CyberSecurity Institute – Page 365 – Security News Curated from across the world

Manging and Securing Mobile Devices

Posted on August 20, 2004December 30, 2021 by admini

As the use of handheld devices in the enterprise continues to expand, organizations will need to manage the devices to control costs and limit security risks. Forrester says now is the time for IT to take a more active role in such management.

As the use of handheld devices in the enterprise continues to expand, organizations will need to manage the devices to control costs and limit security risks. Where a limited support policy was appropriate two years ago, IT must now take on a much more active role in provisioning, supporting, and managing mobile devices. Because many employees use their own devices to store company information or otherwise ignore company mobile usage policies, companies often don’t have control of the devices, what information is stored on them, or how the information is protected.

Unmanaged mobile devices represent one of the most serious and often overlooked security threats to the enterprise. As several incidents over the past year demonstrate, the risk of information loss or theft from laptops, PDAs, phones, converged devices, and tablets is increasing rapidly. Organizations should balance the growing requirement for mobility with sensible policies on mobile usage and security, along with technology to enforce the policies.

While more organizations have mobile policies than two years ago, comparatively few companies have invested in technology to manage and protect the devices. The proliferation of laptops, PDAs, and other mobile devices in the enterprise, coupled with the explosion of wireless connectivity options, has led to significant support issues and security risks. Mobile devices are vulnerable to theft and loss, with most companies budgeting for a 20% or higher loss and failure rate for PDAs.

While the cost of replacing the devices is relatively insignificant, more and more users store sensitive information on the devices. Additionally, mobile devices can introduce viruses or worms to the corporate network.

Based on a recent Forrester survey, only 9 percent of companies have deployed mobile management tools; another 20 percent are piloting or plan to deploy mobile management tools within the next 12 months (see Figure 1 on source web page). This report will outline both the challenges posed by mobility and the steps companies can take to manage and secure the devices.

Many of corporate IT’s challenges regarding provisioning and supporting remote workers, including predominantly mobile or untethered ones, can be resolved by articulating – and periodically revising – a formal written corporate mobile usage policy. If the company is not willing to set and enforce standards, the costs and risks associated with the mobile device population could quickly spiral out of control.

Managing and Securing Mobile Devices: Best Practices

Mobile Usage And Security Policies
– Be convenient and easy for the user to follow.
– Balance productivity requirements against security and costs.
– Vary by the users’ roles and type of information they handle.
– Specify how users should synchronize information with mobile devices.
– Include guidelines for data usage and transfer.
– Summarize proper use and care of company-owned or -supported mobile devices.
– Have a definition of corporate standards for hardware selection.
– Outline standards for support of employee-purchased equipment.

Communication and User Education
User education is also critical.
Give users some accountability.
Make it clear what is at stake, including the user’s own information.
Give users the necessary tools and easy means to secure the devices.
Raise awareness by demonstrating real security risks.

Selcting Mobile Management and Security Tools
Asset discovery to identify and track devices on the network.
Synchronization tools for PIM, email, or enterprise data.
Antivirus.
Password policy enforcement.
Remote device kill for any PDAs, laptops, or tablets with potentially sensitive data.
Encryption.
Client firewalls.

Forrester Recommendation: Take Immediate Steps to Secure and Manage Mobile Devices

http://www.csoonline.com/analyst/report2794.html
http://www.gigaweb.com/

Wireless switch deployment growing rapidly, study finds

Posted on August 18, 2004December 30, 2021 by admini

Sales of WLAN switches grew by 125 percent, according to the study.

Leading the growth was Symbol Technologies, which is the leading switch vendor. The study indicates that Symbol’s wireless switch sales increased by 256 percent.

Airespace, the second leading wireless switch vendor, saw its sales increase by 48 percent, according to the study.

http://www.commsdesign.com/news/market_news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=29106036

Study: Unpatched PCs compromised in 20 minutes

Posted on August 17, 2004December 30, 2021 by admini

According to the researchers, an unpatched Windows PC connected to the Internet will last for only about 20 minutes before it’s compromised by malware, on average. That figure is down from around 40 minutes, the group’s estimate in 2003.

The Internet Storm Center, which is part of the SANS Institute, calculated the 20-minute “survival time” by listening on vacant Internet Protocol addresses and timing the frequency of reports received there. “If you are assuming that most of these reports are generated by worms that attempt to propagate, an unpatched system would be infected by such a probe,” the center, which provides research and education on security issues, said in a statement.

The drop from 40 minutes to 20 minutes is worrisome because it means the average “survival time” is not long enough for a user to download the very patches that would protect a PC from Internet threats. The center also said in its analysis that the time it takes for a computer to be compromised will vary widely from network to network. If the Internet service provider blocks the data channels commonly used by worms to spread, then a PC user will have more time to patch.

