CERT ® System and Network Security Practices Presented by Julia H. Allen at the NCISSE 2001: 5th National Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education, held at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA on May 22-24, 2001 Networked Systems Survivability CERT ® Coordination Center Software Engineering Institute Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA © 2001 by Carnegie Mellon University ® CERT, CERT Coordination Center, and Carnegie Mellon are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
page 2 © 2001 by Carnegie Mellon University The Problem - in the Large 85% of respondents to Computer Security Institute/FBI 2001 survey reported security breaches (70%, 2000; 62% 1999)* 186 organizations (35%) able to quantify financial loss reported $377.8M (273 organizations [51%], $265.6M in 2000 survey) - theft of proprietary information and financial fraud most serious 70% cited their Internet connection as a frequent point of attack (59% in 2000 survey) *Computer Crime and Security Survey, Computer Security Institute and the FBI, 2001,
page 3 © 2001 by Carnegie Mellon University The Problem - as Viewed by Administrators Lack of management understanding and guidance Lack of or arbitrary priorities (business goals, assets, threats, risks, protection strategies) Lack of time, resources, and qualified staff New and mutating attacks, new vulnerabilities Insecure products, bad patches
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page 5 © 2001 by Carnegie Mellon University Harden/Secure Install the minimum essential operating system and all applicable patches Remove all privilege/access and then add back in only as needed (“deny first, then allow”) Address user authentication mechanisms, backups, virus detection/eradication, remote administration, and physical access Record and securely store integrity checking (characterization) information
page 6 © 2001 by Carnegie Mellon University Prepare Identify and prioritize critical assets, level of asset protection, potential threats, detection and response actions, authority to act. Identify data to collect and collection mechanisms Characterize all assets, establishing a trusted baseline for later comparison Identify, install, and understand detection and response tools Determine how to best capture, manage, and protect all recorded information
page 7 © 2001 by Carnegie Mellon University Detect Ensure that the software used to examine systems has not been compromised Monitor and inspect network and system activities Inspect files and directories for unexpected changes Investigate unauthorized hardware Looks for signs of unauthorized physical access Initiate response procedures
page 8 © 2001 by Carnegie Mellon University Respond Analyze all available information; determine what happened Disseminate information per policy, using secure channels Collect and preserve evidence, including chain of custody Contain damage Eliminate all means of intruder access Return systems to normal operation
page 9 © 2001 by Carnegie Mellon University Improve Identify lessons learned; collect security business case information Install a new patch (re-harden); uninstall a problem patch Update the configuration of alert, logging, and data collection mechanisms Update asset characterization information Install a new tool; retire an old tool Update policies, procedures, and training
page 10 © 2001 by Carnegie Mellon University For More Information The CERT ® Guide to System and Network Security Practices, Addison-Wesley, June Phone: