Tips

Tips

• Big data security analytics: Facebook's ThreatData framework

  Expert Kevin Beaver explains how enterprises can take a page from Facebook's ThreatData framework security analytics to boost enterprise defense.  Continue Reading

• Are malicious mobile apps a mere inconvenience or a real threat?

  How big a security threat are the malicious mobile apps riding into your enterprise on employees' mobile devices?  Continue Reading

• Stop attackers hacking with Metasploit

  Metasploit attacks may not be sexy, but they can stab through enterprise defenses. Learn how basic security controls can thwart Metasploit hacking.  Continue Reading

• NSA TAO: What Tailored Access Operations unit means for enterprises

  The NSA's top-secret Tailored Access Operations offensive hacking unit offers enterprise defense strategy lessons. Expert Nick Lewis discusses.  Continue Reading

• Locking the backdoor: Reducing the risk of unauthorized system access

  Rampant backdoors in enterprise IT products too often provide unauthorized access to attackers and governments. Learn how to defend against the risks.  Continue Reading

• PCI DSS version 3.0: The five most important changes for merchants

  PCI DSS version 3.0 isn't a wholesale revision, but longtime PCI expert Ed Moyle says merchants' transitions must start now to avoid problems later.  Continue Reading

• Inside the BREACH attack: How to avoid HTTPS traffic exploits

  Enterprise threats expert Nick Lewis examines how the BREACH attack exploits HTTPS traffic and what enterprises can do to mitigate the attack risk.  Continue Reading

• Security incident response procedures: When to do a system shutdown

  At times, security incident response procedures require drastic measures. Expert Nick Lewis explains when and how to perform a system shutdown.  Continue Reading

• Amazon S3 encryption overview: How to secure data in the Amazon cloud

  Learn details for employing Amazon S3 encryption features. Expert Dave Shackleford compares S3 encryption to other cloud provider offerings.  Continue Reading

• How to configure a VLAN to achieve the benefits of VLAN security

  Expert Brad Casey explains how to configure a VLAN in order to achieve the benefits of VLAN security, including protection against insider attacks.  Continue Reading

• BYOD security: How to remotely wipe iPhone and Android devices

  Remote data wipe is key to any BYOD security policy, but each OS handles it differently. Lisa Phifer covers how to use it with other controls to protect data.  Continue Reading

• Windows Server 2012 security: Is it time to upgrade?

  Expert Michael Cobb wades through the security features of Windows Server 2012 to find out what's new and beneficial in Microsoft's latest release.  Continue Reading

• Security incident management in the cloud: Tackling the challenges

  Identifying security incidents in cloud environments isn't easy, but there are steps companies can take to ease the process.  Continue Reading

• With JOBS Act, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance likely won't get easier

  While SMBs may benefit from the JOBS Act, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance for enterprises may remain largely unchanged. Expert Mike Chapple explains why.  Continue Reading

• Examining Kindle Fire security, Silk browser security in the enterprise

  Do Kindle Fire security issues, combined with weak Silk browser security, make the red-hot consumer device too risky for enterprises? Michael Cobb explains.  Continue Reading

• SEC disclosure rules: Public company reporting requirements explained

  Learn the public company reporting requirements necessary to comply with CF Disclosure Guidance Topic No. 2, the SEC's cybersecurity reporting rules.  Continue Reading

• P2P encryption: Pros and cons of point-to-point encryption

  P2P encryption is an emerging technology; one that may be helpful for many companies, especially merchants. Mike Chapple dissects the pros and cons.  Continue Reading

• Securing a multi-tenant environment

  Learn some of the key elements for secure multi-tenancy.  Continue Reading

• Identity and access management concepts and predictions to watch in 2011

  Forrester's Andras Cser discusses the emerging identity and access management concepts and market predictions enterprises should be prepared for in 2011.  Continue Reading

• Log Parser examples: Using the free log analysis tool

  Log analysis is an essential security function for almost all enterprises, and, with Log Parser, much of it can be done for free. Learn how to use Microsoft's free Log Parser in this expert tip.  Continue Reading

