What Are the Top 5 Cloud Computing Security Challenges?

All organizations that rely on cloud platforms need enhanced security that still allows team members, customers, and other stakeholders to access their applications and online data from a wide range of locations. With the adoption of cloud applications and storage growing each year, businesses need to understand the security challenges that cloud computing entails. In 2020, the total worth of the cloud computing market was USD 371.4 billion, with a predicted compound annual growth rate of 17.5% (Sumina, 2022). If this growth rate holds, the total cloud computing market will be worth approximately USD 832.1 billion by 2025. Reliable industry growth is therefore driving demand for more cloud computing security professionals. Because of the growing demand for cloud technologies that are accessible across a wide range of geographical areas, cybersecurity professionals, particularly cloud security engineers, are faced with the task of overcoming various cloud computing security issues and challenges. In this article, we’ll explore some of today’s top security challenges in cloud computing.

Common Cloud Computing Security Risks

As a cybersecurity professional, it’s important to be aware of the security threats, issues, and challenges your customer’s or employer’s cloud infrastructure faces. Some of the most common ones include:

◉ Security system misconfiguration

◉ Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks

◉ Data loss due to cyberattacks

◉ Unsecure access control points

◉ Inadequate threat notifications and alerts

Security System Misconfigurations

According to Trend Micro’s (2021) analysis of data from the Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure cloud platforms, between 65 and 70% of all cloud security issues arise from security misconfigurations. There are multiple reasons why misconfigurations can occur in a cloud network’s security system.

First, cloud infrastructure is optimized for accessibility and data sharing, making it difficult for cybersecurity professionals to ensure that only authorized parties can access data. An excellent example of this is link-based data sharing, wherein anyone with a link can gain access to data.

Second, using a cloud service means that organizations don’t have complete visibility into or control of their infrastructure, instead relying on the security arrangement of the cloud service provider (CSP). This dependence on CSPs for security highlights the importance of choosing a quality CSP.

A third reason cloud security misconfigurations occur is that many organizations use more than one CSP and experience difficulty familiarizing themselves with each CSP’s security controls. A failure to understand all applicable security controls can lead to misconfigurations and security oversights, creating weaknesses that malicious hackers can exploit.

Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks

DoS attacks can cause a machine or a network to crash, making it no longer accessible to users. Malicious attackers can either send information to the target that causes it to shut down or flood it with traffic to overwhelm it and cause a crash.

A downed network can be held for ransom and cause revenue losses, and it can also harm a company’s authority and customer relations. Cloud security experts need in-depth knowledge of how to implement DoS attack protection and remediation strategies.

Data Loss Resulting from Cyberattacks

Defending a partially or fully migrated network against cyberattacks of all types poses unique challenges for cybersecurity professionals. Cybercriminals often target cloud-based networks because they are generally accessible from the public internet. Since multiple companies will often use the same CSP, attackers can repeat a successful cyberattack on one target to gain access to many more. Additionally, cloud-based infrastructures are frequently not secured properly, a fact that many malicious hackers are aware of and know how to exploit.

Losing valuable data through human error, natural disasters that destroy physical servers, or malicious attacks that aim to destroy data can be disastrous for any company. Moving business-critical data to the cloud can increase these security concerns, since organizations won’t be able to access the affected servers on site. Functional and tested disaster recovery and backup processes need to be in place to counter this risk. Security solutions will need to be built into every network layer to protect against data loss from cyberattacks.

Unsecure Access Control Points

One of the main attractions of cloud networks is their accessibility from anywhere, which allows teams and customers to connect regardless of their location. Unfortunately, many of the technologies with which users interact, like application programming interfaces (APIs), are vulnerable to attacks if cloud security is not correctly configured and optimized. Since these vulnerabilities give hackers an entry point, it’s important to use web application firewalls to confirm that all HTTP requests originate from legitimate traffic, thus ensuring that web applications and operations relying on APIs are constantly protected.

Inadequate Threat Notifications and Alerts

One of the cornerstones of any effective network or computer security system is how quickly threat notifications and alerts can be sent to website or security personnel. Cloud-based systems are no different. Instant notifications and alerts enable proactive threat mitigation, which can prevent successful hacks and minimize damages.

Become a Certified Cloud Security Engineer with EC-Council

While the above is by no means a definitive list of cloud security risks, it covers some of the most common challenges you’re likely to face as a cloud security engineer. Many more cloud computing security issues and challenges will arise as CSPs develop better cloud technology, as the industry grows as a whole, and as cybercriminals refine their hacking techniques. As organizations continue to migrate part or all of their operations to the cloud, demand for cloud security engineers is steadily growing each year, making this a stable career path that anyone interested in cybersecurity should consider.

Source: eccouncil.org

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Everything You Need to Know About Certified Cloud Security Engineers

As cloud services continue to grow, so does the need for certified cloud security professionals. Cloud security professionals ensure that data and applications stored in the cloud are secure and compliant with industry regulations.

Cloud security professionals, such as certified cloud security engineers [C|CSE], demonstrate advanced knowledge and technical skills in designing, managing, and securing cloud applications, data, and infrastructure.

However, without certifications, there would be no way to verify a cloud security professional’s competency in securing and ensuring the availability of cloud assets beforehand. 

As it is, cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated in executing cyberattacks thanks to advanced threat technology. With cybercrime costing organizations $1.79 million per minute (RiskIQ, 2021), becoming a certified cloud security professional is one way to address cyberthreats and digital security breaches associated with the cloud. This article will explain what certified cloud security engineers do, what they earn, and how they learn. 

What Does a Certified Cloud Security Professional Do?

A certified cloud security professional is responsible for ensuring the security of data and applications in the cloud. These professionals work with organizations to plan and implement security measures, such as access control and data encryption, to protect against threats. They also monitor cloud environments for security breaches and respond to incidents when they occur.

A Certified Cloud Security Engineer (C|CSE), for instance, should not only have a deep understanding of the following responsibilities but also be highly competent when performing them:

◉ Designs and implements business continuity, as well as disaster recovery plans

◉ Performs penetration tests and threat simulations to detect and identify potential threats

◉ Provides security recommendations on application development and coding, as well as service design

◉ Understands and implements security for private, multi-tenant, and hybrid cloud environments

◉ Installs, upgrades, and maintains an organization’s core infrastructure in the cloud computing environment

◉ Evaluates compliance programs, cloud security standards, and features offered by AWS, Azure, and GCP, and executes security audits

To protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data in the cloud, certified cloud security professionals must be knowledgeable about a variety of security tools and technologies. They must also manage cybersecurity risks and compliance issues effectively.

What Are the Prerequisites for Becoming a Certified Cloud Security Professional?

A certified cloud security professional typically has a background in information security or computer science. For instance, professional cloud security engineers should at least have a degree in computer science, information security, or programming, among related fields.

However, while some organizations seek out cloud security professionals with specific degrees, others are more interested in certification. Still other organizations are looking for a combination of education and experience.

All certified cloud security professionals must be familiar with common security threats and how to protect against them. They should also have experience working with cloud-based systems and applications.

C|CSE training offers cloud security professionals a mix of vendor-specific and vendor-neutral training to create professionals with a well-balanced mix of theoretical and practical skills.

To become certified, candidates must pass an exam that covers topics such as:

◉ Platform and infrastructure security in the cloud

◉ Incident detection and response in the cloud

◉ Application security in the cloud

◉ Penetration testing in the cloud

◉ Operation security in the cloud

◉ Data security in the cloud

It’s recommended that a professional cloud security engineer has at least two years of experience working in a cloud environment.

At the very least, anyone undertaking the C|CSE training and sitting the certification exam should have a basic understanding of network security management. Knowledge of network security concepts, C|ND, or cybersecurity is a prerequisite to understanding the cloud security concepts taught in C|CSE.

