Abstract

Enterprises increasingly operate in mixed operating system (OS) environments encompassing Windows, macOS, Linux distributions, mobile platforms, and cloud-connected endpoints. This heterogeneity enhances flexibility and productivity but simultaneously introduces security fragmentation, inconsistent policy enforcement, and heightened vulnerability exposure. The proposed conceptual model addresses these challenges by establishing a unified and adaptive framework designed to improve endpoint security across diverse OS ecosystems. The model integrates technological, procedural, and organizational dimensions to ensure consistent protection, visibility, and control regardless of platform differences. Central to the conceptual model is a unified security telemetry layer, which aggregates and normalizes cross-OS logs, configurations, and behavioral signals to provide holistic visibility. This is supported by a centralized policy and configuration management framework that enables consistent baseline enforcement, automated patching, and compliance validation across all endpoint types. An AI-driven threat detection and response engine further enhances security by correlating signals from heterogeneous environments, detecting anomalies, and orchestrating rapid, automated containment and remediation. Complementing these components is a cross-platform identity and access control architecture, grounded in zero-trust principles and designed to ensure uniform authentication, authorization, and device posture validation across multiple OS ecosystems. The model also incorporates an OS-agnostic application and API integration layer, enabling secure interoperation between enterprise apps while reducing attack surface exposures. Together, these components provide a cohesive, scalable, and resilient foundation for defending against evolving threats in increasingly distributed digital environments. By addressing the complexities inherent in mixed OS operations, the conceptual model offers a pathway toward strengthened organizational security posture, improved operational efficiency, and enhanced regulatory compliance. The framework sets the stage for future advancements involving edge computing, generative AI–augmented threat intelligence, and deeper zero-trust integration within native OS architectures.