| 1. |
What is Information
Security? |
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Information Security
refers to all aspects of protection covering
information and information systems from unauthorised
access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification,
or destruction. The aim is to provide confidentiality,
integrity, and availability of information
systems and the information within.
- Confidentiality: only authorised persons
are allowed to know or gain access to
the information stored or processed by
Information Systems in any aspects;
- Integrity: only authorised persons
are allowed to make changes to the information
stored or processed by Information Systems
in any aspects;
- Availability: Information Systems should
be available to users at any given or
specified period of time.
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| 2. |
What is IT Security? |
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There is no exact definition,
but the term is generally used to refer to
protection of any IT infrastructure, information
systems and related resources with respect
to confidentiality, integrity and availability. |
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| 3. |
How can we ensure IT
Security? |
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It is always a good
idea to use a systematic approach to IT security.
- First, the security requirements of
the organisation should be clearly identified
and understood.
- Second, a clear security policy and
procedures should be established and enforced.
- Third, periodic security risk assessments
and audits should be conducted, as well
as continuous monitoring of systems to
ensure that effective and efficient security
policies and procedures are properly implemented.
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| 4. |
How can I identify my
organisation's security requirements? |
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As a business owner,
you should consider the value of your information
systems and other IT assets in terms of the
daily business of the organisation in order
to determine the appropriate level of security.
The impact of any security incident to your
reputation, as well as the proper continuity
of your business, should be considered. A
process called risk analysis is normally used
to identify what assets to protect, their
relative importance to the proper operation
and business of the organisation, and the
priority ranking or level of security protection.
The result should be a well-defined list of
security requirements for your organisation. |
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| 5. |
What is a security policy?
How is it related to security standards, guidelines
and procedures? |
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A security policy sets
the standards for a set of security specifications.
It states what aspects of Information Security
are of paramount importance to the organisation,
and thus a security policy can be treated
as a basic set of mandatory rules that must
be observed. The policy should be observed
throughout the organisation and should be
in accordance with your security requirements,
and your organisation's business objectives
and goals.
Security standards, guidelines and procedures
are tools that can be used to implement
and enforce a security policy. More detailed
managerial, operational and technical issues
can be addressed. These documents provide
detailed steps and advice to assist users
and system administrators in complying with
the requirements in security policy. Standards,
guidelines and procedures may require more
frequent reviews than the security policy
itself.
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| 6. |
What should be considered
when drafting a security policy? |
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A security policy should be practical,
and work for your organisation. The following
should be considered:
- The sensitivity and value of the assets
that need to be protected
- The legal requirements, regulations
and laws of the Government in your jurisdiction
- Your organisation's goals and business
objectives
- The practicalities in implementation,
distribution and enforcement
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| 7. |
Who should be involved
in the development of a security policy? |
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Developing a security
policy requires the active support and ongoing
participation of individuals from multiple
ranks and functional units within the organisation.
A working group or task force can be formed
to develop the policy. In general, this group
can include empowered representatives from
senior management, technical personnel, operational
personnel, and business users. Senior management
represents the interests of the organisation's
goals and objectives, and can provide the
overall guidance, assessment and decision-making.
Technical personnel can provide technical
input and feasibility assessments for various
security mechanisms or aspects of technology.
Business users represent the users of related
systems who may be directly affected by the
policy. Sometimes, a third party consultant
may need to be involved, to review the draft
security policy. |
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| 8. |
How can I develop a
security policy for my organisation? |
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First, identify a group
of personnel who should be involved in developing
the security policy. Second, make all necessary
plans for activities, resources required and
schedules. Third, determine the core security
requirements, and establish the organisation's
security policy accordingly. A draft security
policy should then be reviewed and agreed
by various stakeholders. The process of drafting
might require several iterations before a
security policy can be established.
As technologies, business environments
and security requirements change over time,
the security policy should be reviewed periodically
(e.g. once every two years) in order to
keep abreast of changes.
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| 9. |
What should be included
in a security policy? |
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An IT security policy
must address procedures and behaviors that
can be changed. It is also important to recognize
that there are always exceptions to every
security rule. Keep the policy as flexible
as possible in order that it remains viable
for a longer time.
The CONTENTS of an IT security policy
should address the following questions:
- What are the policy objectives and scope?
