsystem.
• Navigate and utilize IBM zSecure Audit to review and assess RACF security controls.
• Generate and interpret audit reports, detect anomalies, and identify policy violations.
• Use selection and grouping criteria effectively to streamline auditing tasks.
• Correlate information between SMF data and RACF data for complete audit coverage.
• Apply compliance checks and customize reports for organizational security standards.
• Utilize best practices to strengthen access control, user permissions, and resource protection.
• Leverage integration features with other zSecure suite components for optimized performance.
• Perform practical audits, analyze results, and make actionable recommendations for risk reduction.

Course Methodology

This course combines expert-led instruction, real-time demonstrations, group discussions, and hands-on lab exercises using simulated z/OS environments. Learners gain theoretical understanding and practical skills through interactive participation.

Who Should Take This Course

• RACF Administrators
• IT Security Auditors
• Compliance Officers
• z/OS System Programmers
• Information Security Managers
• Internal and External Auditors responsible for mainframe compliance

IBM zSecure Audit for RACF Course Outlines

Day 1: Introduction to RACF and IBM zSecure Audit

• Overview of z/OS security and RACF components
• The role of zSecure Audit in RACF environments
• Introduction to the zSecure suite: Audit vs Admin vs Alert
• Navigation and user interface basics
• Defining audit objectives and compliance scope
• Understanding RACF database structure and terminology
• Initial setup and data collection processes

Day 2: Access Control and User Management Auditing

• Analyzing user profiles and group associations
• Detecting excessive privileges and access rights
• Reviewing password settings and password interval policies
• Identifying inactive and orphaned user IDs
• Customizing filters and selecting relevant audit data
• Creating reports for user access and group memberships
• Practical lab: Auditing user access patterns

Day 3: Dataset, Resource, and System Auditing

• Dataset access verification: discrete and generic profiles
• Critical resource protection: STARTED tasks, OPERATIONS, SPECIAL attributes
• Review of critical datasets and unauthorized access
• SMF records and their relevance to RACF auditing
• Auditing APF-authorized libraries and user exits
• Advanced reporting for datasets, volumes, and class profiles
• Hands-on exercises: Creating system audit reports

Day 4: Compliance Monitoring and Reporting

• Applying audit compliance standards (SOX, HIPAA, GDPR, etc.)
• Mapping RACF settings to organizational policies
• Defining rule sets and exception criteria
• Generating compliance checklists and dashboards
• Report customization: layout, filters, sorting, and export options
• Sending automated alerts and periodic reports
• Lab activity: Building a compliance audit checklist

Day 5: Advanced Use Cases and Best Practices

• Integrating zSecure Audit with zSecure Alert and Admin
• Performance tuning and resource optimization
• Real-world case studies of RACF security incidents
• Techniques for reducing audit noise and false positives
• Developing audit strategies for continuous improvement
• Hands-on final project: Simulated RACF audit with analysis
• Review and wrap-up session

Conclusion

By successfully completing the IBM zSecure Audit for RACF course with Gentex Training Center, participants will gain valuable practical knowledge in conducting effective RACF audits using IBM’s leading zSecure platform. This course enables professionals to enhance the security posture of their organizations by identifying weaknesses, enforcing access policies, and supporting compliance requirements. Learners will return to their roles better equipped to analyze and improve mainframe security environments with confidence and accuracy.