Anyone who has been following the operating system market for long has probably heard about secure operating systems. But what exactly does this term mean? After all, security is purportedly a goal of most operating systems.

Generally, the term "secure operating system" refers to a system that falls into one of the following two categories: hardened and trusted OSes. Although the end goal -- a secure operating environment -- is the same, each approach is different. But do these offerings really deliver on their promises, or is "secure operating system" just another vendor buzzword?

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