- Which information resources need to
be protected?
- Who does the policy affect?
- Who exactly has what authorities and
privileges?
- Who can grant authorities and privileges?
- What are the minimum measures required
to protect information resources?
- The expectations and procedures for
reporting security violations and crimes
- Specific management and user responsibilities
for ensuring effective security
- The effective date of the policy, along
with revision dates or appropriate review
intervals
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| 10. |
What are the benefits
of a security policy? |
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With a security policy
in place, all staff will be able to clearly
understand what is and is not permitted in
the organisation relating to the protection
of information assets and resources. This
helps raise the level of security consciousness
of all staff. In addition, a security policy
provides a baseline from which detailed guidelines
and procedures can be established. It may
also help to support any decision to prosecute
in the event of serious security violations. |
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| 11. |
What should I consider
when implementing a security policy? |
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Even if a security policy
has obtained formal approval, putting a good
security policy in place is another story.
This requires a series of steps:
Security Awareness & Training
Security Awareness is crucial to ensuring
that all related parties understand the
risks, and accept and adopt good security
practices. Training and education can provide
users, developers, system administrators,
security administrators and related parties
with the necessary skills and knowledge
needed to implement appropriate security
measures.
Commitment and communication
No policy can be fully implemented unless
all users and related parties are fully
committed to complying with it. Good communication
is ensured if users and third parties:
- are informed about the policy through
briefings or orientations when they join
the organisation
- are invited to participate in developing
policy proposals
- are trained in the skills needed to
follow policies
- feel that security measures are created
for their own benefit
- are periodically reminded and refreshed
on new issues
- have signed an acknowledgement agreement
- are provided guidance on implementing
the policy
Enforcement And Redress
This refers to the task of enforcement of
rights arising from implementation of the
policy, and redress for any violations of
those rights. Organisations should set up
procedures to provide prompt assistance
in investigative matters relating to breaches
of security.
On-going Involvement of All Parties
An effective security policy also relies
on a continuous exchange of information,
consultation, co-ordination and co-operation
among users and business units. Injection
of knowledge on standards, methods, codes
of practice and other expertise on security
from external organisations will also help
keep the security policy up-to-date and
relevant.
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| 12. |
What is meant by a security
assessment? |
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A security assessment
is the process of evaluating the security
of an IT environment, including the network
and the information systems. Security administrators
or third party consultants usually use software
tool called a vulnerability scanner specially
designed to search out the security risks
and vulnerabilities on internal hosts and
workstations. In addition, adequacies in operation
procedures would also be evaluated as part
of the security assessment.
In general, a security risk assessment
is conducted at the very beginning of a
system deployment project to identify what
security measures are required; or when
there is a major change to the information
assets or their environment. As new security
vulnerabilities emerge from time to time,
security risk assessments should be conducted
regularly, for example once every two years.
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| 13. |
What is a security audit?
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A security Audit is
a process or event where the IT security policy
or standards are used as a basis to determine
the overall state of existing protection,
and to verify whether existing protection
is being performed properly. It aims to determine
whether the current environment is securely
protected in accordance with the defined IT
security policy.
Before performing a security assessment
or audit, the organisation should define
the scope of the security audit,
and the budget and duration allowed for
the assessment / audit.
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| 14. |
How often should a security
audit be performed? |
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A security audit only
provides a snapshot of the vulnerabilities
in a system at a particular point in time.
As technology and the business environment
changes, periodic and ongoing reviews will
inevitably be required. Depending on the criticality
of the business, a security audit might be
conducted yearly, or every two years. |
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| 15. |
Who should perform a
security audit? |
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A security audit is
a complex task requiring skilled and experienced
personnel; it must be planned carefully. To
perform the audit an independent and trusted
third party is recommended. This third party
can be another group of in-house staff or
an external audit team, dependent on the skills
of the internal staff and the criticality
/ sensitivity of the information being audited.
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| 16. |
What is an IT security
incident? |
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An IT security incident
is an adverse event in an information system
and/or network that poses a threat to computer
or network security with respect to availability,
integrity and confidentiality. Such incidents
can result in the destruction of data and
disclosure of information.
However, adverse events such as natural
disasters, hardware/software breakdowns,
data line failures, power disruptions, etc.
are generally excluded.
