Security in Computing, Third Edition

1.7. Summary

Computer security attempts to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of computing systems' components. Three principal pieces of a computing system are subject to attacks: hardware, software, and data. These three, and the communications among them, constitute the basis of computer security vulnerabilities. In turn, those people and systems interested in compromising a system can devise attacks that exploit the vulnerabilities. This chapter has identified four kinds of attacks on computing systems: interception, interruption, modification, and fabrication.

Four principles affect the direction of work in computer security. By the principle of easiest penetration, a computing system penetrator will use whatever means ...