A model to measure the maturuty of smartphone security at software consultancies
- Authors: Allam, Sean
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Capability maturity model (Computer software) , Smartphones , Wireless Internet , Mobile communication systems , Mobile computing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Information Systems)
- Identifier: vital:11135 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/281 , Computer networks -- Security measures , Capability maturity model (Computer software) , Smartphones , Wireless Internet , Mobile communication systems , Mobile computing
- Description: Smartphones are proliferating into the workplace at an ever-increasing rate, similarly the threats that they pose is increasing. In an era of constant connectivity and availability, information is freed up of constraints of time and place. This research project delves into the risks introduced by smartphones, and through multiple cases studies, a maturity measurement model is formulated. The model is based on recommendations from two leading information security frameworks, the COBIT 4.1 framework and ISO27002 code of practice. Ultimately, a combination of smartphone specific risks are integrated with key control recommendations, in providing a set of key measurable security maturity components. The subjective opinions of case study respondents are considered a key component in achieving a solution. The solution addresses the concerns of not only policy makers, but also the employees subjected to the security policies. Nurturing security awareness into organisational culture through reinforcement and employee acceptance is highlighted in this research project. Software consultancies can use this model to mitigate risks, while harnessing the potential strategic advantages of mobile computing through smartphone devices. In addition, this research project identifies the critical components of a smartphone security solution. As a result, a model is provided for software consultancies due to the intense reliance on information within these types of organisations. The model can be effectively applied to any information intensive organisation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Allam, Sean
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Capability maturity model (Computer software) , Smartphones , Wireless Internet , Mobile communication systems , Mobile computing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Information Systems)
- Identifier: vital:11135 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/281 , Computer networks -- Security measures , Capability maturity model (Computer software) , Smartphones , Wireless Internet , Mobile communication systems , Mobile computing
- Description: Smartphones are proliferating into the workplace at an ever-increasing rate, similarly the threats that they pose is increasing. In an era of constant connectivity and availability, information is freed up of constraints of time and place. This research project delves into the risks introduced by smartphones, and through multiple cases studies, a maturity measurement model is formulated. The model is based on recommendations from two leading information security frameworks, the COBIT 4.1 framework and ISO27002 code of practice. Ultimately, a combination of smartphone specific risks are integrated with key control recommendations, in providing a set of key measurable security maturity components. The subjective opinions of case study respondents are considered a key component in achieving a solution. The solution addresses the concerns of not only policy makers, but also the employees subjected to the security policies. Nurturing security awareness into organisational culture through reinforcement and employee acceptance is highlighted in this research project. Software consultancies can use this model to mitigate risks, while harnessing the potential strategic advantages of mobile computing through smartphone devices. In addition, this research project identifies the critical components of a smartphone security solution. As a result, a model is provided for software consultancies due to the intense reliance on information within these types of organisations. The model can be effectively applied to any information intensive organisation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
An analysis of the risk exposure of adopting IPV6 in enterprise networks
- Authors: Berko, Istvan Sandor
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: International Workshop on Deploying the Future Infrastructure , Computer networks , Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer network protocols
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4722 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018918
- Description: The IPv6 increased address pool presents changes in resource impact to the Enterprise that, if not adequately addressed, can change risks that are locally significant in IPv4 to risks that can impact the Enterprise in its entirety. The expected conclusion is that the IPv6 environment will impose significant changes in the Enterprise environment - which may negatively impact organisational security if the IPv6 nuances are not adequately addressed. This thesis reviews the risks related to the operation of enterprise networks with the introduction of IPv6. The global trends are discussed to provide insight and background to the IPv6 research space. Analysing the current state of readiness in enterprise networks, quantifies the value of developing this thesis. The base controls that should be deployed in enterprise networks to prevent the abuse of IPv6 through tunnelling and the protection of the enterprise access layer are discussed. A series of case studies are presented which identify and analyse the impact of certain changes in the IPv6 protocol on the enterprise networks. The case studies also identify mitigation techniques to reduce risk.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Berko, Istvan Sandor
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: International Workshop on Deploying the Future Infrastructure , Computer networks , Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer network protocols
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4722 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018918
- Description: The IPv6 increased address pool presents changes in resource impact to the Enterprise that, if not adequately addressed, can change risks that are locally significant in IPv4 to risks that can impact the Enterprise in its entirety. The expected conclusion is that the IPv6 environment will impose significant changes in the Enterprise environment - which may negatively impact organisational security if the IPv6 nuances are not adequately addressed. This thesis reviews the risks related to the operation of enterprise networks with the introduction of IPv6. The global trends are discussed to provide insight and background to the IPv6 research space. Analysing the current state of readiness in enterprise networks, quantifies the value of developing this thesis. The base controls that should be deployed in enterprise networks to prevent the abuse of IPv6 through tunnelling and the protection of the enterprise access layer are discussed. A series of case studies are presented which identify and analyse the impact of certain changes in the IPv6 protocol on the enterprise networks. The case studies also identify mitigation techniques to reduce risk.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Targeted attack detection by means of free and open source solutions
- Authors: Bernardo, Louis F
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Information technology -- Security measures , Computer security -- Management , Data protection
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/92269 , vital:30703
- Description: Compliance requirements are part of everyday business requirements for various areas, such as retail and medical services. As part of compliance it may be required to have infrastructure in place to monitor the activities in the environment to ensure that the relevant data and environment is sufficiently protected. At the core of such monitoring solutions one would find some type of data repository, or database, to store and ultimately correlate the captured events. Such solutions are commonly called Security Information and Event Management, or SIEM for short. Larger companies have been known to use commercial solutions such as IBM's Qradar, Logrythm, or Splunk. However, these come at significant cost and arent suitable for smaller businesses with limited budgets. These solutions require manual configuration of event correlation for detection of activities that place the environment in danger. This usually requires vendor implementation assistance that also would come at a cost. Alternatively, there are open source solutions that provide the required functionality. This research will demonstrate building an open source solution, with minimal to no cost for hardware or software, while still maintaining the capability of detecting targeted attacks. The solution presented in this research includes Wazuh, which is a combination of OSSEC and the ELK stack, integrated with an Network Intrusion Detection System (NIDS). The success of the integration, is determined by measuring postive attack detection based on each different configuration options. To perform the testing, a deliberately vulnerable platform named Metasploitable will be used as a victim host. The victim host vulnerabilities were created specifically to serve as target for Metasploit. The attacks were generated by utilising Metasploit Framework on a prebuilt Kali Linux host.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Bernardo, Louis F
