Exploring Information Security - Exploring Information Security

In this episode, Timothy De Block chats with Renee DiResta about the role of disinformation in elections, particularly as we approach the 2024 cycle. Renee discusses her work in tracking narratives across social media, how state actors like Russia and Iran manipulate public opinion, and the growing importance of platform integrity in identifying inauthentic behavior.

Check out her book Invisible Rules: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality.

• The Evolution of Propaganda: How modern disinformation connects to historical propaganda efforts.

• State-Sponsored Disinformation: Tactics used by Russia, Iran, and China in shaping election narratives.

• Platform Integrity Teams: How social media platforms now combat disinformation networks.

• Disinformation Trends: Recurring themes in election-related rumors, such as false claims about voter fraud.

• The Role of Social Media: How users, not just state actors, influence and spread misinformation.

Recommended Resources:

• Digital Forensics Research Lab (DFR Lab)

• Stanford Journal of Trust and Safety

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In this episode, Timothy De Block and Jonathan Singer dive into the challenges of modern enterprise security. The conversation covers how organizations—using McDonald's as an example—face threats from both digital and physical vectors. They explore how hackers might exploit everything from public Wi-Fi to social engineering tactics and touch on the evolving role of security leaders in dealing with both controllable and uncontrollable risks.

• Digital & Physical Attack Vectors: Discussion on hacking tactics such as public Wi-Fi, kiosk vulnerabilities, API exploitation, and social engineering.

• Security Beyond the Firewall: Why enterprise security involves more than just digital defense—physical security, insider threats, and brand manipulation also pose risks.

• The Growing Complexity of Security: How new technologies, like IoT devices and AI, are adding layers of complexity to enterprise security.

• Insider Threats & Social Engineering: The impact of internal threats, from disgruntled employees to social engineering attacks, on large organizations.

Rapid-Fire Hacking Vectors:

1. Public Wi-Fi

2. Self-service kiosks

3. Badge cloning

4. Typo-squatting for domains

5. Supply chain dependencies

6. Insider threats

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In this episode, Timothy De Block chats with Ben Burkert about the challenges of managing internal certificate authorities (CAs) and certificates. Ben shares his experiences working with internal CAs at major companies and how those challenges inspired the creation of Anchor.dev.

• The Importance of Certificates: Ben explains how certificate mismanagement can lead to outages and business interruptions, and why automation is crucial.

• TLS and ACME: Understanding how TLS secures communications and how ACME clients automate certificate management.

• Anchor.dev: A cloud service that simplifies internal CA management and helps companies secure their internal networks with automated renewals and distribution.

• LCL Host: A tool from Anchor.dev that enables HTTPS in local development environments, improving deployment workflows.

Links:

• Anchor: https://anchor.dev/

• lcl.host: https://lcl.host/

• ACME: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc8555/

• Let'sEncrypt: https://letsencrypt.org/how-it-works/

• mkcert: https://github.com/FiloSottile/mkcert

• NIST PQ standards: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2024/08/nist-releases-first-3-finalized-post-quantum-encryption-standards

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This is the last week to register for Tim’s class in 2024 - go to https://www.practisec.com/events/ to get signed up.

In this educational edition of the Exploring Information Security podcast, Tim Tomes joins me to discuss Practical Web Application Pentration Testing (PWAPT) training.

Tim (@LaNMaSteR53) is one of the leading names within the application security field. A former instructor for many organizations, he wanted to do more with training. He wanted to provide attendees to training with more hands on work. Get into an application, exploit it, and then provide remediation steps. He came up with the PWAPT training.

In this episode we discuss

• How the idea for the training came about

• Why the training is important

• Who should attend the training

• What makes this training unique

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In this susceptible edition of the Exploring Information Security podcast, Samy Kamkar joins me to discuss how to find vulnerabilities. This is a RERELEASE EPISODE.

Samy (@samykamkar) shouldn't need too much of an introduction to most people. He's been in the news for hacking garage doors, credit cards, cars, and much much more. Samy likes to hack things and has a knack for finding vulnerabilities in everything from locked machines to wireless doorbells. His site has the full list of vulnerabilities as well as videos and press appearances. Which made him the perfect guess for talking about how to find vulnerabilities.

In this episode we discuss:

• What got him started in looking for vulnerabilities

• What is a vulnerability

• What skills are necessary for finding vulnerabilities

• How he decides his next project

• The steps to finding vulnerabilities

• What he does when he discovers a vulnerability

• How long the process takes

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Patrick Gray, the host of the Risky Business podcast, shares how he transitioned from a tech journalist to a leading voice in cybersecurity podcasting. Patrick discusses the origins of his podcast, the evolution of his content, and how he maintains integrity with sponsors. He also offers advice for aspiring podcasters on focusing on the audience and using the right tools.

Key Topics:

• The unexpected inspiration behind Risky Business.

• Moving from general tech journalism to focused security content.

• The importance of understanding technical details in reporting.

• The growth of the Risky Business team and their venture into video content.