• Security in virtualization: IDS/IPS implementation strategy

  Considering virtualization? Take into account that your IDS or IPS may not work the same way in a virtualized environment as it does in a physical one. Expert Dave Shackleford explains how to address this potential problem.  Continue Reading

• PCI requirement 7: PCI compliance policy for access control procedures

  Though PCI DSS is generally prescriptive, when it comes to requirement 7, organizations have more leeway -- and, thus, more potential for error -- than other sections of the standard. Learn how to handle PCI DSS requirement 7 in this expert tip.  Continue Reading

• The hypervisor security patch management process

  Enterprises using virtualization must include hypervisor patching in their patch management process. Robbie Higgins explains why.  Continue Reading

• Digital forensic challenges in a cloud computing environment

  Cloud computing creates difficulties for digital forensic investigators.  Continue Reading

• Cloud security standards provide assessment guidelines

  The Cloud Security Alliance Cloud Controls Matrix helps cloud providers and customers to evaluate security controls.  Continue Reading

• ngrep: Learn how to find new malware with ngrep examples

  In this video, Peter Giannoulis of the AcademyPro.com uses several ngrep examples to show how to find new malware that antivirus or IPS might not pick up on with this free tool.  Continue Reading

• User provisioning best practices: Access recertification

  User access recertification is the process of continually auditing users' permissions to make sure they have access only to what they need. Implementing recertification, however, can be challenging. Get best practices on creating a recertification ...  Continue Reading

• Outsourcing data center services: SMB security best practices

  Learn best practices for outsourcing data center services and about the security and compliance considerations that influence whether an SMB should outsource data center services.  Continue Reading

• Are you in compliance with the ISO 31000 risk management standard?

  The ISO 31000 risk management standard is becoming an important development tool for shaping existing and new programs. Learn if your programs are in compliance with the standard.  Continue Reading

• Data classification best practices in financial services

  Data classification is critical in the highly regulated financial industry. Learn key steps for data classification.  Continue Reading

• Self-service user identity management: Pitfalls and processes

  While it might seem that self-service user identity management can save time and money, as well as keep information more current, there are a number of potential pitfalls. In this expert tip, Randall Gamby explains how to avoid these issues.  Continue Reading

• PAN truncation and PCI DSS compliance

  What do Visa's PAN truncation guidelines mean for merchants and their acquiring banks? Security experts Ed Moyle and Diana Kelley provide analysis.  Continue Reading

• How to avoid attacks that exploit a Web browser vulnerability

  Beyond patching, Tom Chmielarski explains what you'll need to do to avoid application exploits caused by Web browser vulnerabilities.  Continue Reading

• Your USB port management options

  When it comes to managing USB ports, the choice is yours. Mike Chapple reviews your three best options.  Continue Reading

• Enterprise PDF attack prevention best practices

  Malicious PDF exploits are at an all-time high. Should enterprises dump PDFs altogether? Expert Michael Cobb answers that question and offers his key enterprise PDF attack prevention tactics.  Continue Reading

• Performing a security risk analysis to assess acceptable level of risk

  No organization is ever completely without risk, but there are steps that can be taken to establish an acceptable level of risk that can be appropriately mitigated. In this tip, Michael Cobb explains how to perform a security risk analysis to help ...  Continue Reading

• Operation Aurora: Tips for thwarting zero-day attacks, unknown malware

  In December 2009, Google, Adobe and other companies were the victims of a damaging cyberattack called Operation Aurora. In this tip, expert Nick Lewis outlines the lessons learned from this attack, and how companies can avoid falling victim to ...  Continue Reading

• Using Windows software restriction policies to stop executable code

  Software restriction policies are one way to prevent known malware and file-sharing applications from taking control of your network.  Continue Reading

• Applying the ISO 27005 risk management standard

  The ISO 27005 risk management methodology standard has weaknesses when it comes to risk measurement. "Fuzzy math" theory can help fill the gaps.  Continue Reading

