Computer Security

Written by Jason P. Hartz

Computer security which branched out of computer science is a type of technology that is applied to computers. The goal of this technology is broad and varied ranging from the protection from loss, theft, corruption or preservation of the data based on the definition of security policies and regulations. The requirements involved in computer security are vastly different from the typical hardware, software or any system requirement because these are mostly limitations on what computers are supposed to perform or do. Computer security can be considered a challenging study because computer programs are complex machines that can be difficult to work correctly. In addition, limitations are actually more difficult and complicated to meet because these require exhaustive testing to verify. One of the things that computer security deals with is to implement a secure operating system. Computer security is really a recent technology that was developed during the 80s. Its purpose then is to produce some of the most difficult to penetrate, if not completely impenetrable, operating systems. Although this technology is still valid, however its uses have become limited due to changes that must be applied to the system management in addition, only a number of experts truly understand what computer security is all about.   Certain extremely secured operating systems are derived from an operating system kernel technology that guarantees specific security policies are completely implemented in an operating environment or platform. One good model example of a computer security policy is the Bell-LaPadula, which is a coupling of microprocessor hardware features such as a memory management device to an operating system kernel. If critical parts are designed and applied in such a manner, this can result in a system that is absolutely impenetrable to hostile factors or elements. This has been made possible due to the configuration of the system that applied the security policy at the same time frees and protects itself from any form of corruption. The typical operating systems lack this type of feature that can ensure maximum level of security.    Systems that have been designed using such technology shows a state of the art computer security however, software or computer using this type of security are not many. In contrast to the common type of software that can meet ordinary requirements. These secure operating systems that have been designed in such a manner are created for the protection of military secrets, national security information and sensitive data of many institutions. Theses ultra powerful security tools and operating systems have been classified at the top level to work on the level of  Top Secret as well as  unclassified. For computer security there is a common criteria that quantifies the strength of security products in two ways, these are the assurance level and the security functionality. Both have been specified in protection profiling for requirements and security objective for product or software descriptions. Today none of these high assurance have secured any of the general purpose operating systems which have been in production for decades.