What is System Security - Term Paper Example

Abstract This paper is going make an in-depth analysis of all that surrounds system security. System security in an integral component in modern day computing as it prevents against data being stolen by third parties and also the risk of data destruction and manipulation. We are going to define what a secure system is, components of a secure system as well as the advantages of having a secure system in an organization. That notwithstanding, with the advancement of technology our systems are prone to a number of threats that are out to jeopardize organizational system security. This essay is going to elaborate on a number of threats to system security as well as the mitigation that can be taken to prevent against those threats. Data is a very expensive resource for any organization; thus, elaborate measures must be put in place to ensure it is safeguarded at all times against unauthorised intrusion by third parties. System security is not limited on security mechanisms being employed on computers and its related peripherals but is a broad field that also includes encryption of data and also training of the personnel handling data on security measures. This makes system security a primary goal for any organization as elaborate security measures will ensure that the data resources of an organization are secured and can only be used to the advantage of that particular organization. Introduction System security is a broad field that includes almost every facet of computer security and cryptography. System security can be defined as the mechanisms and techniques that are implemented to ensure organizational data and information maintains confidentiality, integrity at the same time is always available whenever it’s needed (Kizza, 2005). This is only achieved through elaborate methodologies being implemented. Access control is whereby there is limited access to crucial information in an organization. The personnel are classified in a manner that not anybody can be able to access all information in the organization’s server (Jaeger, 2008). This involves employees being assigned with privileges to access information according to their rank and level of trust that the management has on them. Information protection is another sphere that describes system security (Kovacich, 2003). Organizational information will always be protected no matter the place or time that it’s in use. Whether it’s on transit or, it’s being transferred from one server to the other it must be protected. Finally, system security includes the measures of detecting instances of data breaches and coming up with relevant procedures and methodologies of solving those breaches (Dhillon, 2007). Once a security breach has been detected and resolved it should be documented to ensure swift response in future whenever the same security breach is utilized. However, system security is not only limited to data and information on computers only it is a wide scope that covers all information that is meaningful to the organization (Kizza, 2005). This can include text messages sent from mobile phones of the organizations’ decision-making body and also telephone conversation regarding important organizational information (Smith & Marchesini, 2008). What Makes a System Secure A computer system is said to be secure if it can perform its designated functions appropriately despite faults from the personnel that are operating it. This may involve it can protect information from unauthorized access, preventing malicious or accidental actions to delete or manipulate information that is stored in it. It prevents even authorized personnel from performing acts that will make the system vulnerable to security breaches. There are four basic ways that a computer system security provides protection to the overall system; they are elaborated as follows (Dhillon, 2007). System access control is the prime method that computer system security utilizes to protect organizational systems. This method has a number of procedures and functions that ensure systems are secured at all times (Kizza, 2005). To begin with access to the system is controlled by the use of login procedures. Here a user has to log into the system before he/she can be able to access its contents. Once a user has completed successfully the login procedure and had permission to access the system, computer system security has a mechanism that keeps track of all activities that are performed by each individual logged into the system (Kovacich, 2003). The activity log ensures that all actions performed by the users logged into the system are consistent to the security procedures of the organization and don't pose any security risks to organizational information (Jaeger, (2008). In the login process, the user is required by the security system to identify him/her and again authenticate that indeed he/she is the person that is purported (Dhillon, 2007). This process is normally done by use of user names and their accompanying passwords. Since cyber-criminals may want to get forced access to the system it is advisable that users maintain complex passwords that are alpha-numeric, but at the same time should be easy to remember (Kizza, 2005). However with the advancement in technology biometric features have gained popularity in recent times over passwords. This is because biometric features are unique to every individual and thus they are hard to duplicate or forge thus more secure to utilize a security access control (Dhillon, 2007). Data access control is yet another technique implemented on systems to ensure secure computing. In any organization information is the most valuable resource and thus has to be handled with care to ensure it is always secure (Kovacich, 2003). The process of obtaining data and transforming it into meaningful information is costly thus efforts must be made to ensure organizational information is protected against malicious damage or manipulation by unauthorized persons. Access control to data location comes into two ways; discreatory access control and mandatory access control. Discreatory access control is whereby the system users are not allowed full right to view all the information pool of the organization. This can be in form of limited access to some information to prevent employees who may be deemed untrustworthy from accessing crucial information which they may leak to third parties to cause harm to the organization (Kizza, 2005). The user can access information based on the group that he/she is categorized in. Some groups may be allowed total rights to view all information pool while others may be limited to some sections of information depending on their level of trust (Kovacich, 2003). On the other hand, mandatory access control, is a mechanism that is implemented on