Assignment 2

COMMONALITY AND DIVERSITY OF OPERATING SYSTEMS 2

Maintaining a strong security system in the networking environment to prevent any form of attack and compromise information has been a formidable problem in recent times. There is fairly a small number of operating systems compared to the vast number of computer systems that are in operation. This situation has created a leeway for cyber attackers to target the systems easily (Palmer, 2010). Cyber attackers have formulated diverse techniques to exploit the homogeneity of the network environment. This article will explore the benefits related to diversity and commonality in the event of a malicious attack.

The purpose of any security strategy is to completely eliminate or at least limit the impact of damage to a successful attack on a particular system. At some point, any computer can be vulnerable to malware attacks, and the most important aspect in a case like this is to achieve an optimum level of preparedness. Diversity of the operating systems is beneficial in several ways, though an organization could incur an extra operational cost. Moving some groups of users to various different operating systems helps avert the overall damage caused by the SQL Slammer and MSBlast worms. Malicious-code attacks directed towards the commonly used operating system, windows, have been so rampant, thereby necessitating the need for improved security procedures of the computers (Anderson & Anderson, 2010).

Significant operational damages have been incurred before by businesses and enterprise to extensive downtime, brought about by malware attacks. Adopting diversity in operating systems comes along with several security benefits;

· Helps contain malicious-code attacks- Virus and worm attacks target and exploit the flaws in windows operating systems. In a case like this, availing an alternative operating system would be critical in helping to contain the spread to other PCs owned by the business. The impact of the attack is leveled down since some core business can be carried out in the event of an attack.

· Directing some pressure towards Microsoft- Health competition among service and commodity provider is beneficial for the consumers. Being diversified in terms of operating systems pushes dominant companies like Microsoft to try so hard to meet the security needs of their customers.

· It helps speed up innovations in the sense that other operating system developers will work towards improving their operating systems to match that of the windows. Such innovations include stable security systems that prevent malware from instilling too much damage to the computer system.

Exercising commonality in the usage of operating systems comes with its own benefits, too, especially when dealing with a malicious attack. The business would not incur too much cost, in the event of a malicious attack, similar operating systems are used for all computers. Common operating systems are a lot more flexible, and it becomes easier for IT experts to eliminate the malware threat with ease. With a common OS, the user gets to learn about the system quickly and efficiently since they are used to the interface. Learning the system efficiently helps in a great way in detecting and solving any observable abnormalities in the systems (Balfour, 2012). Some operating systems are very effective in terms of security structures. Using such operating systems for all your computers would prove to be beneficial since they are less vulnerable to malicious attacks.

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