About this page.

This blog was originally just going to be my Security assignment for electronic logs, but it has now evolved just a bit. In this blog will will find my notes and anything else we do in these classes.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Chapter 1 Cont

Most of what we talked about this class meeting was types of attackers and what their goals generally are.  We also got hit with a rather nasty quiz.  I hate quizzes.

**Edit- added the rest of this class' notes.


Extra Credit
Cyber security books (Critical system error)
Pretest for network fundamentals

RGE  Resume Generating Event. 

More IS Terms

  • Options to deal with risk
    • Accept
      • Realize there is a chance of loss
    • Diminish
      • Take precautions
      • Most information security risks should be diminished
    • Transfer risk to someone else
      • Ex: purchasing insurance
 More after the break

Understanding the importance of IS

  • Preventing data theft
    • Security often associated with theft prevention
    • Business data theft
      • Proprietary information
    • Individual data theft
      • Credit card numbers
  • Thwarting identity theft
    • Using another's personal information in unauthorized manner
      • Usually for financial gain
    • Examples
      • Steal person's SSN
      • Create new CC account
      • Charge purchases
      • Leave unpaid
  • Avoiding legal consequences
    • Laws protecting electronic data privacy
      • HIPPA
      • Sarbox
      • GLBA
  • Maintaining productivity
    • Post attack clean up diverts resources
      • Time and money

  • Foiling cyber terrorism
    • Premeditated, politically motivated attacks
    • Target: information, computer systems, data
    • Designed to :
      • Cause panic
      • Provoke violence
      • Result in financial catastrophe
    • Potential targets
      • Banking
      • Military
      • Energy
      • Transportation
      • Water systems

Categories of attackers

  • Hackers
  • Script kiddies
  • Spies
  • Insiders
  • Cybercriminals
  • Cyberterrorists

  • Hackers
    • Hacker
      • Person who uses computer skills to attack computers
      • Term not common in security community
    • White hat hackers
      • Goal to expose security flaws
      • Not to steal or corrupt data
    • Black hat hackers
      • Goal is malicious and destructive
  • Script Kiddies
    • Goal:  break into computers to create damage
    • Unskilled users
    • Download automated hacking software (scripts)
      • Use them to preform malicious acts
    • Attack software today has menu systems
      • Attacks are even easier for unskilled users
    • 40% of attacks are preformed by script kiddies
  • Spies
    • Computer spy
      • Person hired to break into a computer
        • To steal information
    • Hired to attack a specific computer or system
      • Containing sensitive information
    • Goal: steal information without drawing attention to their actions
    • Possess excellent computer skills
      • To attack and cover their tracks
  • Insiders
    • Employees, contractors, business partners
    • 48% of breaches attributed to insiders
    • Examples
      • Health care worker publicized celebrities' health records
        • Disgruntled over upcoming job termination
      • Government employee planted malicious coding script
      • Stock trader concealed losses through fake transactions
      • US Army private accessed sensitive documents
  • Cybercriminals
    • Network of attackers, identity thieves, spammers, financial fraudsters
    • Difference from ordinary attackers
      • More highly motivated
      • Willing to take more risk
      • Better funded
      • More tenacious
      • Goal: financial gain

  • Organized gangs of young attackers
    • Eastern European, Asian and third world regions

  • Cybercrime
    • Targeted attacks against financial networks
    • Unauthorized access to information
    • Theft of personal information
  • Financial cybercrime
    • Trafficking in stolen credit cards and financial information
    • Using spam to commit fraud
  • Cyberterrorists
    • Cyberterrorists
      • Ideological motivation
        • Attacking because of principles and beliefs
    • Goals
      • Deface electronic information
        • Spread misinformation and propaganda
      • Deny service to legitimate computer users
      • Commit unauthorized intrusions
        • Results: critical infrastructure outages; corruption of vital data
  • Attacks and defenses
    • Wide variety of attacks
      • Same basic steps used in attack
    • To protect computers against attacks:
      • Follow five fundamental security principles
  • Steps of an attack
    • Probe or information
      • Such as type of hardware or software used
    • Penetrate any defenses
      • Launch the attack
    • Modify security settings
      • Allows attacker to reenter compromised system easily
    • Circulate to other systems
      • Same tools directed toward other systems
    • Paralyze networks and devices
  • Defenses against attacks
    • Fundamental security principles for defenses
      • Layering
      • Limiting
      • Diversity
      • Obscurity
      • Simplicity
  • Layering
    • Information security must be created in layers
      • Single defense mechanism may be easy to circumvent
      • Unlikely that attacker can break through all defenses and layers
    • Layered security approach
      • Can be useful in resisting a variety of attacks
      • Provides the most comprehensive protection
  • Limiting
    • Limiting access to information
      • Reduces the threat against it
    • Only those who must use data granted access
      • Amount of access klimitd to what that person needs to know
    • Methods of limiting access
      • Technology
        • File permissions
      • Procedural
        • Prohibiting document removal from premises
  • Diversity
    • Closely related to layering
      • Layers must be different (diverse)
    • If attackers penetrate one layer:
      • Some techniques unsuccessful in breaking through other layers
    • Breaching one security layer does not compromise the whole system
    • Example of diversity
      • Using security produces from different manufacturers
  • Obscurity
    • Obscuring inside details to outsiders
    • Example:  not revealing details
      • Type of computer
      • Operating system version
      • Brand of software used
    • Difficult for attacker to devise attack if system details are unknown
  • Simplicity
    • Nature of informatin security is complex
    • Complex security systems
      • Difficult to understand and troubleshoot
      • Often compromised for ease of use my trusted users
    • Secure system should be simple:
      • For insiders to understand and use
    • Simple from the inside
      • Complex from the outside

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