DispersedNet Root Glossary
High Level Overview of Unix Concepts
Unix is a family of multi-user operating systems that are widely used in servers, workstations, and mobile devices. Unix systems are characterized by a number of key concepts, including:
- Shells: Unix shells are command-line interfaces that allow users to interact with the operating system using a set of commands. The shell is a fundamental component of the Unix operating system, and different shells provide different sets of features and functionalities.
- File system: The Unix file system is hierarchical and organized in a tree-like structure. All files and directories in the file system are represented as nodes in the tree, with the root node at the top. Each node has a unique path that identifies its location in the file system.
- Permissions: Unix file systems are designed to be secure, and permissions are used to control who can access, modify, or execute files and directories. Permissions are set using a combination of read, write, and execute permissions for the owner, group, and other users.
- Processes: Unix systems are designed to support multiple users and processes simultaneously. Each process is assigned a unique process ID (PID), which is used to manage system resources and track the progress of the process.
- Networking: Unix systems are highly networked and support a wide range of networking protocols and services. Unix systems can be configured as servers or clients, and can communicate with other systems over a variety of network connections.
- Pipes and redirection: Unix systems provide powerful mechanisms for directing the flow of data between commands and processes using pipes and redirection. Pipes allow the output of one command to be used as the input of another command, while redirection allows input and output to be redirected to files or other devices.
Overall, Unix is a highly flexible and customizable operating system that provides powerful tools and features for system administrators, developers, and users. Its hierarchical file system, secure permissions system, support for multiple processes and networking, and powerful command-line interface make it a popular choice for a wide range of applications.
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Security and IT
Security is the most crucial aspect of information and communication technology. As applications
deployed over the internet are prone to attacks from all over the world, securing web applications has become a major
concern of developers. This paper presents an overview of different security techniques and mechanisms available for
securing web applications. These techniques are classified with respect to the security trait they incorporate. This paper
also includes an organized approach which can be adapted along with the development lifecycle of a web application to
incorporate security mechanisms into the system.
Internet Applications
Internet is the most efficient way of distributing products and services globally. Thus, businesses are moving over the
internet and web applications are being developed for providing the client-side interface.
However, the global accessibility of the internet, makes web applications prone to attackers from all over the world.
Even if the server of an application is confined within the secure boundary of organizations,
the web application can be manipulated to penetrate into the server and ultimately the entire system can be compromised.
As assets of an organization decide its business value, protection of these assets is crucial.
The goal of attackers is to get hold of these assets or hamper their use when required.
Thus, a thorough analysis and proper selection of security techniques is necessarily required in order to protect the assets of the organization.
An effective security model is designed under the assumption that attackers are completely aware of the physical and logical structure of a system.
They have complete knowledge of all the cryptographic algorithms and are aware of all the vulnerabilities. The idea behind this assumption is: if an attacker with complete system knowledge cannot get into the system, an attacker without knowledge cannot. The goal of a security model should be to protect the
system against such attackers.