WOLLO UNIVERSITY

Department of
Computer Science
OPERATING SYSTEM
COSC 3023

Muluken E. Email: [email protected]

(MSc) Slid
 CHAPTER SEVEN

Security and protection

Muluken E. Email: [email protected]

Slid
(MSc)
7.1. Overview of system security
† Security refers to providing a protection system to computer
system resources such as CPU, memory, disk, software
programs and most importantly data/information stored in the
computer system.

† Computer security is a security applied to computing devices

such as computers and smartphones, as well as computer
networks such as private and public networks, including the
whole Internet.

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7.1. Overview of system security
† If a computer program is run by unauthorized user then
he/she may cause severe damage to computer or data stored
in it.
† So a computer system must be protected against
unauthorized access, malicious access to system memory,
viruses, worms etc.
Traditionally, computer facilities have been physically
protected for three reasons:
To prevent theft of or damage to the hardware

To prevent theft of or damage to the information

To prevent disruption of service

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7.1. Overview of system
security

and protection
Protection is provided by a mechanism that controls the
access of programs.

Process or users to the resources defined by a computer

system.

Security ensure the authentication of system users to protect

the information stored in the system as well as the resources
of the computer system.

Security deals with external threat but protection deals with

internal threat.
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 Goal of protection
In one protection model, computer consists of a
collection of objects, hardware and software.
Each object has a unique name and can be accessed
through a well-defined set of operation.
Protection-problem –ensure that each object is
accessed correctly and only by those process that are
allowed to do so.
Safe sharing of a common logical address space and
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 Security violation category
Breach of confidentiality
• Unauthorized reading of data.
Breach of integrity
• Unauthorized modification of data
Breach of availability
• Unauthorized destruction of data
Theft of service
• Unauthorized use of resources
Denial of service (DOS)
• Prevention of legitimate use

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 Security measure levels
Impossible to have absolute security, but make cost to
perpetrator sufficiently high to deter most intruder.
Security must occur at four level to be effective.
Physical
 Data centers, servers, connected terminals
Human
 Avoid social engineering, phishing, dumpster diving
Operating system
 Protection mechanisms, debugging
Network
 Intercepted communications, interruption, DOS

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7.1.1. Policies and mechanism of
system security
Policies => what

Security “policies” indicates WHAT a secure

system accomplishes.
Mechanism => how

A security “mechanism” indicates how these goals

are achieved.

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 Components of security
1. 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 following three ways:
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 Components of security

1. Username / Password - User need to enter a

registered username and password with Operating
system to login into the system.

2. User card/key - User need to punch card in card

slot, or enter key generated by key generator in option
provided by operating system to login into the
system.

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3. User attribute - fingerprint/ eye retina pattern/
signature - User need to pass his/her attribute via
designated input device used by operating system to
login into the system.
2. Confidentiality
• Specifies that only the sender and the intended
recipient should be able to access the content of the
message.

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3. Access control:- Access control specifies and control who
can access what.

4. Availability:- It means that assets are accessible to

authorized parties at appropriate times.

5. Integrity:- The confidential information sent by A to B

which is accessed by C without the permission or knowledge
of A and B.

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 One Time passwords
• One time passwords provides additional security along
with normal authentication.
• In One-Time Password system, a unique password is
required every time user tries to login into the system.
• Once a one-time password is used then it can not be
used again. One time password are implemented in
various ways.
1. Random numbers - Users are provided cards having
numbers printed along with corresponding alphabets.
System asks for numbers corresponding to few
alphabets randomly chosen.

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 One Time passwords

2. Secret key - User are provided a hardware device

which can create a secret id mapped with user id.
System asks for such secret id which is to be
generated every time prior to login.

3. Network password - Some commercial

applications send one time password to user on
registered mobile/ email which is required to be
entered prior to login. 15
 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.

• Following is the list of some well known program

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 Program Threats
• Trojan Horse - Such program traps user login
credentials and stores them to send to malicious
user who can later on login to computer and can
access system resources.
• Trap Door - If a program which is designed to work
as required, have a security hole in its code and
perform illegal action without knowledge of user
then it is called to have a trap door.
• Logic Bomb - Logic bomb is a situation when a
program misbehaves only when certain conditions
met otherwise it works as a genuine program. It is
harder to detect.
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 Program Threats

• Virus - Virus as name suggest can replicate

themselves on computer system .

• They are highly dangerous and can modify/delete

user files, crash systems.

