This document summarizes a presentation on IT security threats, vulnerabilities, and countermeasures. It discusses the rise of cybercrime and how attacks have become more advanced, well-organized, technical, and well-financed. Various cyber threats are examined like the increase in cyber intelligence activities by nation-states. Common security vulnerabilities are also reviewed, such as the OWASP top 10 list and the SANS top 20 list. Specific threats like keyloggers and the WSNPOEM malware are discussed in more detail. The presentation emphasizes the importance of security awareness, training, patching, authentication, and implementing proper countermeasures and configurations to mitigate risks.
Secure by design and secure software developmentBill Ross
This secure lifecycle management process (SLCMP said slickum) defines the basic and most realistic way to develop secure software. While the briefing is a bit dated slide 34 is still a very relevant process. What is below the green line is the security dynamic process that happens supporting the basic development process seen above the green line. SLCMP is supported by building a complementary and excellent information risk framework system security plan or IRASSP. SLCMP is operationally deployed.
Secure by design and secure software developmentBill Ross
This secure lifecycle management process (SLCMP said slickum) defines the basic and most realistic way to develop secure software. While the briefing is a bit dated slide 34 is still a very relevant process. What is below the green line is the security dynamic process that happens supporting the basic development process seen above the green line. SLCMP is supported by building a complementary and excellent information risk framework system security plan or IRASSP. SLCMP is operationally deployed.
Avoiding Application Attacks: A Guide to Preventing the OWASP Top 10 from Hap...IBM Security
View the on-demand recording: http://securityintelligence.com/events/avoiding-application-attacks/
Your organization is running fast to build your business. You are developing new applications faster than ever and utilizing new cloud-based development platforms. Your customers and employees expect applications that are powerful, highly usable, and secure. Yet this need for speed coupled with new development techniques is increasing the likelihood of security issues.
How can you meet the needs of speed to market with security? Hear Paul Ionescu, IBM Security, Ethical Hacking Team Lead discuss:
- How application attacks work
- Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) goals
- How to build defenses into your applications
- The 10 most common web application attacks, including demos of the infamous Shellshock and Heartbleed vulnerabilities
- How to test for and prevent these types of threats
Learn what cyber security means for your law firm, your employees, and your bottom line. This presentation will provide a snapshot of the IT Security threats facing law firms today, as well as the knowledge and tools you can use to prevent them.
Cyberattacks are malicious actions taken by individuals, groups, or organizations against computer systems, networks, and digital devices with the intent to damage, steal or manipulate data, or disrupt normal operations. These attacks can target anyone, from individuals to governments and large corporations, and can cause severe damage to both personal and professional lives.
his may include encryption during transmission and storage, access controls, and measures to prevent unauthorized access or data breaches.
Progress Indication: Provide feedback to users about the progress of their uploads. This could include progress bars, percentage completion, or status messages to keep users informed.
Ethical Hacking Interview Questions and Answers.pdfShivamSharma909
Ethical hacking is an exciting career opportunity for individuals with excellent problem-solving skills and a passion for information security. Ethical hackers are responsible for safeguarding the critical infrastructure of the organization. They organize penetration tests to identify the vulnerabilities and help the organization take necessary measures to prevent possible cyber-attacks. There has been an increased demand for Ethical hackers in government agencies ( military and intelligence agencies) and private organizations in recent times. To become an ethical hacker requires a sound knowledge of networking and hacking systems.
https://www.infosectrain.com/blog/ethical-hacking-interview-questions-and-answers/
Avoiding Application Attacks: A Guide to Preventing the OWASP Top 10 from Hap...IBM Security
View the on-demand recording: http://securityintelligence.com/events/avoiding-application-attacks/
Your organization is running fast to build your business. You are developing new applications faster than ever and utilizing new cloud-based development platforms. Your customers and employees expect applications that are powerful, highly usable, and secure. Yet this need for speed coupled with new development techniques is increasing the likelihood of security issues.
How can you meet the needs of speed to market with security? Hear Paul Ionescu, IBM Security, Ethical Hacking Team Lead discuss:
- How application attacks work
- Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) goals
- How to build defenses into your applications
- The 10 most common web application attacks, including demos of the infamous Shellshock and Heartbleed vulnerabilities
- How to test for and prevent these types of threats
Learn what cyber security means for your law firm, your employees, and your bottom line. This presentation will provide a snapshot of the IT Security threats facing law firms today, as well as the knowledge and tools you can use to prevent them.