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Information technology -- Security measures , Computer security -- Management , Data protection
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/92269 , vital:30703
- Description: Compliance requirements are part of everyday business requirements for various areas, such as retail and medical services. As part of compliance it may be required to have infrastructure in place to monitor the activities in the environment to ensure that the relevant data and environment is sufficiently protected. At the core of such monitoring solutions one would find some type of data repository, or database, to store and ultimately correlate the captured events. Such solutions are commonly called Security Information and Event Management, or SIEM for short. Larger companies have been known to use commercial solutions such as IBM's Qradar, Logrythm, or Splunk. However, these come at significant cost and arent suitable for smaller businesses with limited budgets. These solutions require manual configuration of event correlation for detection of activities that place the environment in danger. This usually requires vendor implementation assistance that also would come at a cost. Alternatively, there are open source solutions that provide the required functionality. This research will demonstrate building an open source solution, with minimal to no cost for hardware or software, while still maintaining the capability of detecting targeted attacks. The solution presented in this research includes Wazuh, which is a combination of OSSEC and the ELK stack, integrated with an Network Intrusion Detection System (NIDS). The success of the integration, is determined by measuring postive attack detection based on each different configuration options. To perform the testing, a deliberately vulnerable platform named Metasploitable will be used as a victim host. The victim host vulnerabilities were created specifically to serve as target for Metasploit. The attacks were generated by utilising Metasploit Framework on a prebuilt Kali Linux host.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
Evaluating the cyber security skills gap relating to penetration testing
- Authors: Beukes, Dirk Johannes
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer networks -- Monitoring , Computer networks -- Management , Data protection , Information technology -- Security measures , Professionals -- Supply and demand , Electronic data personnel -- Supply and demand
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/171120 , vital:42021
- Description: Information Technology (IT) is growing rapidly and has become an integral part of daily life. It provides a boundless list of services and opportunities, generating boundless sources of information, which could be abused or exploited. Due to this growth, there are thousands of new users added to the grid using computer systems in a static and mobile environment; this fact alone creates endless volumes of data to be exploited and hardware devices to be abused by the wrong people. The growth in the IT environment adds challenges that may affect users in their personal, professional, and business lives. There are constant threats on corporate and private computer networks and computer systems. In the corporate environment companies try to eliminate the threat by testing networks making use of penetration tests and by implementing cyber awareness programs to make employees more aware of the cyber threat. Penetration tests and vulnerability assessments are undervalued; are seen as a formality and are not used to increase system security. If used regularly the computer system will be more secure and attacks minimized. With the growth in technology, industries all over the globe become fully dependent on information systems in doing their day-to-day business. As technology evolves and new technology becomes available, the bigger the risk becomes to protect against the dangers which come with this new technology. For industry to protect itself against this growth in technology, personnel with a certain skill set is needed. This is where cyber security plays a very important role in the protection of information systems to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information system itself and the data on the system. Due to this drive to secure information systems, the need for cyber security by professionals is on the rise as well. It is estimated that there is a shortage of one million cyber security professionals globally. What is the reason for this skills shortage? Will it be possible to close this skills shortage gap? This study is about identifying the skills gap and identifying possible ways to close this skills gap. In this study, research was conducted on the cyber security international standards, cyber security training at universities and international certification focusing specifically on penetration testing, the evaluation of the need of industry while recruiting new penetration testers, finishing with suggestions on how to fill possible gaps in the skills market with a conclusion.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
- Authors: Beukes, Dirk Johannes
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer networks -- Monitoring , Computer networks -- Management , Data protection , Information technology -- Security measures , Professionals -- Supply and demand , Electronic data personnel -- Supply and demand
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/171120 , vital:42021
- Description: Information Technology (IT) is growing rapidly and has become an integral part of daily life. It provides a boundless list of services and opportunities, generating boundless sources of information, which could be abused or exploited. Due to this growth, there are thousands of new users added to the grid using computer systems in a static and mobile environment; this fact alone creates endless volumes of data to be exploited and hardware devices to be abused by the wrong people. The growth in the IT environment adds challenges that may affect users in their personal, professional, and business lives. There are constant threats on corporate and private computer networks and computer systems. In the corporate environment companies try to eliminate the threat by testing networks making use of penetration tests and by implementing cyber awareness programs to make employees more aware of the cyber threat. Penetration tests and vulnerability assessments are undervalued; are seen as a formality and are not used to increase system security. If used regularly the computer system will be more secure and attacks minimized. With the growth in technology, industries all over the globe become fully dependent on information systems in doing their day-to-day business. As technology evolves and new technology becomes available, the bigger the risk becomes to protect against the dangers which come with this new technology. For industry to protect itself against this growth in technology, personnel with a certain skill set is needed. This is where cyber security plays a very important role in the protection of information systems to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information system itself and the data on the system. Due to this drive to secure information systems, the need for cyber security by professionals is on the rise as well. It is estimated that there is a shortage of one million cyber security professionals globally. What is the reason for this skills shortage? Will it be possible to close this skills shortage gap? This study is about identifying the skills gap and identifying possible ways to close this skills gap. In this study, research was conducted on the cyber security international standards, cyber security training at universities and international certification focusing specifically on penetration testing, the evaluation of the need of industry while recruiting new penetration testers, finishing with suggestions on how to fill possible gaps in the skills market with a conclusion.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Distributed authentication for resource control
- Authors: Burdis, Keith Robert
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: Computers -- Access control , Data protection , Computer networks -- Security measures , Electronic data processing departments -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4630 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006512 , Computers -- Access control , Data protection , Computer networks -- Security measures , Electronic data processing departments -- Security measures
