WiFi

By cliang1 Comment
Getting connected to the Internet for various activities (getting updates from email, news, social media, weather, checking maps, traffic condition etc.) becomes an expected living habit due to mature technology and well established infrastructure. This need is even more when travelling around. Free or paid Internet access is available anywhere in library, hotel, airport, café, shopping malls and even inflight. Therefore WiFi cybersecurity is a concern. I have heard criticism from a cybersecurity practitioner on a single workstation (specific business function) in getting system updates via corporate guest WiFi is insecure and the connection should be switched to a 4G/5G data plan but there is no reason behind. This appears as an irrational advice. By default, Internet isn't secure whether it's WiFi or data plan. The recommendation should provide reason why it is insecure and mostly importantly practical measure to secure. If we look at this further, the insecurity from WiFi is likely due to: The infrastructure does not impose...
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Do The Right Thing

By cliangNo Comments
No matter in physical or cyber world, there are facilities built for people using them to achieve certain purposes - whether paid or free. All these facilities are designed per proper usage. That said, if the assumed usage behavior is not exercised, some adverse consequence might be resulted to the facility provider or the facility user. Take Internet banking as an example. Banks always remind people to safeguard their access credential (i.e. password) to avoid account being misused: never disclose the password to 3rd party not even the Bank, mandate 2-step authentication, enforce regular changing of password, never click links from email or from social network shared by others. Further, the Bank will alert account holder via text message or email for any credit card transaction executed with physically wiping the card, impose transaction limit to 3rd parties, etc. So as an user, do the right thing as advised to keep cyber secure. That means in the Internet banking example,...
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Proper Usage #2

By cliangNo Comments
Security Boundary Every system has its own weakness and limitation. We can't build a total secure system practically unless it is on the shelve without any usage value. There is always the need to assess the risks to opt for optimal security controls. The key part is the "users" that they are expected to behave within the security boundary. Don't try to address ALL vulnerabilities because it is unwise and a never-ending story. Even if this is achievable, it is just a snapshot at a particular point in time. The proper approach is that Understand what are the inherent vulnerabilitiesWhat are the compensating controls surrounding the core system to reduce the likelihoodIf there are any alternate facilities to maintain the minimal business operations should bad things happen ...
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Insider #2

By cliangNo Comments
Physical access requires substantial resources while visual accessibility is anywhere Industrial Control Systems (ICS) in a plant are now modernized using commodity hardware and software with networking capability to enhance overall efficiency, business analytics and to standardize skillset in plant operation plus support. With network, remote diagnostic and support are also possible to cut down the turn around time without waiting for engineer on site. Some cybersecurity practitioners put focus only on the cyber portion of the plant. This is not wrong provided that the physical aspects are equally considered at the compatible level. This is because the ICS is just a portion of the entire plant. The physical and mechanical plant conditions must also be secured. If background check is deemed necessary for O&M teams to reduce insider threat, this should also extend to the service crews (e.g. delivery, janitor), physical security guard service, contractors, vendors or even management. Most often, management level is by default granted with...
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Onion Approach

By cliangNo Comments
Information protection is usually via layered defence, sometimes refers as the "onion approach". In physical world, protected contents are placed inside secure facility thru multiple control points with access granularity like site level, particular zone(s) in the site, building, equipment room and cabinet before reaching the target. When things are changed accessible from network, reliance on physical access is still required but there are added controls to the cyber portion. Layered protection counterparts are: network firewall, application firewall, middleware gateway, RBAC, multi-factor authentication. Latest concept is zero-trust (ZT): user identity (and the authorized roles), request originated from which device (and platform), via trusted or untrusted network, type of application raising the request, types of contents for access, industry compliance and latest threat intelligence are all the variables in determining the permission for access. The same onion approach applies except more complexity in setting up and maintenance of these dynamic parameters. ...
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Rule or Ruler

By cliangNo Comments
As a security practitioner, providing advice in securing the organization cyber assets is the expected responsibilities and everyone in the organization has such expectation. In commercial world, resources are limited and there are always risks in business operations. Therefore, risk management is needed in an organization to prioritize resources in consistently dealing with the risks. A risk-based approach to deploy appropriate controls must be in place, i.e. objectively per organization risk matrix rather than subjectively per individual perception. After all, there won't be zero-risk business in this world. I come across a situation that a security practitioner demands uplifting the criticality of a target system just by personal feeling while the consequence does not exceed the threshold guideline per the official organization risk matrix. The escalated criticality of consequence could be legitimate because business environment or threat landscape have changed. Then the correct attitude is to revise the organization risk matrix which serves the foundation for consistent assessment. We must...
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Transformation

By cliangNo Comments
Due to rapid technology advancement, business operations are always undergone transformation. A phone kiosk becomes legacy as the use case is approaching to zero. While transformation creates new jobs, it also makes other jobs extinct. Imagine when there is no need to deploy phone kiosk, job functions regarding the manufacturing line, its supply chain, sales, installation, regular maintenance are no longer needed. Therefore, the transformation shall not only viewed at the business model but also the workforce development and the mentality to accept changes are part of life. Transformation also integrates cybersecurity as part of the job function except the demand of scale and skill might be different. Never complain cybersecurity is none of your business. The positive attitude is to look into the appropriate training to adapt and manage such new challenge. ...
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Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) Firewall

By cliangNo Comments
No doubt, the technology is secure. But without assessing the situation holistically, this is inconclusive. Rulesets might be wrongly set or firewall is wrongly configured, then the DPI firewall is insecure. If the connecting components are in a restricted and lock down environment, a DPI firewall is overkill and won't contribute to enhance more security. By the same token, media always exaggerate cyber threats. We must judge if such threat scenarios are likely in our environment rather than blindly doing unnecessary lock down on existing systems. An example is the ransomware attack via inactive user account thru VPN without 2-factor authentication, or authenticated users via PrintNightmare exploit. Something must be done but not to complete today. Security enhancement must be assessed, managed rather than in a piecemeal manner. The latter might even create more problems after blindly applying the counter-measures. Remember - action without plan is nightmare; plan without action is day dream. ...
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Privacy

By cliangNo Comments
We have a lot of personal data exposed in the cyber world in our daily life. To name a few, the "intrusive components" are: Electronic pass for toll road: where you are heading to, or even your entire journey if throughout the itinerary, there are traffic cameras and auto toll collection pointsCCTV: inside building, public areas, dashcam in vehicles nearbyCredit card: traces back to your identify, location, amount consumed, commodity purchasedHealth monitoring device: you wear in your body to capture your health data continuously, share in the technology provider's community if you wishOperating System: sharing the diagnostic data with the technology vendor when problem occurs or during online trouble shootingWeb site cookies: IP address to geo-location of your web surfing location, your web preferenceDigital photo: modern cameras are equipped with geo-tagging The most intrusive device is your cell phone. You carry it almost all the time. It exposes your geo-location from which cell towers your phone is connecting to. What should...
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Declassification

By cliangNo Comments
Confidential information is costly to maintain. Imagine all the 3 data states (data-in-motion, data-at-rest, data-in-use) will require technology and the underlying process to manage the authorized access and usage while denying otherwise. Most often except a few, sensitive information will diminish its value or impact overtime. An example of the "few" is the formula of a soft drink that remains as trade secret to standout the products from its competitors. Other than technical controls like encryption or multi-factors authentication access for digital information, there are simply regulations to protect artist work copyrights, alogrithm patent etc. that are published in public domain. Secret government documents also have expiry date to release for public interests. The declassification together with destruction process are therefore an important stage in the information lifecycle management process. Without these, the burden to maintain secrecy will increase over time and become unmanageable. ...
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