expand for answer

Security Kernel

Hardware, firmware, and software elements of a trusted computing base implementing the reference monitor concept. Security kernel must mediate all accesses, be protected from modification, and be verifiable as correct. The central part of a computer system (hardware, software, or firmware) that implements the fundamental security procedures for controlling access to system resources. The core set of operating system services that handles all user/application requests for access to system resources.

Go Home

Similar items:

Maturity Level Details:Maturity levels consist of a predefined set of process areas. The maturity levels are measured by the achievement of the specific and generic goals that apply to each predefined set of process areas. The following sections describe the characteristics of each maturity level in detail.Maturity Level 1 - Initial At maturity level 1, processes are usually ad hoc and chaotic. The organization usually does not provide a stable environment. Success in these organizations depends on the competence and heroics of the people in the organization and not on the use of proven processes.Maturity level 1 organizations often produce products and services that work; however, they frequently exceed the budget and schedule of their projects.Maturity level 1 organizations are characterized by a tendency to over commit, abandon processes in the time of crisis, and not be able to repeat their past successes.Maturity Level 2 - Managed At maturity level 2, an organization has achieved all the specific and generic goals of the maturity level 2 process areas. In other words, the projects of the organization have ensured that requirements are managed and that processes are planned, performed, measured, and controlled.The process discipline reflected by maturity level 2 helps to ensure that existing practices are retained during times of stress. When these practices are in place, projects are performed and managed according to their documented plans.At maturity level 2, requirements, processes, work products, and services are managed. The status of the work products and the delivery of services are visible to management at defined points.Commitments are established among relevant stakeholders and are revised as needed. Work products are reviewed with stakeholders and are controlled.The work products and services satisfy their specified requirements, standards, and objectives.Maturity Level 3 - Defined At maturity level 3, an organization has achieved all the specific and generic goals of the process areas assigned to maturity levels 2 and 3.At maturity level 3, processes are well characterized and understood, and are described in standards, procedures, tools, and methods.A critical distinction between maturity level 2 and maturity level 3 is the scope of standards, process descriptions, and procedures. At maturity level 2, the standards, process descriptions, and procedures may be quite different in each specific instance of the process (for example, on a particular project). At maturity level 3, the standards, process descriptions, and procedures for a project are tailored from the organization's set of standard processes to suit a particular project or organizational unit. The organization's set of standard processes includes the processes addressed at maturity level 2 and maturity level 3. As a result, the processes that are performed across the organization are consistent except for the differences allowed by the tailoring guidelines.Another critical distinction is that at maturity level 3, processes are typically described in more detail and more rigorously than at maturity level 2. At maturity level 3, processes are managed more proactively using an understanding of the interrelationships of the process activities and detailed measures of the process, its work products, and its services.Maturity Level 4 - Quantitatively Managed At maturity level 4, an organization has achieved all the specific goals of the process areas assigned to maturity levels 2, 3, and 4 and the generic goals assigned to maturity levels 2 and 3.At maturity level 4 Subprocesses are selected that significantly contribute to overall process performance. These selected subprocesses are controlled using statistical and other quantitative techniques.Quantitative objectives for quality and process performance are established and used as criteria in managing processes. Quantitative objectives are based on the needs of the customer, end users, organization, and process implementers. Quality and process performance are understood in statistical terms and are managed throughout the life of the processes.For these processes, detailed measures of process performance are collected and statistically analyzed. Special causes of process variation are identified and, where appropriate, the sources of special causes are corrected to prevent future occurrences.Quality and process performance measures are incorporated into the organization.s measurement repository to support fact-based decision making in the future.A critical distinction between maturity level 3 and maturity level 4 is the predictability of process performance. At maturity level 4, the performance of processes is controlled using statistical and other quantitative techniques, and is quantitatively predictable. At maturity level 3, processes are only qualitatively predictable.Maturity Level 5 - Optimizing At maturity level 5, an organization has achieved all the specific goals of the process areas assigned to maturity levels 2, 3, 4, and 5 and the generic goals assigned to maturity levels 2 and 3.Processes are continually improved based on a quantitative understanding of the common causes of variation inherent in processes.Maturity level 5 focuses on continually improving process performance through both incremental and innovative technological improvements.Quantitative process-improvement objectives for the organization are established, continually revised to reflect changing business objectives, and used as criteria in managing process improvement.The effects of deployed process improvements are measured and evaluated against the quantitative process-improvement objectives. Both the defined processes and the organization's set of standard processes are targets of measurable improvement activities.Optimizing processes that are agile and innovative depends on the participation of an empowered workforce aligned with the business values and objectives of the organization. The organization's ability to rapidly respond to changes and opportunities is enhanced by finding ways to accelerate and share learning. Improvement of the processes is inherently part of everybody's role, resulting in a cycle of continual improvement.A critical distinction between maturity level 4 and maturity level 5 is the type of process variation addressed. At maturity level 4, processes are concerned with addressing special causes of process variation and providing statistical predictability of the results. Though processes may produce predictable results, the results may be insufficient to achieve the established objectives. At maturity level 5, processes are concerned with addressing common causes of process variation and changing the process (that is, shifting the mean of the process performance) to improve process performance (while maintaining statistical predictability) to achieve the established quantitative process-improvement objectives.
[view]