- Description: This thesis examines distributed authentication in the process of controlling computing resources. We investigate user sign-on and two of the main authentication technologies that can be used to control a resource through authentication and providing additional security services. The problems with the existing sign-on scenario are that users have too much credential information to manage and are prompted for this information too often. Single Sign-On (SSO) is a viable solution to this problem if physical procedures are introduced to minimise the risks associated with its use. The Generic Security Services API (GSS-API) provides security services in a manner in- dependent of the environment in which these security services are used, encapsulating security functionality and insulating users from changes in security technology. The un- derlying security functionality is provided by GSS-API mechanisms. We developed the Secure Remote Password GSS-API Mechanism (SRPGM) to provide a mechanism that has low infrastructure requirements, is password-based and does not require the use of long-term asymmetric keys. We provide implementations of the Java GSS-API bindings and the LIPKEY and SRPGM GSS-API mechanisms. The Secure Authentication and Security Layer (SASL) provides security to connection- based Internet protocols. After finding deficiencies in existing SASL mechanisms we de- veloped the Secure Remote Password SASL mechanism (SRP-SASL) that provides strong password-based authentication and countermeasures against known attacks, while still be- ing simple and easy to implement. We provide implementations of the Java SASL binding and several SASL mechanisms, including SRP-SASL.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
- Authors: Burdis, Keith Robert
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: Computers -- Access control , Data protection , Computer networks -- Security measures , Electronic data processing departments -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4630 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006512 , Computers -- Access control , Data protection , Computer networks -- Security measures , Electronic data processing departments -- Security measures
- Description: This thesis examines distributed authentication in the process of controlling computing resources. We investigate user sign-on and two of the main authentication technologies that can be used to control a resource through authentication and providing additional security services. The problems with the existing sign-on scenario are that users have too much credential information to manage and are prompted for this information too often. Single Sign-On (SSO) is a viable solution to this problem if physical procedures are introduced to minimise the risks associated with its use. The Generic Security Services API (GSS-API) provides security services in a manner in- dependent of the environment in which these security services are used, encapsulating security functionality and insulating users from changes in security technology. The un- derlying security functionality is provided by GSS-API mechanisms. We developed the Secure Remote Password GSS-API Mechanism (SRPGM) to provide a mechanism that has low infrastructure requirements, is password-based and does not require the use of long-term asymmetric keys. We provide implementations of the Java GSS-API bindings and the LIPKEY and SRPGM GSS-API mechanisms. The Secure Authentication and Security Layer (SASL) provides security to connection- based Internet protocols. After finding deficiencies in existing SASL mechanisms we de- veloped the Secure Remote Password SASL mechanism (SRP-SASL) that provides strong password-based authentication and countermeasures against known attacks, while still be- ing simple and easy to implement. We provide implementations of the Java SASL binding and several SASL mechanisms, including SRP-SASL.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
Log analysis aided by latent semantic mapping
- Authors: Buys, Stephanus
- Date: 2013 , 2013-04-14
- Subjects: Latent semantic indexing , Data mining , Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer hackers , Computer security
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4575 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002963 , Latent semantic indexing , Data mining , Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer hackers , Computer security
- Description: In an age of zero-day exploits and increased on-line attacks on computing infrastructure, operational security practitioners are becoming increasingly aware of the value of the information captured in log events. Analysis of these events is critical during incident response, forensic investigations related to network breaches, hacking attacks and data leaks. Such analysis has led to the discipline of Security Event Analysis, also known as Log Analysis. There are several challenges when dealing with events, foremost being the increased volumes at which events are often generated and stored. Furthermore, events are often captured as unstructured data, with very little consistency in the formats or contents of the events. In this environment, security analysts and implementers of Log Management (LM) or Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems face the daunting task of identifying, classifying and disambiguating massive volumes of events in order for security analysis and automation to proceed. Latent Semantic Mapping (LSM) is a proven paradigm shown to be an effective method of, among other things, enabling word clustering, document clustering, topic clustering and semantic inference. This research is an investigation into the practical application of LSM in the discipline of Security Event Analysis, showing the value of using LSM to assist practitioners in identifying types of events, classifying events as belonging to certain sources or technologies and disambiguating different events from each other. The culmination of this research presents adaptations to traditional natural language processing techniques that resulted in improved efficacy of LSM when dealing with Security Event Analysis. This research provides strong evidence supporting the wider adoption and use of LSM, as well as further investigation into Security Event Analysis assisted by LSM and other natural language or computer-learning processing techniques. , LaTeX with hyperref package , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Buys, Stephanus
- Date: 2013 , 2013-04-14
- Subjects: Latent semantic indexing , Data mining , Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer hackers , Computer security
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4575 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002963 , Latent semantic indexing , Data mining , Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer hackers , Computer security
- Description: In an age of zero-day exploits and increased on-line attacks on computing infrastructure, operational security practitioners are becoming increasingly aware of the value of the information captured in log events. Analysis of these events is critical during incident response, forensic investigations related to network breaches, hacking attacks and data leaks. Such analysis has led to the discipline of Security Event Analysis, also known as Log Analysis. There are several challenges when dealing with events, foremost being the increased volumes at which events are often generated and stored. Furthermore, events are often captured as unstructured data, with very little consistency in the formats or contents of the events. In this environment, security analysts and implementers of Log Management (LM) or Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems face the daunting task of identifying, classifying and disambiguating massive volumes of events in order for security analysis and automation to proceed. Latent Semantic Mapping (LSM) is a proven paradigm shown to be an effective method of, among other things, enabling word clustering, document clustering, topic clustering and semantic inference. This research is an investigation into the practical application of LSM in the discipline of Security Event Analysis, showing the value of using LSM to assist practitioners in identifying types of events, classifying events as belonging to certain sources or technologies and disambiguating different events from each other. The culmination of this research presents adaptations to traditional natural language processing techniques that resulted in improved efficacy of LSM when dealing with Security Event Analysis. This research provides strong evidence supporting the wider adoption and use of LSM, as well as further investigation into Security Event Analysis assisted by LSM and other natural language or computer-learning processing techniques. , LaTeX with hyperref package , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
