Sheep dip (computing)

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Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

In IT security, a sheep-dip is the process of using a dedicated device to test inbound files on removable media for viruses before they are allowed to be used with other computers.[1]

The name sheep-dip is derived from a method of preventing the spread of parasites in a flock of sheep by dipping the new animals that farmers are adding to the flock in a trough of pesticide.[1] The term has been applied to IT security since at least the early 1990s, though footbath was also used at the time.[2] A sheep-dip system can be considered a special case of a sandbox, used to test for malware.

This sheep-dip protocol is a normal first line of defense against viruses in high-security computing environments, as it preemptively prevent the spread of viruses brought by new devices.[3] IT security specialists are expected to be familiar with the concept.[4]

The process was originally developed in response to the problem of

portable hard discs, memory cards, CD-ROMs and other removable devices, all of which can potentially carry malware
.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Webopedia definition of term "sheep-dip" Retrieved on 11 April 2013.
  2. ISBN 9780750616140
    . Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  3. ISBN 978-0470179864
  4. ^ Certified Ethical Hacker Course Overview (Lesson 9) Retrieved on 11 April 2013. Archived 5 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine

External links

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