Auditing and Assessments

1. Auditing and Assessments Lesson 18

2. Overview • The Hacker mindset • The Cracker mindset • What are security assessments • Example penetration test • What are they good for

3. The Hacker mindset • Hacker is someone who tries to “figure out how things work” • Originally a term of respect given to the uber-geek • Someone who could quickly create software code that worked – ie… hack out a routine • Original hackers were often looking for loopholes to increase their allotment of CPU time on early mainframes • Quest for knowledge

4. The Cracker mindset • Someone who tries to break into a computer system for malicious purposes (defacement, theft, fraud, denial of service) • Thought to have been coined by hackers to differentiate themselves in the 1980s • Media uses hacker when they usually mean cracker • Key is intent of actions and attitude

5. The Cracker mindset (cont.) • Lots of examples of cracker activity • Theft • Defacements are disappearing • Internet is a tempting target

6. Typical Cracker Activity 2/18/01

7. What are security assessments • Assessments are an examination of current security posture • Good mechanism to find and fix holes before someone else finds them • Keep in mind – someone else is looking for security holes even if you aren’t

8. What are security assessments • Three common terms for security assessments • Security Audit • Risk Assessment • Penetration Test • They may sometimes be used synonymously but they are not the same

9. What are security assessments • Security Audit • More of a compliance check • Checklists and standards • Policies and procedures • Backups • Verification • Are you doing what you are supposed to be doing • BS 7799 (British Standards Institute Code of Practice for Information Security Management) • Controls and practices

10. What are security assessments • Risk Assessment • Also more of an academic exercise • Weighs likelihood against impact • Weighs cost against benefit • Much more business oriented

11. What are security assessments • Penetration Test • Looks for security vulnerabilities • Unpatched operating system or application • Known security holes • Accounts with weak or no passwords • Examines impact of discovered vulnerabilities • Targets digital, physical, and personnel (social engineering) • Hands on test of network security • More thorough and effective

12. First Steps • Find the Work • Client approaches you • Salesperson approaches client • Request for Proposal (RFP) • Competitive situation • Several to many responses • Client evaluates responses and picks a vendor • Ask questions and get clarifications

13. Building the Proposal • Address the Client’s Needs • Figure out what they want • Tell them what you are going to do • Tell them how long it is going to take • Tell them what they are going to get • Tell them why they should pick you • Tell them how much it is going to cost • Don’t be afraid to give them options

14. Penetration Testing • Preassessment Discussion • Establish goal of assessment • Establish target list • Determine client’s areas of concerns • Discuss areas of coordination • Determine POCs and timeline • Establish ground rules • Set expectations **Two way exchange of information**

15. Penetration Testing • Information Gathering • Operating systems • Application versions • IP addresses and names • Open services (port scanning) • Response patterns • Traffic flow – what’s allowed in and what’s allowed back out

16. Penetration Techniques • Breaking into computers and networks can involve technical attacks or social engineering. • Technical attack: involve • Eavesdropping • Breaches of access controls • Social Engineering (misrepresentation): relies on lies, bribes and forms of seduction that can trick honest or marginally dishonest employees into revealing authentication information.

17. Technical Attacks • Breaching access controls • Brute Force attacks • Demon/war dialing • Exhaustive search for userid/password • Scavenging RAM • Intelligent Guesswork • Canonical passwords (default passwords & accounts) • BAD passwords • Discarded Media • Shoulder surfing

18. Technical Attacks • Intercepting Communications • Can obtain information by monitoring communication between a peripheral node and the host. • Wiretapping – intercepting the data stream on a communications channel • Phone lines, leased lines, long distance transmissions • Internet connections • LAN sniffers • Optical fiber: can be tapped • Wireless • Radio and wireless phones, wireless networks • Cellular • Packet radio • Van Eck interception (emanations security)

19. Technical Attacks • Penetration Testing • Look for vulnerabilities in applications and services • Commercial and freeware scanners • Many specialized freeware vulnerability scanners • Whisker scans for over 500 web-based vulnerabilities • Can scan over SSL • Has IDS evasion modes • Very powerful in the right hands • There’s a scanner for most major vulnerabilities • Freeware scanners are usually better and more up to date • Examine each target and services on the target • Examine logins and use brute force tools if allowed • Lots of research

