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Enhancing Operating System Authentication Techniques
Haskell-Dowland PS (Dowland PS), Furnell SM
Proceedings of the Second International Network Conference (INC 2000), Plymouth, UK, pp253-261, 3-6 July, 2000
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The need for enhanced user authentication has been evident for some time; but has not been addressed at the operating system level to any degree. Whilst all mainstream operating systems offer some level of user identification and authentication, this is generally based on the username/password combination. Although a number of extensions to operating system security have been proposed (with some reaching implementation) none, as yet, have been integrated into the core operating system kernel. Although there are examples that extend the operating system security model with additional measures (e.g. plug-in fingerprint scanners), these merely extend the operating system security rather than replace it with a more secure version.




This paper will consider the need to improve operating system security focussing upon the enhancement of user identification and authentication. In particular, the security weaknesses of the Microsoft Windows NT environment will be considered, leading to a discussion of supervision techniques that may be integrated within the NT security model. Finally, the conceptual integration of an Intrusion Monitoring System (IMS) architecture is considered.

Haskell-Dowland PS (Dowland PS), Furnell SM