What Job Opportunities Are Available for Certified Cloud Security Professionals?

Certified cloud security professionals typically work in organizations that use cloud-based systems and applications. They may also work for cloud service providers or consultancies that specialize in cloud security.

As more organizations migrate their software and storage to the cloud, certified cloud security professionals are becoming increasingly important. That’s due to the rapid adoption of the software as a service (SaaS) model to update organizational infrastructure, increase system stability, and enable hybrid work practices (GlobeNewswire, 2022).

Certifications for cloud engineers demonstrate that a candidate has the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively secure data and applications in the cloud. They can also lead to career advancement and higher salaries.

Some opportunities available for a certified cloud security professional include:

◉ Infosecurity professional

◉ Cloud security architect

◉ Cloud security technical lead

◉ Cybersecurity engineer or analyst

◉ Cloud security and compliance specialist

◉ Cloud administrator, engineer, or analyst

◉ Certified Network Defender (C|ND) professional

◉ Network security administrator, engineer, or analyst

What Is the Expected Gross Salary of a Certified Cloud Security Professional?

A certified cloud security professional with the appropriate college degree but no working experience can earn between USD 60,000 and USD 80,000 a year, depending on company size and location. With a few years of working experience, the salary potential jumps to the USD 100,000 range (Prokopets, 2021).

Certified cloud security professionals with ten years or more of working experience typically earn between USD 110,000 and USD 130,000. It’s also possible for certified cloud security professionals with multiple certifications and various administrative duties to earn an annual salary of more than USD 150,000 (Prokopets, 2021).

Certified cloud security professionals can also expect to receive benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. Additionally, some employers offer bonuses and other incentives.

Which Is the Best Course Available for Learning Cloud Security?

The best course for learning cloud security is one that delivers a mix of vendor-specific and vendor-neutral cloud security concepts. C|CSE is the only course on the market today that offers training in vendor-neutral and vendor-specific concepts.

Vendor-specific security concepts provide the practical skills required to configure specific platforms such as Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

On the other hand, vendor-neutral concepts are those that focus on the general frameworks, practices, technologies, and principles in cloud security. These include risk management, cloud architecture, data security, and incident response. Courses should also provide hands-on experience working with cloud-based systems and applications.

Some of the modules an online certified cloud engineer can expect to learn include:

◉ An introduction to cloud security

◉ Application and data security in the cloud

◉ Platform and infrastructure security in the cloud

◉ Governance, risk management, and compliance in the cloud

◉ Standards, policies, and legal issues in the cloud

◉ Private, hybrid, and multi-tenant cloud security

◉ Incident detection and response in the cloud

◉ Forensic investigation in the cloud

◉ Penetration testing in the cloud

◉ Operation security in the cloud

Certifications for cloud engineers can be earned by completing courses such as the Certified Cloud Security Engineer (C|CSE) certification course by the EC-Council.

Professional cloud security engineers who undertake this certification learn vendor-specific and vendor-neutral cloud security concepts and enjoy hands-on experience with cloud-based systems and applications.

The C|CSE online course certifies cloud engineers who also benefit from an understanding of security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR). Security operations teams use SOAR to automate incident response in the cloud as well as collect and analyze security incident analysis reports.

Additionally, the EC-Council’s C|CSE certification course equips cloud security professionals with the skills they need to design and implement governance models, frameworks, and regulations. These include HIPAA and PCI DSS.

Certifications Are Crucial

Holding a credible certification is crucial for anyone looking to be an asset to their organization while earning a highly certified cloud security professional salary. That’s because the latest cloud security certification can give an online certified cloud engineer the ability to stay up to date on the latest practices. The upside is that it helps them avoid putting their organizations at risk by using outdated techniques.

Credible certifications also make potential employers confident and comfortable with your credentials and ability to do the job. Ultimately, certifications for cloud engineers ensure cloud security professionals remain in touch with the information security community. This way, certified cloud security professionals always have the resources they need to deal with any type of issue they encounter.

Source: eccouncil.org

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10 Tips to Maintain Strong Cloud Cybersecurity

There are many reasons why cloud cybersecurity breaches can occur, one crucial reason being cloud service providers may not have adequate security measures to protect customer data. Another reason is that cloud customers may not know the importance of securing their data and may not take proper precautions. Finally, hackers may target cloud systems specifically because they know that they can potentially access a large amount of sensitive data. Whatever the reason, a lack of proper cloud cybersecurity can severely affect cloud service providers and their customers.

What Is Cloud Cybersecurity?

Cloud security is the practice of securing computer networks and user data in cloud computing environments. Cloud cybersecurity entails policies, technologies, and procedures that safeguard cloud-based systems, data, and infrastructure from cyberattacks.

Organizations that store sensitive data in the cloud are particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks, as cloud environments are often complex and difficult to secure. The cloud offers hackers a larger pool of potential targets and a more complex landscape to exploit. As businesses and organizations increasingly move to the cloud, they need to strengthen their cloud security. Here are ten tips to help you improve cloud security and protect your data.

Define Your Cloud Strategy Based on the Sensitivity of the Data

The cloud provides organizations with a flexible and scalable way to store and access data. However, not all data is created equal. Some data is more sensitive than others and requires special consideration regarding cloud security. You should assess your data’s sensitivity before deciding which cloud strategy to use.

The more sensitive the data, the greater the need for security. Organizations should also consider how their cloud strategy will evolve. As data becomes more sensitive, the needed security measures will likely change. These are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Consider Using a Private Cloud 

Private clouds can offer greater security than public clouds, enabling organizations to gain more control over their data. However, private clouds can be more expensive and may not be feasible for all organizations.

2. Use Encryption

Encryption is a vital tool for cloud security. It helps protect data from being accessed by unauthorized individuals. Encrypted data is transformed into a code that only someone with the proper key can decode. This makes it more difficult for hackers to access sensitive data.

3. Implement Security Measures at All Levels

Security measures should be implemented at all levels of the cloud environment, including the network application and data levels. 

◉ Network security measures can help protect cloud systems from being accessed by unauthorized individuals.

◉ Application security measures can help prevent data breaches. 

◉ Data security measures can help protect sensitive information from being accessed or stolen.

4. Monitor Cloud Activity

Organizations should monitor cloud activity to ensure that only authorized individuals access their data. They should also look for signs of suspicious activity, such as unusual log-in attempts or unexpected data transfers.

5. Understand the Shared Responsibility Model and What Is Covered in Security

A shared responsibility model is a cloud cybersecurity approach in which the cloud service provider and the customer are both responsible for protecting data and applications. Under this model, the cloud service provider is responsible for securing the infrastructure, while the customer is responsible for securing their data and application. Both parties should discuss their shared responsibilities for the sake of vital roles such as encryption (Forbes, 2021). The shared responsibility model can help improve cloud security by ensuring both parties are taking steps to protect data.

6. Access Control and Endpoint Security

Access control is a security measure designed to restrict data and resource access.  Access control solutions can help prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing sensitive data.

Endpoint security is designed to protect devices connected to a network (Trillex, 2022). Endpoint security solutions can help prevent data breaches by protecting from malware, viruses, and other threats. These two essential aspects of cloud security help protect data and applications from being accessed or stolen.

7. Secure a Data Backup Plan

A data backup plan is a vital part of any cloud security strategy. In the event of a data loss, a backup plan can help ensure that your data is recovered and your operations can continue. Data loss can occur for various reasons and in any form, including hardware failures, software glitches, and human error (Norton, Feb 2022).

