Operations Security “Controls over the hardware in a computing facility, over the data media used, and over the operators using these resources.”

C.I.A. as affected by Operations Controls  Confidentiality: affect sensitivity & secrecy  Integrity: how well implementation directly affects accuracy & authenticity  Availability: affect system’s level of fault tolerance and recovery capability

Controls & Protections  Controls used to protect hardware, software, & media from Threats in environment Internal or External Intruders Operators inappropriately accessing resources

Categories of Controls  Preventative Controls are designed to lower amount & impact of unintentional errors Prevent unauthorized intruders from entering EX: prenumbered forms & data validation  Detective Controls To detect an error once it has occurred After the fact  Corrective (or Recovery) Controls Implemented to mitigate the loss Restoring data

Categories of Controls (conti)  Deterrent Controls Encourage compliance, complement other controls  Application Controls Designed into software to minimize & detect irregularities  Transaction Controls Input Controls Processing Controls Output Controls Change Controls Test Controls

TCSEC “Orange Book” Controls D: Minimal Protection C: Discretionary Protection C1: Discretionary Security Protection C2: Controlled Access Protection B: Mandatory Protection B1:Labeled Security Protection B2: Structured Protection B3: Security Domains A1: Verified Protection

Orange Book  Defines assurance requirements for secure computer operations  Assurance: level of confidence that security policy has been correctly implemented  Two types: Operational: basic features & architecture Life cycle: controls & standards used in operations & maintenance

Orange Book: Covert Channel Analysis  Channel: info transfer path  Covert channel: path that violates security policy  Covert storage channel  Covert timing channel  TCSEC B2: must protect against, must perform analysis for all storage channels  TCSEC B3 & A1: must protect against both types of convert channels

Orange Book: Trusted Facility Management  Assignment of a specific individual to administer secruity related system functions  Must take auditable action before being able to assume admin role  B2: System must support separate operator & system admin roles  B3: Must clearly identify functions of security admin

Orange Book: Separation of Duties  Assignment of parts of task to different personnel  No one person with total control == no one person that can completely compromise system  “Two man control”  Three distinct system admin roles System admin Security admin Enhanced operator

Orange Book: Rotation of Duties  Limit amount of time any individual performs the same security related duties

Orange Book: Trusted Recovery  Required only in B3 & A1 level systems  System failure == serious security risk Security bypassed while not fully functional  Ex: System crash while sensitive data written to disk before ACL changed  Hierarchical Recovery Types Manual Recovery Automated Recovery of single failure Automated Recovery without undue loss

Modes of Operation  Dedicated Mode Each user with any access has a valid personnel clearance, formal access approval (with signed non disclosure), & a valid “need to know” all info  System-High Mode All above except need to know some info  Compartmental Mode Need to know only info they have direct access to  Multilevel Mode Some do not have valid clearance for all info but have clearance & need to know for info they will have access to

Change Control  Manages process of tracking & approving changes  Identify, control, audit  Insure changes not diminish sys sec  Document all changes  Primary functions of change control Change implemented in orderly manner -- test Inform user base of change Analyze effect of the change Reduce negative impact of change

Procedures for Change Control 1. Applying to introduce change 2. Approval of change 3. Cataloging intended change 4. Testing change 5. Scheduling & implementing change 6. Reporting change to management

Configuration Management  More formalized for highly sec system  Configuration Managers Identify & document each functional & physical config item Personally assure approval for and manage all config changes Record & report status of changes Audit system config for unknown changes  Configuration Control Board

Administrative Controls  More to do with human than hardware or software  Personnel Security Employment screening / background chk Mandatory vacations Job action warnings & terminations  Separation of duties & responsibilities  Least Privilege  Need to know  Change control  Record retention & documentation control

Least Privilege  Separate levels of access based on job function  Three basic levels Read Only Read/Write: only to data copied from original location Access Change: original location

Operations Job Functions  Computer Operator  Operations analyst  Job control analyst  Production Scheduler  Production Control Analyst  Tape Librarian

Others  Record Retention concerns  Data remanence Info on media after it has been erased  Due care & Due Diligence Legal, governmental, & simple good business practices  Documentation Control Security plans, risk analysis, security policy, etc

