Personal Computers
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As organizations begin to install Open Systems operating systems
and programs on their personal computers, the limitations of those
platforms must be recognized and handled appropriately.
Traditionally, most personal computers were designed to be single-user,
single-tasking systems. As a result, many of the safeguards one
usually associates with multi-user, multi-tasking systems are
reduced or absent. Currently, some personal computer operating systems
support a limited
form of task-switching or cooperative multi-tasking. In general:
- Although some personal computers have keyed locks,
the keys are not necessarily unique, so one size fits all.
- Password protection of the machine is absent or not enabled.
- There is no built-in support for sharing a single machine between
multiple users.
- Every program has unlimited access to all the hardware,
and by extension, all the software. As a result:
- Any program can modify the hardware and software interrupts and timers.
- Any program can read or write any area of memory.
- There is little or no protection against the inadvertent or
intentional modification or deletion of files.
Fortunately, most Open Systems operating systems provide the
needed safeguards.
John Barkley
Fri Oct 7 16:17:21 EDT 1994