An exploratory investigation into an Integrated Vulnerability and Patch Management Framework
- Authors: Carstens, Duane
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Computer security , Computer security -- Management , Computer networks -- Security measures , Patch Management , Integrated Vulnerability
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177940 , vital:42892
- Description: In the rapidly changing world of cybersecurity, the constant increase of vulnerabilities continues to be a prevalent issue for many organisations. Malicious actors are aware that most organisations cannot timeously patch known vulnerabilities and are ill-prepared to protect against newly created vulnerabilities where a signature or an available patch has not yet been created. Consequently, information security personnel face ongoing challenges to mitigate these risks. In this research, the problem of remediation in a world of increasing vulnerabilities is considered. The current paradigm of vulnerability and patch management is reviewed using a pragmatic approach to all associated variables of these services / practices and, as a result, what is working and what is not working in terms of remediation is understood. In addition to the analysis, a taxonomy is created to provide a graphical representation of all associated variables to vulnerability and patch management based on existing literature. Frameworks currently being utilised in the industry to create an effective engagement model between vulnerability and patch management services are considered. The link between quantifying a threat, vulnerability and consequence; what Microsoft has available for patching; and the action plan for resulting vulnerabilities is explored. Furthermore, the processes and means of communication between each of these services are investigated to ensure there is effective remediation of vulnerabilities, ultimately improving the security risk posture of an organisation. In order to effectively measure the security risk posture, progress is measured between each of these services through a single averaged measurement metric. The outcome of the research highlights influencing factors that impact successful vulnerability management, in line with identified themes from the research taxonomy. These influencing factors are however significantly undermined due to resources within the same organisations not having a clear and consistent understanding of their role, organisational capabilities and objectives for effective vulnerability and patch management within their organisations. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Computer Science, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
- Authors: Carstens, Duane
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Computer security , Computer security -- Management , Computer networks -- Security measures , Patch Management , Integrated Vulnerability
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177940 , vital:42892
- Description: In the rapidly changing world of cybersecurity, the constant increase of vulnerabilities continues to be a prevalent issue for many organisations. Malicious actors are aware that most organisations cannot timeously patch known vulnerabilities and are ill-prepared to protect against newly created vulnerabilities where a signature or an available patch has not yet been created. Consequently, information security personnel face ongoing challenges to mitigate these risks. In this research, the problem of remediation in a world of increasing vulnerabilities is considered. The current paradigm of vulnerability and patch management is reviewed using a pragmatic approach to all associated variables of these services / practices and, as a result, what is working and what is not working in terms of remediation is understood. In addition to the analysis, a taxonomy is created to provide a graphical representation of all associated variables to vulnerability and patch management based on existing literature. Frameworks currently being utilised in the industry to create an effective engagement model between vulnerability and patch management services are considered. The link between quantifying a threat, vulnerability and consequence; what Microsoft has available for patching; and the action plan for resulting vulnerabilities is explored. Furthermore, the processes and means of communication between each of these services are investigated to ensure there is effective remediation of vulnerabilities, ultimately improving the security risk posture of an organisation. In order to effectively measure the security risk posture, progress is measured between each of these services through a single averaged measurement metric. The outcome of the research highlights influencing factors that impact successful vulnerability management, in line with identified themes from the research taxonomy. These influencing factors are however significantly undermined due to resources within the same organisations not having a clear and consistent understanding of their role, organisational capabilities and objectives for effective vulnerability and patch management within their organisations. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Computer Science, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
Securing media streams in an Asterisk-based environment and evaluating the resulting performance cost
- Authors: Clayton, Bradley
- Date: 2007 , 2007-01-08
- Subjects: Asterisk (Computer file) , Computer networks -- Security measures , Internet telephony -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4647 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006606 , Asterisk (Computer file) , Computer networks -- Security measures , Internet telephony -- Security measures
- Description: When adding Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability (CIA) to a multi-user VoIP (Voice over IP) system, performance and quality are at risk. The aim of this study is twofold. Firstly, it describes current methods suitable to secure voice streams within a VoIP system and make them available in an Asterisk-based VoIP environment. (Asterisk is a well established, open-source, TDM/VoIP PBX.) Secondly, this study evaluates the performance cost incurred after implementing each security method within the Asterisk-based system, using a special testbed suite, named DRAPA, which was developed expressly for this study. The three security methods implemented and studied were IPSec (Internet Protocol Security), SRTP (Secure Real-time Transport Protocol), and SIAX2 (Secure Inter-Asterisk eXchange 2 protocol). From the experiments, it was found that bandwidth and CPU usage were significantly affected by the addition of CIA. In ranking the three security methods in terms of these two resources, it was found that SRTP incurs the least bandwidth overhead, followed by SIAX2 and then IPSec. Where CPU utilisation is concerned, it was found that SIAX2 incurs the least overhead, followed by IPSec, and then SRTP.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Clayton, Bradley
- Date: 2007 , 2007-01-08
- Subjects: Asterisk (Computer file) , Computer networks -- Security measures , Internet telephony -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4647 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006606 , Asterisk (Computer file) , Computer networks -- Security measures , Internet telephony -- Security measures
- Description: When adding Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability (CIA) to a multi-user VoIP (Voice over IP) system, performance and quality are at risk. The aim of this study is twofold. Firstly, it describes current methods suitable to secure voice streams within a VoIP system and make them available in an Asterisk-based VoIP environment. (Asterisk is a well established, open-source, TDM/VoIP PBX.) Secondly, this study evaluates the performance cost incurred after implementing each security method within the Asterisk-based system, using a special testbed suite, named DRAPA, which was developed expressly for this study. The three security methods implemented and studied were IPSec (Internet Protocol Security), SRTP (Secure Real-time Transport Protocol), and SIAX2 (Secure Inter-Asterisk eXchange 2 protocol). From the experiments, it was found that bandwidth and CPU usage were significantly affected by the addition of CIA. In ranking the three security methods in terms of these two resources, it was found that SRTP incurs the least bandwidth overhead, followed by SIAX2 and then IPSec. Where CPU utilisation is concerned, it was found that SIAX2 incurs the least overhead, followed by IPSec, and then SRTP.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A framework for information security governance in SMMEs
- Authors: Coertze, Jacques Jacobus
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Business -- Data processing -- Security measures , Management information systems -- Security measures , Computer networks -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9810 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1014083
