Operating systems are an essential piece of any computer system, as it is the software that makes the hardware useable. Without it, the computer would be useless, and, because of this, operating systems of all types are found in just about every kind of technology. However, operating systems are prone to a number of problems, the leading of which is perhaps security. That is, because of the complexity of modern day operating systems, it is difficult to make them invulnerable to outside attacks or even user error. Therefore, operating systems are often the target of hackers, various types of viruses, etc. Although it is still not fully developed, one solution to these problems may be in the form of blockchain, which offers the potential to have decentralized operating systems. Therefore, what follows below is a look at the security problems of operating systems and how blockchain might be the solution.
Types of Security Problems
One of the biggest security flaws of operating systems is authentication. That is, access to a user’s system files is password protected. However, many experts do not consider passwords to be safe, due mainly to the fact that they can be easily guessed, are not stored properly, or are accidentally given out to the wrong people. In other words, password generators have reached a level of sophistication that even complex passwords can be guessed relatively easily. This is especially true if the hackers have already collected information about a user, as a passwords usually contain personal information, making them easier for the user to remember. Furthermore, phishing attacks are a common way to trick users into giving up sensitive information, thus allowing unauthorized access. Every few months or so, a large organization reports that they have fallen victim to a phishing attack and their users’ information has been exposed (Basil, 2012).
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Another big security flaw is malware. This comes in many forms, such as spyware, viruses, trojans, etc. All of these are software that runs without the user’s permission and could potentially be stealing the user’s information, using the user’s computer to perform a task, etc. The creators of operating system are always struggling to defend against malware, as they often release security updates, but it is difficult to make them perfectly secure (Tasril, 2017). Therefore, operating systems, especially the more complex ones, continue to be vulnerable.
A Possible Solution
In the last few years, the use of blockchain technology has become popular. This is for many reasons, but one of the most important is because of the security that it offers. Put simply, a blockchain is a decentralized ledger that keeps track of who is in control over certain pieces of data and the time and date that this data was transacted. The blockchain is immutable and not under the control of a person or company, meaning that it cannot be manipulated or influenced. The most popular use of this technology is cryptocurrencies, but new versions of blockchain allow for decentralized operating systems that could potentially solve the security problems that they face.
This works by distributing computing power to users on the network, each of which would contribute his or her computing power to helping the operating system run. Each computation would be added to the blockchain, thus allowing the computers of other users to use it to continue to run the program. Therefore, hackers or malware cannot attack the system, as it cannot be changed or operate outside of its original intent. Although, complex operating systems have yet to be implemented, decentralized applications already existed on the blockchains used by cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum and EOS, showing that decentralized computing is not only possible but secure (Build unstoppable applications, 2018).
- Bassil, Y. (2012). WINDOWS AND LINUX OPERATING SYSTEMS FROM A SECURITY PERSPECTIVE. Journal of Global Research in Computer Science,3(2).
- Tasril, V. (2017). Threats of Computer System and its Prevention. IJSRST,3(6).