20. Technical Attacks • Penetration Testing – Web Testing • Scan for vulnerabilities • Example: Microsoft IIS 4.0 / 5.0 Extended UNICODE Directory Traversal Vulnerability • Published in Oct 2000 • Access to files with IUSR account permissions on same logical drive as the web server • Can give cmd line access to remote attacker • Scan for presence of sample materials • Examine code of web pages (view source) • Examine input fields • Create test accounts if allowed

21. Technical Attacks • Penetration Testing – Dial Up • Often overlooked access method • Often unsecured • Dial company phone numbers looking for modems • Several commercial and freeware scanners available • Test security of discovered modems • Default passwords work most of the time • Test remote access packages with client software • Penetration Testing – Wireless Networks • Often left with little or no security • Footprint often extends into publicly accessible areas

22. Social Engineering • Penetration Testing – Social Engineering • Might not be allowed • Trying to trick someone into giving you access • Pose as administrator • Pose as new user • Sound like you belong • Lying • Impersonating authorized personnel • Impersonating 3rd party personnel • Subverting Employees and 3rd party personnel • Bribery • Seduction • Extortion • Blackmail

23. Physical Techniques • Penetration Testing – Physical • Door and lock testing • Are servers locked up • Is access to telco closets secured • Shoulder surfing • Clipboard testing • Dumpster diving • Work area security • Do employees use password protected screensavers • Passwords on stickies • Sensitive materials left out

24. Results • Document and catalog • Determine extent of discovered vulnerabilities to answer “how bad is it” • Record discoveries, systems affected, method of exploit, accounts and systems compromised • Must keep information organized

25. Reporting • Report generation • Provide management level summary • Provide technical level summary • Present findings in a clear and specific manner • Provide solutions to eliminate or mitigate vulnerabilities • Report is usually the only physical remnant of the assessment

26. Countermeasures • Strengthening the perimeter • Identification – single sign-on decreases risk somebody writes something down • Authentication – designed to make impersonation difficult • Biometrics • Callback • Smart cards and tokens • One time passwords • Encryption • Transmission • Data storage • Monitoring

27. What is the point • Helps your client conduct business in a safer manner • Helps protect against fraud, loss, or theft • Answers the “what if” questions • Helps ensure integrity, availability, and confidentiality of client data • Helps prevent your client from becoming the next headline

28. Things to do • Planning • Outline proposed activities • Request information from the client • Coordination • Let the client POC know when and where testing occurs • Tell the client all the possible impacts before testing starts

29. Things to do • Involvement • Keep the client POC in the loop during testing • Depending on arrangement, major findings may be discussed immediately upon discovery • Minimize Surprises • Prepare your client for the unexpected • Assessment teams usually find something • Sometimes the extent of discovery is troubling • Be prepared for follow-up actions • Report should contain next steps and recommendations

30. Things to do • Report • Spend enough time writing the report • Discuss the report with the client • Make sure the client understands exactly what’s in the report and what it means • Help client develop a plan of action • Fix biggest vulnerabilities or easiest ones first • Follow up with client • An assessment should not be a one shot arrangement • Perform periodic assessments

31. What clients consider when choosing a security firm • Determine their needs • What are we trying to accomplish • What do we need to fix • What are we looking for • Compare and Contrast • Expertise • Name recognition • Past clients (careful here, many security firms don’t release past client information) • Reputation • Service Offerings

32. Choosing a security firm • Personnel • Backgrounds • Capabilities • Responsiveness • Flexibility • Clients want someone willing to provide exactly what they want • Clients tend to avoid cookie cutter firms • Samples of work • Clients usually ask for sample reports

33. What clients consider when choosing a security firm • Personality • Are they easy to talk to • Do they listen • Are they always “on the clock” • Can you work with this firm on a long-term basis • Do you trust them with your company’s biggest secrets

34. Final Thoughts

35. Summary • What is the Importance and Significance of this material? • How does this topic fit into the subject of “Voice and Data Security”?