- Description: It has been found that many small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) do not comply with sound information security governance principles, specifically the principles involved in drafting information security policies and monitoring compliance, mainly as a result of restricted resources and expertise. Research suggests that this problem occurs worldwide and that the impact it has on SMMEs is great. The problem is further compounded by the fact that, in our modern-day information technology environment, many larger organisations are providing SMMEs with access to their networks. This results not only in SMMEs being exposed to security risks, but the larger organisations as well. In previous research an information security management framework and toolbox was developed to assist SMMEs in drafting information security policies. Although this research was of some help to SMMEs, further research has shown that an even greater problem exists with the governance of information security as a result of the advancements that have been identified in information security literature. The aim of this dissertation is therefore to establish an information security governance framework that requires minimal effort and little expertise to alleviate governance problems. It is believed that such a framework would be useful for SMMEs and would result in the improved implementation of information security governance.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Coertze, Jacques Jacobus
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Business -- Data processing -- Security measures , Management information systems -- Security measures , Computer networks -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9810 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1014083
- Description: It has been found that many small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) do not comply with sound information security governance principles, specifically the principles involved in drafting information security policies and monitoring compliance, mainly as a result of restricted resources and expertise. Research suggests that this problem occurs worldwide and that the impact it has on SMMEs is great. The problem is further compounded by the fact that, in our modern-day information technology environment, many larger organisations are providing SMMEs with access to their networks. This results not only in SMMEs being exposed to security risks, but the larger organisations as well. In previous research an information security management framework and toolbox was developed to assist SMMEs in drafting information security policies. Although this research was of some help to SMMEs, further research has shown that an even greater problem exists with the governance of information security as a result of the advancements that have been identified in information security literature. The aim of this dissertation is therefore to establish an information security governance framework that requires minimal effort and little expertise to alleviate governance problems. It is believed that such a framework would be useful for SMMEs and would result in the improved implementation of information security governance.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Categorising Network Telescope data using big data enrichment techniques
- Authors: Davis, Michael Reginald
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Denial of service attacks , Big data , Computer networks -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/92941 , vital:30766
- Description: Network Telescopes, Internet backbone sampling, IDS and other forms of network-sourced Threat Intelligence provide researchers with insight into the methods and intent of remote entities by capturing network traffic and analysing the resulting data. This analysis and determination of intent is made difficult by the large amounts of potentially malicious traffic, coupled with limited amount of knowledge that can be attributed to the source of the incoming data, as the source is known only by its IP address. Due to the lack of commonly available tooling, many researchers start this analysis from the beginning and so repeat and re-iterate previous research as the bulk of their work. As a result new insight into methods and approaches of analysis is gained at a high cost. Our research approaches this problem by using additional knowledge about the source IP address such as open ports, reverse and forward DNS, BGP routing tables and more, to enhance the researcher's ability to understand the traffic source. The research is a BigData experiment, where large (hundreds of GB) datasets are merged with a two month section of Network Telescope data using a set of Python scripts. The result are written to a Google BigQuery database table. Analysis of the network data is greatly simplified, with questions about the nature of the source, such as its device class (home routing device or server), potential vulnerabilities (open telnet ports or databases) and location becoming relatively easy to answer. Using this approach, researchers can focus on the questions that need answering and efficiently address them. This research could be taken further by using additional data sources such as Geo-location, WHOIS lookups, Threat Intelligence feeds and many others. Other potential areas of research include real-time categorisation of incoming packets, in order to better inform alerting and reporting systems' configuration. In conclusion, categorising Network Telescope data in this way provides insight into the intent of the (apparent) originator and as such is a valuable tool for those seeking to understand the purpose and intent of arriving packets. In particular, the ability to remove packets categorised as non-malicious (e.g. those in the Research category) from the data eliminates a known source of `noise' from the data. This allows the researcher to focus their efforts in a more productive manner.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Davis, Michael Reginald
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Denial of service attacks , Big data , Computer networks -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/92941 , vital:30766
- Description: Network Telescopes, Internet backbone sampling, IDS and other forms of network-sourced Threat Intelligence provide researchers with insight into the methods and intent of remote entities by capturing network traffic and analysing the resulting data. This analysis and determination of intent is made difficult by the large amounts of potentially malicious traffic, coupled with limited amount of knowledge that can be attributed to the source of the incoming data, as the source is known only by its IP address. Due to the lack of commonly available tooling, many researchers start this analysis from the beginning and so repeat and re-iterate previous research as the bulk of their work. As a result new insight into methods and approaches of analysis is gained at a high cost. Our research approaches this problem by using additional knowledge about the source IP address such as open ports, reverse and forward DNS, BGP routing tables and more, to enhance the researcher's ability to understand the traffic source. The research is a BigData experiment, where large (hundreds of GB) datasets are merged with a two month section of Network Telescope data using a set of Python scripts. The result are written to a Google BigQuery database table. Analysis of the network data is greatly simplified, with questions about the nature of the source, such as its device class (home routing device or server), potential vulnerabilities (open telnet ports or databases) and location becoming relatively easy to answer. Using this approach, researchers can focus on the questions that need answering and efficiently address them. This research could be taken further by using additional data sources such as Geo-location, WHOIS lookups, Threat Intelligence feeds and many others. Other potential areas of research include real-time categorisation of incoming packets, in order to better inform alerting and reporting systems' configuration. In conclusion, categorising Network Telescope data in this way provides insight into the intent of the (apparent) originator and as such is a valuable tool for those seeking to understand the purpose and intent of arriving packets. In particular, the ability to remove packets categorised as non-malicious (e.g. those in the Research category) from the data eliminates a known source of `noise' from the data. This allows the researcher to focus their efforts in a more productive manner.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
Towards a user centric model for identity and access management within the online environment
- Authors: Deas, Matthew Burns
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Computers -- Access control , Computer networks -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9780 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/775 , Computers -- Access control , Computer networks -- Security measures
