4 – System Security

Publisher Summary This chapter provides information related to general system security threat, hardware and peripheral devices, OS and application security, virtualization, and system-based security applications. Some security threats are specific to the environment. But there are many threats out there that are dangerous in any environment. Any environment can be susceptible to viruses, Trojans, root kits, and privilege escalation. It is important to take the necessary steps to protect the environment from these threats. The systems are the main components of the environment. System security is crucial in any environment. System protection should entail many layers. This is because system vulnerabilities exist at many layers. There are hardware, operating system, application, and peripheral device threats. Each type of threat requires a different defense and a different method of remediation. These threats have been further intensified by the adoption of virtualization. One of the key concerns with virtualization is where security should be done. Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 include a number of applications that help in securing the systems and protect against various threats.