Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Intrusion Detection In Unix-Based Networks, David R. Landry

Theses and Dissertations

Computer security has not kept pace with the rapid growth of networked systems. Through its connection to the Internet, the Department of Defense is vulnerable to computer-based attacks. Current intrusion detection systems are still unproven, too complicated, or too costly for most system security officers to implement. The attack methods used by system intruders are known and can be represented as groups of commands called attack signatures. This thesis investigates methods for detecting intruders by monitoring command usage. Testing was conducted in both controlled and uncontrolled circumstances. With controlled testing, it was shown that 7 of the 11 signatures could …

Authentication For Mobile Computing, Andreas Keppler

Theses

Host mobility is becoming an increasingly important feature with the recent arrival of laptop and palmtop computers, the development of wireless network interfaces and the implementation of global networks. Unfortunately, this mobile environment is also much more vulnerable to penetration by intruders. A possible means of protection can be authentication. This guarantees the identity of a communication peer.

This thesis studies the constraints imposed on the mobile environment with respect to authentication. It compares the two prevailing authentication mechanisms, Kerberos and SPX, and tries to make suggestions of how a mechanism can be adapted to the mobile environment.