- Description: Today, one is expected to remember multiple user names and passwords for different domains when one wants to access on the Internet. Identity management seeks to solve this problem through creating a digital identity that is exchangeable across organisational boundaries. Through the setup of collaboration agreements between multiple domains, users can easily switch across domains without being required to sign in again. However, use of this technology comes with risks of user identity and personal information being compromised. Criminals make use of spoofed websites and social engineering techniques to gain illegal access to user information. Due to this, the need for users to be protected from online threats has increased. Two processes are required to protect the user login information at the time of sign-on. Firstly, user’s information must be protected at the time of sign-on, and secondly, a simple method for the identification of the website is required by the user. This treatise looks at the process for identifying and verifying user information, and how the user can verify the system at sign-in. Three models for identity management are analysed, namely the Microsoft .NET Passport, Liberty Alliance Federated Identity for Single Sign-on and the Mozilla TrustBar for system authentication.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Deas, Matthew Burns
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Computers -- Access control , Computer networks -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9780 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/775 , Computers -- Access control , Computer networks -- Security measures
- Description: Today, one is expected to remember multiple user names and passwords for different domains when one wants to access on the Internet. Identity management seeks to solve this problem through creating a digital identity that is exchangeable across organisational boundaries. Through the setup of collaboration agreements between multiple domains, users can easily switch across domains without being required to sign in again. However, use of this technology comes with risks of user identity and personal information being compromised. Criminals make use of spoofed websites and social engineering techniques to gain illegal access to user information. Due to this, the need for users to be protected from online threats has increased. Two processes are required to protect the user login information at the time of sign-on. Firstly, user’s information must be protected at the time of sign-on, and secondly, a simple method for the identification of the website is required by the user. This treatise looks at the process for identifying and verifying user information, and how the user can verify the system at sign-in. Three models for identity management are analysed, namely the Microsoft .NET Passport, Liberty Alliance Federated Identity for Single Sign-on and the Mozilla TrustBar for system authentication.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
An analysis of the use of DNS for malicious payload distribution
- Authors: Dube, Ishmael
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Internet domain names , Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer security , Computer network protocols , Data protection
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/97531 , vital:31447
- Description: The Domain Name System (DNS) protocol is a fundamental part of Internet activities that can be abused by cybercriminals to conduct malicious activities. Previous research has shown that cybercriminals use different methods, including the DNS protocol, to distribute malicious content, remain hidden and avoid detection from various technologies that are put in place to detect anomalies. This allows botnets and certain malware families to establish covert communication channels that can be used to send or receive data and also distribute malicious payloads using the DNS queries and responses. Cybercriminals use the DNS to breach highly protected networks, distribute malicious content, and exfiltrate sensitive information without being detected by security controls put in place by embedding certain strings in DNS packets. This research undertaking broadens this research field and fills in the existing research gap by extending the analysis of DNS being used as a payload distribution channel to detection of domains that are used to distribute different malicious payloads. This research undertaking analysed the use of the DNS in detecting domains and channels that are used for distributing malicious payloads. Passive DNS data which replicate DNS queries on name servers to detect anomalies in DNS queries was evaluated and analysed in order to detect malicious payloads. The research characterises the malicious payload distribution channels by analysing passive DNS traffic and modelling the DNS query and response patterns. The research found that it is possible to detect malicious payload distribution channels through the analysis of DNS TXT resource records.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Dube, Ishmael
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Internet domain names , Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer security , Computer network protocols , Data protection
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/97531 , vital:31447
- Description: The Domain Name System (DNS) protocol is a fundamental part of Internet activities that can be abused by cybercriminals to conduct malicious activities. Previous research has shown that cybercriminals use different methods, including the DNS protocol, to distribute malicious content, remain hidden and avoid detection from various technologies that are put in place to detect anomalies. This allows botnets and certain malware families to establish covert communication channels that can be used to send or receive data and also distribute malicious payloads using the DNS queries and responses. Cybercriminals use the DNS to breach highly protected networks, distribute malicious content, and exfiltrate sensitive information without being detected by security controls put in place by embedding certain strings in DNS packets. This research undertaking broadens this research field and fills in the existing research gap by extending the analysis of DNS being used as a payload distribution channel to detection of domains that are used to distribute different malicious payloads. This research undertaking analysed the use of the DNS in detecting domains and channels that are used for distributing malicious payloads. Passive DNS data which replicate DNS queries on name servers to detect anomalies in DNS queries was evaluated and analysed in order to detect malicious payloads. The research characterises the malicious payload distribution channels by analysing passive DNS traffic and modelling the DNS query and response patterns. The research found that it is possible to detect malicious payload distribution channels through the analysis of DNS TXT resource records.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
Governing information security within the context of "bring your own device" in small, medium and micro enterprises
- Authors: Fani, Noluvuyo
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Data protection , Computer security -- Management , Computer networks -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/7626 , vital:22114
- Description: Throughout history, information has been core to the communication, processing and storage of most tasks in the organisation, in this case in Small-Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs). The implementation of these tasks relies on Information and Communication Technology (ICT). ICT is constantly evolving, and with each developed ICT, it becomes important that organisations adapt to the changing environment. Organisations need to adapt to the changing environment by incorporating innovative ICT that allows employees to perform their tasks with ease anywhere and anytime, whilst reducing the costs affiliated with the ICT. In this modern, performing tasks with ease anywhere and anytime requires that the employee is mobile whilst using the ICT. As a result, a relatively new phenomenon called “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) is currently infiltrating most organisations, where personally-owned mobile devices are used to access organisational information that will be used to conduct the various tasks of the organisation. The use of BYOD in organisations breeds the previously mentioned benefits such as performing organisational tasks anywhere and anytime. However, with the benefits highlighted for BYOD, organisations should be aware that there are risks to the implementation of BYOD. Therefore, the implementation of BYOD deems that organisations should implement BYOD with proper management thereof.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Fani, Noluvuyo
