Comprehensive Security Analysis for NYC Council IT Infrastructure

This report addresses IT security concerns for the New York City Council, focusing on securing personal computers and electronic documents. It highlights the importance of a Standard Operating Environment (SOE) and recommends replacing Windows 8 with Linux due to its superior vulnerability patching policy and cost-effectiveness. The report explores hardware requirements, including processor and storage enhancements for improved performance and the benefits of hardware reuse to reduce costs. It emphasizes the significance of operating system security, including intrusion detection, access restrictions, and regular updates. The report also discusses secure documentation sharing methods like Google Drive and Amazon Drive, concluding that maintaining SOE, adopting Linux, and reusing hardware can enhance security and reduce overhead costs. The report is intended to assist the mayor of NYC in addressing IT security concerns, maintaining business reputation, and protecting community needs.

Running head: SECURITY OF OPERATING SYSTEM AND NETWORKING
Security of operating system and networking
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

SECURITY OF OPERATING SYSTEM AND NETWORKING
Executive Summary
Security of the operating systems has to be checked in every commercial organization as there are
different categories of security threats coming from both inside and outside the organization. Selection
of the appropriate operating system and the enactment procedure of the operating systems are very
much significant in order to secure the computer systems from the security threats. This report shall be
focusing the impact of the security provided by Linux operating system as it have an advanced
vulnerability patching policy. The significance of re-using the hardware can also be identified from this
report as it can help to minimise the overhead costs of this council. The significance of maintaining
security in the outdated windows 8 operating systems shall be identified in this report. This report will
be concluding with the justification of the documentation sharing procedure which can be used in NYC.
Page 1 of 8

SECURITY OF OPERATING SYSTEM AND NETWORKING
Table of Contents
1. Introduction......................................................................................................................................... 3
2. Standard Operating Environment....................................................................................................... 3
2.1 Recommendation and Justification of the Operating System........................................................3
3. Hardware Requirements..................................................................................................................... 3
3.1 Possible Re-Use of Hardware....................................................................................................... 3
4. Operating System Security................................................................................................................. 3
4.1 Justification of Operating Systems Security..................................................................................3
5. Sharing of Documentation.................................................................................................................. 3
5.1 Justification of Sharing Method..................................................................................................... 3
6. Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................... 3
7. References......................................................................................................................................... 3
Page 2 of 8

SECURITY OF OPERATING SYSTEM AND NETWORKING
1. Introduction
The notable determination of this report is to focus on the security measures which can be
taken in NYC in order to secure the personal computers from the security issues. The significance of
the backup of the documentation for NYC shall also be discussed in this report as this organization as
they are running seven years old operating systems in the personal computers.
There are numerous security issues which ate associated with operating systems which are
more than 6 years old such as the ransomware attack, ineffective encryption technology and business
disruptions (Khairallah 2019). Each of these issues can have an undesirable impact on the
proceedings of these council in terms of the creation of the laws. The community needs of NYC can
get seriously affected due to these security issues.
This report shall be very much useful for the mayor of NYC so that these security issues gets
resolved and business reputation is maintained in this council (Georget et al. 2017). It can be said that
assistance from the new IT equipment can be very much useful to secure the electronic documents of
this council.
2. Standard Operating Environment
Reduction in cost of deploying huge number of computer systems in NYC is one of the prime
benefits of SOE. The software updates and the service packs must be frequently checked and
updated in each of the computers systems in this council (Joy, 2015). The custom configurations of
each of the computer systems, as well as the security of the servers, are the two major contribution of
SOE in NYC. Each work stations across the borough of Manhattan can use SOE regarding the
enactment of operating systems.
2.1 Recommendation and Justification of the Operating System
Considering the lower budget which is there for the IT expenditure, it can be recommended
that the existing Microsoft Windows 8 can be replaced by Linux operating system.
Justification of selecting Linux: The vulnerability patching policy of Linux is much better
than windows 8. No separate investments are required for installation anti-virus software in each of the
computer systems, thus it is more economical than the windows 8 (Li and Xiaotie 2016). Each
department of NYC can work in a systemized manner due to the customisation specification of Linux.
The community support facility of Linux is also better as compared with the Windows operating
systems.
3. Hardware Requirements
The hardware requirements of this project shall be discussed in this section of the report. The
processor speed of the existing computer systems has to be altered in the first place along with that
the storage spaces of the desktop computers also has to be altered. These changes are very much
desired so that multiple applications can be run in those desktop computers (Gerofi et al. 2015). The
operation speed of the desktop systems can be enhanced in the first place after the enhancement of
Page 3 of 8

