So far this series has introduced Database Security Platforms, provided a full definition of DSP, discussed the origins and evolution of DAM to DSP, and described the technical platform architecture. We have covered the basics of a Database Security Platform. It might seem like a short list compared to all the other extended features we will cover later, but these are the most important ares, and the primary reasons to buy these tools.
As we continue our march through the Privileged User Lifecycle, we have provisioned the privileged users and restricted access to only the devices they are authorized to manage. The next risk to address is the keys or credentials of these privileged users (P-Users) falling into the wrong hands. The best access and entitlements security controls fail if someone can impersonate a P-User.
Back when The Pragmatic CSO was published in 2007, I put together a set of tips for being a better CISO. In fact you can still get the tips (sent one per day for five days) if you register on the Pragmatic CSO site. Not to steal any thunder, but Tip #2 is Prioritize Fiercely. Let’s take a look at what I wrote back then.
A recent Tweet from Shack was pretty jarring.
Old friend from college died today. Got some insane rare lung disease out of nowhere, destroyed them. Terrifying. 37 years old. :/
Our last two posts covered iOS data security options on unmanaged devices; now it’s time to discuss partially managed devices.
As we discussed in the Privileged User Lifecycle post, there are a number of aspects to Watching the Watchers. Our first today is Restricting Access. This is first mostly because it reduces your attack surface. We want controls to ensure administrators only access devices they are authorization to manage.
This should not matter: The Square Register. But it does. What do I mean by that? Check out the picture: There’s something catchy and slick about the set-up of an iPad cash register and the simple Square device. It looks like something Apple would produce. It seems right at home with – almost a natural extension of – the iPad. I run into small shop owners and independent business people who are using Square everywhere. It’s at Target, right next to the Apple products, and the salesperson said…
Verizon just published their excellent 2012 Data Breach Investigations Report, and as usual, it’s full of statistical goodness.
(We will link to it once it’s formally released – we are writing this based on our preview copy).
As we described in the Introduction to this series, organizations can’t afford ignore the issue of privileged users (P-Users) any more. A compromised P-user (PUPwned) can cause all sorts of damage, and so needs to be actively managed. In the last post we presented the business drivers and threats – now let’s talk about solutions. As most analysts favor some kind of model to describe something, we’ll call ours the Privileged User Lifecycle.
It seems like a lifetime ago. June of 1999. Actually it was more than XX1’s lifetime ago. The Boss and I still lived in Northern Virginia. I was close to the top of the world. I started a software company, we raised a bunch of VC money, and the Internet Revolution was booming. The lease on my crappy 1996 Pathfinder was up, and I wanted some spiffy new wheels.