Cybersecurity: Identifying the Vulnerability Intensity Function (<i>VIF</i>) and Vulnerability Index Indicator (<i>VII</i>) of a Computer Operating System

Abstract

The objective of the present study is to define two important aspects of the computer operating system concerning the number of its vulnerabilities behavior. We identify the Vulnerability Intensity Function (VIF), and the Vulnerability Index Indicator (VII) of a computer operating network. Both of these functions, VIF and VII are entities of the stochastic process that we have identified, which characterizes the probabilistic behavior of the number of vulnerabilities of a computer operating network. The VIF identifies the rate at which the number of vulnerabilities changes with respect to time. The VII is an important index indicator that conveys the following information about the number of vulnerabilities of Desktop Operating Systems: the numbers are increasing, decreasing, or remaining the same at a particular time of interest. This decision type of index indicator is crucial in every strategic planning and decision-making. The proposed VIF and VII illustrate their importance by using real data for Microsoft Windows Operating Systems 10, 8, 7, and Apple MacOS. The results of the actual data attest to the importance of VIF and VII in the cybersecurity problem we are currently facing.