How to secure operating systems?

by | Feb 10, 2023 | Information Security

An operating system is a system software that manages computer hardware and software resources. It also provides services to computer programs. And, if we want to secure a host, we must secure the operating system also. If the operating system has any vulnerability, an attacker can easily exploit that to attack the system.

How to secure an operating system? In this article, we will discuss that in detail.

How to secure operating systems?

We can take a number of security measures to secure an operating system. Let’s look into them one by one.

Operating System Hardening

Operating system hardening is the process of implementing various security measures to protect a host computer. For example, we can update and patch an operating system regularly to ensure it does not have any known vulnerabilities. We can also use secure configurations and deploy a firewall, anti-malware program, and Intrusion Detention and Prevention System (IDPS) to harden an operating system.

Let’s discuss in detail the security measures we should take to perform operating system hardening.

1. Remove all unnecessary software

We should not use unnecessary software on a server. If we do not remove unused software and the software program has a security vulnerability, then attackers can easily exploit that to attack the system. Removing unnecessary software from a server thus reduces the chances of existing vulnerabilities. And that will, in turn, reduce the chances of cyberattacks.

2. Remove unnecessary services

An operating system provides various services to users as well as programs. But, not all services are necessary for a server. We should remove unnecessary services from a server. If we do not remove an unused service from a server, then an attacker can …

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Amrita Mitra

Author

Ms. Amrita Mitra is an author, who has authored the books “Cryptography And Public Key Infrastructure“, “Web Application Vulnerabilities And Prevention“, “A Guide To Cyber Security” and “Phishing: Detection, Analysis And Prevention“. She is also the founder of Asigosec Technologies, the company that owns The Security Buddy.

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