Cyberattacks are malicious actions taken by individuals, groups, or organizations against computer systems, networks, and digital devices with the intent to damage, steal or manipulate data, or disrupt normal operations. These attacks can target anyone, from individuals to governments and large corporations, and can cause severe damage to both personal and professional lives.
his may include encryption during transmission and storage, access controls, and measures to prevent unauthorized access or data breaches.
Progress Indication: Provide feedback to users about the progress of their uploads. This could include progress bars, percentage completion, or status messages to keep users informed.
Ethical Hacking Interview Questions and Answers.pdfShivamSharma909
Ethical hacking is an exciting career opportunity for individuals with excellent problem-solving skills and a passion for information security. Ethical hackers are responsible for safeguarding the critical infrastructure of the organization. They organize penetration tests to identify the vulnerabilities and help the organization take necessary measures to prevent possible cyber-attacks. There has been an increased demand for Ethical hackers in government agencies ( military and intelligence agencies) and private organizations in recent times. To become an ethical hacker requires a sound knowledge of networking and hacking systems.
https://www.infosectrain.com/blog/ethical-hacking-interview-questions-and-answers/
As Europe's leading economic powerhouse and the fourth-largest hashtag#economy globally, Germany stands at the forefront of innovation and industrial might. Renowned for its precision engineering and high-tech sectors, Germany's economic structure is heavily supported by a robust service industry, accounting for approximately 68% of its GDP. This economic clout and strategic geopolitical stance position Germany as a focal point in the global cyber threat landscape.
In the face of escalating global tensions, particularly those emanating from geopolitical disputes with nations like hashtag#Russia and hashtag#China, hashtag#Germany has witnessed a significant uptick in targeted cyber operations. Our analysis indicates a marked increase in hashtag#cyberattack sophistication aimed at critical infrastructure and key industrial sectors. These attacks range from ransomware campaigns to hashtag#AdvancedPersistentThreats (hashtag#APTs), threatening national security and business integrity.
🔑 Key findings include:
🔍 Increased frequency and complexity of cyber threats.
🔍 Escalation of state-sponsored and criminally motivated cyber operations.
🔍 Active dark web exchanges of malicious tools and tactics.
Our comprehensive report delves into these challenges, using a blend of open-source and proprietary data collection techniques. By monitoring activity on critical networks and analyzing attack patterns, our team provides a detailed overview of the threats facing German entities.
This report aims to equip stakeholders across public and private sectors with the knowledge to enhance their defensive strategies, reduce exposure to cyber risks, and reinforce Germany's resilience against cyber threats.
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Empowering the Data Analytics Ecosystem: A Laser Focus on Value
The data analytics ecosystem thrives when every component functions at its peak, unlocking the true potential of data. Here's a laser focus on key areas for an empowered ecosystem:
1. Democratize Access, Not Data:
Granular Access Controls: Provide users with self-service tools tailored to their specific needs, preventing data overload and misuse.
Data Catalogs: Implement robust data catalogs for easy discovery and understanding of available data sources.
2. Foster Collaboration with Clear Roles:
Data Mesh Architecture: Break down data silos by creating a distributed data ownership model with clear ownership and responsibilities.
Collaborative Workspaces: Utilize interactive platforms where data scientists, analysts, and domain experts can work seamlessly together.
3. Leverage Advanced Analytics Strategically:
AI-powered Automation: Automate repetitive tasks like data cleaning and feature engineering, freeing up data talent for higher-level analysis.
Right-Tool Selection: Strategically choose the most effective advanced analytics techniques (e.g., AI, ML) based on specific business problems.
4. Prioritize Data Quality with Automation:
Automated Data Validation: Implement automated data quality checks to identify and rectify errors at the source, minimizing downstream issues.
Data Lineage Tracking: Track the flow of data throughout the ecosystem, ensuring transparency and facilitating root cause analysis for errors.
5. Cultivate a Data-Driven Mindset:
Metrics-Driven Performance Management: Align KPIs and performance metrics with data-driven insights to ensure actionable decision making.
Data Storytelling Workshops: Equip stakeholders with the skills to translate complex data findings into compelling narratives that drive action.
Benefits of a Precise Ecosystem:
Sharpened Focus: Precise access and clear roles ensure everyone works with the most relevant data, maximizing efficiency.
Actionable Insights: Strategic analytics and automated quality checks lead to more reliable and actionable data insights.
Continuous Improvement: Data-driven performance management fosters a culture of learning and continuous improvement.
