O.S. Security

Safe Sharing Protecting a single computer with one user is easy Prevent everybody else from having access Encrypt all data with a key only one person knows Sharing resources safely is hard Preventing some people from reading private data (e.g. grades) Prevent some people from using too many resources (e.g. disk space) Prevent some people from interfering with other programs (e.g. inserting key strokes / modifying displays)

Why is security hard? Security slows things down Security gets in the way Security adds no value if there are no attacks Only the government used to pay for security The Internet made us all potential victims

Security Techniques Authentication – identifying users and programs Authorization – determining what access users and programs have to things Complete mediation: check every access to every protected object Auditing – record what users and programs are doing for later analysis

Authentication How does a computer know who I am? User name / password How do it store the password? How do it check the password? How secure is a password? Public/Private Keys Biometrics What does the computer do with this information? Assign you an identifier Unix: 32 bit number stored in process structure Windows NT: 27 byte number, stored in an access token in kernel

Background: Windows Advantages Disadvantages User friendly Enhancements can help millions of users Defects found quickly because of widespread use Disadvantages Security defects can leave millions vulnerable Non-technical user-base Industry dominance leaves MS handcuffed - any move to expand capabilities seen as anticompetitive

Windows Security Architecture Security Reference Monitor Local Security Authority Security Account Manager Active Directory Local vs. Domain Accounts Access Control Lists Integrity Control User Account Controls Anyone who wants to understand windows security must have knowledge of the basic fundamental security blocks of security system. There are many components in windows that make up the fundamental security infrastructure.

Background: Linux Advantages Disadvantages Stability Free Software Runs on old hardware Security Disadvantages Learning curve Equivalent programs More technical ability needed Not all hardware compatible Advantages: The majority of Linux variants are available for free or at a much lower price than Microsoft Windows. Linux is and has always been a very secure Operating System. Although it still can be attacked when compared to Windows, it much more secure. The majority of Linux variants and versions are notoriously reliable and can often run for months and years without needing to be rebooted Disadvantages: Although the majority Linux variants have improved dramatically in ease of use, Windows is still much easier to use for new computer users Linux has a large variety of available software programs, utilities, and games. However, Windows has a much larger selection of available software. Required someone who knows Linux really well. Alternately, you could hire someone who has experience with Linux. A good Linux administrator needs to be on hand as you start to migrate your systems over. This is a disadvantage financially, at least in the beginning. Some of the latest and greatest hardware that is being produced is not compatible with Linux. One thing you can do is before your purchase, ask if the hardware vendor has support for Linux. Some manufacturers do write their own Linux drivers and distribute them with your purchase, making it very easy to integrate with your existing system.

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