Evolving IT Security Trends and Challenges: A Comprehensive Overview

1. Security Update 2009 Presented by: David M. Cieslak, CPA.CITP, GSEC

2. Agenda Goals of IT Security Trends Portals of Opportunity Other Issues & Remediation

3. Goals of IT Security • Confidentiality • Data is only available to authorized individuals • Integrity • Data can only be changed by authorized individuals • Availability • Data and systems are available when needed • Accountability • Changes are traceable/attributable to author

4. Threats & Vulnerabilities • Threats • Active agent that seeks to violate or circumvent policy • Part of the environment – beyond user’s control • Vulnerability • A flaw or bug • Part of the system – within user’s control • Risk • Likelihood of harm resulting of exploitation of vulnerability by threat

5. IT Security Response No single product, vendor or strategy Defense in Depth, i.e. Layers of Security

6. ** IT Security – “Short List” ** • Anti- • Virus • Botnets • Spam • Spyware • Passwords / Passphrases • Patches • Wireless Security • Unprotected Shares • Firewall • Perimeter • Personal/Application • Web-based e-mail/file sharing • Router/IP Addressing • Physical Access • Backups 6

7. Security Trends

8. Security Trends • On May 29, 2009, President Obama said… • “the U.S. has reached a "transformational moment" when computer networks are probed and attacked millions of times a day. It's now clear this cyber threat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation," Obama said, adding, "We're not as prepared as we should be, as a government or as a country." • Ready to name a “Cyber Czar”

9. Security Trends • Vulnerabilities • Overall < 20% • > 90% affect applications vs. OS  trend moving from OS to apps is increasing • Exploits • ~ 10% of available exploits work reliably

10. Security Trends • OS • Windows XP OS attacks – 42% of total • Windows Vista OS attacks – 6% of total • 64-bit versions of all products less than 32-bit counterparts • Browsers • Victims of browser exploits • > 47% - Chinese • > 23% - US English • Many legitimate websites now compromised and hosting malware (drive-by downloads)

11. Security Trends • E-Mail • Two extensions (*.html & *.zip) accounted for > 97% of blocked attachments • Roughly 50% of spam messages are for pharmaceutical products • Image spam is making a comeback – now > 20%

12. Security Trends • Data loss • > 37% due to stolen equipment • < 23% due to “hacking” • TrojanDownloader and TrojanDropper malware up significantly

13. Security Trends • Goal of compromise is still – steal confidential information, i.e. banking, credit card, etc. • New approaches: • Application and information-centric security • Ubiquitous encryption

14. Portals of Opportunity

15. Operating Systems

16. Vista SP1 • Security Features (vs. XP SP3) • BitLocker drive encryption • Granular audit • UAC (User Account Control) • Smart Card support • Biometric support - 3rd party

17. User Account Control (UAC) Introduced in Vista Limits application software to “standard user” privilege without additional authorization

18. Windows 7 • Security Features (vs. XP SP3 & Vista SP1): • Improved BitLocker drive encryption • BitLocker To Go • AppLocker • Multiple active firewall profiles • Improved UAC • Biometric support – native • *DEMO* - Control Panel\System and Security\Action Center

19. Browser Security

20. Browser Security • Internet Explorer 8 • Compatible with XP SP3 and newer • Safety menu • InPrivate Browsing - helps prevent IE from storing data about browsing sessions, including cookies, temporary Internet files, history, and other data • Security/trust by zones • Blocks sites known to host malware • By default, runs in protected mode – can’t make system-wide changes • *DEMO*

21. Browser Security • Mozilla Firefox 3 • Sandbox security model • “Bug bounty” for severe security hole discovery • Fewer documented security holes • Google Chrome 1.01 • Periodically downloads 2 blacklists – phishing & malware • Each tab is it’s own process • Icognito browsing

22. Content filtering • Windows Live Family Safety • Create filters for each person • Administer/authorize from anywhere • Monitor web & chat activity • https://fss.live.com

23. DNS options • Feb 2009 – Time Warner DNS servers in So. Cal subject to DDoS attack • Consider modifying router configuration to hard code alternate Public DNS server, rather that using broadband provider to resolve DNS • Example: • OpenDNS – 208.67.222.222 • 4.2.2.2 - Level 3 Communications (Broomfield, CO, US)

24. E-Mail / Spam / Phishing

25. E-Mail / Spam / Phishing • Issues: • > 90% of all e-mail is spam • Desktop solutions are inadequate • In-house (perimeter) solutions often require significant care & feeding • Image spam • Making a resurgence • Now accounts for >25% of all Spam • Difficult to detect/filter due to “lack of context”

28. E-Mail / Spam / Phishing • Solutions: • In-House • Current version of Exchange (2007) • E-mail filtering appliance • Barracuda • DoubleCheck

29. E-Mail / Spam / Phishing • Solutions: • Hosted • Microsoft Online Services • Electricm@il • Blended • In-house post office / Managed Service for filtering • Google Postini • Message Labs / Symantec • McAfee

30. Chat / Social Networking

31. Chat Users install without company knowledge/consent Users opening messages and clicking graphics and links that expose their machines to almost immediate compromise

32. Trillian™ Astra (beta) Single IM interface for – Windows Live, AIM, Yahoo, Google, ICQ, Skype, Facebook, Jabber, MySpace & Twitter 400+ new features!

33. Chat • Other multi-protocol client options • Digsby • Pidgin • Miranda

34. Chat Chat protocols /conversations may not be confidential?

35. Chat Meebo – https://www.meebo.com

36. Chat Simp by Secway

37. Social Networking • Facebook • Facebook currently has over 200+ million users • Compromised Facebook accounts send malicious links to friends • Users are prompted to enter login names & passwords • Attackers use harvested info. to attempt to login to other sites & services (are you using the same login name and password for confidential data?)

38. Social Networking • TwitterCut (5/27/09) • Message appears to be from friend with link to TwitterCut web site • TwitterCut site looks like Twitter page • Person is prompted to enter login details (phishing attack) • Entire contact list then recvs. similar message

39. Social Networking • Flock Social Web Browser • Modified version of Mozilla browser • Automatically connects to 20 online services

40. Antivirus

41. Antivirus • Re-set: • Issues - • Performance problems – users turning AV off • Not filtering all sources – web e-mail, chat, etc. • AV updates not done on all machines • AV products not catching all malware • Suites are bloated • Result – compromise!

42. Antivirus • Beware of rogue PC security applications (antivirus/anti-spam/anti-spyware). Look official, but likely promoting purchase of their products, or worse – install trojans! • Recent examples: • Personal Antivirus • Antivirus 360 • System Guard 2009

45. Antivirus • Future of AV products will most likely be… • Better distribution and redundancy of AV function between cloud, perimeter devices, servers & clients, • More application centric • Protection at document level (digital rights)

46. System Patches / Updates

47. Conficker – post mortem aka – Conflicker, Downadup, DownAndUp, Kido Superworm surfaced 11/21/2008 Targets Windows OS machines with known vulnerability (MS08-067) – patch was available 10/08 At height, may have infected > 15 million PCs Variants still infecting 50,000 new PCs per day Purpose – create a botnet of infected computers To determine if machine is infected, visit – http://www.confickerworkinggroup.org/infection_test/cfeyechart.html

48. Patch Management • Windows OS *Demo* - Control Panel\System and Security\Windows Update

49. Patch Management • Other MS apps - • Non-MS Applications – case by case…

50. Other Issues & Remediation