Sustainable Growth: Empowered by data, organizations can make informed decisions to drive sustainable growth and innovation.
By focusing on these precise actions, organizations can create an empowered data analytics ecosystem that delivers real value by driving data-driven decisions and maximizing the return on their data investment.
Adjusting primitives for graph : SHORT REPORT / NOTESSubhajit Sahu
Graph algorithms, like PageRank Compressed Sparse Row (CSR) is an adjacency-list based graph representation that is
Multiply with different modes (map)
1. Performance of sequential execution based vs OpenMP based vector multiply.
2. Comparing various launch configs for CUDA based vector multiply.
Sum with different storage types (reduce)
1. Performance of vector element sum using float vs bfloat16 as the storage type.
Sum with different modes (reduce)
1. Performance of sequential execution based vs OpenMP based vector element sum.
2. Performance of memcpy vs in-place based CUDA based vector element sum.
3. Comparing various launch configs for CUDA based vector element sum (memcpy).
4. Comparing various launch configs for CUDA based vector element sum (in-place).
Sum with in-place strategies of CUDA mode (reduce)
1. Comparing various launch configs for CUDA based vector element sum (in-place).
Explore our comprehensive data analysis project presentation on predicting product ad campaign performance. Learn how data-driven insights can optimize your marketing strategies and enhance campaign effectiveness. Perfect for professionals and students looking to understand the power of data analysis in advertising. for more details visit: https://bostoninstituteofanalytics.org/data-science-and-artificial-intelligence/
2. New Cyber Security World
2
• New threats
• New tools and services to protect
• New organization to manage
• Better results under worse
conditions
– cyber crime impact
– Better audit results
3. 3
Introduction to Cyber Crime
• Cyber crime and terrorism has escalated
during recent years
• It is well-organized
• It is advanced technically
• It is well-financed
• It has adopted a new view
– The old view: quick entry and exit
– The new view: hidden long term presence
– The best attack is undetected, and
undetectable
4. 4
Why the Increase In Cyber
Intelligence
• Recent open source network compromises
disclosure, becoming more common, used as
a nation enabler
• Easier to steal digits, than to integrate a spy
• Larger ROI in stealing R&D, vice actually
doing it. (Past events have shown that .EDU
has been used as a gateway to .GOV)
5. 5
Why the Increase In Cyber
Intelligence
• Economic motivation
• Globalization empowerment
• Continuous national interest into US
directions and intentions
• If you can’t out shoot them out
spend them. (costly to recover form
breaches)
8. 8
Government Response: A New Cyber Initiative
• Security measures are essential and urgent in the face of stronger criminals
and nations
• The P Government Response: A New Cyber Initiative resident issued
directives, on January 8, 2008, that we strengthen our defenses
– National Security Directive 54 and Homeland Security Directive 23
– Collectively, the cyber initiative is to secure the government's computer systems
against attacks by foreign adversaries and other intruders
• OMB has mandated all agencies will have a Trusted Internet Connection (TIC)
• A national multi-part defense against cyber crime
• Department of Education is part of the defense
• First combination of separate federal security areas
– National defense and intelligence
– Sensitive civilian information
• Two major goals in this cyber initiative:
– One: stop critical vulnerabilities now in each agency
– Two: extend protection from global predators by cross-agency cooperation
9. 9
Threat Summary
• Exfiltration of US sensitive data from local networks and
systems committed by hostile countries and organizations
increasing
• FBI Report to Congress: Terrorist cell used stolen PII/ SI
to conduct much of their business
• Increased cases of a critical nature against critical
networks identified by the US CERT
• In FY 2009, events detected will continue to rise
• Stronger awareness and countermeasures will be
required to protect against future threats
10. 10
Security Vulnerabilities
Know your vulnerabilities
• OWASP
(http://www.owasp.org)
• National Vulnerability Database
(http://nvd.nist.gov)
• SANS Top 20
(www.sans.org/top20)
• Others
11. 11
OWASP Top 10 Security Vulnerabilities
• 1 - Cross Site Scripting (XSS) XSS flaws occur whenever an application takes user supplied data and sends it to a
web browser without first validating or encoding that content. XSS allows attackers to execute script in the victim's
browser which can hijack user sessions, deface web sites, possibly introduce worms, etc.
• 2 - Injection Flaws Injection flaws, particularly SQL injection, are common in web applications. Injection occurs
when user-supplied data is sent to an interpreter as part of a command or query. The attacker's hostile data tricks
the interpreter into executing unintended commands or changing data.
