Protection and security

Protection and security require that computer resources such as CPU, software, memory, etc. are protected. This extends to the operating system as well as the data in the system. This can be done by ensuring integrity, confidentiality, and availability in the operating system. The system must be protected against unauthorized access, viruses, worms, etc.

 

Basic definitions 

Threats 

It contains viruses, worms, trojan horses, and other dangerous software. These are generally short code snippets that may corrupt files, delete the data, replicate to propagate further, and even crash a system.

Virus

Viruses are generally small snippets of code embedded in a system. They are very dangerous and can corrupt files, destroy data, crash systems, etc. They can also spread further by replicating themselves as required.

Trojan Horse

A trojan horse can secretly access the login details of a system. Then a malicious user can use these to enter the system as a harmless being and wreak havoc.

Trap Door

A trap door is a security breach that may be present in a system without the knowledge of the users. It can be exploited to harm the data or files in a system by malicious people.

Worm

A worm can destroy a system by using its resources to extreme levels. It can generate multiple copies which claim all the resources and don't allow any other processes to access them. A worm can shut down a whole network in this way.

Denial of Service

These types of attacks do not allow legitimate users to access a system. It overwhelms the system with requests so it is overwhelmed and cannot work properly for another user.

Goals:

·       To prevent the access of unauthorized users

·       To ensure that each active program or process in the system use resources only as the stated policy

·       To improve reliability by detecting latent errors

 

what is protection in operating systems?

A mechanism that controls the access of programs, processes, or users to the resources defined by a computer system is referred to as protection. You may utilize protection as a tool for multi-programming operating systems, allowing multiple users to safely share a common logical namespace, including a directory or files.

It needs the protection of computer resources like software, memory, processor, etc. Users should take protective measures as a helper to multiprogramming OS so that multiple users may safely use a common logical namespace like a directory or data. Protection may be achieved by maintaining confidentiality, honesty, and availability in the OS. It is critical to secure the device from unauthorized access, viruses, worms, and other malware.

system security may be threatened through two violations, and these are as follows:

1. Threat

A program that has the potential to harm the system seriously.

2. Attack

A breach of security that allows unauthorized access to a resource.

There are two types of security breaches that can harm the system: malicious and accidental. Malicious threats are a type of destructive computer code or web script that is designed to cause system vulnerabilities that lead to back doors and security breaches. On the other hand, Accidental Threats are comparatively easier to protect against.

Security may be compromised through the breaches. Some of the breaches are as follows:

1. Breach of integrity

 This violation has unauthorized data modification.

2. Theft of service

It involves the unauthorized use of resources.

3. Breach of confidentiality

It involves the unauthorized reading of data.

 4. Breach of availability

It involves the unauthorized destruction of data.

5. Denial of service

It includes preventing legitimate use of the system. Some attacks may be accidental.

                                                      

How to ensure Operating System Security?

There are various ways to ensure operating system security. These are as follows:

Authentication

The process of identifying every system user and associating the programs executing with those users is known as authentication. The operating system is responsible for implementing a security system that ensures the authenticity of a user who is executing a specific program. In general, operating systems identify and authenticate users in three ways.

1. Username/Password

Every user contains a unique username and password that should be input correctly before accessing a system.

2. User Attribution

These techniques usually include biometric verification, such as fingerprints, retina scans, etc. This authentication is based on user uniqueness and is compared to database samples already in the system. Users can only allow access if there is a match.

3. User card and Key

To login into the system, the user must punch a card into a card slot or enter a key produced by a key generator into an option provided by the operating system.

One Time passwords

Along with standard authentication, one-time passwords give an extra layer of security. Every time a user attempts to log into the One-Time Password system, a unique password is needed. Once a one-time password has been used, it cannot be reused. One-time passwords may be implemented in several ways.

1. Secret Key

The user is given a hardware device that can generate a secret id that is linked to the user's id. The system prompts for such a secret id, which must be generated each time you log in.

2. Random numbers

Users are given cards that have alphabets and numbers printed on them. The system requests numbers that correspond to a few alphabets chosen at random.

3. Network password

Some commercial applications issue one-time passwords to registered mobile/email addresses, which must be input before logging in.

Firewalls

Firewalls are essential for monitoring all incoming and outgoing traffic. It imposes local security, defining the traffic that may travel through it. Firewalls are an efficient way of protecting network systems or local systems from any network-based security threat.

Physical Security

The most important method of maintaining operating system security is physical security. An attacker with physical access to a system may edit, remove, or steal important files since operating system code and configuration files are stored on the hard drive.

 

                                                 "one single vulnerability is all the attacker needs"