Attacks

Attacks on integrity: Preventing the modification and preserving the consistency of information.

Attack Type Description Solution

Allows an attacker to masquerade as a user with
higher privileges than themselves. by  User education on how to create a password that is difficult to
crack.
 Shoulder-surfing
Authentication attack  Password guessing
 Encrypted access.
 Add strong authentication e.g. on-time passwords or
 Disclosure of unauthorized sources
cryptographic tokens.
 Sniffing of password from network connections.
Allows an attacker to take over a connection after
initial authentication has taken place. Or when the  Encryption or continual authentication
Session attack system does not realize that the session is over and  Segmentation and isolation of management networks
allows another user to use the same session.
Software, email attachment, or webpage that appear
 Policies for the proper use / view of programs.
Content-based attack to be harmless or legitimate but it’s actually designed
 Content inspections software, e.g. virus scan.
to be malicious
Take advantage of weaknesses in cryptographic
Protocol attack system. Attack the timing mechanism, bit flipping,  Design and use strong cryptographic protocols
and use of mathematical errors to derive keys.
Incorrectly Allowing unwanted traffic or access into  Scanner tools to examine network traffic
Inadvertent access methods the network or system.  Good network review and planning.
Sometimes users can be tricked into disclosing
Social engineering information to an unauthorized party
 Users education

Unexpected input Some programs can be attacked by presenting  Perform careful design review to ensure that all programs check for
them with malformed input of various types metacharacter, boundary conditions, and general integrity and
correct formatting of input data.
 Allow only strong, trustworthy protocols through perimeter
security devices and extending access only to a limited group of
authorized users.
 Use an intrusion detection system
  Promptly apply any security-related patches that vendors releases.
 Maintain a clear audit trial
Not all users can be trusted. 80% of attacks come  Give users only those privileges necessary to perform their job
Abuse of privileges from inside the organization duties
 Distribute high value responsibilities among several employees
 Ensure the weakest link in your trust relationship design is
Computers often trust each other in implicit and
Trust relationship strong enough
explicit ways. Attackers exploit trust relationships to
exploitation  Careful design of trust relationship to eliminate unnecessary
"leapfrog" from system to another.
dependencies
 Regular review of system integrity
Backdoors are designed to give access to program  Code review
Exploitation of backdoors and data by a higher authorized entity.  Restriction of unnecessary protocols through perimeter
security.
Attacks on Confidentiality: Preventing the unauthorised disclosure of sensitive information.

Attack Type Description Solution

 Develop confidentiality policies and educate users about those
policies
Information accidentally made available to an
Inadvertent disclosure attacking party  Content screening of outbound information for keywords such
as "confidential" can prevent accidental disclosure by
employment.
 Encryption
Information can be intercepted as it cross untrusted  VPN
Interception of information medium  Physical restriction of secure channels
 Segmentations of the network into specific blocks
Is the process of monitoring electromagnetic
Van-Eck bugging emanations from electronic devices from a distance.
 Faraday cages and other COMSEC precautions

Sometimes users can be tricked into disclosing  Develop confidentiality policies and educate users about those
Social engineering information to an unauthorized party policies.
Are present on any system that shares resources
among multiple users according to a non-
 Protocol review detection of attempts to cause leakage of
deterministic method. Convert channels allow user to
Convert channels deduce the types of tasks other users are performing
information
 Network segmentations
or the contents of data sets, based on how a system
changes behavior.
Allow attacker to deduce classified
Data aggregation information from unclassified information
 Careful review of information made public
Attacks on Availability: Authorised users should have timely and uninterrupted access to information or network.

Attack Type Description Solution

Prevent weak signal from being received by  Rate filters
broadcasting a stronger radio implementation.  Ingress filtering
Interference/ jamming Accessing and communicating in a rate faster than the  Detection and manual insertion of filters
computer can processing its tasks.  Adding additional capacity
Prevent attack data from being logged or make attack  Statistical analysis to prevent chaffing
Audit suppression data look legitimate.  Private management channels
Unexpected input causes a system to crash or behave  Perform careful design
Unexpected input erratically.  Promptly apply any security-related patches