Data backup plans include cloud backup, local backup, and offline backup. Cloud backup is a type of data backup performed over the internet. Local backup is a data backup performed on a local storage device, such as an external hard drive. Official backup is a type of data backup performed without using the internet. Organizations should choose a backup solution that meets their needs.

8. Employ an Effective Password Strategy

One of the most important things you can do to keep your data secure is to use strong passwords (Google Cloud Solutions Architects, n.d.). A strong password is difficult for someone to guess. It should be at least eight characters long and include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. It is also important to use different passwords for different accounts. This can help prevent your accounts from being hacked if one of your passwords is compromised. 

You should also change your passwords regularly. Just how often depends on the sensitivity of the data that you are protecting.

9. Train Staff to Understand Attacks

Training your staff on how to identify and respond to cyberattacks is critical. Cyberattacks can come in many forms, including phishing emails, malware, and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. A phishing email tricks the recipient into clicking on a malicious link or attachment. Malware is software designed to damage or disable computers. DoS attacks are designed to make a website or server unavailable.

Your staff should know how to identify these attacks and what to do if they receive one. They should also know how to report suspicious activity to your IT team.

10. Perform Pen Testing to Find Gaps

Penetrating testing, also known as pen testing, is a type of security test designed to find a system’s vulnerabilities. Penetration tests can be used to find weaknesses in both cloud and on-premises systems. They can help improve your system’s security by identifying vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit (Forbes, 2021).

Hacking is a type of attack designed to exploit vulnerabilities in a system. Hackers often use automated tools to find and exploit vulnerabilities. Hacking can be used to gain access to data or resources or to cause damage to a system. Organizations should perform regular penetration tests and hacking simulations to find gaps in their security. These tests can help improve the security of their systems and prevent data breaches.

What Next?

Awareness of the unique cybersecurity risks that come with technology is essential. Organizations should prioritize having a strong cloud cybersecurity position to protect themselves against sophisticated cyberattacks that keep changing over time. This is why you need to choose a reputable cloud service provider with a strong security track record.

EC-Council is one of the most recognizable organizations that offer training programs. The Certified Cloud Security Engineer (C|CSE) program is among EC-Council’s courses curated by cloud security professionals. C|CSE combines vendor-neutral and vendor-specific cloud security concepts, ensuring candidates master theoretical and practical skills in cloud security. 

C|CSE covers topics from ethical hacking to computer forensics. If you’re looking for comprehensive cybersecurity training, EC-Council is a great option.

Source: eccouncil.org

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How to Take the First Steps in Your Cybersecurity Career

Cybersecurity is a major focus for businesses now, with companies spending an average of 10.9% of their IT budget on preventing digital threats (Deloitte, 2020). But companies are struggling to find security professionals who can help fight off hackers—in 2021, there were up to 3.5 million vacant cybersecurity jobs (Morgan, 2022).

This means there’s never been a better time to start your cybersecurity career. This guide will look at how you can build on your IT knowledge to become a successful cybersecurity professional.

Are You Suited to a Cybersecurity Career?

Cybersecurity professionals require a specific blend of technical abilities and soft skills. You might be suited to this career path if you have the following qualities:

1. A Solid IT Background

You’ll need a solid grounding in the basics of IT systems, such as networking, operating systems, and security protocols. Many cybersecurity roles require a bachelor’s degree in an IT-related field, such as computer science or software engineering.

2. Some Coding Skills

Python is usually the go-to language for hackers, so cybersecurity professionals often try to learn a little of this language (Robleza, 2021). It can also help to understand:

◉ SQL, for working with databases

◉ HTML and Javascript for web-based threats

◉ Shell scripting for running automated tests

Entry-level cybersecurity positions don’t always ask for coding skills, but some familiarity with coding can help your long-term career prospects.

3. Ability to Learn Quickly

Cybersecurity professionals work in a volatile landscape, with new threats emerging every day. That can mean sudden changes to your processes, security protocols, and even the software you use to keep data safe. To develop a long-term career, you’ll need to stay informed about the latest threats by reading industry blogs and reports.

4. An Analytical Mind

You don’t need to be a math expert to succeed in cybersecurity, but mathematical thinking can help. In an entry-level position, such as a cybersecurity technician, you will need to analyze data, follow protocols, and identify unusual activity.

5. Strong Communication Skills

Cybersecurity is a team effort. You will work with other cybersecurity professionals, including technicians and managers, and you may need to collaborate with other members of the IT team. As you progress along a cybersecurity career path, you might find yourself preparing reports, interacting with non-IT professionals, and communicating security policies to users.

Things You Should Know for Pursuing a Cybersecurity Career

Every node on your network is a potential attack vector, and as such, cybersecurity professionals need a broad understanding of IT systems and their vulnerabilities.

For a successful cybersecurity career, you will need to understand each of the main elements of cybersecurity, including:

◉ Cyberthreats: You will need to understand the main strategies hackers use to gain access to data. This includes ransomware, malware, social engineering, phishing, and zero-day exploits.

◉ Vulnerabilities: Every network has weak points, and you’ll need to know where those vulnerabilities most commonly occur. This means understanding network architecture, operating systems, access control systems, cloud services, and application integration.

◉ Security countermeasures: You will need to understand the kinds of security architecture that organizations use to protect their data. This includes software such as firewalls and threat detection tools, plus hardware like biometric verification devices.

◉ Best practices: Cybersecurity ultimately depends on users doing the right thing and following best practices. You’ll need to know how policies can be comprehensive but also user friendly. You’ll also have to be able to support authorized users and answer questions about security procedures.

If you have an IT background, you might already have encountered some of the core concepts of a cybersecurity career. Now, you need to build on that foundation by learning as much as you can and getting some hands-on experience.

How to Get a Cybersecurity Job Without Experience

Taking your first step in a cybersecurity career can be a daunting task. Most jobs require experience, but how can you gain experience before you get a job?

Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to acquire the education and practical experience you need to kickstart your cybersecurity career, especially if you’re already working in IT. Here are a few options to consider:

1. Volunteer for Projects

If you’re already part of an IT team, you can ask to work on security-related projects. The cybersecurity team often needs people who can help with analysis, reporting, testing, and configuration. Get involved, ask lots of questions, and get to know your local cybersecurity experts.

2. Seek a Mentor

Mentorship is a great way to learn from someone who has already built a cybersecurity career—they can answer technical questions and advise you on finding your first job. If your current employer offers a mentorship program, ask if you can be paired with an experienced security expert. Otherwise, try reaching out to people in your network.

3. Build Your Knowledge

There’s a wealth of blogs, podcasts, and social media channels that talk about current cybersecurity issues. Cybersecurity Exchange by EC-Council is one such resource, with plenty of material for beginners. Use these channels to build your understanding of security issues and keep abreast of new threats and best practices. Doing so will help you sound confident and knowledgeable when interviewing for a cybersecurity role.

4. Pursue a Cybersecurity Certification

Studying for a relevant qualification is a great way to start your cybersecurity career. The right qualification will give you a solid foundation in cybersecurity principles. A certification like the Certified Cybersecurity Technician (C|CT) also offers participants the chance to get practical experience in a live environment.

Holding a relevant certification can show that you’re passionate about cybersecurity, and employers may prefer candidates who care about the role. While there are other pathways as well that can help launch your career in this domain, including a degree program, certifications focus on a specific skill. So, an entry-level cybersecurity certification can help secure a footing in the cybersecurity industry.

What’s the Best Certification to Start Your Cybersecurity Career?

The best cybersecurity certification offers relevant learning materials combined with hands-on experience.

The Certified Cybersecurity Technician (C|CT) is an ideal qualification for anyone beginning their cybersecurity career. The C|CT takes a multifaceted approach to ethical hacking, network security, digital forensics, and security operations to help learners acquire strong foundational skills in each domain, combined with practical hands-on training and critical-thinking challenges.