sensitive data in an organization. This involves labelling the information into categories according to its sensitivity to the organization. Once the information has been classified then the information system team will decide on how to award users with privileges concerning on accessing the information (Dhillon, 2007). Some group of the employees may be barred from accessing the information, others may be allowed limited access, another group may be allowed access but on a read only basis while another may be allowed full rights of read and write privilege as demonstrated in appendix 1 (Jaeger, 2008). System and security administration plays an important role in ensuring system security. The team that is tasked with the overall administration of system security carries out training to the system user on the importance of computer security. The users undergo orientation n how to utilize the system in a secure manner that does not jeopardize information that is stored in there (Kovacich, 2003).They are also inducted on common security threats, which they can encounter in the course of performing their activities and the course of action, which they will be required taking in such scenarios. System administrator will keep a log of all the activities that are performed in the system. This ensures that everything is done in accordance to the organization’s' security policies, and in case of any breach the user who is responsible will be identified easily (Kizza, 2005). Finally, system design is the other ways of ensuring systems are secure. Security breaches normally occur when the hackers notice some niches or pitfalls in the design of the system that they capitalize on to manipulate the whole system (Dhillon, 2007). To ensure secure systems organizations should capitalize on employing hardware and software that has improved architectural design that is capable of maintaining high-level security. Commonly systems designs that provide architectures that can segment memory are preferred as they enable system administrators in separating privileged users from non-privileged users. Hence, access control to classified information is maintained at the highest level possible (Lehtinen & Sr, 2011). Threats and Mitigation of System Security Computer systems are vulnerable to a couple of threats that may hinder them from achieving the objectives, which they were developed too. Some of the threats that pose the risk to computer systems are discussed below together with the relevant mitigation measures that can be taken. Lack of security policies is one of the prominent threats that pose the great risk to computer system security (Kovacich, 2003). Most organizations do not have well-defined security policies that govern on how the system should be accessed and privileges related to it. They lack clearly to describe the constraints that will be related with the use of the system and also the security measures that are in place to safeguard the system (Jaeger, (2008). The mitigation measures that should be taken against this risk is ensuring that all organizations come up with comprehensive security policies regarding the use of their system with all security aspects being taken into consideration (Dhillon, 2007). Poor passwords are a threat that exposes many systems to be vulnerable to attacks. Users of the system including the system administrator are prone to implementing weak passwords that can be easily guessed by unauthorised persons (Dhillon, 2007). This exposes the computer system to risks of the potential attack in terms of hacking. All system access passwords should be alpha-numeric in nature and should not be any English word or names of people or places that can be guessed. That notwithstanding they should be periodically changed to ensure third parties cannot access them through key stroking (Kovacich, 2003). Malicious codes/programs are other threats to system security. These include programs that may be installed into your system either knowingly or without knowledge. Once these programs have been installed in the system they may damage information or transfer it to third parties (Kizza, 2005). Alternatively the malicious code can damage the system altogether and render it dysfunctional this will cause massive damage to the system as it will not perform its functions as required (Kovacich, 2003). Mitigation measures for this threat is to train users on computer security so as they may acquire the required knowledge to discern these codes and also install firewall to prevent these codes from being installed into the system (Lehtinen & Sr, 2011). Insufficient backup is yet another threat to secure computer systems. Most organizations do not have elaborate backup and recovery systems in place. Thus, when the system crashes they lose all their data and have to start all again. This is a catastrophe especially to organizations that are information oriented since loss of their information means loss of business (Dhillon, 2007). Measures that should be taken against this include first the organization should come up with an elaborate backup and recovery policy that describes the type of data, which should be backed up, how the process of data backup should be carried out and the physical location where the backup should be located. It should be able to state the contingency plan that will be adopted in the event of data loss (Kizza, 2005). Ideally it is always advisable to back up all organizational data in a location that is not near the geographical premises of the organization. The organization should also be able to choose the right tools for backup and recovery that will guarantee data security (Jaeger, (2008). Social engineering is the most recent threat that puts computer system security at risk. It mainly involves system users being brainwashed by some online into revealing their passwords and in the process their accounts will be hacked, and important information stolen (Dhillon, 2007). Sometimes this is used as an avenue to launch an attack to the system by making a complete overhaul of the system through hacking. Eavesdropping and phishing also come hand in hand as they tend to be similar in the manner in which they launch their attacks. In the case of eavesdropping a third party will tap conversation made by a system user and steal important information, this may be inform of tapping telephone conversations or intercepting messages that were being sent from the system (Kovacich, 2003). Phishing, on the other hand, is whereby an intruder hacks into the email account of a user and gets away with crucial information (Jaeger, (2008). A range of mitigation measures can be taken against these threats but first the users need to be trained in computer security so as they can be aware of these threats and have knowledge on how to combat them. In