Computer System Safety Standard - Research Paper Example

System Safety System safety involves specific safety standard within given constraints in operation. It involves risk management and avoidance from injury or any kind of damages to a working system, that is, a computer system. A system is a set of detailed or programmed processes and methods that follow or abide by a set of routines or procedures in order to carry out a given task, and, therefore, carry it to the end (Leveson 33). The safety of a system will also involve protection of a system from processes that may cause it to crush. Computer System Safety System safety generally involves the security and reliability elements within a computer. Today, people, organizations, and companies are all technologically advancing, and information technology is a backbone of these advancements. All these technological changes are controlled potentially by a computer, making a computer system the most delicate device in the world, and, therefore, a lot has been done to make computers more reliable and safe by implementing security measures that protect their environs (Leveson 38). These computers are all controlled by systems incorporated in them. These systems have general security measures. Computer system safety includes software protection, processes safety, site safety, and the computer security itself. Software safety is provided by a complex of security measures against programs that affect a system. It involves recognizing and neutralizing security threats and prevention measures against substances affecting normal operation of computer software. These threats include: a) Trojan horse It is when software disguised as something else is installed in a system with the awareness of a system manager. The Trojan horses contain either a trigger that sets itself when a specific event reaches or occurs in a system or a back door which allows entry of different users into a system when Trojan-infected software is in use. b) Viruses Viruses constitute the most common threat for a system. They work by replicating themselves and then spreading into a system’s sub-system. Through this entry, they attack and destroy the host system. c) Worms They attack and consume available resources quietly, overloading a system and finally making it dysfunctional. They work by reproducing and spreading as wide as possible in a system so as to achieve their goal, and they are always developed for only a certain type of system. Worms are primarily aimed at high or large systems to collect data and feed it to unauthorised users. (Storey 27) d) Websites This happens when malicious websites that support security holes and use them in certain technologies in a network trigger an organizations web browser to do and perform unauthorised functions and entry in the system. e) Hacking It was originally referred to as computer system and programming language learning process, but, after abuse of this, hacking now involves the practice of entry into a computer system by bypassing the recommended ways with different motives. f) Logic bombs This is a portion of software or a program that lies dormant for some time till specific program logic is triggered or activated (Storey 28). It can either wait for a particular file or mail to arrive in a system over the internet, and, if it sees the message, it activates the code, or it is triggered by a timer set activator, that is, the event occurs when a certain set time arrives. g) Malicious code This is a code intended to destroy or damage a computer system or steal information from it. It is also known as malware, and it is a form of a virus (Storey 28). Prevention of System Threats a) Limiting exposure to system threats by introducing risk management and, consequently, minimizing the risk exposure of a system; b) Ensuring that a system and sensitive data located in it remain secure by safeguarding a system against data loss and crime. c) Using of the firewall to prevent foreign and suspicious files into a system from the internet. d) Authenticating users, to ensure that only the official or authorized users receive access to a system. e) Use of IP security protocol and secure socket layer (SSL) that are encryption and network protocols respectively keeping the system from hacking (Daniels 32). f) Use of passwords and encryption of data within a system to prevent unauthorized access or entry into it. g) Using of antivirus to prevent a system from being attacked by viruses and malware. h) Use of digital signatures and packet filters to prevent a system from receiving foreign files and documents from the internet. i) Use of proxy servers and network address translators to prevent a system from unknown mails and hide the private IP addresses from users of the internet (Daniels 32). Computer system safety also involves development and implementation of a system’s security. During these processes, such measures are required as data protection on storage, keeping of maintenance, and testing documents (Dunn 50). Here, the safety of the developing system correctness relies heavily on information collection, analysis of the collected data, designing of a system, and, lastly, how the records are kept or stored. Then there is the maintenance process, during which a system undergoes renovation and changes to fit with the changes in its environment and demands, so that it will be reliable to the current users and the system’s beneficiaries. Its reliability increases the system safety and safety of users of the system. During the testing phase of the system, this happens when the system is already done with the design phase. Testing is done to approve and verify that a system can perform according to its requirements and specifications; a system undergoes tests, so that its owners can ensure it will be safe and secure. During the implementation process, a system’s safety is the main agenda because all the factors and measures are deployed, passwords and antivirus are installed, and introduction of firewalls and all required security measures is performed (Dunn 51). Process Safety A process is simply a task. Process safety denotes distinctive standards put in place to engineer the general format and instructions to be followed when developing a certain thing. Process safety is creating a path to follow in production of a product in an industry. In computer, process safety involves many areas of computer usage. These areas include launching and running programs, developing software, securing an already processed process, and storing the process in a system (Dunn 77). All these processes have general instruction to follow and, therefore, share common security measures. The process safety will involve the following objectives: a) Convenience Allows a computer system to be convenient and, consequently, to properly accomplish its role, providing safety. b) Ability to transform Attacks on a system always come in different forms. The system should have the ability to accommodate changes of the environment to counterattack the new forms of interruptions from attacks. c) Efficiency Allow the processes to run efficiently in a system, avoiding interruption and crushing. Efficiency also entails the ability of a system to safely and correctly process a task and produce the expected results. Services provides by system safety on process safety. a) Error detection management and the response to notification about errors; at that, both the internal and external errors are considered. b) Control of the processes. Execution of a process should take place or occur on a safe platform. c) Resources management. A system should manage the available resources so as not to be misused and allow the required resources to be used (Storey 92). System safety achievements as regards process safety: a) Information security and safety; b) Resource management and scheduling; c) Process management and memory management; d) Process structure and design. In process safety within a computer environs, tasks are controlled by threads, which are the executable states of a process. For a process to be safe, the threads need to be executed properly and securely without interruptions like traps and blockage of a thread from execution or performing its function. The threads are controlled by the kernel and the microkernel that make sure the process is executed to the end (Ross 104). Conclusion on a Computer System Safety A computer is a well established electronic device that is controlled by an operating system that controls the operation of the computer. This system relies heavily on the safety measures to be more reliable and efficient. System safety measures are implemented forms of protecting a system from external and internal factors (Ross 86). Works Cited Daniels, B. K. Achieving Safety And Reliability With Computer Systems. London: Elsevier Applied Science, 1987. Print. Dunn, William R. Practical Design Of Safety-Critical Computer System. New York: Reliability Press, 2002. Print. Leveson, Nancy G. Safeware: System Safety And Computers. Washington: Addison-Wesley Proffessional, 1995. Print. Ross, Charles W. Computer Systems For Occupational Safety And Health Management. Massachusetts : M. Dekker, 1991. Print. Storey, Neil. Safety-Critical Computer System. Washington: Addison-Wesley, 1996. Print. Read More