So what's your definition of security?

deRanged

out of curiosity - if you had to give a 1 line definition of computer security - what would it be?

mine would be something like:
Security: The business of controlling access to and usage of computer systems.

LegacyUser

a joke

Hobbes

Impossible.

Pretence

Winning the LOTTO

anonym00se

a full time job

Kali

a syringe in the back pocket
(as long as you dont sit down)

PJ Hunt

Security:
A locked PC, with encrypted HD, inside a safe, which is welded shut and encased in concrete, at the bottom of the Mariana Trench and everyone involved in putting it there commits suicide.

(Of course this is after the poles have shifted and this particular area of the world is under 2 miles of ice)

Damn !! I can see an exploit already !!

---

‡PJ‡

ecksor

A computer is secure if you can trust it to (1) work as you expect it to, (2) be available for service when you want it to be and (3) the information stored on it cannot be viewed/altered by anyone it shouldn't be.

Maintaining that is the trick
There are more comprehensive definitions floating around I'm sure.

Hobbes

(1) work as you expect it to,
(2) be available for service when you want it to be and


There was a very good press article some time back. Can't remember what it was called.

But it basically went through a boring day of a Sys admin where he would come in late, surf the web, check his stocks online and do a bit of shopping. All because he had everything working automatically and no one complained.

However script kiddies aside (who think hacking = trashing a system). A professional hacker who has entered a system will normally fix problems which might alert the sysadmin to examine the server further. I'm not talking about security hacks, I'm talking about say closing up a security hole after giving themselves thier own access.

Kind of a good guiderule... if it's not broke, try to break it. Normally I set something up and it works perfectly first time I find ways to break it, so that someone else doesn't find it later.

(3) the information stored on it cannot be viewed/altered by anyone it shouldn't be.

The best kept secret between two people is if one of them is dead.

anonym00se

Originally posted by X_OR:
(2) be available for service when you want it to be

Not quite sure how this relates to a machine being secure. for example, just because the sshd has craped out does not mean the box has been comprimised

[This message has been edited by anonym00se (edited 21-06-2000).]

Canaboid

Standalone, not connected to anything else.

anonym00se

Originally posted by Canaboid:
Standalone, not connected to anything else.

Not gonna do you much good if some one
gets physical access

sam

if someone can bring down your pc whenever they feel like it, its not 'secure'

Kali

sam im going to switch your pc off today at 8pm. beware.