Botnet Detection

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano recently stated that we might be able to keep our shoes on while going through airport security checkpoints in the near future. It seems there is technology on the way that will allow for that. Technology has been responsible for many wonders that improve our lives or at least make things easier. The promise of the Internet was one such stride. But according to a recent comment by Napolitano, while the U.S. is ‘categorically safer’ since 9/11, cyber-terrorism is now at the top of the security concern list.

In today’s world there is a wide range of online threats to safeguard against — identity theft, fraud, hackers, spam, viruses and spyware all come quickly to mind. But the persistent threats that have been experienced this year by RSA, Lockheed-Martin, Google, Sony and a host of other well-known brands and companies make us wonder just how vulnerable are we?

Some experts are claiming that cyber warfare will replace traditional warfare. All that has transpired recently makes that seem less far-fetched than the general populace might have thought a few years ago.

Did you read the interesting interview conducted by Cisco’s Jason Lackey with ex-Anonymous hacker known as SparkyBlaze? If you have only read excerpts the full reading is illuminating. For me getting a sense of what is “ethical” and what is not to this 20-something-year-old was revealing. He gives advice too, which very much parallels what security companies have been saying for years. If you missed these 14 points, here they are again direct from SparkyBlaze:

• Deploy defense-in-depth
• Use a strict information security policy
• Have regular audits of your security by an outside firm
• Use IDS or IPS
• Teach your staff about information security
• Teach your staff about social engineering
• Keep your software and hardware up to date
• Watch security sites for news on computer security and learn what the new attacks are
• Let your sysadmins go to defcon ;D
• Get good sysadmins who understand security
• Encrypt your data (something like AES-256)
• Use spam filters
• Keep an eye on what information you are letting out into the public domain
• Use good physical security. What good is all the [security] software if someone could just walk in and take [your “secure” systems]?

If, like me, you sometimes take for granted all we know about security in messaging and computer security in general, the rest of the world is now starting to wake up to it. The topic is becoming of interest to a wide range of lay-people, let alone legislators and government officials. This current trend has elements of mystery, intrigue, conspiracy and drama. Indeed, a colleague recently brought to my attention a detailed Vanity Fair magazine article that makes some of the recent exploits sound like one big spy novel. What’s the old saying? May you live in interesting times. Well, we sure do.

Data security today, and really for some time now, is no longer just a sys admins job. It is not just a “set it and forget it” appliance. Securing an organization is a complex, on-going battle that needs to be waged with regularity, education and solid company policies. And it isn’t cheap, but it is worth it.