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Cyber security, otherwise known as computer or IT security, is a system of security measures implemented to safeguard computers, computer networks, and computer-based equipment from unauthorized access (malicious attacks) as well as natural disasters. According to the Department of Homeland Security, “Our daily life, economic vitality, and national security depend on a stable, safe, and resilient cyberspace” (n.d.). Cyber security is comprised of three main fields: secure operating systems, security by design, and secure coding. The foundation of a secure operating systems comes from the implementation of a kernel, a special program that serves as a gateway between a computer’s software and hardware (The Linux Information Project, para. 2). A piece of software can be considered “secure by design” if it was designed with security as the main feature. Software and applications, if not coded properly, can create detrimental vulnerabilities which in turn can be exploited by hackers. Issues such as buffer overflows and dangling pointers can be exploited by a hacker to inject and execute custom code. By combining the practices of secure operating systems, security by design, and secure coding, cyber security becomes a formidable opponent to the world of hackers and security threats.
SOURCES:
[Cyber Security]. Retrieved March 11, 2014 from
http://www.devry.edu/know-how/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Top-5-Cyber-Security-Threats.jpg
Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). Cybersecurity Overview. Retrieved March 11, 2014, from http://www.dhs.gov/cybersecurity-overview
The Linux Information Project. (2004). Kernel Definition. Retrieved March 11, 2014, fromhttp://www.linfo.org/kernel.html
I learned that the foundation of a secure operating system comes from the implementation of a kernel. I always thought that it was somewhat of a cat and mouse game where companies would do the best they could to protect themselves by guessing what hackers would use to try to get into the system, and patch it up, after learning about the new vulnerabilities. I wish the writer could have given an example of a program or company that made a program that was unsafe, and the consequences. It would be interesting to be able to see how a cyber-attack can affect a program in the real world.
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