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| 17. |
How can I handle a security
incident? |
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Security incident
handling is a set of continuous processes
governing the activities before, during and
after a security incident occurs.
Security incident handling begins with
planning and preparing the right resources,
then developing proper procedures to be
followed, such as escalation and security
incident response procedures.
When a security incident is detected, a
security incident response is initiated
by responsible parties using predefined
procedures. A security incident response
represents the activities or actions carried
out to tackle the security incident and
to restore the system to normal operation.
Specific incident response teams are usually
established to perform certain tasks within
the security incident.
When the incident is over, follow up action
is taken to evaluate the incident and to
strengthen security protection against a
recurrence. Planning and preparation tasks
will be reviewed and revised accordingly
to ensure that there are sufficient resources
available (including manpower, equipment
and technical knowledge) along with properly
defined procedures to deal with similar
incidents in future.
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| 18. |
What is an intrusion,
and what is intrusion detection? |
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An intrusion is a set
of actions that attempt to compromise the
availability, confidentiality and integrity
of an information system.
Intrusion detection is the methodology
by which intrusions are uncovered. This
includes the detection of external intruders
breaking into a system as well as internal
users misusing system resources.
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| 19. |
Why do I need an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) or an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) if my network already has a firewall?
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Firewalls are only part
of a total integrated security system, and
they have limitations. Firewalls can neither
alert you to ALL intrusions, nor stop ALL
security breaches. Unless you are constantly
monitoring for intrusions, you cannot know
for sure if your firewall is blocking all
intrusions. IDS / IPS can be installed and
used at strategic locations to continuously
collect and examine information for suspicious
activity 7 days a week, 24 hours per day.
IPS also provides an active response system
to stop the source of attacks or to minimize
the impact of any attacks. |
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| 20. |
What are the limitations
of an intrusion detection aystem? |
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An intrusion detection system cannot help you to solve or fix all
security incidents. It cannot tell you exactly
who and how the attack occurred, nor can it
tell you the intention of the attacker. It
can only provide information about the origin
of the attack and the IP address of the originating
attack. You will need to analyse all relevant
logs in order to identify the real attacker. |
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| 21. |
What is a network firewall,
and what can a firewall protect my systems
against? |
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A firewall is a system
that enforces an access control policy between
two networks. In general, a firewall is used
to block network traffic coming from outside
the network to the inside, and permit traffic
from the inside to communicate to the outside
world. A firewall can also provide logging
and auditing functions to record all traffic
passing through. In other words, a firewall
can protect the internal network against attacks
from outside by defining an access control
policy to permit or deny traffic. However,
a firewall cannot protect against attacks
that do not go through the firewall itself,
and cannot protect against attacks like viruses
or data driven attacks that ride inside network
traffic permitted by the firewall (such as
web traffic). Proper configuration of a firewall
plays a very important role in ensuring its
effectiveness in terms of security protection. |
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| 22. |
What are the general
considerations for protecting a network? |
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The following network protection guidelines
will help:
- Keep your network simple (i.e. minimise
the number of network interface points
between "secured" and "non-secured"
networks)
- Only allow authorised traffic to enter
your "secured" network
- Set appropriate controls to limit connections
to external/'non-secured' networks
- Use multiple mechanisms to authenticate
users (e.g. a password system plus pre-registered
IP/IPX network, plus pre-registered MAC
address/terminal numbers)
- Manage the network using a proper network
management system
- Encrypt sensitive data with proven encryption
algorithms before transmitting over the
network
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| 23. |
What is meant by physical
security? |
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Physical security refers
to the protection of hardware, computer equipment,
and other IT assets from external physical
threats, such as unauthorised access, theft,
or loss of backup media during transportation
to external sites.
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| 24. |
What is meant by application
security? |
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Application security
refers to the security measures built into
a software application itself in order to
provide a secure computing environment. Common
application security measures include authentication
of the application, an access matrix for different
levels of users, input validation to avoid
the possibility of application flaws such
as a buffer overflow, and application logging
features, etc. Application owners should determine
with the development team application security
requirements according to the criticality
of the application in the design phase, as
well as the sensitivity of the data to be
processed. |
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| 25. |
What needs to be considered
when it comes to Internet security? |
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The Internet is a world-wide
"network of networks" that uses
the TCP/IP protocol suite for communication.
