Effective Vulnerability Management

Vicky Ames15 OCT 2015

Process overview Important concepts Wrap Up

Agenda

Process OverviewThe 5 Steps of Effective Vulnerability Management

Prepare

Detect

EvaluateRemediate

Measure

Process

Policy◦ Authorization to conduct activities

Procedures◦ Document what will be done and by whom

Partnership◦ Server/application teams do work◦ Business/application owner must approve

Information◦ Subscribe to vulnerability notifications

Asset Inventory◦ Can’t fix what you don’t know about

Prepare

Secure Configurations◦ Systems come preconfigured for the convenience

of the vendor◦ Settings run counter to security◦ Implement secure settings before deployment

Host based security software Know your compliance requirements

◦ SOX◦ HIPAA◦ FDA◦ FISMA

Establish an implementation strategy

Prepare

Scanners◦ Check systems to identify vulnerabilities◦ Some now provide exploitation capabilities

Use wisely◦ Provide reports – most important IMHO

Commercial and Free Multi-Function Web Application Database 3rd party manual assessments

Detect

Vendors provide risk scores◦ This is guidance

Establish evaluation criteria for your environment◦ Every environment is unique◦ You and the other IT folks know it best

So ask them to help develop criteria◦ Sample Environmental Criteria

Accessible from Internet Host protections

Secure configuration AV/Malware protection Access restricted

Evaluate

Vendors provide remediation steps◦ This is guidance

Determine the best solution for your environment◦ Every environment is unique◦ You and the other IT folks know it best

So ask them to help develop criteria◦ Sample Remediation Activities

Apply patch Turn off service Change setting Add host based protection software Remove default account or password

Remediate

Establish maintenance windows ◦ Routine outages are more acceptable than

random ones Do rolling fix implementation

◦ Do development/test environment first◦ Test ◦ Do other non-production environment second ◦ Test◦ Do production last◦ Test

Remediate

Establish metrics ◦ Shows what success is◦ Establishes a goal to work towards

Trust but verify ◦ Rescan with same tool(s)

Report below and above◦ Provide reports to teams doing the work

Track their progress Identify and address technical issues

◦ Provide reports to leadership Track how well the program is doing

Measure

Important ConceptsA Deeper Dive Into a Few Things

Must have for any security program◦ Provides authority to do work◦ Establishes the requirement for assistance from other

teams◦ Establishes the IT security requirements for the whole

company (CEO to Users) Elements of good policy

◦ Clear high level requirements (“thou shalt”)◦ Establish high level responsibilities for security◦ Establish consequences for non-compliance◦ Signed by CIO◦ Supported by Executives

Security Policy

Establish how each element of the policy will be implemented

Outline of the activities that will be done to comply with the policy

High level – not work instructions Establish who is responsible for specific

activities

Procedures

Security Patches are released at (mostly) regular intervals from vendors◦ Microsoft – Monthly◦ Oracle – Quarterly◦ Cisco – Whenever

Inventory should identify major vendors Create a plan Discuss with other players Get CIO approval Communicate to the business Select good tools to apply patches and to

verify patch application

Patch Management

Nothing is infallible Commercial tools superior to free

◦ Provide comprehensive and timely updates◦ Easier to use◦ Reporting is better

All do some things better than others Variance in reporting Patch supercedence issue Occasional false positive

Scanning Tools

Plan to have a team assess your environment◦ Penetration Testing vs. Vulnerability Assessment◦ Ensure they are not going to run a scanner and give

you that report◦ Establish rules of engagement up front

Should emulate real world attack scenarios Do not let them do a representative sample Do not let them leave out network devices and workstations Do not remove “sensitive” or “critical” systems

◦ Get permission from CIO◦ Your call on who to inform internally

Could be a good test of internal resources

3rd Party Assessments

Wrap UpFinal thoughts

Effective vulnerability management is complex Don’t try to do everything at once Full implementation plan

◦ Start with whatever is manageable – Phase 1 Windows OS patches Secure baselines for your Oses

◦ Build on success – Phase 2 Java or Adobe patches Secure baselines for databases

Get buy in from other teams, leadership and the business

Final Thoughts

Vicky Ames amesv@ebsi.com

Thank You

AppendixLinks

Vulnerability Notifications◦ SANS @RISK https://www.sans.org/newsletters/at-risk◦ Microsoft Security Bulletin https://

technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/dn602597.aspx

Free Network Scanners◦ http://

www.networkworld.com/article/2176429/security/security-6-free-network-vulnerability-scanners.html

Free Database Scanners◦ http://

www.securitywizardry.com/index.php/products/scanning-products/database-scanners.html

Appendix

Free Web Application Scanners◦ http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/14-popular-web-app

lication-vulnerability-scanners/

Free Vulnerability Assessment Tools◦ Kali Linux https://www.kali.org/

Free Security Policy Resources◦ http://www.sans.org/security-resources/policies◦ https

://www.dmoz.org/Computers/Security/Policy/Sample_Policies/

◦ http://www.maricopa.gov/technology/security/templates.aspx

Appendix

Free Secure Baselines◦ Center for Internet Security (CIS) https

://benchmarks.cisecurity.org/ Free Web Application Security Information

◦ OWASP https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Main_Page

Appendix