SECURITY OF OPERATING SYSTEM AND NETWORKING
the existing hardware of the computer systems. The productivity and efficiency of the desktop
computer systems can be reversed in the first place after the enhancement of the hardware
requirements. Multiple processes can also be used in those desktop computer systems (Wang et al.
2016). Complex calculations can be done in remarkable speeds using the hardware requirements. The
data fetching as well as the data retrieving activities of the desktops can also get revised due to the
enhancement of the existing hardware. The improved clock speed can be one of the most significant
contribution of the enhanced hardware.
3.1 Possible Re-Use of Hardware
The usability of the hardware can be managed in the first place after the re-use of the
hardware in this council. The cost of incorporating a new system can also get revised if the existing
hardwares of this council is re-used (Campbell et al. 2018). Considering the minimal budget which is
there for the installation of the IT equipment, it can be said that re-use of the hardware is very much
recommended in this scenario. The energy consumption of the new devices can also get boosted due
to the re-use of the hardware. Thus, the additional overhead cost of this council can be reduced if the
existing hardware is reduced.
4. Operating System Security
Maintaining the security and the integrity of the operating system is very much significant
which can help to enhance the efficiency of the existing desktop computers which uses the outdated
windows 8 operating systems. There are different categories of security threats which can have a
huge impact on the growth and productivity of computer systems such as computer worms, viruses
and malware (Rittinghouse and Ransome 2017). The role of the intrusion detection system is very
much efficient in the in order to secure the desktop systems from these external threats. Any sort of
unauthorized access can be restricted in the first place if security is maintained in the operating
systems of those desktop computers. The security of the network can also be identified in the first
place if the security of the operating system is enhanced. The physical security of the systems can
also be improved after the introduction of security measures. Interference with the physical as well as
the logical resources are the other advantages associated with the security measures of the operating
systems. Maintaining the security of the data is one of the other benefit regarding the incorporation of
the security measures for the operating system (Campbell et al. 2018). The limitation of the number of
user accounts can be very much useful to deal with the security concerns of the operating system. The
unnecessary and the legacy users of the operating systems has to be managed in the first place which
can decrease the vulnerability coming from the internal and external threats.
4.1 Justification of Operating Systems Security
The server computers has to be secured from the outsiders as well as the newly joined
employees of this council. The competency of the network administrators has to be enhanced in this
organization. The account policies of this council has to get revised due to the external security
threats. The permission of the files which area there in the operating systems must be restricted in
order to maintain the operating systems security. The role of the operating system, is very much
Page 4 of 8

