Cybersecurity Attack Phases and Strategies

Identity Providers and Service Providers

• Identity Providers (IdPs) can be organizations, social media platforms (e.g., Google, Facebook), or dedicated services like Microsoft Azure AD.
• Service Providers (SPs) are entities offering services users seek to access, relying on IdPs for user authentication.
• Trust relationships between IdPs and SPs are established through digital certificates or shared cryptographic keys.

Single Sign-On (SSO)

• Identity federation typically features SSO, permitting users to log in once for access to multiple services.
• SSO functions across different domains and organizations, enhancing user convenience.

Standards and Protocols

• SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) facilitates authentication and authorization data exchange between IdPs and SPs using XML.
• OAuth allows third-party services to exchange tokens for access, supporting delegated permissions.
• OpenID Connect, built on OAuth 2.0, simplifies federated authentication with its user-friendly protocol.

Identity Federation Process

• User Authentication: Users attempting to access an SP are redirected to the IdP for verification.
• Token Generation: After authenticating the user, the IdP issues a token with identity information and attributes.
• Token Exchange: The user returns to the SP with the token, which the SP verifies with the IdP before granting access.
• Access Granted: Verification success leads to seamless service access without separate logins.

Digital Signatures

• Digital signatures prevent denial of sent messages and protect against message tampering.
• Signer uses a private key to sign documents; receivers use the corresponding public key for verification.
• A digital ID consists of a protected file with a private key, public key, and personal identity information.

Digital Signature Implementation

• The hashing algorithm produces a unique hash for each message, encrypted with the sender's private key as a signature.
• Upon receipt, the message is hashed again; the signature is decrypted using the sender's public key to verify integrity.

Cyber Threats

• Cyber-terrorists: Target sensitive information to cause disruption; pose significant risks to information systems.
• Insider threats: Employees with access to assets may exploit vulnerabilities against their organization.
• Script Kiddies: Non-expert users seeking to exploit systems for fun or challenge.
• Nation-states: Funded entities engaged in espionage, capable of sophisticated attacks on information systems.

Attack Categories

• External Threats: Involve attackers breaching networks from outside.
• Internal Threats: Concern people who already have access, posing risks from within.

Motivations for Cyber Attacks

• Data theft, service disruption, or exploiting vulnerabilities in targeted sectors such as government, energy, and healthcare.
• Preparatory reconnaissance is essential to identify potential targets and vulnerabilities.

Types of Malware

• Trojan: Legitimate software carrier that often distributes other malware.
• Virus: Attaches to files or applications, executing when these are opened, causing system disruption.
• Worm: Self-replicating across networks without user intervention, potentially impairing network performance.
• Ransomware: Encrypts data, demanding ransom for decryption, often employing social engineering tactics.
• Spyware: Collects user information without consent and operates covertly.
• Rootkit: Provides remote access to systems, challenging to detect and remove.
• Adware: Displays advertisements; generally less harmful but may collude with spyware.

Security Threats and Attacks

• Security attacks exploit system vulnerabilities; can be initiated by insiders or external actors.
• Common attack phases include reconnaissance, scanning, exploitation, and data exfiltration.

Managing Cyber Crime

• Prioritize security risk management, real-time intrusion detection, and forensic analysis post-attack.
• Employ logical or statistical methods to handle uncertainty in attack situations.

Consequences of Cyber Attacks

• Organizations suffer from reputational damage, loss of customer trust, legal penalties, and operational disruptions.
• Critical information at risk includes customer data, design documents, and proprietary assets.

Security Objectives Violated in Attacks

• Confidentiality: Breached by unauthorized communication exposure.
• Integrity: Violated through unauthorized message alterations.
• Availability: Affected by Denial of Service attacks rendering resources inaccessible.
• Authenticity: Spoofing attacks impersonate legitimate users.
• Authorization: Elevation of privilege breaches user permissions.
• Repudiation: Involves falsely denying actions taken by users.

This quiz covers the various phases of a cybersecurity attack, including reconnaissance, weaponisation, and exploitation. It also delves into handling uncertainty in attacks through security risk management and intrusion detection. Test your knowledge on the methods used by botnets and the logical approaches for forensic analysis.