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Top 10 List of Week 02
- Definition — What does Operating System Security (OS Security) mean?
Operating system security (OS security) is the process of ensuring OS integrity, confidentiality and availability. OS security refers to specified steps or measures used to protect the OS from threats, viruses, worms, malware or remote hacker intrusions. OS security encompasses all preventive-control techniques, which safeguard any computer assets capable of being stolen, edited or deleted if OS security is compromised.
- Common Types of Security Violations
Some of the most common types of violations include: Breach of Confidentiality - Theft of private or confidential information; Breach of Integrity - Unauthorized modification of data, which may have serious indirect consequences; Breach of Availability - Unauthorized destruction of data, often just for the “fun” of causing havoc and for bragging rites. Theft of Service - Unauthorized use of resources; Denial of Service (DOS) - Preventing legitimate users from using the system, often by overloading and overwhelming the system with an excess of requests for service.
- Security Measures Taken to Protect the System
The 4 levels at which a system must be protected are: Physical - The sites containing computer systems must be physically secured against armed and malicious intruders; Human - Only appropriate users must have the authorization to access the system. Operating System - The system must protect itself from accidental or purposeful security breaches. Network - Network should be properly secured against such attacks.
- Types of Program Threats
Operating system’s processes and kernel do the designated task as instructed. If a user program made these process do malicious tasks, then it is known as Program Threats. One of the common example of program threat is a program installed in a computer which can store and send user credentials via network to some hacker. Some well-known program threats include: Trojan Horse, Trap Door, Logic Bomb, Stack and Buffer Overflow, and Viruses.
- Types of System and Network Threats
System threats refers to misuse of system services and network connections to put user in trouble. System threats can be used to launch program threats on a complete network called as program attack. System threats creates such an environment that operating system resources/ user files are misused. Some well-known system threats include: Worms, Port Scanning, adn Denial of Service (DOS).
- Public Keys and Private Keys in Public Key Cryptography
Public key infrastructure (PKI) is used to manage identity and security in internet communications. The core technology enabling PKI is public key cryptography, an encryption mechanism that relies upon the use of two related keys, a public key and a private key. These two keys are used together to encrypt and decrypt a message. Pairing two cryptographic keys in this manner is also known as asymmetric cryptography. Public key cryptography uses cryptographic algorithms to protect identities and data from unauthorized access or use, guarding against attacks from cybercriminals and other malicious actors.
- User Authentication
Authentication refers to identifying each user of the system and associating the executing programs with those users. It is the responsibility of the Operating System to create a protection system which ensures that a user who is running a particular program is authentic. Operating Systems generally identifies/authenticates users using the following ways: Passwords (Encrypted & One-Time), Generated Keys, or Biometrics.
- Implementing Security Defenses
Just as there are myriad threats to system and network security, there are many security solutions. The solutions range fromimproved user education, through technology, towriting better software.Most security professionals subscribe to the theory of defense in depth, which states that more layers of defense are better than fewer layers. The steps in implementing good security defenses are: Security Policy, Vulnerability Assessment, Intrusion Prevention, Virus Protection, Auditing, and Firewalling.
- The Beginner’s Guide To Online Privacy
With cybercrime constantly on the rise and an ever-growing number of security breaches reported even (or especially) by online behemoths such as Facebook, the need for healthy privacy habits on the internet is more important than ever. Individuals and businesses alike risk exposing private information at every step in their online activities, whether by not using proper security practices or by unwillingly falling victim to identity hacks or phishing scams.
- Why Linux is Better than Windows or macOS for Security
Linux is the most secure OS, as its source is open. Anyone can review it and make sure there are no bugs or back doors. Linux and Unix-based operating systems have less exploitable security flaws known to the information security world. Linux code is reviewed by the tech community, which lends itself to security: By having that much oversight, there are fewer vulnerabilities, bugs and threats.