It’s a vendor-agnostic program with a broad curriculum that covers topics such as network defense, ethical hacking, digital forensics, and security operations.

Best of all, it offers 85 hands-on labs with live cyber range activities. You will see what it’s like to be a cybersecurity technician, dealing with live data and active threats. After completing the C|CT qualification from EC-Council, you’ll feel confident when interviewing for your first cybersecurity role.

Source: eccouncil.org

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What Is Threat Modeling, and What Are Its Most Important Advantages?

Threat modeling is the process of defining an organization’s cybersecurity needs, threats, and vulnerabilities, and then suggesting ways to meet these needs and address these vulnerabilities.

In his classic work of military strategy, The Art of War, Sun Tzu wrote that “if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” The more information you can gather about your enemies and how they operate, the better prepared you will be to fend off their attacks.

Nowhere is this adage truer than in the field of cybersecurity. There are many countermeasures available for organizations, both proactive and reactive, to protect themselves against and recover from cyberattacks.

In particular, the threat modeling process seeks to identify and better understand the possible threats an IT ecosystem faces. Below, we’ll go over what threat modeling is, the various ways to perform threat modeling, and the benefits of threat modeling for industries and businesses of all sizes.

What Is Threat Modeling?

As the name suggests, threat modeling involves creating a model of the various attackers and vulnerabilities that potentially threaten an organization’s cybersecurity posture. Threat models typically include components such as:

◉ A description of the various assets and resources in your IT environment (endpoints, software, networks, servers, databases, etc.)

◉ A list of the potential threats to the system and their severities

◉ A list of the potential actions and recommendations for addressing each threat

◉ Suggestions for validating the model’s correctness and verifying that the fixes and patches are successful

◉ Any underlying assumptions and conditions that the threat model requires

Threat models can take many forms and include various documents and visualizations, depending on the most effective way to communicate information. For example:

What Are the Types of Threat Modeling?

Since each institution is free to define its own standards, there are as many possible types of threat modeling as there are organizations to be modeled. However, there are a number of threat models that have become dominant in the field of cybersecurity, each one providing a framework that helps businesses think through the hazards they face. Below is a quick overview of the most common types of threat modeling.

STRIDE

First developed at Microsoft in the 1990s, the STRIDE threat model is still in use today. The STRIDE acronym represents six of the most frequent cybersecurity threats:

1. Spoofing: Gaining access to restricted networks or data by impersonating an authorized individual or resource

2. Tampering: Maliciously altering data (e.g., encrypting files with ransomware or changing a configuration file to obtain administrator access)

3. Repudiation: Denying responsibility for an attack without proof to the contrary

4. Information disclosure: Leaks and data breaches of sensitive or confidential files

5. Denial of service: Shutting down a resource (e.g., a website or service) by flooding it with superfluous requests

6. Elevation of privilege: Accessing files or data in an unauthorized manner based on a user’s level of privilege within the system

PASTA

PASTA (Process of Attack Simulation and Threat Analysis) is a threat modeling framework created in 2015 by the consulting firm VerSprite. The PASTA framework outlines the 7 stages of developing a robust cybersecurity threat model:

1. Defining the objectives: This includes both internal objectives and any external governance or compliance issues.

2. Defining the technical scope: An organization’s attack surface may consist of endpoint systems, networks, servers, mobile devices, applications, databases, containers, websites, and more. 

3. Decomposing applications: Data flow diagrams help users visualize how applications work with data to prepare for deeper analysis.

4. Analyzing threats: Using multiple sources of threat intelligence and the assets defined in step 2, organizations need to identify the most pressing threats to these assets.

5. Analyzing vulnerabilities: Applications should be examined for security issues, design flaws, and other weaknesses.

6. Analyzing attacks: Attack trees model how a malicious actor could viably infiltrate the IT ecosystem using the vulnerabilities identified in step 5.

7. Analyzing risks and impact: Finally, organizations must come up with countermeasures to eliminate or mitigate the above issues and challenges.

TRIKE

TRIKE is an open-source threat modeling methodology for security audits and risk management. The TRIKE website provides a spreadsheet that allows users to define the relationships between the various actors, actions, and assets within an IT environment. Based on these definitions, users can implement the appropriate security controls or preventive measures to ward off any threats.

What Are the Advantages of Threat Modeling?

Threat modeling is one of the most important techniques organizations have to protect themselves from cyberattacks. Some of the benefits and advantages of threat modeling include:

◉ Improving collaboration: First and foremost, threat modeling helps get all departments in the organization on the same page. By defining your IT resources and the issues that confront them, threat modeling ensures that everyone—from your IT team to executives and key stakeholders—works based on the same constructs and assumptions.

◉ Reducing the attack surface: Threat modeling can identify backdoors and other vulnerabilities in your IT ecosystem so that they can be fixed quickly and efficiently. In addition, threat modeling helps reduce IT complexity by identifying unnecessary endpoints, software, or resources that can be eliminated.

◉ Prioritizing cybersecurity needs: Threat modeling helps organizations understand which threats require the most attention and resources in terms of effort or budget. For example, given multiple vulnerabilities present in an IT environment, which should be resolved first?

◉ Strengthening compliance: Threat modeling helps companies comply with data privacy and security laws and regulations that require organizations to understand how they may be putting sensitive data at risk. For example, the European Union’s GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) compels organizations to perform a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) when they begin new projects that process personal data.

Source: eccouncil.org

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The 3 Biggest Information Security Management Challenges for Leaders in 2022

Cybersecurity is one of the biggest concerns in business, with 48% of CEOs worried that their company might experience a devastating digital attack in the next year (PwC, 2022). This puts the spotlight on CISOs and cybersecurity leaders, who are under pressure to deliver information security management procedures that keep data safe.

In a changing cybersecurity landscape, that’s harder than it sounds. New threats and exploits emerge daily, while hackers keep attempting new strategies. Not only that, but corporate IT infrastructures are also evolving, and new technology always means new vulnerabilities.

Top 3 Information Security Management Challenges of 2022

CISOs and Infosec leaders have to maintain a fine balancing act. On the one hand, you must keep data safe and prevent attacks—but you also have to support growth and innovation, allowing your organization to flourish.

Balancing these competing requirements can lead to serious challenges. To get information security management right in 2022, you must:

1. Support diversified networks

The typical corporate data infrastructure has changed a lot in the past ten years, and that change has only accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Three of the biggest changes with implications for information security management are:

◉ Working from home: 58% of Americans now have the opportunity to work from home at least once per week (Dua, et al., 2022), and globally, 52% of employees work from home at least once per week (Simovic, 2022). Remote work may involve relying on an unsecured device, such as a personal laptop, or connecting via an unsecured network, such as home or public Wi-Fi.

◉ BYOD policies: 82% of companies in the U.S. have some form of a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy, which allows users to access internal systems from a personal device (Schulze, 2022). BYOD policies can cover devices such as laptops, phones, and tablets. Such devices are typically dual-purpose (business and personal use).

◉ Third-party ID: Enterprise cloud services often allow users to sign in with a third-party ID, such as Apple ID or Google accounts. Organizations can choose whether to use managed accounts on these services or to allow employees to use their personal IDs.

These changes reflect our current reality, where most people have access to powerful personal electronics, including phones, laptops, and high-speed home internet connections. It’s convenient to allow people to use these devices, especially if they’re working remotely.

However, this means that corporate networks now have a vastly increased number of endpoints, each of which is vulnerable to attack. Managed devices can reduce the associated risk, but most people would prefer the option to use their own devices.