• 3 - Malicious File Execution Code vulnerable to remote file inclusion (RFI) allows attackers to include hostile code
and data, resulting in devastating attacks, such as total server compromise. Malicious file execution attacks affect
PHP, XML and any framework which accepts filenames or files from users.
• 4 - Insecure Direct Object Reference A direct object reference occurs when a developer exposes a reference to
an internal implementation object, such as a file, directory, database record, or key, as a URL or form parameter.
Attackers can manipulate those references to access other objects without authorization.
• 5 - Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) A CSRF attack forces a logged-on victim's browser to send a pre-
authenticated request to a vulnerable web application, which then forces the victim's browser to perform a hostile
action to the benefit of the attacker. CSRF can be as powerful as the web application that it attacks.
• 6 - Information Leakage and Improper Error Handling Applications can unintentionally leak information about
their configuration, internal workings, or violate privacy through a variety of application problems. Attackers use this
weakness to steal sensitive data, or conduct more serious attacks.
• 7 - Broken Authentication and Session Management Account credentials and session tokens are often not
properly protected. Attackers compromise passwords, keys, or authentication tokens to assume other users'
identities.
• 8 - Insecure Cryptographic Storage Web applications rarely use cryptographic functions properly to protect data
and credentials. Attackers use weakly protected data to conduct identity theft and other crimes, such as credit card
fraud.
• 9 - Insecure Communications Applications frequently fail to encrypt network traffic when it is necessary to protect
sensitive communications.
• 10 - Failure to Restrict URL Access Frequently, an application only protects sensitive functionality by preventing
the display of links or URLs to unauthorized users. Attackers can use this weakness to access and perform
unauthorized operations by accessing those URLs directly.
12. 12
OWASP Top 1: Cross Site Scripting
– What is Cross Site Scripting?
• In it’s simplest form, it’s a process that can occur anywhere a web application
uses input from a malicious user to generate output without validating or
encoding the input.
• During a Cross Site Scripting attack, a malicious source sends a script that is
executed by the end user’s browser. It allows attackers to embed code from
one webpage into another webpage by changing its HTML code.
• It’s been used to deface web sites, conduct phishing attacks, or it can take over
a user’s browser and force them to execute commands they’re unaware of.
• Cross Site Scripting attacks usually come in the form of JavaScript however,
any active content poses a potential danger.
– Prevention
• Validate the users input against what is expected
• Encode user supplied output
• After you believe you’ve done the right things during code development, inspect
your code with a scan.
13. 13
OWASP Top 2: Injection Flaws (SQL Injection)
– What is SQL Injection
• SQL injection is the actual injection of SQL commands into web
applications through user input fields.
• When an application uses internal SQL commands and you also
have user input capabilities (like a login screen), SQL commands
can be injected that can create, read, update, or delete any data
available to the application.
– Prevention
• You can put tight constraints on user inputs. But the best method
of preventing SQL injection is to avoid the use of dynamically
generated SQL in your code. Instead use stored or canned
procedures.
• And then again, run a scan to make sure your application is not
vulnerable to SQL injections.
14. 14
OWASP Top 3: Malicious File Execution
– What is Malicious File Execution
• When Developers program applications to use input files provided by
the user and the bad guy is the one entering the file, a malicious file is
executed unknowingly, thus we have malicious file execution.
• Malicious file execution attacks can occur anytime the application
accepts filenames or files from a users.
• When these files are executed, they can be used to do just about
anything from stealing data to taking over the entire system.
– Prevention
• Strongly validate user input using "accept known good" as a strategy, or
isolate incoming files and check them legitimacy before executing them.
• Disable certain PHP commands: I suggest that you visit the OWASP
website to see what commands to disable.
15. 15
OWASP Vulnerabilities: A Common Thread
From looking at OWASP vulnerabilities it
appears that there is a common theme.
Applications with Dynamic code or user
inputs have the most vulnerabilities – and
that seems to be the current trend in
application development.
So if you’re building applications of that
nature, make sure you test them carefully.
16. 16
SANS Top 20 Security Vulnerabilities
• Information goes here
– 2nd level info
– 2nd level cont’d
• Information goes here
• Information goes here
18. 18
National Vulnerability Database
In the near future, information warfare
will control the form and future of
war... Our sights must not be fixed on
the fire-power of the industrial age;
rather, they must be trained on the
information warfare of the information
age.