In a guide to patching a new Windows system, the Internet Storm Center recommends that users turn off Windows file sharing and enable the Internet Connection Firewall. Microsoft’s latest security update, Windows XP Service Pack 2, will set such a configuration, but users will have to go online to get the update, opening themselves up to attack.

One problem, experts say, is network administrators’ reliance on patching and their assumption that users will quickly patch systems. Speaking recently at the Microsoft TechEd developer conference in Amsterdam, Microsoft security consultant Fred Baumhardt said the day is likely to come when a virus or worm brings down everything. “Nobody will have time to detect it,” he said. This shows that patch management is not the be-all and end-all.”

http://news.com.com/Study%3A+Unpatched+PCs+compromised+in+20+minutes/2100-7349_3-5313402.html?tag=cd.lede

XP Service Pack 2 kills over 40 programs

Posted on August 16, 2004December 30, 2021 by admini

The list includes several widely used Microsoft products including SQL, Visual Studio .Net and SMS 2003 Server. The list can be found under the heading ‘Some programs that seem to stop working when you install Windows XP Service Pack 2’ on Microsoft’s website.

Unfortunately for a security-focused offering, XP SP2 also created problems with Symantec’s Antivirus Corporate Edition 8.0, MacAfee’s NetShield 4.5 and CA’s eTrust 7.0.

Some games that run on XP also come to grief following the installation of the service pack, including Scrabble 3.0 and two versions of Unreal Tournament.

Microsoft doesn’t give hints on how to resolve the conflict with the games but points users in the direction of the original vendor, with the instructions “see the documentation”. For its own offerings, however, the software behemoth is more helpful.

As Redmond highlights itself, the programs just “appear” to stop working and can be coaxed back into life if you follow the instructions given for each individual program on the Microsoft website. The conflicts mainly stem from the SP2 tendency to shut certain ports or block ‘unsolicited connections’ – often a sign of malware, spyware or other unwanted visitors. Microsoft’s CRM product won’t work with a SP2-equipped machine, full stop. Gates and co have already issued a fix for the incompatibility.

It’s just such incompatibilities that have prompted IBM to advise its staff to not install the service pack for fear it might conflict with business-critical applications.

http://management.silicon.com/itpro/0,39024675,39123186,00.htm?nl=d20040817

Happy Anniversary MSBlast

Posted on August 13, 2004December 30, 2021 by admini

MSBlast hit the Net August 11, 2003, just 26 days after Microsoft released a fix for the vulnerability the worm exploited.

Even though users had nearly a month to get ready — and were warned ahead of time by security experts to expect a major attack — MSBlast found plenty of victims.

“MSBlast was definitely a wake-up call,” said Michael Cherry, an analyst with Directions On Microsoft, a research firm that specializes in topics concerning the Redmond, Wash.-based developer. Oliver Friedrichs, the senior manager of Symantec’s security response teams, agreed with Cherry that MSBlast was a Big Deal, but for a different reason. “MSBlast was unique in that it targeted both consumer and enterprise computers connected to the Internet, and didn’t need human interaction to infect machines,” said Friedrichs. “MSBlast continued this real sea change where worms search out vulnerabilities, find one to use to attack, and spread.”

The wake-up call that MSBlast gave everyone is behind a whole host of changes in how enterprises approach security, and what Microsoft itself has put on the front burner. While some analysts denied that there was a direct correlation between MSBlast and the appearance last week of Windows XP Service Pack 2, a long-touted security upgrade to Microsoft’s flagship OS, Pescatore had no such hesitation. To stymie this kind of infection vector, enterprises have demanded, and vendors have crafted, technologies that check systems before they’re allowed to access the network.

http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20040813S0009

UK scientists roll out Wi-Fi proof wallpaper

Posted on August 12, 2004December 30, 2021 by admini

Developed by UK defence company BAE Systems, the wallpaper uses Frequency Selective Surface (FSS) sheeting, a material more commonly found slapped on military aircraft, naval vessels and radar antennae, New Scientist reports.

In this case, the FSS material is manufactured to absorb signals in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands used by 802.11a, b and g equipment. Other frequencies, such as the 1800MHz band used by GSM networks, are not blocked.

FSS wallpaper isn’t the only way of blocking electromagnetic transmissions, but it is the only solution that doesn’t hinder every form of wireless communication. Firms employing the technology will still need to replace their windows with radio-absorbing glass. By blocking WLAN coverage outside the building, BAE believes the wallpaper will prevent tapping into the network, particularly if the WLAN is left unsecured in order to provide guest access to a company’s network.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/12/wifi_wallpaper/