Ultimately, it’s a trade-off between security and ease of use. When organizations choose convenience, it makes information security management that much harder.

2. Safeguard cloud services

Cloud services are almost ubiquitous now, with 89% of enterprises employing a multi-cloud strategy (Flexera, 2022).

This indicates that many businesses trust cloud providers to provide secure services and ensure data availability and integrity. In a 2022 survey of information security management concerns, most CISOs did not list provider-side issues as a primary concern. (Cloud Security Alliance, 2022).

Instead, most IT leaders are worried about vulnerabilities such as:

◉ Credential management: Many organizations take a role-based security approach to ensure that individuals can only access data if they have a legitimate business need. The challenge is to keep credential management systems up to date so that everyone has the appropriate level of access.

◉ Configuration and integration: Information Security Management experts often have to deal with complicated tech stacks with multiple cloud platforms. Individual cloud service providers can help find the optimal security configuration, but things quickly get complex when cross-platform integrations are involved. This level of complexity increases the risk of something going wrong, possibly exposing data.

◉ Insider threats: Cloud services give users a lot of power, as they can easily access sensitive data from their personal devices. This raises the threat of malicious actions—such as when someone downloads customer data and saves it to another device—and threats arising from poor security practices, like when a user leaves their laptop unattended in a public place.

The information security management challenge here is not the fault of the cloud services themselves. Instead, it’s an issue of the security architecture on your side. This includes the kind of software and processes attached to your cloud services and the best practices you teach users.

3. Protect digital assets

For many organizations, data is now their most valuable asset. Data powers customer relationships, provides insights through analytics, and allows internal processes to run smoothly.

Unfortunately, if you have any valuable assets, someone will try to steal them. Businesses are learning to think about data as an asset that requires safeguarding in the same way you protect physical assets like stock and equipment.

The Dark Web is home to a thriving market for stolen digital assets (Ruffio, 2022), which can include:

◉ Financial data: Money is the main motivation for cybercrime, with 86% of hackers seeking a financial advantage (Verizon, 2020). This includes anything that can be used to steal money, such as credit card numbers, banking logins, and access to payment services.

◉ Login credentials: Hackers also want to access individual accounts, so usernames and passwords are highly sought-after. Even if the login details don’t lead to a valuable account, the hackers might gain access to personal data that will help them commit identity theft.

◉ Personal information: Any personal data can be highly valuable, whether it belongs to your customers or employees. Names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, dates of birth, and Social Security Numbers can all help to commit identity fraud or break into other secure accounts.

◉ Proprietary information: Hackers will also seek valuable proprietary data, which can include intellectual property, confidential documents, and product design. This kind of digital asset can often lead to espionage or blackmail.

Ransomware attacks often take these digital assets hostage, with criminals promising the data’s safe return when the victim pays a ransom.

However, many data breaches happen quietly. In some cases, hackers will identify a weakness and continue to harvest data until the organization identifies and repairs the breach. That’s why it’s so important to have the right approach to Information Security Management.

Get Ready for the Information Security Management Challenges Ahead

It’s hard to predict the future, but we know two things for sure: IT infrastructures will keep getting more complicated, and hackers will keep looking for vulnerabilities.

That’s why every organization needs an InfoSec leader ready for the challenges ahead. If you’re working towards the CISO role in your organization, you can take a step forward with the Certified Chief Information Security Officer (C|CISO) program from EC-Council. This certification builds on your existing knowledge of cybersecurity management and teaches you what you’ll need to know to succeed in executive leadership. 

The C|CISO program was developed by seasoned CISOs to help you deliver the right cybersecurity management strategy for your company.

Source: eccouncil.org

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How to Become a CISO (Chief Information Security Officer)

The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is one of digital security’s most powerful and high-paying roles. As a CISO, you’ll have complete responsibility for all aspects of your organization’s data. You will also play a vital role in business strategy and help shape your company’s future.

Becoming a CISO is generally considered the final destination of one’s cybersecurity career path. However, it’s never too early to start planning a route that takes you all the way to the boardroom, even if you’re only taking your first steps in the world of information security.

Why Are CISOs in Demand?

CISO is a relatively new position in the C-Suite. However, numerous companies are deciding to appoint a dedicated director of security. Around 55% of all companies currently have a dedicated CISO on the board. Of those that don’t have a CISO, 58% say they will add this position (Navisite, 2021).

In the past, IT security was part of the remit of other senior IT leaders. The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) or the Chief Information Officer (CIO) generally took responsibility for preventing cyberattacks. These executives would work with cyber security experts within the IT team to create robust digital defenses.

However, the sheer scale of cyberthreats mean security is now a leadership issue. According to the FBI, cyber fraud has increased by almost 500% in the last five years (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2021). The cost of a hack can run to USD 180 per individual file accessed (IBM Security, 2021).

Organizations are under constant threat from cybercriminals. That’s why it makes sense to appoint an experienced security expert who can offer guidance and support at a strategic level.

CISO is a well-paid position with an average salary of around USD 231,000 (Salary, 2022). However, executive remuneration can vary, depending on the company’s size and the job’s nature. In recent years, top-tier CISOs have commanded salaries of over USD 2.3 million (Melin, 2019).

What Does a CISO Do?

Chief Information Security Officer is an executive-level position. If you become a CISO, you will work directly with the organization’s other executives, including the CEO.

Your primary duty will be to protect your organization’s data. A Chief Information Security Officer’s responsibilities include:

◉ Developing a security infrastructure: You will work with a team of security managers and architects to build an operational security infrastructure. You will have a high-level overview of all groups, departments, and business units. You are also responsible for incident response and the disaster recovery plan. Keeping all these elements aligned will require excellent communication, delegation, and problem-solving skills.

◉ Supporting business strategy: Senior leaders spend most of their time talking about the future. What’s the smartest next step? Is it time to grow or consolidate? As a CISO, you will help your C-Suite colleagues develop business strategies that are safe and secure. You need to be a strategic thinker with a keen eye for risks and opportunities.

◉ Approving technology investment: The CISO works closely with the CTO and CIO to make plans about the organization’s IT infrastructure. Together, you’ll identify technological solutions that support growth without creating additional risk.

◉ Overseeing regulatory compliance: Handling data raises several compliance issues especially if you have customers in different jurisdictions. As CISO, you will ensure that the organization always follows the correct rules and standards. You’ll also alert the other board members if their plans might lead to compliance issues.

Data is the lifeblood of every modern company. As CISO, your job is to ensure that data flows safely and reliably throughout your organization. With cyber security under control, the company will be free to focus on its long-term strategy.

How to Become a CISO

When a company hires a new Chief Information Security Officer, they’re looking for someone they can trust completely. As CISO, you will have complete control over data security. You will also have a voice in the company’s long-term strategy.

To become a CISO, you must prove that the company can trust you in the role. You can do this by building a compelling record of accomplishment in cybersecurity. Here are the steps you can take:

1. Get the right education

Your education will be the foundation of your CISO career. At a minimum, you should have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related discipline. Most companies will also expect a postgraduate qualification such as a Master of Science in Cybersecurity (MSCS) (Indeed, 2021).

2. Build your technical experience

You will need to have a substantial digital security background before applying for a CISO position. Ideally, you should have a diverse knowledge of different platforms and solutions. You should also have a broad understanding of cyber threats. Most roles require a minimum of five years’ worth of hands-on experience (LinkedIn, 2021).

3. Get leadership experience

CISO is essentially a leadership role. Much of your energy will go into building an outstanding security team and helping them deliver your strategy. As such, you will need an exceptional background in managing, supporting, and communicating with a team. Seven years of management experience is often the minimum for CISO roles (LinkedIn, 2021).

