An experimental addition to UNIX allows a user to connect a watch-dog program to a file.The watchdog is invoked whenever a program requests access to the file.The watchdog then either grants or denies access to the file.Discuss two pros and two cons of using watchdogs for security.
The watchdog program becomes the primary security mechanism for file access.Because of this we find its primary benefits and detractions.A benefit of this approach is that you have a centralized mechanism for controlling access to a file- the watchdog program.By ensuring the watchdog program has sufficient security techniques,you are assured of having secure access to the file.However,this is also the primary negative of this approach as well- the watchdog program becomes the bottleneck.If the watchdog program is not properly implemented (i.e.it has a security hole),there are no other backup mechanisms for file protection.