We Guarantee 100% Security: Don’t Use Computers, Don’t do Anything

Of course you could also disconnect your computer from the Internet.

Here is your computer disconnected from Internet:

But even disconnected from Internet a virus can still enter your computer (airnet). This is  where a computer can get a virus from a flashdrive.  Stuxnet was transmitted by usb flash drives, several infected flash drives were left where someone can pick up and plug in

And 1 more thing for us to guarantee this promise of 100% Security. Do not use your computer at all.

I am trying to make a point  that there is no such thing as 100% security, since we need computers to do business, we must attempt security with as much business as possible. Or should we look at it like lets do business with security precautions?

 

This is an important distinction:

A. Should one look at Security first? then fulfill business goals?

B. Business applications must run, while providing some security.

 

Most businesses, in fact most people perform B.

We want to use the Internet, we want to Google, email, use our phone, and transact business (such as credit card transactions)

 

But we don’t seem to do it well:  KrebsOnSecurity has another saga in the Sally Beauty Breach story:

http://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/05/deconstructing-the-2014-sally-beauty-breach/

I wonder if all customers at retail stores know that their credit cards have a chance of getting stolen every time they use it?

The Sally Beauty  story is unique in the sense that malware got on the point of sale systems with Tripware software also on the systems.  Tripware software is a good security software by detecting changes to files (unauthorized and authorized).

The unfortunate problem is even Tripwire gets fooled, the malware writers installed “software” that looked like standard Microsoft software.  The problem that showed the infection was when people could not use the computers since the malware broke DNS function.

So it seems the systems were initially infected by one of the main reasons that VISA says business gets infected. Remote Access to computers.

So not only did Sally Beauty need to process credit cards (connect to other computers from inside network to outside) they also wanted to connect from away from office to the office network.

So Sally Beauty not only wants business capability from inside out

 

But outside in.   that means taking higher risks, especially if the IT departments are not up to the tasks.

 

 

Sure it can all be done – but now user authentication is even more important.

It seems in the Krebsonsecurity information an executive placed his password information right on his laptop with a sticker. It seems in this lax security environment, it is reasonable to assume that authentication credentials can be taken from users and now the hackers can sell them to each other thus slowly building a dossier on this company.

Do you think that the Hackers are staying still? They  are constantly probing, and trying to find these easy to hack companies, but then when these are all hacked…. yes they will move to companies which are harder to hack.

 

Since we cannot be 100% secure we need to be as secure as possible while also ensuring our systems run business software as needed.

An insecure network authentication will be more important than ever.

 

Contact Us to help you with your security needs.

(fixed some typos 10/26/15)