(1) Grounds for confidence that the other four security goals (integrity, availability, confidentiality, and accountability) have been adequately met by a specific implementation. “Adequately met” includes the following: functionality that performs correctly, sufficient protection against unintentional errors (by users or software), and sufficient resistance to malicious penetration or bypass. (2) A measure of confidence that the security features and architecture of an AIS accurately mediate and enforce the security policy. (3) A measure of confidence that the security features and architecture of an AIS accurately mediate and enforce the security policy. Note: Assurance refers to a basis for believing that the objective and approach of a security mechanism or service will be achieved. Assurance is generally based on factors such as analysis involving theory, testing, software engineering, validation, and verification. Lifecycle assurance requirements provide a framework for secure system design, implementation, and maintenance. The level of assurance that a deMeasure of confidence that the security features, practices, procedures, and architecture of an information system accurately mediates and enforces the security policy. The degree of confidence that security needs are satisfied. Assurance must be continually maintained, updated, and reverified.
[view]

The combination of hardware, software, and controls that form a trusted base that enforces your security policy. The totality of protection mechanisms within a computer system, including hardware, software, and communications equipment, the combination of which is responsible for enforcing a security policy. A TCB consists of one or more components that together enforce a unified security policy over a product or system. The ability of a trusted computing base to correctly enforce a security policy depends solely on the mechanisms within the TCB and on the correct input by system administrative personnel of parameters (such as a user’s clearance) related to the security policy. Totality of protection mechanisms within a computer system, including hardware, firmware, and software, the combination responsible for enforcing a security policy.
[view]

The term “computer forensics” was coined in 1991 in the first training session held by the International Association of Computer Specialists (IACIS) in Portland, Oregon. Since then, computer forensics has become a popular topic in computer security circles and in the legal community. Like any other forensic science, computer forensics deals with the application of law to a science. In this case, the science involved is computer science and some refer to it as Forensic Computer Science. Computer forensics has also been described as the autopsy of a computer hard disk drive because specialized software tools and techniques are required to analyze the various levels at which computer data is stored after the fact. Computer forensics deals with the preservation, identification, extraction, and documentation of computer evidence. The field is relatively new to the private sector, but it has been the mainstay of technologyrelated investigations and intelligence gathering in law enforcement and military agencies since the mid1980s. Like any other forensic science, computer forensics involves the use of sophisticated technology tools and procedures that must be followed to guarantee the accuracy of the preservation of evidence and the accuracy of results concerning computer evidence processing. Typically, computer forensic tools exist in the form of computer software.
[view]

(1) An access control concept that refers to an abstract machine that mediates all accesses to objects by subjects. (2) A system component that mediates usage of all objects by all subjects, enforcing the intended access controls. A portion of the security kernel that validates user requests against the system’s access control mechanisms. Concept of an abstract machine that enforces Target of Evaluation (TOE) access control policies.
[view]

There are no comments yet.

Authentication required

You must log in to post a comment.