SECURITY OF OPERATING SYSTEM AND NETWORKING
significant in order to provide security in this council (Xu, Weidong and Marcus 2015). The operating
systems patches must be regularly updated so that the security of the system is maintained inspite of
the threats coming from both inside and outside the council. Anti-virus engines must be updated in
each of the 1000 desktop computer of this council (Blacklock et al. 2017). The entire incoming as well
as the outgoing traffic of this council must also be monitored in the first place in order to maintain the
security of the operating systems. Creation of the secure accounts can be very much useful to deal
with the logic bomb. At the same time, issues like overflow of stack can be restricted in the first place
with the help of the secure accounts. Thus, each of these procedures are very much useful to maintain
the integrity, privacy as well as the integrity of the operating systems.
5. Sharing of Documentation
Sharing of documents is one of the most significant aspect in this council as there are more
than 294,000 employees working in this organization. There are different departments of NYC and
sharing of the business data is very much required among each stakeholders of this business. Thus,
there is a huge exposure of this business date which are being maintained in NYC ( Rittinghouse and
Ransome 2017). City hall is directly associated with the NYC council and huge amount of data is
transferred between each of them. Thus, it can be ensured that sharing of documents must be done in
an organized manner so that the reliability, as well as the confidentiality of the data, is maintained
inspite of the threats coming from both inside and outside the council.
5.1 Justification of Sharing Method
The role of the social engineers are getting enhanced every day, as a result the
documentation sharing procedures of this council has to be of the highest order. There are different
categories of documentation sharing procedure which can be deployed in this organization such as the
Google Drive and Amazon drive. The file transfer time of each of these two sharing methods are very
useful and secured as compared with the other sharing options such as One Drive.
However, as discussed by Silberschatz et al. (2018), Egnyte is one of the other document
sharing procedure which can be used in this organization which can be very much useful in order to
main the security of their organizational data.
6. Conclusion
Based, on the minimal budget which is there for the introduction of IT equipment in NYC it can
be said that maintaining an SOE can be very much useful to maintain the security of the servers. The
incorporation of new operating systems such as Linux can also be very much useful in NYC as it is
more economical than the other operating systems and the other benefit of this OS is the enhanced
community support. Complex calculations can be performed if the processor of the hardware is
enhanced. The operational support of the desktop computers can also get enhanced as a result of
enhanced hardware requirements. The re-using the hardware can save the numerous overhead cost
associated with NYC. The security the windows 8 operating systems have to be revised in the first
place in order to protect the organizational desktop computers from the threats coming from both
Page 5 of 8

SECURITY OF OPERATING SYSTEM AND NETWORKING
inside and outside the organization. The justification of the procedure which can be considered in NYC
regarding sharing of documentation can also be concluded from this report in terms of Amazon Drive
and Google drive.
Page 6 of 8

SECURITY OF OPERATING SYSTEM AND NETWORKING
7. References
Blacklock, Phillip J., Daphney L. Curry, and Linda K. Lilienthal. "Reflective Practice: Using Google
Drive to Improve the Quality of Learning Experiences during Clinical Teaching." In Society for
Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, pp. 1141-1143. Association
for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), 2017.
Campbell, Paul C. "Driving forward: Using Google Drive to enhance the teaching of Information
Literacy." (2018).
Georget, Laurent, Mathieu Jaume, Frédéric Tronel, Guillaume Piolle, and Valérie Viet Triem Tong.
"Verifying the reliability of operating system-level information flow control systems in linux." In 2017
IEEE/ACM 5th International FME Workshop on Formal Methods in Software Engineering (FormaliSE),
pp. 10-16. IEEE, 2017.
Gerofi, B., Takagi, M., Ishikawa, Y., Riesen, R., Powers, E., & Wisniewski, R. W. (2015, June).
Exploring the design space of combining linux with lightweight kernels for extreme scale computing. In
Proceedings of the 5th International Workshop on Runtime and Operating Systems for
Supercomputers (p. 5). ACM.
Joy, A. M. (2015, March). Performance comparison between linux containers and virtual machines. In
2015 International Conference on Advances in Computer Engineering and Applications (pp. 342-346).
IEEE.
Khairallah, Tariq. "Cloud Drives Forensic Artifacts A Google Drive Case." (2019).
Li, Huaibin, and Xiaotie Ma. "Design of wireless group control system embedded Linux." In 2016
Chinese Control and Decision Conference (CCDC), pp. 6953-6957. IEEE, 2016.
Rittinghouse, J.W. and Ransome, J.F., 2017. Cloud computing: implementation, management, and
security. CRC press.
Silberschatz, Abraham, Greg Gagne, and Peter B. Galvin. Operating system concepts. Wiley, 2018.
Tata, Sandeep, Alexandrin Popescul, Marc Najork, Mike Colagrosso, Julian Gibbons, Alan Green,
Alexandre Mah et al. "Quick access: building a smart experience for Google drive." In Proceedings of
the 23rd ACM SIGKDD International Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining, pp. 1643-
1651. ACM, 2017.
Wang, H., Chen, Z., Xiao, G. and Zheng, Z., 2016. Network of networks in Linux operating system.
Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 447, pp.520-526.
Xu, Yuanzhong, Weidong Cui, and Marcus Peinado. "Controlled-channel attacks: Deterministic side
channels for untrusted operating systems." In 2015 IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy, pp.
640-656. IEEE, 2015.
Page 7 of 8