Introduction

Enterprises relying on IBM mainframe systems require robust tools for both administration and auditing to ensure secure and efficient operations. IBM zSecure Admin and Audit for RACF offers a powerful and integrated solution to streamline RACF administration, automate routine tasks, and enable thorough security auditing. By using this toolset, organizations can enhance their security posture, maintain compliance, and reduce human error across z/OS environments.

This 5-day course offered by Gentex Training Center provides professionals with comprehensive skills in both RACF administration and auditing using IBM zSecure. Through a combination of theoretical concepts and hands-on labs, participants will gain the knowledge to manage RACF profiles, implement automation, generate audit reports, and apply best practices across the entire lifecycle of RACF security.

IBM zSecure Admin and Audit for RACF Course Objectives

• Understand RACF administration and auditing concepts in z/OS environments.
• Perform administrative tasks like user creation, permission assignment, and password management using zSecure Admin.
• Automate routine RACF tasks to improve efficiency and accuracy.
• Use IBM zSecure Audit to conduct security reviews, analyze privileges, and detect policy violations.
• Generate detailed reports to support compliance with internal and external standards.
• Correlate audit data with administrative actions for full visibility.
• Configure and customize panels, filters, and criteria to match organizational policies.
• Identify anomalies, weak configurations, and over-privileged users.
• Apply industry best practices to strengthen overall RACF management and monitoring.

Course Methodology

This course uses instructor-led presentations, live demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and interactive group discussions. Real-life case scenarios and practical labs allow learners to apply concepts effectively.

Who Should Take This Course

• RACF Administrators
• Security Auditors and Analysts
• IT Compliance Officers
• System Programmers for z/OS
• Mainframe Security Architects
• Professionals managing or auditing RACF environments

IBM zSecure Admin and Audit for RACF Course Outlines

Day 1: Introduction to IBM zSecure Suite and RACF Foundations

• Overview of RACF and its role in z/OS security
• Introduction to the IBM zSecure Suite: Admin and Audit modules
• RACF database structure and key terminologies
• Overview of zSecure Admin panels and user interface
• Navigating the ISPF interface and command-line options
• Basics of profile administration and task flow
• Lab session: Exploring the zSecure workspace

Day 2: RACF Administration with zSecure Admin

• Creating, modifying, and deleting user profiles
• Group management and delegation of administration
• Setting and resetting passwords securely
• Using predefined profiles and templates
• Automating common RACF tasks
• Customizing RACF settings and default values
• Lab session: Administering RACF profiles via zSecure

Day 3: Audit Principles and Using zSecure Audit

• Purpose and scope of RACF auditing
• Reviewing user permissions and group associations
• Access verification: datasets, general resources, and volumes
• Detecting anomalies and inappropriate access
• Generating audit reports using zSecure Audit
• Interpreting compliance results and violations
• Lab session: Creating a baseline audit report

Day 4: Advanced Administration and Compliance Monitoring

• Monitoring special attributes and operational privileges
• Auditing APF libraries, started tasks, and privileged users
• Setting audit controls and exception rules
• Customizing filters, views, and output formatting
• Managing SMF data and its correlation with RACF activities
• Automating report generation and scheduling
• Lab session: Hands-on audit and compliance exercise

Day 5: Integration, Reporting, and Best Practices

• Integrating zSecure Admin with Audit and Alert modules
• Real-life security incident use cases and resolution
• Performance tuning and resource optimization
• Enhancing policy enforcement with zSecure Admin
• Best practices for secure RACF administration and auditing
• Final project: Simulated end-to-end scenario
• Review and discussion

Conclusion

By successfully completing the IBM zSecure Admin and Audit for RACF course with Gentex Training Center, participants will gain practical expertise in both managing and auditing RACF environments using IBM’s zSecure tools. This dual-skill approach empowers professionals to reduce risks, improve efficiency, and support regulatory compliance. Participants will return to their roles with the confidence to streamline operations and enhance mainframe security using industry-leading practices.