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Data protection , Computer security -- Management , Computer networks -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/7626 , vital:22114
- Description: Throughout history, information has been core to the communication, processing and storage of most tasks in the organisation, in this case in Small-Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs). The implementation of these tasks relies on Information and Communication Technology (ICT). ICT is constantly evolving, and with each developed ICT, it becomes important that organisations adapt to the changing environment. Organisations need to adapt to the changing environment by incorporating innovative ICT that allows employees to perform their tasks with ease anywhere and anytime, whilst reducing the costs affiliated with the ICT. In this modern, performing tasks with ease anywhere and anytime requires that the employee is mobile whilst using the ICT. As a result, a relatively new phenomenon called “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) is currently infiltrating most organisations, where personally-owned mobile devices are used to access organisational information that will be used to conduct the various tasks of the organisation. The use of BYOD in organisations breeds the previously mentioned benefits such as performing organisational tasks anywhere and anytime. However, with the benefits highlighted for BYOD, organisations should be aware that there are risks to the implementation of BYOD. Therefore, the implementation of BYOD deems that organisations should implement BYOD with proper management thereof.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
A framework to mitigate phishing threats
- Authors: Frauenstein, Edwin Donald
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Mobile computing -- Security measures , Online social networks -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9832 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021208
- Description: We live today in the information age with users being able to access and share information freely by using both personal computers and their handheld devices. This, in turn, has been made possible by the Internet. However, this poses security risks as attempts are made to use this same environment in order to compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for users and organisations to protect their information resources from agents posing a security threat. Organisations typically spend large amounts of money as well as dedicating resources to improve their technological defences against general security threats. However, the agents posing these threats are adopting social engineering techniques in order to bypass the technical measures which organisations are putting in place. These social engineering techniques are often effective because they target human behaviour, something which the majority of researchers believe is a far easier alternative than hacking information systems. As such, phishing effectively makes use of a combination of social engineering techniques which involve crafty technical emails and website designs which gain the trust of their victims. Within an organisational context, there are a number of areas which phishers exploit. These areas include human factors, organisational aspects and technological controls. Ironically, these same areas serve simultaneously as security measures against phishing attacks. However, each of these three areas mentioned above are characterised by gaps which arise as a result of human involvement. As a result, the current approach to mitigating phishing threats comprises a single-layer defence model only. However, this study proposes a holistic model which integrates each of these three areas by strengthening the human element in each of these areas by means of a security awareness, training and education programme.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Frauenstein, Edwin Donald
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Mobile computing -- Security measures , Online social networks -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9832 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021208
- Description: We live today in the information age with users being able to access and share information freely by using both personal computers and their handheld devices. This, in turn, has been made possible by the Internet. However, this poses security risks as attempts are made to use this same environment in order to compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for users and organisations to protect their information resources from agents posing a security threat. Organisations typically spend large amounts of money as well as dedicating resources to improve their technological defences against general security threats. However, the agents posing these threats are adopting social engineering techniques in order to bypass the technical measures which organisations are putting in place. These social engineering techniques are often effective because they target human behaviour, something which the majority of researchers believe is a far easier alternative than hacking information systems. As such, phishing effectively makes use of a combination of social engineering techniques which involve crafty technical emails and website designs which gain the trust of their victims. Within an organisational context, there are a number of areas which phishers exploit. These areas include human factors, organisational aspects and technological controls. Ironically, these same areas serve simultaneously as security measures against phishing attacks. However, each of these three areas mentioned above are characterised by gaps which arise as a result of human involvement. As a result, the current approach to mitigating phishing threats comprises a single-layer defence model only. However, this study proposes a holistic model which integrates each of these three areas by strengthening the human element in each of these areas by means of a security awareness, training and education programme.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Pursuing cost-effective secure network micro-segmentation
- Authors: Fürst, Mark Richard
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer networks -- Access control , Firewalls (Computer security) , IPSec (Computer network protocol) , Network micro-segmentation
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/131106 , vital:36524
- Description: Traditional network segmentation allows discrete trust levels to be defined for different network segments, using physical firewalls or routers that control north-south traffic flowing between different interfaces. This technique reduces the attack surface area should an attacker breach one of the perimeter defences. However, east-west traffic flowing between endpoints within the same network segment does not pass through a firewall, and an attacker may be able to move laterally between endpoints within that segment. Network micro-segmentation was designed to address the challenge of controlling east-west traffic, and various solutions have been released with differing levels of capabilities and feature sets. These approaches range from simple network switch Access Control List based segmentation to complex hypervisor based software-defined security segments defined down to the individual workload, container or process level, and enforced via policy based security controls for each segment. Several commercial solutions for network micro-segmentation exist, but these are primarily focused on physical and cloud data centres, and are often accompanied by significant capital outlay and resource requirements. Given these constraints, this research determines whether existing tools provided with operating systems can be re-purposed to implement micro-segmentation and restrict east-west traffic within one or more network segments for a small-to-medium sized corporate network. To this end, a proof-of-concept lab environment was built with a heterogeneous mix of Windows and Linux virtual servers and workstations deployed in an Active Directory domain. The use of Group Policy Objects to deploy IPsec Server and Domain Isolation for controlling traffic between endpoints is examined, in conjunction with IPsec Authenticated Header and Encapsulating Security Payload modes as an additional layer of security. The outcome of the research shows that revisiting existing tools can enable organisations to implement an additional, cost-effective secure layer of defence in their network.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Fürst, Mark Richard
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer networks -- Access control , Firewalls (Computer security) , IPSec (Computer network protocol) , Network micro-segmentation
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/131106 , vital:36524