19. 19
National Vulnerability Database
In the near future, information warfare
will control the form and future of
war... Our sights must not be fixed on
the fire-power of the industrial age;
rather, they must be trained on the
information warfare of the information
age.
23. 23
–NIST, DISA, CIS vs. Business
Needs
–Builds
–System Upgrades
–Vulnerability Scans
• Note: Federal Student Aid Secure Configuration Guides are
based off the NIST checklist located at
http://checklists.nist.gov
Insecure Configuration Settings
24. 24
Items of Special Interest
• Keyloggers & WSNPOEM
– What are these threats and why are
they of Special Interest to Federal
Student Aid and learning institutions?
– What can be done to mitigate these
threats?
25. 25
Item of Special Interest: Keyloggers
• What’s a Keylogger and how does it
exploit a Web Application?
– Downloaded unknowingly
– Resident on Personal Computers
– Captures User Activity
– Usually part of a malicious Network or
BOTNET
– Education notified of compromises by
US-CERT
26. 26
Keylogger Mitigations
• Train users
• Implement effective Anti-Spyware, Anti-Virus
• Keep patches and versions current
• Firewall
• Automatic form filler programs
• Cut and paste
• One-time passwords
• Smartcards
• Virtual keyboards
27. 27
Virtual Keyboard
A virtual keyboard is provided on Federal Student Aid’s Enterprise Security
login page and does not require end users to acquire additional software.
28. 28
Virtual Keyboard
• Some of the features of Federal Student Aid’s Virtual Keyboard
Include:
• Highly effective in evading true “Key Logging”
• Widely used by many financial institutions
• Low cost technology to deploy (even for 50 million users)
• Does not require any new hardware or software on client
machines
• Can work in conjunction with the existing keyboard
• Keys can be entered by mouse click or by leaving mouse on
the key for 2 seconds
• Virtual keyboard randomly shifts on the screen
29. 29
Item of Special Interest: WSNPOEM
• WSNPOEM
– What is it?
• Variant of the Banker/InfoStealer/Bancos/Zbot family
(identified as PWS-Banker.gen.bw by McAfee, as
Infostealer.Banker.C by Symantec, as Trojan-
Spy.Win32.Bancos.aam by Kaspersky and as Mal/Zbot-A
by Sophos).
– How does it exploit a Web Application?
• WinInet interception
• In-process key-logging
– How do we know about it and what’s the
impact?
– What can be done?
30. 30
Item of Special Interest WSNPOEM
• How do we know about it:
– Since 2004 we have been receiving periodic files from
US-CERT
– Now provided weekly
– Government wide concern
• Impact:
– > 22,000 unique compromised SSNs
– > 300 unique compromised userids and passwords
– Analysis from the raw logs has identified wsnpoem as
the number one threat
31. Item of Special Interest: WSNPOEM
• The wsnpoem
malware &
variants make
up 95% of
the incidents
captured in
the US-CERT
files
31
Malware Occurances
wsnpoem_v2 296475
wsnpoem_v3 394
wsnpoem_v6 15643
wsnpoem_v4 3447
wsnpoem 5019
haxdoor 4888
nethelper 4025
win32agent 3412
fireming 3063
silentbanker_v2 1583
passsickle 264
manda 259
nowhere 217
win32agent_v4 39
urlzone 6
32. 32
Item of Special Interest: WSNPOEM
• What can be done at the application
side?
– Require two factor authentication
• Virtual Keyboards, URL encoding, header encryption, shared
keys, security questions, and images are all vulnerable to this
type of attack
– Training and awareness for client side prevention
• Train those that are accessible
• Broadcast messages or post warnings on websites
• What can be done at the client side?
– Use two factor authentication
– Keep patches and versions current
– Run reputable security software scans (in safe mode)
33. 33
Item of Special Interest: FSA Actions
• Revoke User Access
• Notify User / School
• Review Logs
• Assist User / School Clean Computer
34. 34
How Much Security is Enough?
• We implement security based on
Cost vs. Risk
Threat * Vulnerability = Risk
Cost of Implementing Controls
– Cost of not Implementing
Controls = Cost
36. 36
Contact Information
We appreciate your feedback and
comments. We can be reached at:
Phillip Loranger
• Phone: (202) 245-6507
• Email: Phillip.Loranger@ed.gov
Robert Ingwalson
• Phone: (202) 377-3563
• Email: Robert.Ingwalson@ed.gov