Practical Windows Security - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages The first virus that operated on Windows 2000 was detected on 13th January 2000 (Wong 2000). It is known as the Win2000. Install or W2K.Installer virus. Although the virus could not do much damage to the new windows but it provided attackers with the concept to identify the vulnerabilities of the Windows and to invade into the systems with improved attacks in the future.
A definition of security vulnerability can be regarded as the preliminary filter that is applicable to various issues. A security vulnerability can be considered as, “a flaw in a product that makes it infeasible – even when using the product properly —to prevent an attacker from usurping privileges on the user's system, regulating its operation, compromising data on it, or assuming ungranted trust” (Microsoft 2011). Microsoft publishes security bulletins when a specific security issue fulfills the criteria for the standard security definition. However, this does not follow that no action is taken by Microsoft. For instance, if Microsoft finds a bug that does not raise any security vulnerability, the security team nevertheless gives it importance and tries to counter it. In this case, the Microsoft team does not come up with a patch or publish security bulletin; rather the team would include the solution in the product that it is going to release in the future. On the other hand, if a certain issue does fall on the criteria for security vulnerability definition, the security team first tries to establish whether the issue has breached the security policy of the product. When a product is made there is an assortment of instructions that are devised to inform the customer about how a particular product is to be used as well as the promises that it delivers regarding the security it provides.
Common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVE) bring together a list of common security vulnerabilities and exposures which are publically accessible. Common identifiers of CVE play a role in the exchange of data between security products and put forth a baseline index point for the purpose of analyzing coverage of various products such as tools and services (CVE 2011). ...Download file to see next pagesRead More