Scribd
Upload
37 views

Operating Systems: Security and Privacy

Operating systems aim to secure systems and data from threats like viruses, unauthorized access, and data corruption. They implement security features like process restrictions to isolate software, user authentication to distinguish privileged and non-privileged accounts, and firewalls to detect and prevent intrusions. While Linux is open source and can be freely modified, this also makes it easier to create malware. Windows is prone to bugs and crashes due to its extensive user base. Mac OS X security could be threatened if it gained widespread adoption and increased malware production. The document compares the security of these major operating systems.

Uploaded by

Alison Jane de Silva
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
37 views

Operating Systems: Security and Privacy

Operating systems aim to secure systems and data from threats like viruses, unauthorized access, and data corruption. They implement security features like process restrictions to isolate software, user authentication to distinguish privileged and non-privileged accounts, and firewalls to detect and prevent intrusions. While Linux is open source and can be freely modified, this also makes it easier to create malware. Windows is prone to bugs and crashes due to its extensive user base. Mac OS X security could be threatened if it gained widespread adoption and increased malware production. The document compares the security of these major operating systems.

Uploaded by

Alison Jane de Silva
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 8

Operating Systems

Security and Privacy


Why is security important?
 To prevent loss of data
 Common causes:
 computer virus, worm or Trojan horse

 To prevent corruption of data


 Common causes:
 computer virus, tampered resources

 To prevent compromise and theft of data


 Common cause:
 unauthorized access (hacking)
How is an OS secure?
 Proper Process Restrictions
 Software processes must not interfere with each
other’s resources unless the method is secure.
 User Authentication and Privacy
 On multi-user OS, there must be distinctions
between “priveleged” and “non-priveleged” users.
 Intrusion Detection/Prevention
 Also called “firewalls”.
Leading Operating Systems
 Linux
 Developer: Linus Torvalds
 freely available multitasking
 Security Issues:
and multiuser operating  Hard to find patches
system  Tampering of the ready-to-
 can be distributed, used modify resources might
and expanded free of lead to system instability
charge  Easier to create malware
 developers have access to because of more open
all the source codes, thus resources
being able to integrate new  Incompatible installations
functions easily or to find may lead to system crashes
and eliminate programming
bugs quickly
Leading Operating Systems
 Microsoft
 Security Issues:
Windows  Many bugs as stated by
 Developer: Microsoft, 1985 both users and critics
 series of software operating  Some viruses are written
systems and graphical user specifically for Windows
interfaces because of its extensive
 used by almost 90% of user population
computer users but not  Prone to crashes
everyone agrees it is the  No file encryption in XP
best Home Edition
Leading Operating Systems
 MAC OS X  Security Issues:
 Developer: Apple Inc.
 Widespread adoption would
 a software operating
cause the increase of
system and Unix-based
malware production
graphical user interface
 supposed to run only for
Macintosh computers, or
Macs
Comparison Chart
Operating Resource Known Built-in Additional
System Protection Errors Firewall Security
LINUX Unix, ACL, 5 LC / 6 NC Netfilter Antivirus
MAC software
MAC OS X Unix, ACL 1 MC / 2 LC IPFirewall Antivirus
5 NC software

Windows XP ACL 6 HC / 5 MC Windows Antivirus


18 LC / 13 NC Firewall software

 ACL – Access Control List


 Unix – File System Permissions
 MAC – Mandatory Access Controls
 Errors:
 HC – Highly Critical MC – Moderately Critical
 LC – Less Critical NC – Non-critical
Sources
 Wikipedia
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system#Security
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_operating_systems
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux
 OS Data Website
 http://www.osdata.com/holistic/security/security.htm

You might also like