4. Become qualified as a CISO

The hardest part of the journey is often the leap from management to executive leadership. You can give yourself a boost across this divide by obtaining an up-to-date qualification that will equip you with everything you need to succeed as a CISO. The Certified Chief Information Officer (C|CISO) qualification can provide you with up-to-date information and crucial real-world experience.

5. Develop your strategic vision

When a business hires a new executive, they’re looking for someone who can lead them into the future. You will need to show that you are more than just a talented security manager you’re someone who can support growth and innovation. What strategic vision will you bring to the boardroom?

The path to becoming a CISO is long and arduous. But, if you’re genuinely passionate about security, this is your chance to become an innovative leader in the fight against cybercrime.

How to Get Started on a CISO Career Path

Every journey starts with a first step. If you’re an IT professional considering moving into security, you could start by looking at the Certified Network Defender (C|ND) certificate. This beginner’s level qualification will help you find your first job in InfoSec.

From there, it’s a matter of staying focused on building your resume. Seek every opportunity to develop the three main strands of your professional experience:

◉ Technical: Learn everything you can about cyber threats and countermeasures. Study security architecture across multiple platforms and learn everything about hacking methodologies.

◉ Managerial: Work on projects that give you a chance to manage a team. Learn leadership skills like communication, delegation, budgeting, reporting, and internal negotiations.

◉ Strategic: Take every chance to show initiative. Pay close attention to the way that business processes (such as cyber security measures) support business goals.

There aren’t any shortcuts on the way to the CISO office. CISO training is a matter of putting in the hours. You must spend time gaining experience, learning as you go.

Eventually, you’ll reach a point where you have five years’ experience (or relevant qualification) in the following areas:

1. Governance, risk, and compliance

2. Information security controls and audit management

3. Security program management & operations

4. Information security core competencies

5. Strategic planning, finance, procurement, and third-party management

At this point, you’re ready to pursue the C|CISO certification from EC-Council. This globally recognized qualification gives you the knowledge to step into executive leadership and the practical experience to help you succeed.

Are you ready to step up to the C-Suite? Find out more about how chief information security officer training with C|CISO can unlock your ultimate career goals.

Source: eccouncil.org

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Pivoting to Access Networks in Penetration Testing

Penetration testing is the process of simulating a cyberattack against a computer system or network to identify and fix vulnerabilities. Pivoting in penetration testing is a technique in which the ethical hackers—also known as white-hat hackers—simulating the attack can move from one system to another.

Below, we’ll go over everything you need to know about pivoting in penetration testing, including how it works, the different types of pivoting in penetration testing, and how to become a penetration tester.

What Is Pivoting in Penetration Testing?

During a cyberattack, the attackers rarely gain entrance to the entire network at once. Instead, attackers often focus on gaining access to a network via a single weak point. This is typically done through techniques such as phishing, malware, or scanning for security holes. Once inside the network, the attackers attempt to conceal themselves while moving to other systems connected to this point of entry.

In penetration testing, pivoting is the act of using a compromised system to spread between different computer systems once inside the network, simulating the behavior of a real attacker. This compromised machine is sometimes referred to as the “instance,” “plant,” or “foothold.”

After obtaining a foothold, penetration testers scan the network for other subnets and machines, looking for the most valuable (and vulnerable) points of attack. For example, an administrator machine may grant the attacker additional privileges and unlock new possible operations. Gaining access to these connected systems is easier from the inside because penetration testers can use the compromised machine’s credentials and try to disguise their behavior as legitimate network traffic. 

Pivoting is closely related to the concept of lateral movement in cybersecurity, and the terms are often used interchangeably. However, “pivoting” is most accurately used to refer to the act of moving from host to host, while “lateral movement” also includes the act of privilege escalation (gaining access to other users and accounts) on the same machine.

What Are the Different Types of Pivoting in Penetration Testing?

There are multiple ways for penetration testers to perform pivoting. Below are a few of the most common types of pivoting in penetration testing:

Port forwarding: The attacker creates a tunnel between two machines via open TCP/IP ports, forwarding packages and traffic from one to another. There are multiple forms of port forwarding:

◉ Local port forwarding: The compromised machine “listens” for data and instructions from the attacker’s machine, allowing the attacker to access internal services.

◉ Remote port forwarding: The attacker maps ports on their machine to local ports on the compromised machine, allowing them to reach internal services through an SSH connection.

◉ Dynamic port forwarding: The attacker creates a SOCKS proxy server for tunneling traffic, with the compromised machine acting as a middleman between the attacker’s machine and internal services.

VPN pivoting: The attacker starts a virtual private network (VPN) client on the compromised machine, accessing a remote VPN server. The attacker then sends data from the server to the client and can also access information (e.g., network traffic) from the compromised machine by sending data from the client to the server.

Proxy pivoting/SSH pivoting: The attacker establishes a local proxy server through SSH. Any connections to the designated port are then forwarded through the proxy to their final destination.

Routing tables: The attacker changes the routing table of the compromised machine to add a new route. This route will require any traffic sent to the destination to tunnel through the defined gateway, allowing the attacker to capture this data.

Regardless of which types of pivoting are used in penetration testing, the ultimate goal is to remain undetected for as long as possible while performing reconnaissance and accessing valuable files and information.

How Do Penetration Testers Pivot?

We’ve talked about the various types of pivoting in penetration testing at a conceptual level—but how do penetration testers pivot on a technical level? Below are just a few tools and techniques for how penetration testers pivot in a real-world scenario.

1. Meterpreter

Meterpreter is a payload available through the Metasploit penetration testing software that gives the attacker an interactive, invisible shell for running commands and controlling the compromised machine.

Using Meterpreter, penetration testers can use the routing table pivoting method discussed above via the autoroute command. For example, the command:

meterpreter> run autoroute -p

prints the active routing table

The command:

meterpreter> run autoroute -s 10.1.1.0 -n 255.255.255.0

adds a route to 10.10.10.1/255.255.255.0.

2. proxychains

proxychains is a tool for Unix systems that allows users to route any TCP connection through HTTP or a SOCKS proxy. As discussed above, this can be used for proxy pivoting.

To start using proxychains, penetration testers can simply edit the proxychains.conf configuration file, which contains a list of the proxy servers used on the local machine. By specifying the desired host and port number, attackers can add a new local proxy server to conceal their activities. Attackers can even chain multiple proxies together, which makes the task of evading detection (and being traced once detected) even more difficult.

3. sshuttle

The sshuttle tool describes itself as “where transparent proxy meets VPN meets ssh.” sshuttle takes a hybrid approach, combining elements of both VPNs and SSH port forwarding to create a tunnel for exchanging network packets.

Using sshuttle, penetration testers can establish a VPN connection between a local machine and any remote server with Python installed and that is available via SSH. For example, the command below redirects the network 192.168.30.0/24 to the local machine at the address 192.168.10.5:

sshuttle -r localhost@192.168.10.5 192.168.30.0/24

4. pwncat

pwncat is a platform for attackers to exploit a compromised system after gaining entry, including tools for evading firewalls and IDS/IPS. The pwncat platform is based on the netcat Unix networking utility, which allows users to read and write information across a network connection.

pwncat includes features for both local and remote port forwarding. For example, the command below establishes local port forwarding by redirecting the remote port 3306 to the local port 5050:

pwncat -L 0.0.0.0:5050 example.org 3306

Becoming a Penetration Tester With C|PENT

Pivoting is an essential technique that all penetration testers should be familiar with. By successfully pivoting from one machine to the next, penetration testers can avoid or delay detection for as long as possible and extend the reach of their simulated attack.

