So what actually is ‘Kernel Address Randomized Link’ (ie. KARL)?

Many operating systems work differently from Windows.

Windows is the ubiquitous computer operating system made by Microsoft. That’s probably all I feel comfortable saying about that.

There are many other operating systems. Some have advantages over others, such as being faster, better designed for purpose, having a superior developer or user community, not vendor-locked, portable, etc.

Today, we are going to discuss security.

Whoops, wrong photo. Photo by Callum Shaw on Unsplash

Some operating systems have prioritized security. OpenBSD is a type of Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) operating system (a ‘flavour’ of BSD). Think ‘BSD’ like Linux-family, with the family members being different BSDs (similar to different Linux distributions or ‘distros’).

A fish. Photo by MARIOLA GROBELSKA on Unsplash

OpenBSD has this special feature that enhances its strength as an operating system that prioritizes security, known as ‘KARL’, but what is KARL?

KARL stands for Kernel Address Randomized Link, and it means that all kernel-level objects (ex. registry keys, device objects, threads, etc.) are put in a random order after every system boot, adding an extra layer of security.

Photo by Stelio Puccinelli on Unsplash

What does this mean? It means that OpenBSD has ANOTHER feature that prioritizes security — it is harder to break into if a would-be attacker cannot even identify the layout of the kernel. Cybersecurity can be a complex topic, requiring complex solutions and security measures — perhaps this is one of those, or perhaps it’s really straightforward.