Internet connectivity offers enormous benefits
in terms of increased access to information.
However, the Internet suffers from significant
and widespread security problems.
The fundamental problem is that the Internet
was not designed to be secure. A number
of TCP/IP services are vulnerable to security
threats such as eavesdropping and spoofing.
Email, passwords, and file transfers can
be monitored and captured using readily
available software.
Internet services need stronger authentication
and cryptography mechanisms, and these mechanisms
must be interoperable. Internet information
enquiry or transaction processing requires
user authentication. Audit and backup of
authentication information may also be required.
Sensitive and personal data should be properly
encrypted.
In general, Internet security covers a
wide range of issues such as identification
and authentication, computer virus protection,
software licensing, remote access, dial-up
access, physical security, firewall implementation
and other aspects relating to the use of
the Internet.
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| 26. |
How can I protect my
privacy online? |
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Do not share your personal
information online. This includes your name,
home address, email address, HKID number,
telephone number, etc. when filling on-line
forms, or chatting with people you don't know
using instant messaging tools, unless there
is a specific reason for them to know. Proper
security measures, such as SSL should be in
place when entering your personal information.
Think carefully before giving out your
personal information online, as it could
end up being used for other purposes you
didn't intend. Secure your email by digitally
signing and encrypting messages before transmission
and storage. Safeguard your personal computer
because it is physically open to attack
or theft. Change your password regularly
and keep it secret. Try not to use insecure,
easy to guess passwords such those derived
from a word in the dictionary.
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| 27. |
How can I ensure that
my user passwords are secure? |
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You should select a
password that is difficult to guess and keep
that password as secret as possible. Passwords
should also be changed immediately if a password
has to be reset, or upon receipt of a new
password. Administrators should ensure that
each new user is given a strong initial password
instead of using a default one known to all
staff in the organisation. Procedures should
be set up to ensure that only the real person
requesting the password can get that password.
No passwords should be displayed in plain
language on screen at any time. User passwords
should also be encrypted using secure algorithms
when stored.
Passwords should be well protected at all
times. When stored in databases or servers,
security controls such as access control
and encryption should be applied to protect
passwords. Passwords are often a key component
to any system login, so they must be encrypted
when transmitted over any un-trusted or
insecure communication network. If password
encryption is not possible, other controls
such as changing the password more frequently
should be implemented.
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| 28. |
How can I protect my
computer data? |
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Follow these DOs:
- Enable the "auto update" features
for any anti-virus, anti-spyware and software
for latest malicious code definitions
and security patches
- Install and enable a personal firewall
- Keep passwords secret and change them
regularly
- Keep portable storage devices safe
- Encrypt sensitive data
- Back up important data
- Test data recovery procedures periodically
Follow these DON'Ts:
- Don't visit suspicious websites
- Don't open emails or attachments from
strangers
In addition, be mindful of the safety of
your data when using public wireless networks
and/or public computer facilities.
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| 29. |
How can I be a smart
Internet user? |
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You'll be a smart Internet user if you
protect yourself in the following areas:
- Install anti-virus and malicious code
detection and repair software with the
latest virus signatures and malicious
code definition files; perform full system
scans regularly
- Install a personal firewall software
to protect your computer from network
intrusions
- Apply the latest security patches to
all software and applications
- Enable password-protection on your computer
and change the password regularly to protect
against unauthorised usage
- Be aware that it is dangerous to execute
software downloaded from the Internet
unless the software is from a known and
trusted source
- Avoid disclosing your personal data
unnecessarily
- Disconnect from the Internet as soon
as you've finished using it
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| 30. |
What is involved in
information security management? |
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Information security management involves
a combination of prevention, detection and
reaction processes. It is a cycle of iterative
activities and processes that require ongoing
monitoring and control. The cycle includes
the following:
- Assessing security risk: performing
security risk assessment to identify threats,
vulnerabilities and impacts
- Implementing & maintaining a secure
framework: defining and developing policies,
assigning responsibilities and applying
safeguard measures
- Monitoring & recording: monitoring
and recording constantly so that proper
arrangements can be made when tackling
a security incident
- Reviewing & improving: conducting
periodic review and security audit to
make sure that adequate security controls
are meeting security requirements
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| 31. |
How can we know whether
the information of our organisation is safe? |
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You can check by using the following statements
to determine if the information of your
organisation is safe:
- Whether my organisation is confident
that our web server is properly protected
and managed by well-trained people
- Whether my organisation has a clear
policy on who is allowed to access what
information
- Whether my organisation has designated
personnel for information security management
- Whether my organisation has employed
security tools such as firewalls and encryption
tools
- Whether my organisation has plans for
emergency response and disaster recovery,
and whether these plans are reviewed regularly
to ensure they tie-in with the business
continuity plan
If the answer to some of these statements
is no, your organisation may still posses
a number of security holes that are exposed
to threats.