If a career in penetration testing appeals to you, obtaining a penetration testing certification is an ideal way to get a foothold in the industry while honing your in-demand cybersecurity skills. EC-Council offers the Certified Penetration Testing Professional (C|PENT) program, with extensive real-world training to help students master the tools and techniques of penetration testing.

Source: eccouncil.org

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CPENT Exam Preparation Notes and Guidance by Cybersecurity Expert

As an author, professor, and researcher, I don multiple hats. I will share my Certified Penetration Testing Professional (C|PENT) exam preparation notes, my learning journey, and how I succeeded in acing the C|PENT examination. Even though I opted for the two 12-hour exam format, I believe that attempting it in the 24-hour setting is better as you can finish it in less than nine hours if you have extensive experience.

It is a very challenging exam because, unlike other penetration testing and offensive security exams focusing on Capture the Flag (CTF), the C|PENT includes real-world testing scenarios. In addition, their Cyber Ranges are more advanced and difficult than the simulated machines in other certifications. Although the C|PENT has been labeled as “insanely difficult!” due to my experience teaching penetration testing courses and having written multiple books about pen test, cybersecurity, and Linux, I did not find it to be “insanely tough.” While the exam is quite challenging, it was interesting as it closely mimics the real-world penetration testing environment.

How the C|PENT Differs from Others

The C|PENT stands out from other certifications as it covers extensive topics such as penetration testing scoping and engagement, open-source intelligence (OSINT), mobile device penetration testing methodology, IoT penetration testing, etc. It also includes firewalls, demilitarized zones (DMZs), web application firewalls (WAF), and other defensive measures. The C|PENT also covers pivoting, double pivoting, weaponization, and binary exploitations.

Important C|PENT Preparation Notes

Before signing up for the C|PENT program, ask yourself, “how much knowledge will I gain, and will it open the door to multiple opportunities?”

I began my preparation journey by watching all the course videos before diving into the program material. Ensure that you read all the content as there is always something new to learn, even if the topic seems repetitive. For example, even though I am familiar with Linux and have written a book about it, I was surprised to discover new concepts and tricks. One of the best things about the C|PENT curriculum is that you learn to execute the same thing in different methods, ensuring that you have a backup plan.

C|PENT Preparation Guidance

Let me share some C|PENT exam preparation notes that will help you maximize your performance in the exam:

◉ Ensure You Have a Database of Command in Hand:

You cannot waste time searching for the command that will provide you root or admin access during the exam. In addition, don’t be scared to use the “man” and the “apropos” commands, as they will help you search a set of database files containing short descriptions of system commands for keywords, display, and the result on the standard output.

◉ Practice on Labs and Cyber Ranges:

Make sure that you practice all the exploits and concepts. I built the aliases, functions, and scripts in Bash and Python while doing the labs and Cyber Ranges, and after extensive practice, I was able to memorize most of the aliases.

◉ Gain In-Depth Understanding of the Topics:

I strongly encourage you to practice pivoting and double pivoting if you are unfamiliar with them. When you cannot reach a machine directly, you may not know how to attack it at first, but a basic understanding of networking and subnets function will benefit you in the long run. Read the scope of work, take notes, identify which network addresses are included in the scope of work, and develop the target database template, just as you would for a real penetration testing scenario.

Where Candidates Fall Short

Many candidates often do not utilize specific, customized scans to find targets and do not examine network data at the packet level to understand what the network is telling them. Some use default scans instead of custom scans against a firewalled and non-firewalled target while finding targets that they assume are filtered or have a filter but do not know what works and does not.

You will often find yourselves unable to comprehend what the network is attempting to communicate. You must let the network show you the route in the C|PENT. The scans could take a long time if you conduct default and aggressive scans of all ports. You must let the network lead you in the C|PENT. Candidates often struggle to examine the syntax and ensure that the selections were input correctly because they lack the necessary permissions to write to the location where the firmware file system was being extracted.

The main goal of conducting a pen test is to evaluate the network and use that information to locate a flaw and obtain access. Examining the information presented by the network and acquiring access may seem challenging to some.

C|PENT Experience

I believe the C|PENT closes the gap between the security analyst and the penetration tester job-roles because of the knowledge you stand to gain. You need to think outside the box and build a creative mindset to master the content covered in the exam. It also provides a progressive approach to the challenges provided. Earning the certification helps you gain a competitive advantage in the industry.

C|PENT Tips in Brief

◉ The C|PENT is a tough exam but provides real-world experience

◉ Watch all the videos and read all the content even if it seems repetitive, as you might discover new information

◉ Use the “man” and the “apropos” commands to search a set of database files containing short descriptions of system commands for keywords, display, and the result on the standard output

◉ Make use of the labs and Cyber Ranges

◉ Practice pivoting and double pivoting

Contributor Bio

Alfred Basta, PhD. is a professor, researcher, and author of many publications, including “Computer Security and Penetration Testing,” “Linux Operations and Administration,” “Database security,” and “Mathematics for Information Technology.” He is one of the most certified professionals in cybersecurity. In addition to his recently completed Certified Penetration Testing Professional (C|PENT) and certification and Licensed Penetration Tester (Master), he holds the C|CISO, C|HFI, C|CSA, C|EH, E|CIH, and C|CSE certification.

Source: eccouncil.org

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The Benefits of Performing Threat Modeling with OCTAVE

As business environments grow increasingly complex, it’s more important than ever that IT and cybersecurity professionals come together to utilize proven frameworks capable of guiding a comprehensive, systematic assessment of an organization’s IT risks. The OCTAVE model is widely regarded as the best framework of its kind, so let’s explore what it is and why it matters.

What Is the OCTAVE Threat Model?

The Operationally Critical Threat, Asset, and Vulnerability Evaluation (OCTAVE) is a framework used to assess an organization’s environment and determine IT risks. Because OCTAVE is flexible, it can be adapted to fit the needs of practically any organization while only requiring a small team of cybersecurity, IT, and operations professionals to collaborate on the endeavor.

When applying the OCTAVE framework to a business, it’s important to know that the standard model won’t always fit an organization. As such, several variations have been developed, including OCTAVE-S (used when the entire team already has extensive knowledge about the organization’s environment), OCTAVE Allegro (which is simpler and more suitable for small teams), and OCTAVE Forte (the most adaptable variation yet). You might also devise a hybrid approach to find what works best for your business.

No matter which variation of OCTAVE you are using, you should have peace of mind knowing that it was developed for the US Department of Defense at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in 2001 and has been used and proven effective for over twenty years now.

Benefits of the OCTAVE Threat Model

There are a number of benefits to using the OCTAVE threat model, but here’s a look at the most significant.

◉ Effective: OCTAVE focuses on the organization’s most critical assets, ensuring that the biggest results are seen with the least effort.

◉ Fast: While complex, the OCTAVE model is one of the most efficient for discovering, prioritizing, and mitigating risks—making it both fast and thorough.

◉ Actionable: Implementing the OCTAVE threat model at once can be exhausting as it’s designed to be implemented in parts. This is why it is broken up into three phases, with each phase further broken up into processes.

◉ Comprehensive: The biggest advantage of the OCTAVE threat model is how much it covers. That is why it has been used by the Department of Defense and countless other organizations for over two decades.

With these benefits in mind, let’s dive into the implementation process, which can initially seem like a momentous task.

How to Implement the OCTAVE Threat Model

Implementing the OCTAVE threat model is not a task you can undertake on a random afternoon. In truth, the threat model requires hundreds of pages to thoroughly explain and even more to delve into the complexities of adapting and applying the framework to any organization. CMU has extensive documentation for that.

However, before diving into the complex documentation on implementing the OCTAVE threat model, it’s valuable to take a more high-level approach to begin preparations for implementation and garner resources for the same. As such, here’s a big picture view of what the OCTAVE threat model takes to implement.