addition, the user should be encouraged using a complex password to safeguard intrusion through cracking of easy passwords (Kizza, 2005). Advantages of System Security A computer system that is secure comes along with a number of advantages. A secure system ensures that the users’ information is secured, and privacy and confidentiality issues are maintained at all times (Kizza, 2005). Any information that is sent from a secure system is deemed to be authentic in the sense that the sender who sends the message is indeed the one but no one else. System protection against viruses, worms and Trojans is the first advantage of a secure system. Viruses are becoming more and more with each day; they are also undergoing dynamism (Dhillon, 2007). As developers come up with anti-virus software to fight viruses and worms, new ones come into the computing world. They have posed a great danger to maintaining secure systems. However, a secure computer system that as an up to date virus definition is very important as it will protect the user’ files and documents from being attacked by these spies where (Jaeger, (2008). Data is a very crucial resource in all organizations; thus, measures should be instituted to ensure its safety at all times (Kizza, 2005). A secure system ensures information that is stored in the system is secured from theft and damage. The users will tend to trust the system to perform all their functions without fear or doubt. There are minimal or totally no risk to system crashes or freezing (Kovacich, 2003). If a computer system is adequately secured, it is very rare for it to be prone to memory crashes, which are commonly caused by bugs that come in the form of malicious codes and programs. Privacy of the users and the organization I general is guaranteed as no one can eavesdrop on the information contained in the system. This is as a result of elaborate measures being in place to ensure confidentiality and privacy of all information therein (Kizza, 2005). A secure computer system will provide data security even in the event of accidental data deletion. This is because secure systems have elaborate backup and recovery procedures that ensure information will be retrieved even in the event of accidental loss (Dhillon, 2007). Fraud prevention is the other advantage of computer systems that are secure. They are capable of detecting fraud by noting unauthorized intrusion and thus take measures that will not allow that particular access make changes to the system’s information system (Kizza, 2005). System Intrusion Computer systems are prone to intrusion by unauthorized persons. This normally occurs if the intruder wants to gain extra privileges in the system thus have the right to view and manipulate information. The most common method of intrusion is by the intruder acquiring the password to the system (Kovacich, 2003). This may be either by mere guessing or critical analysis of the user’s information and also techniques like key stroking. Architectural weaknesses of software and hardware may also provide a gateway for intrusion into the system. Once access has been gained by the intruders they may have a number of objectives. They may be out to acquire certain critical information or they may be interested in manipulating information to gain some advantage out of it. Alternatively intruders such as black hat hackers may just want to damage the entire system in bad faith (Dhillon, 2007). Since this is a risk that is eminent to any computer system, intrusion detection techniques have been developed to detect any unauthorized access to the system that may be made by intruders (Dhillon, 2007). Statistical anomaly detection is a technique that involves keeping a log of the users’ activity behaviour while logged into the system. If someone logs in in pretext of a certain user and displays user statistics, which do not concur with previous records then the user is shut from the system due to the anomaly behaviour detected as demonstrated in appendix 2 below (Kovacich, 2003). Rule-based detection is another technique that involves certain rules being developed so as to note any deviation from previous user patterns. Expert systems are incorporated to ensure accurate analysis is conducted before any decision is made. Finally, an audit record is also a technique that is used to detect any form of intrusion into the system (Kovacich, 2003). Normally standard operating systems come with accounting software pre-installed that collect all information of all the activities that are performed by the users in a particular computer. This information is carefully audited to detect any form of intrusion into the system Avoine, Junod, & Oechslin, 2007). Conclusion With computing being an integral element in modern day operations, emphasis have turned to computer system security. The level of system security is being highlighted given the large numbers of multi-billion transactions that are conducted through those systems. Thus, organizations are investing millions of dollars on system security software to ensure their systems are secure to gain reliability from their clients at the same time protect the information of users. It is indeed important for all organizations to maintain secure systems so as to reap the benefits of computer system security. Therefore, given the role information plays in an organization, it imperative that it is protected to ensures that their’ information is secured, and privacy and confidentiality issues are maintained at all times and the information they are sending is secure to give authentication. Ultimately, organizations and individuals should thus, institute measures to eliminate or mitigate the threats facing security systems. References Avoine, G., Junod, P., & Oechslin, P. (2007). Computer system security: Basic concepts and solved exercises. Lausanne: EPFL Press. Dhillon, G. (2007). Principles of information systems security: Text and cases. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Gasser, M. (2008). Building a secure computer system. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. Jaeger, T. (2008). Operating system security. San Rafael, CA: Morgan & Claypool Publishers. Kizza, J. M. (2005). Computer Network Security. New York, NY: Springer. Kovacich, G. L. (2003). The information systems security officer's guide: Establishing and managing an information protection program. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann. Lehtinen, R., & Sr, G. (2011).Computer Security Basics. Sebastopol: O'Reilly Media. Smith, S. W., & Marchesini, J. (2008). The craft of system security. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Addison-Wesley. Appendices Appendix 1 Source: (http://oreilly.com/catalog/csb/chapter/ch03.html) Appendix 2 Source: (http://oreilly.com/catalog/csb/chapter/ch03.html) Read More