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| 32. |
What are the differences
between a typical organisation network and
wireless network? |
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A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is
a type of local area network that uses high
frequency radio waves rather than wires
for communication between devices. A WLAN
is a flexible data communication system
used as an alternative to, or an extension
of a wired LAN. Wireless information communication
has enabled people to interact more easily
and freely. With the advent of technology,
wireless accessibility is becoming increasingly
deployed in the office and public places.
WLAN is based on the IEEE 802.11 standard.
Different standards such as 802.11a, 802.11b
and 802.11g have since then evolved supporting
different frequency spectrums and bandwidths.
There are two related IEEE standards - 802.1X
and 802.11i. The 802.1X, a port-level access
control protocol, provides a security framework
for IEEE networks, including Ethernet and
wireless networks. The 802.11i standard
was created for wireless-specific security
functions that operate with IEEE 802.1X.
A WLAN should be implemented with sufficient
authentication and transmission encryption
measures in place, complemented by proper
security management processes and practices.
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| 33. |
What are the best practices
for individual users when accessing a public
/ municipal wireless network? |
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- Always treat a municipal wireless service
as an un-trusted network and do not give
out personal / sensitive information if
an encryption channel such as SSL is not
available. It is also not a good idea
to access company servers from a municipal
wireless service without the protection
of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or
similar encryption mechanisms to ensure
the confidentiality of communications.
Split tunnelling, which allows a person
to connect to the Internet while at the
same time maintaining a VPN connection
to a private network, should also be disabled
when using VPN.
- When connecting to a public hotspot,
you may be redirected to a captive portal
page. Attackers have been known to set
up fake captive portal pages to obtain
sensitive information. Therefore, it is
important to check the authenticity of
a captive portal by verifying the certificate
of the website in question.
- Some operating systems offer a feature
for the user to create a list of preferred
wireless networks. Once this list is defined,
the system will keep searching for preferred
networks and try to automatically connect
to them when within range. By capturing
information sent out from a person's system
in this way, an attacker could setup a
fake wireless access point that corresponds
to the settings of a wireless network
on the victim's Preferred Network List.
In doing so, the user is automatically
connected to the attacker's wireless network.
To prevent this kind of attack, the Preferred
Network List feature should be disabled
or removed.
- Computer-to-computer wireless networking
should be avoided. "Ad Hoc"
mode networking enables a person's wireless
device to communicate with other computers
directly through a wireless connection,
but it offers minimal security against
unauthorised incoming connections. This
feature should be disabled to prevent
attackers gaining access to information
resources on the individual's device.
Network shared resources should also be
turned off.
