Network Security - The Road Ahead

Network Security - The road ahead				Outbound traffic reportsIntranet reportsInternet
IntroductionWhat is Network Security?"Network				reportsTrend reports
Security" -Monitoring"Network Security" -Forensics
"Network Security"
-ComplianceHIPAASOXGLBAConclusion				Reports to expect from compliance and internal
				monitoring:
				( see compliance sub-heading for reports on
Introduction				compliance)
Network Security is the next wave which is bound to				User Audit reports (successfull/unsuccessful login
sweep the software				attempts)Audit policy changes (ex: change in privileges
market. Increase in offshore projects and transfer of				etc)Password changesAccount LockoutUser account
information				changesIIS reportsDHCP reportsMSI reports( lists the
across the wire has added fuel to the burning urge to				products installed/uninstalled)Group policy changesRPC
secure the				reportsDNS reportsActive directory reports
network. As the famous adage goes, the most
safest computer is				The gating factor for choosing a monitoring product is
one which has been unplugged from the				to cross verify
network(making it almost				whether the devices you have in your network are
useless). Network security				supported by the
is becoming more of a necessity. Interestingly the type				vendor you choose. There are quite a number of
of security				products which
required across different enterprises depends on the				address this market, you might want to search for
nature of its				"firewall analyzer"
business. Offlate some laws & acts have been				and "eventlog analyzer" in google.
defined to
identify security breaches, which is a very good move
to prevent				"Network Security" -Compliance
fradulent use/access of information. There are two
types of softwares				Most of the industries such as health care and
for Network security, one which prevents it and one				financial
which does the				institutions are mandated to be compliant with HIPAA
forensic analysis. The main focus of this article would				and SOX acts.
be				These acts enforce stringent rules in all aspects of
the forensics of network security.				the enterprise
				including the physical access of information. (This
What is Network Security?				section
network security: the				concetrates on the software requirement of the acts)
protection of a computer network and its services				There are quite a
from unauthorized				number of agencies that offer the compliance as a
modification, destruction, or				service for an
disclosure				enterprise. But it all depends on whether you want to
				handle compliance
Network security is a self-contradicting philosophy				yourself or employ a third party vendor to ensure
where you need to				compliance to the
give absolute access and at the same time provide				acts.
absolute security.				HIPAA Compliance:
Any enterprise needs to secure itself from two				HIPAA defines the Security Standards for monitoring
different access of				and auditing system
information/transaction for that matter(ex:ftp,http etc.),				activity. HIPAA regulations mandate analysis of all
internal				logs,
access and external access. Securing the access of				including OS
information or				and application logs including both perimeter devices,
resources from the external world(WWW) is quite a				such as IDSs, as
task to master, that				well as insider activity. Here are some of the
is where the firewalls pitch in. The firewalls act as				important reports that
gatekeepers who				need to be in place:
seggregate the intrusive and non-intrusive requests				User Logon report: HIPAA requirements (164.308
and allow access.				(a)(5) -
Configuring & maintaining a firewall is by itself a task				log-in/log-out monitoring) clearly state that user
which				accesses to the
needs experience and knowledge. There are no hard				system be recorded and monitored for possible
and fast rules				abuse. Remember, this
to instruct the firewalls, it depends on where the				intent is not just to catch hackers but also to
firewall is				document the accesses
installed and how the enterprise intends to provide				to medical details by legitimate users. In most cases,
access to				the very fact
information/resources. So, the effectivity of any				that the access is recorded is deterrent enough for
firewall depends on				malicious activity,
how well or how bad you configure it. Please be				much like the presence of a surveillance camera in a
informed many firewalls				parking lot.User Logoff report: HIPAA requirements
come with pre-configured rules, which intend to make				clearly state that user
the job of				accesses to the system be recorded and monitored
securing the information access from external				for possible abuse.