Operations Controls  Day-to-day procedures to protect  Most important aspects of (details follow) : Resource protection Hardware controls Software controls Privileged-entity controls Media controls Physical access controls

Resource Protection  Protect from loss or compromise  Hardware Lan Hardware, Storage Media, Processing Systems, Standalone Computers, Printers, etc  Software Program Libraries & Source, Vendor Software, O/S & Utilities  Data Backup Data, User Data Files, Password Files, Operating data directories, Sys logs

Hardware Controls  Hardware maintenance  Maintenance accounts Disabled until needed Preset, widely known ids & passwords  Diagnostic port controls Ports for trouble shooting  Hardware physical controls

Software Controls  What software used on system Licensed software only  Anti-virus management  Software testing  Software utilities  Safe software storage  Backup controls

Privileged-Entity Controls  Oversight of personnel with “special” access to systems  Examples of special access Lower level system commands Special operational parameters System control programs

Media Controls  Media Security Logging, Access Control, & Proper Disposal  Overwriting: a pattern, its compliment, then another pattern (0011, 1100, 1010)  Degaussing & Destruction  Media Viability Controls Protect viability of media used Marking, Handling, Storage, Orig. Quality  Media Librarian

Physical Access Controls  Hardware Control of comm. Equip, storage media, printed logs & reports  Software Control of backup files, system logs, production apps, sensitive/critical data  Some personnel need special physical access It department personnel, Cleaning Staff, Maintenance personnel, third-party contractors, consultants, temp staff Supervision Physical piggybacking – 2 nd person follows 1 st through door (man trap)

Monitoring & Auditing  “Reviewing an operational system to see that controls, both manual & automated, are functioning effectively & correctly”  Are technical features being bypassed  Are required procedures being followed  Is there evidence of abnormal computer usage

Monitoring  Looking for: Illegal software installing Hardware faults & error states Operational events for abnormalities  Techniques Intrusion detection Penetration testing Violation analysis

Intrusion Detection & Violation Analysis  Sampling traffic patterns  Look for activities above clipping level  Clipping Level & Profile based anomaly detection Baseline of user activity considered “normal” Enables ignoring normal user errors When exceeded violation report filed Also used for variance detection  Looking for Repetitive mistakes, individuals exceeding their authority, too many people with restricted access, patterns showing serious intrusion attempts

Penetration Testing  Attempting to access a system from outside normal  Technology based Scanning & probing Demon Dialing / War Driving Sniffing  Personnel Oriented Dumpster Diving Social Engineering

Auditing  Checking for internal & external compliance  Patterns of abnormal use  Audit these functions Backup controls System & transaction controls Data library procedures & center security Systems development standards Contingency plans

Audit Trails  Enables tracing a transaction’s history  Enforcement of accountability  Audit Logs should record Transaction date & time, who processed it, & where Any security events relating to transaction Any commands (with options) executed by user All identification & authorization attempts Any files or other resources accessed  Auditor should look for Amendments to production jobs Production job returns Computer operator practices

Security Goals of Audit Mechanism  Allow review of patterns of access to individual objects  Allow discovery of repeated attempts to bypass security mechanisms  Find use of privileges by user greater than they should have  An additional form of user assurance that attempt to bypass security will be caught

Audit Logs  Prevent log file from being altered  Protect availability of log during event  Protect logging media from destruction or damage

Benefits of Auditing & Problem Management  Enhancement of risk assessment program  Enhancement of internal readiness & communications  Personnel Security Training  Reduced failures to manageable level  Prevent (re)occurrence of problem  Mitigate impact of violation

Threats  Event that if realized can cause damage to system  Accidental Loss Operator errors Transaction processing errors  Inappropriate activities Inappropriate content Waste of corporate resources Sexual or racial harassment Abuse of privileges  Illegal Computer Operations Eavesdropping Fraud, Theft, Sabotage External Attack

Vulnerabilities & Attacks  Traffic / Trend analysis Analyze data characteristics & pattern rather than content Stop by: padding message, sending noise, covert channel analysis  Maintenance Accounts  Data-Scavenging Attacks Keyboard attacks & Laboratory Attacks  Initial Program Load vulnerabilities Single user mode, boot sequence, bios, CD  Social Engineering  Network Address Hijacking