The Role of Deceptionin CND & IO

Dr. Stilianos VidalisInformation Security Research Group

J133 – School of ComputingUniversity of Glamorgan

0044 (0)1443 482731svidalis@glam.ac.uk

Pro-logos

At the beginning there was light… …then the cosmos… …then all the species… …and finally there was WAR!!!

Threat Assessment

A threat assessment is a statement of threats that are related to vulnerabilities, an organisation’s assets, and threat agents, and also a statement of the believed capabilities that those threat agents possess.

Threat = f (Motivation, Capability, Opportunity, Impact)

Motivation Motivation is the degree to which a threat agent

is prepared to implement a threat. The motivational factors are the elements that

drive a threat agent to consider attacking a computer system: political, secular, personal gain, religious, revenge, power, terrorism, and curiosity

Q: Can we deceive Them in believing that they do not want to target us?

Capability Capability is the degree to which a threat

agent is able to implement a threat: The availability of a number of tools and

techniques to implement an attack, and the ability to use the tools and techniques correctly.

The availability of education and training to support the correct use of various tools and techniques.

The level of resource that a threat agent has, or can acquire over a certain time.

Q: Can we deceive Them in believing

that they are not able to target us?

Opportunity

The easiest of the 3 to manage? Opportunity can be defined as a favourable

occasion for action. Past:

make sure that threat agents will be in no position of creating or exploiting opportunities.

Present: Risk is not managed by as but by the threat agents,

so concentrate on Motivation

Threat Agents? The term threat agent is used to denote an

individual or group that can manifest a threat.

Hackers are good people!!! . . . .

Threat Agent Categories

Threat AgentsThreat Agents

Non-Target Specific

Non-Target Specific

Contractors

Staff

Worms

Bacteria

Viruses

Trojans

Logic Bombs

Trapdoors

Natural DisastersNatural

DisastersESAESATerroristsTerrorists Organized

CrimeOrganized

Crime

CorporationCorporationNation StatesNation States

EmployeesEmployees

Fatria (national)

Gangs (city)

Gangs (blocks)

Competitors

Partners

Maintenance Staff

Cleaners

Operations Staff

Guards

Anarchists

Religious

Political

Fatria (international)

Governments

Religious Followers

Extremists

General Public

Vandals

Activists

Enthusiasts

Media

Political parties FireFloodLightningVerminWind

Sand

FrostEarthquake

Why do we analyse Them? It is a game, the aim: achieve information

superiority We need to understand what motivates them We need to know of their technical and

educational capability We need to know how they think

Security has to be proactive and not reactive

How do we analyse Them?

We start by identifying them: Threat agent catalogue Historical threat agent data Environmental reports Knowledge of personnel Stakeholder List

How do we analyse Them?

Vulnerabilities

Threat Agents

Motivation

Opportunity

Capability

How do we analyse Them? Capability: capability metrics available on

request Opportunity:

Access to Information Changing Technologies Target Vulnerability Target profile Public Perception

Motivation

InfoSec Requirements “…the activities to protect hardware, software

and intangible information at the hardware and software levels” (E. Waltz)

Information has three abstractions: data, information & knowledge

When threat agents acquire knowledge then they are able to launch active attacks with high probability of success.

Q: How do we ensure information superiority?

IO TaxonomyIO Layer Function NETWAR

Offence

Perceptual Manage perception, Disrupt decision processes

PSYOPS, Deception

Information Dominate information infrastructure NETOPS

Physical Break things…, Incapacitate/kill people Physical destruction

Defence

Perceptual Protect perceptions and decision-making processes

Intelligence, Counterintelligence

Information Protect information infrastructure INFOSEC

Physical Protect operations, protect people OPSEC

What do we do!!! Could we possibly deceive threat agents? Through deception we can manage our

adversary’s perception and disrupt his decision-making processes.

The outcome can be twofold: either the defenders have time to react and deploy

the necessary countermeasures (or finely tune the existing ones),

or the threat agent will call off the attack and return to the information gathering process in order to re-examine his plan of action.

Is there a limit? Facts:

Infrastructures follow a certain logic which allows threat agents to easily enumerate them

Administrators introduce vulnerabilities to their system in order to make their lives easier

The users of a system are its biggest vulnerability

Argument: Can we use deception techniques on our own

users?

Security through Deception “Actions executed to deliberately mislead adversary

military decision makers as to friendly military capabilities, intentions, and operations, thereby causing the adversary to take specific actions that will contribute to the accomplishment of the friendly mission”

Deception can be used in two ways for ensuring security: Simulating – showing the false, drawing attention away from

the real Dissimulating – hiding the real, producing confusion about

what is real

Technical Solution

G4DS – system that brings enterprises together in virtual communities in order to identify and monitor threat agents

Virtual Honeypots – system that takes input from G4DS in order to perform near real-time threat agent deception

Deception Methodology Everything should be dedicated to the

execution of the deception Intelligence must be brought fully into the

picture Intelligence must be assessed Secrecy must be enforced The deception plan must be designed at the

top levels Full implementation & consistency of all

elements of deception Deception must be continuous

Epi-logos Need to move reference point from risk

assessment to threat assessment Need to be able to identify and monitor threat

agents Hackers are good people!!!

G4DS – system that brings enterprises together in virtual communities in order to identify and monitor threat agents

Virtual Honeypots – system that takes input from G4DS in order to perform near real-time threat agent deception

Questions?