sources. In short				Remember, this intent is not just to catch hackers but
firewall gives you information about attacks				also to document
happenning from the				the accesses to medical details by legitimate users. In
external world.				most cases, the
				very fact that the access is recorded is deterrent
The toughest job is to secure information from the				enough for malicious
internal sources.				activity, much like the presence of a surveillance
More than securing it, managers need to track the				camera in a parking
information flow, to				lot.Logon Failure report: The security logon feature
identify possible casuatives. The tracking of				includes logging
information flow will				all unsuccessful login attempts. The user name, date
come in handy in case of legal situations. Because				and time are
what seemingly to be				included in this report.Audit Logs access report: HIPAA
a sharing of information could be held against you in				requirements (164.308 (a)(3) -
the court of				review and audit access logs) calls for procedures to
law. To enforce this, acts such as HIPAA, GLBA,				regularly review
SOX have been				records of information system activity such as audit
putforth, to ensure that the scam(s) like that of				logs.Security Log Archiving Utility:Periodically, the
"Enron" does				system
not happen. In short the tracking of information and				administrator will be able to back up encrypted copies
audit gives you				of the log data
information abouot security breaches and possible				and restart the logs.
internal attacks.

There are a variety of network security attacks/				SOX Compliance:
breaches:				Sarbanes-Oxlet defines the collection,retention and
Denial of ServiceVirus attacksUnauthorized				review of audit
AccessConfidentiality breachesDestruction of				trail log data from all sources under section 404's IT
informationData manipulation				process
				controls. These logs form the basis of the internal
				controls that
Interestingly , all these information are available across				provide corporations with the assurance that financial
the				and business
enterprise in the form of log files. But to read it				information is factual and accurate. Here are some of
through				the important
and making sense out of it, will take a life time. That is				reports to look for:
where the				User Logon report:SOX requirements (Sec 302
"Network Security" monitoring also known as "Log				(a)(4)(C) and (D) -
Monitoring" softwares				log-in/log-out monitoring) clearly state that user
pitch in. They do a beautiful				accesses to the
job of making sense out of the information spread				system be recorded and monitored for possible
across various				abuse. Remember, this
locations and offer the system administrators a holistic				intent is not just to catch hackers but also to
view of what				document the accesses
is happening in their network, in terms of Network				to medical details by legitimate users. In most cases,
Security. In short they				the very fact
collect,collate,analyze & produce reports which help				that the access is recorded is deterrent enough for
the				malicious activity,
system administrator to keep tabs on Network				much like the presence of a surveillance camera in a
Security.				parking lot.User Logoff report:SOX requirements (Sec
				302 (a)(4)(C) and (D)
				clearly state that user accesses to the system be
"Network Security" -Monitoring				recorded and
				monitored for possible abuse. Remember, this intent is
No matter how fine your defense systems are, you				not just to
need to have someone				catch hackers but also to document the accesses to
to make sense out of the huge amount of data				medical details by
churned out of a edge				legitimate users. In most cases, the very fact that the
device like firewall and the system logs. The typical				access is
enterprise logs				recorded is deterrent enough for malicious activity,
about 2-3GB/day depending upon the enterprise the				much like the
size might vary. The				presence of a surveillance camera in a parking
main goal of the forensic software is to mine through				lot.Logon Failure reportThe security logon feature
the vast amount				includes logging
of information and pull out events that need attention.				all unsuccessful login attempts. The user name, date
The				and time are
"Network security" softwares play a major role in				included in this report.Audit Logs access report:SOX
identifying the				requirements (Sec 302 (a)(4)(C) and
causatives and security breaches that are happenning				(D) - review and audit access logs) calls for
in the				procedures to regularly
enterprise.				review records of information system activity such as
				audit logs.Security Log Archiving Utility:Periodically, the
Some of the major areas that needed to be				system
addressed by any network				administrator will be able to back up encrypted copies
security product is to provide a collective virus attacks				of the log data
across				and restart the logs.Track Account management
different edge devices in the network. What this				changes:Significant changes in the
offers for an				internal controls sec 302 (a)(6). Changes in the
enterprise is a holistic view, of the attacks happening				security configuration
across the				settings such as adding or removing a user account
enterprise. It offers a detailed overview of the				to a admistrative
bandwidth				group. These changes can be tracked by analyzing
usage, it should also provide user based access				event logs.Track Audit policy changes:Internal controls
reports. The				sec 302 (a)(5) by
product has to highlight sescurity breaches and				tracking the event logs
misuse of internet				for any changes in the security audit policy.Track
access, this will enable the administrator to take the				individual user actions:Internal controls sec 302 (a)(5) by
necessary				auditing user activity.Track application access:Internal
steps. The edge devices monitoring product has to				controls sec 302 (a)(5) by
provide other				tracking application
stuffs like Traffic trends,insight into capacity planning				process.Track directory / file access:Internal controls
and Live				sec 302 (a)(5)
traffic monitoring, which will help the administrator to				for any access violation.