• A virus is generally a small code embedded in a

program. As user accesses the program, the virus
starts getting embedded in other files/ programs and
can make system unusable for user. 18
 System 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 mis-used.

• Following is the list of some well known system threats.

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 System Threats
• Worm -Worm is a process which can choked down a system
performance by using system resources to extreme levels.
• A Worm process generates its multiple copies where each
copy uses system resources, prevents all other processes to
get required resources.
• Worms processes can even shut down an entire network.
• Port Scanning - Port scanning is a mechanism or means by
which a hacker can detects system vulnerabilities to make an
attack on the system.
• Denial of Service - Denial of service attacks normally
prevents user to make legitimate use of the system. For
example user may not be able to use internet if denial of
service attacks browser's content settings.
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Computer Security Classifications
• As per the U.S. Department of Defense Trusted
Computer System's Evaluation Criteria there are
four security classifications in computer systems: A,
B, C, and D.
• This is widely used specifications to determine and
model the security of systems and of security
solutions.
• Following is the brief description of each
classification.

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Computer Security Classifications

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 OS for system security
† A typical commodity operating system has complete control of
all (or almost all) hardware on the machine and is able to do
literally anything the hardware permits.

† That means it can control the processor, read and write all
registers, examine any main memory location, and perform any
operation one of its peripherals supports.

† As a result, among the things the OS can do are:

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 OS for system security
• Examine or alter any process’s memory

• Read, write, delete or corrupt any file on any writeable persistent

storage medium, including hard disks and flash drives

• Change the scheduling or even halt execution of any process

• Send any message to anywhere, including altered versions of

those a process wished to send

• Enable or disable any peripheral device

• Give any process access to any other process’s resources

• Respond to any system call with a maximally harmful lie 24

† Top 6 Cyber Crime Prevention Tips

1. Use Strong Passwords Use different user ID / password

combinations for different accounts and avoid writing them
down.

 Make the passwords more complicated by combining letters,

numbers, special characters (minimum 10 characters in total)
and change them on a regular basis.

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2. Secure our computer
• Activate our firewall
• Firewalls are the first line of cyber defense; they
block connections to unknown or bogus sites and
will keep out some types of viruses and hackers.
• Use anti-virus/malware software Prevent viruses
from infecting our computer by installing and
regularly updating anti-virus software.
• Block spyware attacks Prevent spyware from
infiltrating our computer by installing and updating
anti-spyware software.

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3. Be Social-Media Savvy
Make sure your social networking profiles (e.g. Facebook,
Twitter, Youtube, MSN, etc.) are set to private.

Check your security settings. Be careful what information

you post online. Once it is on the Internet, it is there
forever!

4. Secure your Mobile Devices

Be aware that your mobile device is vulnerable to viruses

and hackers.
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
5. Install the latest operating system

Updates Keep your applications and operating system (e.g.

Windows, Mac, Linux) current with the latest system
updates.

Turn on automatic updates to prevent potential attacks on

older software.

6. Protect your Data

Use encryption for your most sensitive files such as tax

returns or financial records, make regular back-ups of all
your important data, and store it in another location. 28
 Cryptography
• Means to constrain potential senders (sources)
and/or receivers (destinations) of messages.

• Based on secrets (keys)

• Enables
Confirmation of source

Receipt only by certain destination

Trust relationship between sender and receiver

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 Encryption
• Constrains the set of possible receivers of a message
• Encryption algorithm consists of
Set K of keys
Set M of messages
Set C of ciphertexts (encrypted messages)
• A function E: K->(M->C). That is, for each k£K,Ek
is a function for generating ciphertexts from
messages.
• A function D: K->(C->M). That is, for each
k£K,Dk is a function for generating messages from
ciphertexts.

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 Asymmetric encryption
• Public-key encryption based on each user having
two keys:
Public key – public key used to encrypt data.

Private key – key known only to individual user used to

decrypt data.

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 Firewalling
• This is a software used to protect computer systems
and networks.
• A network firewale is placed between trusted and
untrusted hosts.
• The firewale limits network access between these
two security domains.
• Can be tunneled or spooled
Tunneling allows disallowed protocol to travel within
allowed protocol (telnet inside of HTTP).
Firewall rules typically based on host name or IP address
which can be spooled.
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 Firewalling

• Personal firewall is software layer on given host.

Can monitor /limit traffic to and from the host

• Application proxy firewall understands application

protocol and can control them.

• System call firewall monitors all important system

calls and apply rules to them.

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 !!!
SI X
E R
P T
H A
F C
D O
EN

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