Spam

By cliangNo Comments
Everything in the world is relative. For some, spam mails are annoying and try to filter them off the mailbox as spams usually associate with unsolicited sales or phishing attack. But for others, spam are considered as valuable resources. Honeypots are setup to collect spams, analyze and understand the trend, the TTP (Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures) of phishers in order to bring up awareness and counter-measures....
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ROI

By cliangNo Comments
Return On Investment (ROI) is the typical approach to justify the spending to acquire asset. For the sample solar renewable energy illustrated, this is simple: One-off cost like equipment purchase & installation Recurring cost like maintenance, insurance, administrative (if trading to grid is involved) In a 5 or 10 years total cost model, how much energy charges could be saved, or how much revenue is generated if energy is sold back to the grid vs how much expense to paid. However, there are risks that might affect the net gain: Sufficiency of sun light intensity Weather condition at the location Physical security of equipment against theft or sabotage In cyber protection technology, stake holders normally expect cyber-security is the baseline and integrated with the asset. Adding extra cost won't be seen as ROI.  A slightly adjusted model is to calculate the avoidance cost of a single cyber-security incident vs investment.  Therefore, the justification is to be: If we invest $X, then we could avoid spending...
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Network

By cliangNo Comments
Network exists in both physical and cyber worlds. Both have physical portion and content portion. Even in cyber perspective, both the physical media and the info exchange are required to protect but most focus is on the content part. If the adversary is able to access network equipment physically, then all those secured configuration will become insecure. Therefore, in any security assessment, physical aspect must not be forgotten....
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Born or Made

By cliangNo Comments
Cybersecurity vulnerabilities are broadly categorized into 2 types: [a] Inherent weakness in the component, protocol (e.g. PLC, ftp) that is insecure by design [b] Improper deployment causes a secure component (e.g. FIPS-140-2 Level-4 certified crypto module) into insecure due to lack the required surrounding elements (likely broken business process or human negligence) Type [a] can be overcome at time of procurement to specify requirement. Type [b] can be identified via vulnerability assessment of the deployed solution in people, process and technology perspectives...
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End of Road

By cliangNo Comments
In physical journey, there is always an end such as End of vacation, back to workRoad blocked by obstacle, detour or get back In cyber journey especially digital transformation, it is never-ending. The target is rolling, compliance to new regulations are demanding, expectations from stake holders are uplifting over time. You need to upkeep security protection against emerging threats even if your business or technologies deployed remain unchanged. New solutions or even new protections will bring new risks. Essentially, regular assessment is required the business environment, technologies deployed and threat landscape, and review how much risks are acceptable to run the business. After all there is never 100% secure system. ...
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Dormant

By cliangNo Comments
Malware nowadays is getting sophisticated - has small footprint, evade sandbox & detection, determine platform to inject the applicable payload, some even change account password, disable all network interfaces to completely lock you out. Backup is one of the mitigation means for recovery of the pre-victim state at cost of losing certain application data. The challenge is that malware might have already existed in the previous state in dormant form and the backup carries it. What should best be done? In extreme case, no Internet and even standalone with communication, no removable media and all I/O ports sealed, zero-trust of any users with all system privileges locked down, application white-listed, use kiosk mode. Imagine you are working in an organization like this. You won't be working long as the business will soon cease in such environment. And after all, who should be appointed to maintain the system that this inevitably requires root privileges. This is a risk taking consideration....
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Technology

By cliangNo Comments
Technology helps avoiding mistake, operating continuously and enforcing certain outcome. However, technology is designed and deployed by human. There must be faults during the above process (that's why we have patch Tuesday or so). In the illustrated vault, it has thick door and wall. That should be strong to withstand theft, physical attack or natural disaster to secure contents stored there. If the access to vault is not well managed, then the intended protection will be void. ...
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Perimeter #2

By cliangNo Comments
Perimeter is intended to control and scrutinize access. Now, systems are interconnected and standalone system is no longer considered effective. This will then expose the attack surface. Example is port 80. You have web site for point of presence in the market. Web site needs to allow anonymous access, or the Internet surfer. Though firewall is deployed, the web port (TCP 80, 443 or whatever is required) must be opened. Attack then shifts to application like injecting malicious contents passing thru the network layer, submitting large amount of requests to slow down or corrupt the system, manipulating client side data and resubmit to back-end. Counter-measures will then require Software Secure Development LifecycleSecure configurationRegular security patches and upgradesPeriodic comprehensive assessment (indeed, some industries mandate this)Situation awareness for different types of roles involved ...
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