Assumption #2 (2nd topic)

By cliangNo Comments
No matter individual or enterprise, there are information stored in the cloud. The pre-requisite to use cloud is the communication line from your end point to the hosting location. Most rely the as-built cyber protections like TLS, 2-step authentication offered by the provider. No doubt, these are deemed secure. But if your information is of high value, you need to consider the appropriate level of extra layers, e.g. single tenancy, dedicated hosting location with physical access control,  further end-to-end communication encryption, database level encryption or tokenization, periodic security assessment, regular situation awareness to keep your people from being victim of spear phishing attack. All these don't mean 100% security but to demonstrate your due diligence to secure your data....
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Cyber Footprint

By cliangNo Comments
We are living both in the physical and cyber worlds and these worlds are closely coupled. We have left lots of cyber footprints - posts in social media, emails to others, auto-toll road, facial recognition via video analytics by surveillance camera, RFiD cards in the pocket, cell phone IMEI with location service, electronic identity of many, purchase preference, web browsing habit, medical & education history ... not to mention those event logging.  All these can be traced back to an individual, if intended. An individual might also locate the peers from cyber world to reach out physically.  Common example is proposed contact by social network via your connected friends. Machines are also controlled by automation where these controls are "living" in the cyber world. Performance of machines are feeding back to machine learning to improve physical operational efficiency. Unless you stay in the wild completely off the grid, hunting and farming for food, using natural fuel, living in a closed & trusted community without electronic...
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Penetration

By cliangNo Comments
Cybersecurity is becoming commodity skill and therefore same terminology will have different interpretation by different parties. Pick penetration test (pTest) as an example. For beginners they simply pick up automated scanner then scan the network and hosts. Whatever reported in the scanner and recommendations are their findings and that's all. A more skillful pTester will review the reported finding, validate its applicability with owner for a practical and achievable follow up before reporting. A professional pTester will go beyond further. Before engagement Understand what is the target of evaluation Advise owner the risk of doing automated scan rather than blindly perform the scan because others say so Agree on approach of execution to set expectation Agree on picking representable samples to manage resources (for both sides) Determine where to place the scanner - before or behind any network perimeter Before execution Load scanner with updated signature and agree on types of test (brute force password attack? DoS test?) Validate target node is accessible ...
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Threat Hunting

By cliangNo Comments
Suddenly, new market jargon "threat hunting" is spreading around under cybersecurity domain. It is a kind of proactive measure to uncover if your environment has already been penetrated and critical info are being exfiltrated. This kind of exercise is best executed by 3rd party periodically, because: If this is due to insider threat, it won't be surfaced In-house workforce might have assumption for certain things that won't go wrong Periodic check is for assurance because the threat hunting only spots situation at a particular point in time and its past, it cannot predict the future A more holistic approach is to augment this threat hunting exercise with workforce and business process strengthening to identify vulnerabilities for effective risk reduction....
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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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Stepping Stone

By cliangNo Comments
Systems and components are connected in the cyber space. Some have misconception that my setup are for development, or its failure does impose significant impacts, why do I bother to secure it? Because if these systems or components are insecure, they could be deployed as gateway for hacker to penetrate into other internal infrastructure. This lateral network movement contributes to many high profile data breach incidents. Other infrastructure/facilitiy elements are often mostly neglected, e.g. UPS, CRAC (Computer Room Air Conditioner), BMS, IP-camera, IP-KVM etc. As long as they are connected in your network, you should care....
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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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Deep Packet Inspection (DPI)

By cliangNo Comments
As cyber attacks have already moved from network layer to application tier, DPI is a must to examine contents to detect malicious intention. Some technologies (like web proxy) even break the TLS for content inspection incurring cyber threats from user perspective that https is no longer trusted to be secure. In a corporate environment Privacy is not guaranteed via a blanket statement by consent to being monitored when start using the IT facilities, e.g. displayed in logon banner. As an user, check the site certificate if issued by site owner or another party to understand if traffic is being intercepted For network in public Usually connectivity is via WLANYou have no idea what is behind the infrastructure, whether it has been maniuplated for malicious intention. So, follow the OS platform recommended public network profile upon connection -- Don't allow your device being discovered -- Disable folder sharing -- Setup another web browser without login credential saved for general web surfing -- Never use insecure...
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