CompTIA Security+ Exam Objectives 1.5

     Systems Security

       1.5  Implementing Security Applications

You understand why security is important and how you can safeguard your computer and network manually and through the use of hardening processes, but section 1.5 focuses on using certain types of software and applications that provide even more security. This is just another layer of the blanket of security that your network demands. Be aware of the terms below and know how they work, what their purpose is, and how they implement different types of security.

·         HIDS

·         Antivirus

·         Anti-spam

·         Pop-up blockers

·         Personal software firewalls

Some of them are self-explanatory such as a pop-up blocker, but do you know why a pop-up blocker is important? Note that pop-up blockers keep pop-ups from being run and leaving a cookie on your hard drive. You’ll want to know how firewalls work and how they can be used in the case of an attack against your compute or network.

HIDS is the host-based intrusion detection system, which is used to analyze all of the dynamic behavior of a computer system. They usually monitor the file system objects but can be used to monitor portions of the memory that should not be changed. The application also analyzes the state of the system, a process which comes in handy when a hacker plants a keylogger, botnet, spam, etc. HIDS will look for any changes and report them.

Know the difference between antivirus software and anti-spam. Antivirus programs are used to protect against known threats including viruses, worms, trojans, etc. These programs can be used to diagnose as well as to quarantine and eventually clean any type of infections.

You’ve probably heard the whole “if you want security, get a Mac, no one exploits them” talk, but in today’s world, no computer platform is 100% safe. When Apple released their Mac OS X 10.6.x, better known as Snow Leopard, various people were able to exploit a hole within the Java application. This goes to show that there is a strong need for security application. In fact, well-known company ESET Cybersecurity has created an antivirus program that works across the most widely used computer flatforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux.

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