• Navigating sponsorships while maintaining editorial independence.

• Advice for new podcasters: prioritize your audience and use the right tools.

Resources:

• Risky Business Podcast

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In this episode, Timothy De Block sits down with Ralph Collum, a cybersecurity educator with over a decade of experience in the field. They delve into Ralph's career journey, discussing his transition from a chemist to a cybersecurity professional and the various roles he's taken on, including server administration, auditing, and penetration testing. Ralph shares insights on the importance of soft skills, continuous learning, and the evolving landscape of cybersecurity.

• Ralph’s Career Journey

• The Impact of the Pandemic on Cybersecurity Groups

• Getting Into Cybersecurity

• The Role of Soft Skills in Cybersecurity

• The Impact of AI on Cybersecurity Careers

• Resources and Recommendations

• Books:

  • The Code to the Dead Cow Joseph Menn

  • Spam Nation by Brian Krebs

  • The Art of Invisibility by Kevin Mitnick

  • Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking by Christopher Hadnagy

• Websites:

  • Help Net Security

  • Bleeping Computer

  • Hacker News

  • Dark Reading

• Tools:

  • Feedly for organizing cybersecurity news

  • TryHackMe and Hack The Box for practical labs

• Website: Training Concepts

• Social Media: Instagram, TikTok

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Episode Summary: In this exchanged episode, Timothy De Block chats with Mubix about the intricacies of SIM swapping, an attack vector that has seen significant attention. They discuss the current state of SIM swapping, how attackers exploit this technique, and the measures carriers have implemented to mitigate these risks. Mubix highlights the importance of understanding your risk profile and the practical steps organizations and individuals can take to protect themselves.

Key Topics:

• The evolution and difficulty of executing SIM swapping attacks.

• Real-world examples and the misclassification of SIM swapping incidents.

• The impact of enhanced carrier protections and the role of user awareness.

• The distinction between SIM swapping and other forms of social engineering.

• Practical advice for businesses and high-risk individuals to safeguard against SIM swapping.

Discussion Points:

• SIM swapping detection and reporting procedures.

• The role of eSIMs and potential security concerns.

• The importance of proactive security measures and user empowerment.

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Summary:

In this engaging episode, Timothy De Block speaks with Steve Orrin Federal CTO at Intel about the intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. The conversation delves into the challenges and opportunities that AI presents in the cybersecurity landscape, exploring topics such as deep fakes, disinformation, and the implementation of AI in security practices.

Key Discussion Points:

1. AI in Cybersecurity:

   • The rise of AI in both defensive and offensive cybersecurity strategies.

   • How AI is being used to enhance security measures and identify threats.

2. Deep Fakes and Disinformation:

   • The challenges posed by deep fakes in the current digital landscape.

   • Techniques to detect and counteract deep fakes.

   • The implications of deep fake technology on public opinion and security.

3. Practical AI Applications:

   • Real-world examples of AI in action within cybersecurity frameworks.

   • The role of AI in threat detection and response.

   • Implementing AI to automate routine security tasks, freeing up human resources for more complex issues.

4. Policy and Ethical Considerations:

   • The importance of developing policies for the responsible use of AI.

   • Ethical considerations in deploying AI for cybersecurity purposes.

   • Balancing innovation with security in AI development.

5. Future of AI and Cybersecurity:

   • Upcoming trends in AI and their potential impact on cybersecurity.

   • The evolving nature of cyber threats and how AI can adapt to these changes.

   • The need for continuous learning and adaptation in the face of rapidly advancing technology.

Resources Mentioned:

• OWASP

Contact Information:

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In this automatic episode of Exploring Information Security, Timothy De Block talks with Mark Baggett about automating information security tasks using Python. They delve into the SANS SEC573 and SEC673 courses, which cover Python basics, advanced automation techniques, and real-world applications. Mark shares insights on using AI for coding, highlights his YouTube series "Infosec Tool Shed," and discusses upcoming workshops and conferences. The conversation also touches on the importance of Python in information security and practical experiences in automating security tasks.

• Mark's journey in automating security tasks with Python.

• Overview of SANS SEC573 and SEC673 courses.

• Practical applications of Python in information security.

• Using AI for coding and debugging.

• Mark’s YouTube series "Infosec Tool Shed."

• Upcoming workshops and conferences.

• SANS SEC573 Course: https://www.sans.org/cyber-security-courses/automating-information-security-with-python/

• SANS SEC673 Course: https://www.sans.org/cyber-security-courses/advanced-information-security-automation-with-python/

• Infosec Tool Shed YouTube Series: https://www.youtube.com/@markbaggett/videos

• Upcoming Workshop Registration 31 July, 2024: https://www.sans.org/webcasts/advanced-python-automation-hands-on-workshop-2024/

• B-Sides Augusta Conference: https://bsidesaugusta.org/

• Cyber Security Training at SANS Network Security Las Vegas 2024: https://www.sans.org/cyber-security-training-events/network-security-2024/

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