NOW READ THIS
("Security Advisory")
Submitted by: Bill Hickey
NCVA List Master
NRT-0434 University Researchers Counter Network Attacks:
A George Mason University Center for Secure Information Systems (CSIS)
research team has developed software that it claims can reduce the
impact of cyber attacks on an organization's networks. The
software, named CAULDRON, allows raw security data to be transformed
into roadmaps, which allow users to proactively prepare for attacks,
manage vulnerability risks, and be aware of the situation.
Network administrators rely on labor-intensive processes to track
organizational network vulnerabilities. These processes not only
require vast expertise, but they are error prone, said a member of the
research team. The CSIS research team has reportedly simplified the
process by identifying possible vulnerabilities in a network.
Networks are interdependent and each machine's overall
susceptibility to attack depends on vulnerabilities of other machines
in the network. Cyber intruders can take advantage of such
vulnerabilities in unexpected ways, allowing them to incrementally
penetrate a network and compromise critical systems.
According to the report, the FAA recently installed CAULDRON
in their Cyber Security Incident Response Center, which is helping in
prioritizing security problems, revealing unseen attack paths, and
protecting large numbers of attack paths. The FAA and the US military
community reportedly use CAULDRON; however, the software is applicable
in almost any industry or organization possessing networks and
resources requiring protection, such as banking or education, according
to the report.
(bignewsnetwork.com 19MAR08)