About Us | Contact Us
View Cart

A Network is a Network . . . NOT!

By Dan Hadaway | Monday, August 23, 2021 - Leave a Comment

Four Conditions …


…For Why a Network Can be Anything But a Network!
Another one of those Dan’s New Leaf Posts, meant to inspire thought about IT Governance . . . .


I have to admit that infotex is being called into engineering meetings with larger organizations these days that are NOT community based banks.  We are finding the paradigm shift to be interesting.  For one, few IT persons in a non-regulated business understand security as well as the least experienced IT person in a bank.  I have interacted with CIOs who do not know the three factors of authentication, ISOs who never heard of Zero Trust, and network engineers who think vendor management is about where you used to get your snickers bars.  In one case, I was scolded because I made the unfortunate comment that “a network is a network.”

My comment warranted the scolding –  vendors must understand the nuances of that any organization’s existing information system and the underlying infrastructure which includes “the network.”  Still, after demonstrating that we indeed did understand those nuances, and learning a lot more about this person’s business, we still wanted to help him understand that . . . in the eyes of an attacker . . . his network is no different from any other network.

His network has four conditions.

1. No matter what business he is in , there are always vulnerabilities on his network.  And even when the sun and the stars and the moon have aligned so he can say there are no known vulnerabilities on his network, there are still always thousands if not millions of unknown vulnerabilities on his network.  And those vulnerabilities can be exploited.

2. There is data in the network that can be leveraged.  Whether or not that data is regulated, whether or not that data is classified, that data could be ransomed, that data could be stolen, that data could be used to extort members of the organization.

3. His network also is a result, in part, of a method of addressing the risk that is in his system.  Most technology risk management systems now include risk measurement, risk response, and risk monitoring.  The veracity of an organization’s security posture can be gauged by how well risk is being monitored.

What the attacker knows about this third condition is that the network can be the result of a sound risk management system, or it can be the tell-tale of an insufficient system.  It’s simple:  if it appears the network is being monitored, the attacker will go elsewhere.

If not . . .

The way the attacker avoids the monitoring system is by being aware of the fourth and final condition of any network.  Which is exactly what the CIO was saying.

4. A network is not a network is not a network.  The CIO’s network is alive.  It is dynamic, constantly changing.  Constantly evolving.  Therefore, the monitoring of the network needs to be addressed in a matter that stays “sound,” as described above, no matter what the network ends up being.

My point: the SIEM needs to be able to monitor the network through the ever-evolving state of that network.  It is a process, involving the team of three teams, meant to guard a living being . . . . your network.


Original article by Dan Hadaway CRISC CISA CISM. Founder and Managing Partner, infotex

“Dan’s New Leaf” is a “fun blog to inspire thought in the area of IT Governance.”


same_strip_012513


 

Latest News
    Endpoint Detection and Response and You Webinar-Video In this webinar-Video, we will discuss the advantages, considerations, pricing, and configuration concerns when adding Endpoint Detection and Response to your security posture. If you are using a traditional Anti-Virus/Malware solution, you’ll want to consider adding or replacing it with a comprehensive EDR/XDR/MDR solution for the most bang […]
    R7: 2023’s Top Seven Technology Risks Webinar-Video What are the top seven risks your board should know about in 2023? Since 2006, Dan has been compiling a list of the “top seven risks small institutions are facing,” in preparation for his board presentations. This webinar will present the 2023 list in a manner that you […]
    PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BUSINESS NEWS NEW EMPLOYEE FOR INFOTEX We are excited to announce the addition of William Summers to our team as our new Data Security Analyst. William brings a wealth of knowledge to our organization, and we are confident that he will be an invaluable asset in helping us reach […]
    Yes, the CISO of the Starship Enterprise On AI replacing the business of cybersecurity. Another one of those Dan’s New Leaf Posts, meant to inspire thought about IT Governance . . . . From time to time, my friends from high school, and even some from college, who have a minimal understanding of the cybersecurity […]
    Artificial intelligence carries risk, but so does organic ignorance … Another one of those Dan’s New Leaf Posts, meant to inspire thought about IT Governance . . . . At a recent conference, I noticed two camps emerging in the debate over artificial intelligence. Some people embrace AI as a tool, while others support Elon […]
    PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BUSINESS NEWS NEW EMPLOYEE FOR INFOTEX We are pleased to announce the appointment of Nathan Taylor as our new Network Administrator at infotex.  “We are very excited to have Nathan join our team as a Network Administrator and look forward to his contributions to maintaining and improving our infrastructure!” […]
    about artificial intelligence . . . And who will protect us from it . . .  Another one of those Dan’s New Leaf Posts, meant to inspire thought about IT Governance . . . . Just watched some press on the the Senate hearings over regulating AI. The normal senator faces, Sam Altman of OpenAI, […]
    The Evolution of an Inside Term Used in our Vendor Risk Report Another one of those Dan’s New Leaf Posts, meant to inspire thought about IT Governance . . . . Those who audit infotex know that our vendor risk report refers to a couple of our providers as “ransomware companies.” This reference started evolving […]
    Another awareness poster for YOUR customers (and users). Now that we have our own employees aware, maybe it’s time to start posting content for our customers! Check out posters.infotex.com for the whole collection! Download the large versions here: Awareness Poster (Portrait) Awareness Poster (Landscape) You are welcome to print out and distribute this around your […]
    New tools could allow unskilled attackers to launch increasingly sophisticated attacks… An article review. Imagine a world where you receive a call from your boss asking you to assist them with something… only it’s not your boss, but an AI being used by an attacker.  This isn’t science fiction, it’s an actual attack that has […]