The Three Phases of Implementation

In general, implementing the OCTAVE threat model will require a three-phase approach. The three phases are as follows:

1. Create a profile of all of your assets and their relevant threats. This will require a team to sit down and analyze your organization’s IT assets and what is already being done to protect them. You can find gaps in the current security measures and identify the associated risks.

2. Identify vulnerabilities within your organization’s infrastructure. Once your team has identified vulnerabilities, you must move forward with new policies and procedures to help eliminate and manage them. This phase will require multiple tactics to be employed, including penetration testing.

3. Define a security risk management strategy. The final phase of implementation requires you to define remaining risks and prioritize them, and move forward with creating a plan for mitigating and managing security risks in the long term. This plan will need to be reviewed and adapted often.

On paper, it might sound quite simple. However, analyzing, strategizing, and implementing such a comprehensive framework takes a great deal of time. Whether it takes weeks or months to complete will depend upon the size of your team, your organization’s complexity, whether someone is highly familiar with the framework, and/or your organization’s architecture to lead the initiative.

Common Techniques to Utilize

Throughout each phase of the implementation process, your team should be prepared to utilize various testing and analysis tools and methods to ensure no stone is left unturned and no scenario left unconsidered. As such, here are some of the common techniques you should plan to familiarize yourself with:

◉ System audits will reveal information about the structure of your organization’s network and systems. This will begin to show you where assets are stored, how they connect, and who has access to what.

◉ Penetration testing will help your team reveal vulnerabilities in its system and better understand the access points that need to be protected, thereby forming the foundation for much of the knowledge that must be discovered to successfully implement OCTAVE.

◉ Risk assessments will be conducted in almost every stage of the implementation process and require a detailed plan that prioritizes each risk and lays out mitigation and prevention strategies.

Because the OCTAVE threat model is most often applied in enterprise settings, likely, most of your IT and cybersecurity personnel will already be using some or all of these techniques in their routine checks and monitoring practices. For smaller organizations unfamiliar with these techniques, it’s important to thoroughly understand them and how they are best implemented before utilizing them.

Best Practices to Follow

In addition to familiarizing yourself with the above techniques and methods, you’ll also want to follow several best practices to ensure your OCTAVE implementation project goes on without delay or re-work.

◉ Incorporate industry-specific guidelines and best practices, such as HIPAA, into the framework before starting.

◉ Plan to distribute questionnaires to develop knowledge of the organization’s operations, assets, and staff.

◉ Involve senior management early on in the process to get their questions, concerns, and input.

◉ Map out the most important informational assets, like the organization’s network architecture configuration.

◉ Always prioritize risks in accordance with actual business impact and make sure risks are being addressed in order of highest priority.

Keeping these best practices in mind will help you prepare to dive into the in-depth OCTAVE implementation process, as laid out by CMU. However, that’s far from the only thing you can do to prepare for successful threat modeling with OCTAVE.

Source: eccouncil.org

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How SOC 2 Certification Can Help You Become a Skilled SOC Analyst

As global internet users continue to increase, cyberthreats are becoming more sophisticated and frequent. For example, in 2021, the average number of cyberattacks and data breaches increased by 15.1 percent from the previous year (ThoughtLab, 2022). Other surveys revealed that cybercrime cost U.S. businesses more than $6.9 billion in 2021 (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2021), and only 43 percent of businesses feel financially prepared to face a cyberattack in 2022 (Brin, D. 2022).

Cyberthreats are expected to become even more of a threat in the coming years, making it necessary for organizations to have strong cybersecurity controls in place. This is where SOCs come in. In this article, let’s look at what SOCs are, SOC 2 certification, and how you can become an SOC analyst.

What Is SOC?

A security operations center (SOC) is a team of security professionals responsible for monitoring, detecting, and responding to security incidents (Check Point, 2022). SOC teams consist of analysts, engineers, and other security specialists and are required to have a strong understanding of cyberthreats and how to defend against them. Your organization can choose an in-house SOC team with a cybersecurity certification, outsource its SOC services to a managed security service provider (MSSP), or use a combination of both.

The Five Trust Principles

According to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), for a security operations center to be effective in protecting an organization from cyberthreats, it must adhere to the five trust principles, which are:

1. Security: The system is protected against unauthorized access, use, or modification.

2. Availability: The system is available for operation and use as committed or agreed.

3. Processing integrity: System processing is complete, accurate, timely, and authorized.

4. Privacy: Personal information is collected, used, retained, disclosed, and disposed of per the commitments in the entity’s privacy notice and with applicable laws and regulations.

5. Confidentiality:  Information designated as confidential is protected from unauthorized disclosure.

What Does an SOC Tier 2 Analyst Do? 

The SOC 2 certification is becoming increasingly important as more companies collect and store customer data. SOC tier 2 analysts are responsible for thoroughly analyzing and investigating the nature of the attack, where the threat came from, and which areas were affected. They can then develop a plan to prevent future attacks.

SOC tier 2 analysts investigate the root cause of the incident and work on long-term solutions to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. They develop solutions to prevent attacks and work on projects to foster a more secure environment. They also play an essential role in incident response, working to contain and resolve cybersecurity incidents.

To become an SOC tier 2 analyst, one must earn a security operations certificate. This cybersecurity certification provides the skills and knowledge necessary to perform SOC analyst duties. The coursework covers topics such as network security and intrusion detection.

The Difference Between SOC Tier 1 and Tier 2 Analysts

SOCs consist of teams of analysts responsible for different security aspects. These analysts perform various roles, depending on the incident, and can be divided into four tiers:

◉ SOC tier 1 analysts

◉ SOC tier 2 analysts

◉ SOC tier 3 analysts

◉ SOC tier 4 analysts

While the first two tiers of SOC analysts have similar responsibilities, there are some key differences between them:

◉ SOC tier I analysts are responsible for analyzing and investigating incidents. They work to identify the incident’s root cause and develop a plan to prevent future attacks. They are also responsible for documenting incidents and analyzing data to help SOC tier 2 analysts prevent future attacks.

◉ SOC tier 2 analysts are responsible for investigating the root cause of incidents and developing long-term solutions to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. They also play an important role in incident response and work to contain and resolve cybersecurity incidents.

The Advantages of a Certificate in Security Operations

An SOC 2 certification can provide many benefits, both professionally and personally. These are some of the advantages of a certificate in security operations:

◉ It can help you get SOC analyst jobs: Recruiters often pay attention to SOC 2 certification holders over those without a certification. The certification demonstrates that you have the necessary technical skills and practical knowledge to perform your duties efficiently.

◉ It can help you develop a deep understanding of security controls: A certificate in security operations covers network security, intrusion detection, and incident response. This can help you develop a deep understanding of security controls and how to implement them effectively.

◉ It can help you get promoted: By earning a certificate in security operations, you can demonstrate your commitment to your career and show that you are willing to invest in your professional development. This can help you get promoted to a higher position within your organization.

How to Become an SOC Analyst

SOC analyst jobs are among the most in-demand jobs in the cybersecurity field, with the average salary for an SOC analyst in the U.S. being $95,887. The salary range typically falls between $81,208 and $114,202 (Salary). 

To become an SOC analyst, you must obtain a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity or a related field. Next, you need to obtain a relevant certificate in security operations, such as the Certified SOC Analyst (C|SA). Finally, you need to have several years of experience working in IT security.

If you want to enhance your security skills and knowledge and become an industry-ready SOC analyst, then EC-Council’s C|SA is the perfect program! The course provides in-depth knowledge of SOC operations and trains you to recognize attacker tools, tactics, and procedures to identify indicators of compromise, incident response, logging and monitoring, and more. 

Source: eccouncil.org

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