Computer security is going through one of its most delicate moments. Bugs that go years without being fixed, super attacks capable of affecting half the Internet, missing updates, horrible policies... the list goes on. Facing an ever-increasing level of threats, the idea of designing an operating system from scratch is not so far-fetched, but it requires an immense amount of resources. Apparently, Kaspersky has been pursuing that goal for years, and finally achieved it with its brand new Kaspersky OS.
The State of Security
Experts in the Linux kernel debate about its security. The so-called Internet of Things is really the Internet of Zombies. New forms of malware can create gigantic botnets at very low cost, ransomware advances... Is everything broken? Is computer security a house of cards waiting for someone to sneeze? The end user already has enough worries, but let's look at the business environment. Databases, ATMs, e-commerce, home banking... our digital lives unfold in environments beyond our control, running on infrastructure that could be attacked at any moment. This goes beyond paranoia. A laptop and a 20 megabit per second connection can knock out a poorly configured server. Many solutions have been proposed, including 'clearing the table' and creating an operating system with security as a priority. That said, let's make room for Kaspersky OS.
Kaspersky's Answer
The idea of a dedicated operating system is not new, so Kaspersky OS arrives relatively late to the party, but its development generated rumors and speculation for years. Eugene Kaspersky first talked about the project in October 2012, if my memory serves me correctly, but it was last Tuesday that the first images of the operating system and the hardware it runs on were revealed. Now, Kaspersky OS is not something intended for the end user. Its goal is not to replace Windows, OS X, or the many Linux distros you can download today. Kaspersky OS aims to occupy a privileged space in embedded platforms (the images show a Layer 3 switch), industrial machinery, and of course, the Internet of Things.
Inside Kaspersky OS
Kaspersky OS is based on a microkernel architecture, so its relationship with Linux is zero. Its security mechanism is completely linked to the operating system's modules and applications, but the text also suggests the existence of digital signatures, which we hope never leak to the Web. According to Eugene Kaspersky, the company imagined its own operating system fourteen years ago. Today it already has it in its hands. How long will it take to reach the market? What kind of license will it adopt? Will its code be audited? Many questions, but the details end here.
Read the official announcement.