• Best practices and requirements for GLBA compliance

  GLBA requirements to protect personal information have become more relevant than ever. In this tip, Paul Rohmeyer examines best practices for GLBA compliance.  Continue Reading

• Lack of incident response plan leaves hole in compliance strategy

  Without an incident response plan, businesses can tend to be reactive rather than proactive when data breaches occur. Here are some steps to follow.  Continue Reading

• Security benefits of virtual desktop infrastructures

  In a highly regulated industry where security is critical, financial-services firms are turning to virtual desktop infrastructures. In this tip, Eric Ogren explains the security benefits of virtualized desktops and virtual workspace projects, ...  Continue Reading

• Determine your Microsoft Windows patch level

  A handful of patch management tools from Microsoft and third -parties can help your organization determine your Windows patch level and identify missing security patches.  Continue Reading

• Does using ISO 27000 to comply with PCI DSS make for better security?

  PCI DSS is under fire for not providing enough security in the process of securing credit card data. Using ISO 27000 to complement PCI may provide better compliance and security.  Continue Reading

• PCI DSS compliance requires new vendor management strategy

  Requirement 12.8 requires a better vendor management strategy for PCI DSS compliance.  Continue Reading

• Making the case for enterprise IAM centralized access control

  Central access to multiple applications and systems can raise the level of security while getting rid of lots of red tape, so how do you go about creating central access management? In this tip, IAM expert David Griffeth explains the steps.  Continue Reading

• How to defend against rogue DHCP server malware

  Rogue DHCP server malware is a new twist on an old concept. The good news is that effective threat mitigation strategies exist; the bad news is that many organizations haven't bothered to deploy them.  Continue Reading

• When BIOS updates become malware attacks

  Most security pros don't give the system BIOS a second thought, or even a first one, but today's BIOS types are highly susceptible to malicious hackers. Information security threats expert Sherri Davidoff explains how attackers can plant BIOS ...  Continue Reading

• How to mitigate operational, compliance risk of outsourcing services

  Companies must have an approach to evaluating partner risk, the level of risk of both the service and the provider, and the adequacy of the security practices of the provider.  Continue Reading

• Do you need an IDS or IPS, or both?

  Cut through the hype and learn the differences and benefits of intrusion detection and prevention systems.  Continue Reading

• Five steps to eliminate rogue wireless access

  Unauthorized wireless access points aren't always malicious. Learn how to distinguish between them and mitigate threats posed by rogue APs.  Continue Reading

• How many firewalls do you need?

  Whether your organizations needs multiple sets of firewalls depends on whether they will protect clients, servers or both and what kind of traffic they will monitor.  Continue Reading

• From the gateway to the application: Effective access control strategies

  Organizations need to strike a balance between so-called front-door access control and more fine grained controls established within an application itself. This article discusses the difference between products designed to set access at the gateway ...  Continue Reading

• What controls can compensate when segregation of duties isn't economically feasible?

  Having a strong log management capability is a good way to start when security segregation isn't possible. Mike Rothman explains.  Continue Reading

• How to perform a network device audit

  From unauthorized applications to rogue devices like data-slurping USB sticks, enterprise networks face a growing number of security risks. For financial-services firms, the data loss or network intrusions that can result from unauthorized network ...  Continue Reading

• PCI DSS 3.1 requirement best practices

  Requirement 3.1 of the PCI Data Security Standard requires minimum cardholder data storage. In this tip, learn how to determine how much data your organization should store.  Continue Reading

• ID and password authentication: Keeping data safe with management and policies

  Learn how to improve authentication and avoid password hacking with management policies that enforce password expiration, length and complexity requirements.  Continue Reading

• Lessons learned: The Countrywide Financial breach

  The data breach at Countrywide Financial Corp. seems like something out of a TV crime drama: Two men regularly copied customer data and secretly sold it as leads to other mortgage brokers. The tale suggests that data theft is, more often than not, ...  Continue Reading