find causes
for network congestion.				GLBA Compliance:
				The Financial Services Modernization Act (FMA99)
The internal monitoring product has to offer the audit				was signed into law in
information of				January 1999 (PL 106-102). Commonly referred to as
users, system security breaches and activity audit				the
trails (ex: remote				Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act or GLBA, Title V of the Act
access) As most of the administrators are ignorant of				governs the steps
the requirements				that financial institutions and financial service
for the				companies must
compliance acts, it is better to cross reference which				undertake to ensure the security and confidentiality of
acts apply to				customer
their enterprise and ensure that the product supports				information. The Act asserts that financial services
reporting for the				companies
compliance acts(please refer here				routinely collect Non-Public Personal Information (NPI)
for details on compliance)				from
				individuals, and must notify those individuals when
In altoghether they will have to support archiving,				sharing information
scheduling of				outside of the company (or affiliate structure) and, in
reports and a comprehensive list of reports. please				some cases,
follow the next				when using such information in situations not related to
section for more details.				the
				furtherance of a specific financial transaction.
				User Logon report:GLBA Compliance requirements
"Network Security" -Forensics				clearly state that
				user accesses to the system be recorded and
The most important features you need to				monitored for possible
lookout,when you short list a network security forensic				abuse. Remember, this intent is not just to catch
product is the				hackers but also to
ability				document the accesses to medical details by
to archive the raw records. This is a major factor				legitimate users. In most
when it comes to				cases, the very fact that the access is recorded is
acts and laws. So in the court of law, the original				deterrent enough
record has to be				for malicious activity, much like the presence of a
produced as proof and not the custom format of the				surveillance camera
vendor. The				in a parking lot.User Logoff report:GLBA requirements
next one to lookout for is the ability to create alerts, i.e				clearly state that user
the				accesses to the system be recorded and monitored
ability to notify whenever some criteria happens ex:				for possible abuse.
when 3				Remember, this intent is not just to catch hackers but
unsuccessfull login attempts mail me kind of stuff, or				also to document
better still if				the accesses to medical details by legitimate users. In
there is a virus attack for from the same host more				most cases, the
than once, notify				very fact that the access is recorded is deterrent
me etc. This will reduce the lot of manual intervention				enough for malicious
needed in				activity, much like the presence of a surveillance
keeping the network secure. Moreover the ability to				camera in a parking
schedule				lot.Logon Failure report:The security logon feature
reports is a big plus. You don't have to check the				includes logging
reports daily. Once				all unsuccessful login attempts. The user name, date
you have done your ground work as to configure				and time are
some basic alerts and				included in this report.Audit Logs access report:GLAB
some scheduled reports. It should be a cakewalk				requirements (review and audit
from then on. All				access logs) calls for procedures to regularly review
you need to do is check out the information(alerts				records of
reports) you get in				information system activity such as audit logs.Security
your inbox. It is recommended that you configure				Log Archiving Utility:Periodically, the system
reports on a weekly				administrator will be able to back up encrypted copies
basis. So that it is never too late to react to a				of the log data
potential threat.				and restart the logs.
And finally a comprehensive list of reports is a vital
feature to
lookout for. Here is a list of reports that might come in				Conclusion
handy				"Network Security" has to be done both internally as
for any enterprise:				well as
				externally, the job of nailing the problem is a huge task
Reports to expect from edge devices such as a				which needs expertise and mostly help from
firewall:				softwares such as EventLog Analyzers(compliance
Live monitoring Security reportsVirus reportsAttack				and internal monitoring of internal machines) and
reportsTraffic reportsProtocol usage reportsWeb				Firewall Analyzer(virus,attacks
usage reportsMail usage reportsFTP usage				and traffic monitoring of edge devices).
reportsTelnet usage reportsVPN reportsInbound

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Network Security - The Road Ahead

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