Introduction

First step in designing security mechanisms is to study potential threats the system in question might be, or is, exposed to. Next, the ``features'' of the system in question enabling particular types of threats need to be identified. Lastly, the identified ``features'' need to be redesigned or removed so as to thwart the security attacks.

This section is an analysis of the security threats affecting the Linux operating system (OS), mechanisms by which they operate and design points in the Linux OS that provide scope for the attacks. General solutions to the problems are presented as well. Although the focus of the Chapter is on the Linux OS, as it is the OS of the choice for the project, all details mentioned apply to most of the commercial and server side operating systems available on the market today.