- Individual users should always protect
their computer when connecting to a municipal
wireless service by running anti-virus
/ anti-spyware software with the latest
signature files, applying the latest patches
to system components, and turning on their
personal firewall. Sensitive and confidential
information stored in any wireless device
should also be encrypted using strong
encryption algorithms. Common security
safeguards such as power-on login to a
device or system login authentication,
and password-protected screen savers should
also be used when accessing the Internet
in public places
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| 34. |
What precautions should
a home user take when using instant messaging
(IM)? |
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- Don't set your IM client to automatically
accept file transfers
- Before opening any file received via
IM, you should verify with the sender
that he or she did actually send that
file to you. In addition, make sure the
file has been scanned with anti-virus
software before opening it
- Never click on URL links from un-trusted
/ unknown contacts within an IM chat session
- Never send personal or sensitive information
over IM. Even if there are compelling
reasons to do so, ensure the information
is encrypted
- Keep your IM software (and other system
components) up-to-date with the latest
patches; enable your personal firewall
and install anti-virus software with the
latest virus signatures, malicious code
definitions as well as its detection and
repair engines
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| 35. |
What security measures
should a home user take when using Peer-to-Peer
(P2P) technologies? |
| |
- Install anti-virus programs and a personal
firewall on your computer. Ensure virus
signatures, malicious code definitions
as well as their detection and repair
engines are updated regularly
- Apply the latest security patches
- Remove all unnecessary user privileges
on the computer
- P2P applications need the firewall to
open a number of ports in order to function
properly. If file sharing is not needed,
unnecessary port ranges should be blocked
- If a P2P download is necessary, it is
advisable to quit the P2P client application
after completion of the download
- Do not download files from untrustworthy
or suspicious sources
- Child pornography and other illegal
material, including pirate software, should
never be downloaded
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| 36. |
How should a user protect
himself/herself when using a FON WiFi network? |
| |
- Change the default settings, such as
the administrative password and WPA encryption
key, to strengthen the protection of the
FON access point
- Install a personal firewall on all machines
in the home network to guard against potential
attacks originating from the private WLAN
- Install anti-virus software, update
security patches and enable a personal
firewall on any mobile device before connecting
to a FON WiFi network
- Encrypt sensitive or confidential data
stored in mobile devices as well as communication
connections to company servers or other
transactional services
- Keep your access point patched with
the latest fixes. Ensure the automatic
firmware update from FON is working properly
if you are using La Fonera routers
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| 37. |
How can I configure
my wireless broadband router securely? |
| |
- Change the default username and password
because they are often well known and
easy to guess. Some manufacturers might
not allow you to change the username,
but at least the password should be changed
- Users should disable SSID broadcasting
or increase the "Beacon Interval"
to the maximum
- The default SSID should be changed.
The new SSID should not be named in a
way that reflects your name or other personal
information. This information would help
an attacker trying to collect reconnaissance
information about you
- Whenever possible, the WEP protocol
should be avoided. Instead, use WPA2/AES or WPA/AES if it is supported on your device
- Shared key mechanisms should be avoided.
Instead, stronger mutual authentication
as defined in the 802.11i standard should
be considered
- Enabling MAC address filtering is recommended
as another layer of protection
- Disabling the DHCP feature is recommended
if possible, as DHCP gives any malicious
attacker easier access the wireless network
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| 38. |
Comparing the risk posed
by a vulnerability with the risk of installing
the corresponding patch: if an administrator
decides not to apply a patch, or if no patch
is available, what other common compensating
controls are available? |
| |
When evaluating whether to apply a security
patch or not, the risks associated with
installing the patch should be assessed.
Carefully compare the risk posed by the
vulnerability with the risk of installing
the patch. Other compensating controls should
be on standby, and these may include:
- turning off services or capabilities
related to the vulnerability
- adapting or adding access controls
- increasing monitoring of systems to
detect and prevent actual attacks
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| 39. |
What are the criteria
for choosing a patch management solution?
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In addition to matching the specific user
and business requirements, including product
functionality and budget constraints, organisations
should also take the following factors into
consideration when considering a robust
and secure patch management solution:
Fewer Vulnerabilities
Some patch management products have more
vulnerabilities than others. Organisations
should choose an appropriate solution that
looks less likely to be vulnerable itself,
which in turn will reduce the need to patch
the software regularly. Research should
be conducted first to independently verify
the product concerned. A complex product
may mean more code and services that in
turn might introduce more vulnerabilities.
It may be wise to select a less complicated
and more mature product.
System Compatibility
Some patch management solutions are agent-based
while others are agent-less. Organisations
should evaluate any impact to their systems
(such as performance, stability and compatibility),
if agents are to be deployed across a large
number of machines.
Vendor Responsiveness to New Vulnerabilities
Organisations should also take note of the
speed with which the solution vendor responds
to new vulnerabilities with patches and
updates.
Ease of Deployment and Maintenance
The easier the patch management solution
is to deploy and maintain, the lower the
implementation and ongoing maintenance costs
to the organisation.
Audit Trail
A good patch management solution should
provide comprehensive logging facilities
that help system administrators easily keep
track of the status of software fixes and
patches on individual systems.
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