• Recovering stolen laptops one step at a time

  When a student's laptop was stolen last year on a university campus, police and IT investigators went to work, recovering it within a matter of weeks. Neil Spellman, one of the investigators on the case, offers some best practices on what to do if a...  Continue Reading

• Risk assessments: Internal vs. external

  Risk assessments are a necessary function at financial firms, but how do you know whether to conduct them internally or to use a third party? Expert Rick Lawhorn explores the pros and cons in this tip.  Continue Reading

• How to lay the foundation for role entitlement management

  Role entitlement management is a daunting task, however, there are steps you can take to lay the foundation for a successful management process. In this tip, expert Rick Lawhorn details these seven steps.  Continue Reading

• Key management challenges and best practices

  Key management is essential to a successful encryption project. In this tip, expert Randy Nash explains the challenges financial organizations face when implementing key management and some of the best practices to overcome them.  Continue Reading

• Ophcrack: Password cracking made easy

  Scott Sidel examines the open source security tool Ophcrack, a password cracking tool aimed at ensuring the strength of corporate passwords.  Continue Reading

• GLBA risk assessment steps to success

  GLBA requires financial firms to protect their data from anticipated risks. How can those risks be determined? Follow these steps to perform a risk assessment at your financial organization.  Continue Reading

• Intrusion detection system deployment recommendations

  Before you take the time and effort to deploy an IDS, consider this advice.  Continue Reading

• Built-in Windows commands to determine if a system has been hacked

  In this tip, contributor Ed Skoudis identifies five of the most useful Windows command-line tools for machine analysis and discusses how they can assist administrators in determining if a machine has been hacked.  Continue Reading

• Developing a patch management policy for third-party applications

  Enterprises may push the latest critical Windows patches once a month, but here's a dirty little secret: Most organizations don't bother patching their third-party applications. The diversity of client-side software -- including everything from ...  Continue Reading

• Cleansing an infected mail server

  Learn five measures you can take to when cleaning up a massive email virus infection  Continue Reading

• Firewall redundancy: Deployment scenarios and benefits

  There are, however, several good reasons to deploy multiple firewalls in your organization. Let's take a look at a few scenarios.  Continue Reading

• Your physical security budget: Who pays and how much?

  In many organizations, the cost of data center security is a shared expense -- or at least it should be. How much then should you be spending on security and how much of that should be picked up by other business units?  Continue Reading

• Ten hacker tricks to exploit SQL Server systems

  SQL Server hackers have a medley of tricks and tools to gain access to your database systems. Learn their techniques and test SQL Server security before they do.  Continue Reading

• PCI compliance after the TJX data breach

  The massive TJX data breach reinforced the need for stricter controls when handling credit card information. In this tip, Joel Dubin reexamines the need for the PCI Data Security Standard and advises how to ease the PCI compliance burden.  Continue Reading

• Preparing for uniform resource identifier (URI) exploits

  URIs have always been a user-friendly way to recognize and access Web resources. By crafting malicious URLs and manipulating protocol handlers, however, attackers have devised new attacks that take advantage of the URI's locator functionality. Web ...  Continue Reading

• Enterprise risk management frameworks: Controls for people, processes, technology

  Once responsibilities and requirements are defined, the next stage in developing a successful risk management framework involves developing controls. As Khalid Kark explains, that includes developing a culture of security, using technology in the ...  Continue Reading

• Digital forensics tool Helix 'does no harm'

  Forensics isn't just for the scientists. This month, contributor Scott Sidel recommends Helix, a digital forensics tool that can do some important detective work on your system.  Continue Reading

• Steps in the information security program life cycle

  This article from our series on information security governance describes the essential steps to take when developing a security program life cycle.  Continue Reading

• Where to place IDS network sensors

  JP Vossen explains where to place IDS sensors.  Continue Reading

• How to patch vulnerabilities and keep them sealed

  Learn how to simplify the patch deployment process and employ methods that will reduce vulnerabilities.  Continue Reading