Operating System Security Flashcards

What is secure boot and what threat does it protect against?

Answer: A firmware-level security mechanism that ensures only trusted, digitally signed software loads during the boot process, preventing bootkit malware

Secure Boot verifies the digital signatures of all software components loaded during startup (bootloader, drivers, OS kernel), preventing rootkits and bootkits from compromising the system before the OS loads.

What is application sandboxing in operating systems?

Answer: Isolating applications in a restricted environment that limits their access to system resources and other applications' data

Sandboxing confines applications within restricted environments that limit their access to files, system resources, and other programs, containing potential damage if an application is compromised.

What is the purpose of audit logging in operating system security?

Answer: To record security-relevant events such as login attempts, file access, and system changes for monitoring and forensic investigation

Audit logs create a chronological record of security events including authentication attempts, privilege changes, file access, and system modifications, enabling threat detection and forensic analysis.

What is a Group Policy and how does it enhance operating system security in enterprise environments?

Answer: A Windows mechanism that allows administrators to centrally define and enforce security settings across all computers in a domain

Group Policy in Windows Active Directory environments allows administrators to centrally define and enforce security configurations—password policies, software restrictions, firewall rules—across all domain-joined computers.

What is the security significance of disabling unnecessary operating system services?

Answer: Each running service is a potential attack vector, so disabling unused services reduces the system's attack surface

Unnecessary services that are running increase the attack surface by providing additional entry points that attackers can exploit if vulnerabilities exist in those services.

What is the purpose of file system permissions in operating system security?

Answer: To control which users and processes can read, write, or execute specific files and directories

File system permissions define access controls that determine which users and processes can read, write, execute, or delete specific files and directories, enforcing the principle of least privilege at the data level.