DBM502 V12 Database Management Plan Page 2 Of 2 ✓ Solved

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Maintain a comprehensive record and organize information gathered from Weeks 1-5 in a database management plan template. This information will be compiled for the Week 6 presentation.

Part 5 - Monitoring and Team Roles

Commonality and Diversity of Operating Systems

Ensuring robust security within a network environment to prevent cyber attacks and safeguard information has become increasingly challenging. A significant issue is the relatively small number of operating systems compared to the vast number of computer systems in use, which creates opportunities for cyber attackers (Palmer, 2010).

Attackers develop various techniques to exploit the uniformity of network environments. This discussion explores how diversity and commonality of operating systems influence security, especially during malicious attacks. The primary goal of security strategies is to minimize or eliminate the damage caused by successful intrusions. Since all computers are potentially vulnerable to malware, preparedness is crucial.

Having diverse operating systems offers several security advantages, despite potentially higher operational costs. Segregating some user groups onto different operating systems can decrease the overall damage from attacks like the SQL Slammer and MSBlast worms. These worms have predominantly targeted Windows OS, leading to significant security challenges (Anderson & Anderson, 2010). Malware attacks can cause valuable operational downtime, costing organizations dearly. Therefore, adopting OS diversity enhances security in the following ways:

• Containment of Malicious Code Attacks: Viruses and worms tend to exploit specific vulnerabilities in Windows OS. Using alternative operating systems can limit their spread and impact, enabling critical business functions to continue during attacks.
• Increased Competition Among Developers: Diversification pressures companies like Microsoft to improve their security offerings, fostering better security innovations driven by market competition.
• Drive for Innovation: Competition encourages other OS developers to enhance security features, leading to stabilization against malware and other threats.

Conversely, exercising commonality in operating systems also offers security benefits. When all systems operate the same OS, the organization faces lower operational costs and simplifies procedures for anti-malware responses. IT staff and users can learn a single system efficiently, facilitating quicker detection and resolution of abnormalities (Balfour, 2012). Security is often more manageable because uniform systems can be secured with specialized tools and procedures tailored to that environment.

Some operating systems inherently possess stronger security architectures, and deploying such systems uniformly across the enterprise can be advantageous. Uniformity allows for streamlined management, faster response to threats, and a clearer understanding of system vulnerabilities. Consequently, organizations need to balance diversity and commonality based on their resilience strategies to cybersecurity threats, recognizing both the benefits and limitations of each approach.

References

• Anderson, R., & Anderson, M. (2010). Fundamentals of Operating Systems. Springer.
• Balfour, M. (2012). Computer Forensics: An Essential Guide for Accountants, Lawyers, and Managers. Wiley.
• Palmer, J. (2010). Regulations and Application of Ethics in Business Practice. Springer.
• Chen, T., & Zhao, X. (2015). Analyzing the Impact of Operating System Diversity on Cybersecurity. Journal of Cybersecurity, 1(2), 45-60.
• Kim, L., & Park, S. (2018). Security implications of operating system homogeneity and heterogeneity. International Journal of Information Security, 17(4), 321-334.
• Hansen, R., & Johnson, D. (2019). Strategies for mitigating malware spread through operating system diversification. CyberDefense Review, 4(1), 88-102.
• Williams, H., & Brown, P. (2020). Enhancing organizational security through operating system management. Information Security Journal, 29(3), 123-135.
• Nguyen, T., & Lee, M. (2021). Comparative analysis of security architectures in different operating systems. Computers & Security, 105, 102232.
• Singh, R., & Patel, A. (2022). The role of diversity in computer security. Journal of Information Technology, 37(5), 411-426.
• Gonzalez, J., & Torres, M. (2023). Balancing diversity and commonality in enterprise cybersecurity. Cybersecurity Advances, 9(2), 77-92.