- Description: Traditional network segmentation allows discrete trust levels to be defined for different network segments, using physical firewalls or routers that control north-south traffic flowing between different interfaces. This technique reduces the attack surface area should an attacker breach one of the perimeter defences. However, east-west traffic flowing between endpoints within the same network segment does not pass through a firewall, and an attacker may be able to move laterally between endpoints within that segment. Network micro-segmentation was designed to address the challenge of controlling east-west traffic, and various solutions have been released with differing levels of capabilities and feature sets. These approaches range from simple network switch Access Control List based segmentation to complex hypervisor based software-defined security segments defined down to the individual workload, container or process level, and enforced via policy based security controls for each segment. Several commercial solutions for network micro-segmentation exist, but these are primarily focused on physical and cloud data centres, and are often accompanied by significant capital outlay and resource requirements. Given these constraints, this research determines whether existing tools provided with operating systems can be re-purposed to implement micro-segmentation and restrict east-west traffic within one or more network segments for a small-to-medium sized corporate network. To this end, a proof-of-concept lab environment was built with a heterogeneous mix of Windows and Linux virtual servers and workstations deployed in an Active Directory domain. The use of Group Policy Objects to deploy IPsec Server and Domain Isolation for controlling traffic between endpoints is examined, in conjunction with IPsec Authenticated Header and Encapsulating Security Payload modes as an additional layer of security. The outcome of the research shows that revisiting existing tools can enable organisations to implement an additional, cost-effective secure layer of defence in their network.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
A national strategy towards cultivating a cybersecurity culture in South Africa
- Authors: Gcaza, Noluxolo
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Cyberspace -- Security measures Computer security -- South Africa Subculture -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/13735 , vital:27303
- Description: In modern society, cyberspace is interwoven into the daily lives of many. Cyberspace is increasingly redefining how people communicate as well as gain access to and share information. Technology has transformed the way the business world operates by introducing new ways of trading goods and services whilst bolstering traditional business methods. It has also altered the way nations govern. Thus individuals, organisations and nations are relying on this technology to perform significant functions. Alongside the positive innovations afforded by cyberspace, however, those who use it are exposed to a variety of risks. Cyberspace is beset by criminal activities such as cybercrime, fraud, identity theft to name but a few. Nonetheless, the negative impact of these cyber threats does not outweigh the advantages of cyberspace. In light of such threats, there is a call for all entities that reap the benefits of online services to institute cybersecurity. As such, cybersecurity is a necessity for individuals, organisations and nations alike. In practice, cybersecurity focuses on preventing and mitigating certain security risks that might compromise the security of relevant assets. For a long time, technology-centred measures have been deemed the most significant solution for mitigating such risks. However, after a legacy of unsuccessful technological efforts, it became clear that such solutions in isolation are insufficient to mitigate all cyber-related risks. This is mainly due to the role that humans play in the security process, that is, the human factor. In isolation, technology-centred measures tend to fail to counter the human factor because of the perception among many users that security measures are an obstacle and consequently a waste of time. This user perception can be credited to the perceived difficulty of the security measure, as well as apparent mistrust and misinterpretation of the measure. Hence, cybersecurity necessitates the development of a solution that encourages acceptable user behaviour in the reality of cyberspace. The cultivation of a cybersecurity culture is thus regarded as the best approach for addressing the human factors that weaken the cybersecurity chain. While the role of culture in pursuing cybersecurity is well appreciated, research focusing on defining and measuring cybersecurity culture is still in its infancy. Furthermore, studies have shown that there are no widely accepted key concepts that delimit a cybersecurity culture. However, the notion that such a culture is not well-delineated has not prevented national governments from pursuing a culture in which all citizens behave in a way that promotes cybersecurity. As a result, many countries now offer national cybersecurity campaigns to foster a culture of cybersecurity at a national level. South Africa is among the nations that have identified cultivating a culture of cybersecurity as a strategic priority. However, there is an apparent lack of a practical plan to cultivate such a cybersecurity culture in South Africa. Thus, this study sought firstly to confirm from the existing body of knowledge that cybersecurity culture is indeed ill-defined and, secondly, to delineate what constitutes a national cybersecurity culture. Finally, and primarily, it sought to devise a national strategy that would assist SA in fulfilling its objective of cultivating a culture of cybersecurity on a national level.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Gcaza, Noluxolo
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Cyberspace -- Security measures Computer security -- South Africa Subculture -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/13735 , vital:27303
- Description: In modern society, cyberspace is interwoven into the daily lives of many. Cyberspace is increasingly redefining how people communicate as well as gain access to and share information. Technology has transformed the way the business world operates by introducing new ways of trading goods and services whilst bolstering traditional business methods. It has also altered the way nations govern. Thus individuals, organisations and nations are relying on this technology to perform significant functions. Alongside the positive innovations afforded by cyberspace, however, those who use it are exposed to a variety of risks. Cyberspace is beset by criminal activities such as cybercrime, fraud, identity theft to name but a few. Nonetheless, the negative impact of these cyber threats does not outweigh the advantages of cyberspace. In light of such threats, there is a call for all entities that reap the benefits of online services to institute cybersecurity. As such, cybersecurity is a necessity for individuals, organisations and nations alike. In practice, cybersecurity focuses on preventing and mitigating certain security risks that might compromise the security of relevant assets. For a long time, technology-centred measures have been deemed the most significant solution for mitigating such risks. However, after a legacy of unsuccessful technological efforts, it became clear that such solutions in isolation are insufficient to mitigate all cyber-related risks. This is mainly due to the role that humans play in the security process, that is, the human factor. In isolation, technology-centred measures tend to fail to counter the human factor because of the perception among many users that security measures are an obstacle and consequently a waste of time. This user perception can be credited to the perceived difficulty of the security measure, as well as apparent mistrust and misinterpretation of the measure. Hence, cybersecurity necessitates the development of a solution that encourages acceptable user behaviour in the reality of cyberspace. The cultivation of a cybersecurity culture is thus regarded as the best approach for addressing the human factors that weaken the cybersecurity chain. While the role of culture in pursuing cybersecurity is well appreciated, research focusing on defining and measuring cybersecurity culture is still in its infancy. Furthermore, studies have shown that there are no widely accepted key concepts that delimit a cybersecurity culture. However, the notion that such a culture is not well-delineated has not prevented national governments from pursuing a culture in which all citizens behave in a way that promotes cybersecurity. As a result, many countries now offer national cybersecurity campaigns to foster a culture of cybersecurity at a national level. South Africa is among the nations that have identified cultivating a culture of cybersecurity as a strategic priority. However, there is an apparent lack of a practical plan to cultivate such a cybersecurity culture in South Africa. Thus, this study sought firstly to confirm from the existing body of knowledge that cybersecurity culture is indeed ill-defined and, secondly, to delineate what constitutes a national cybersecurity culture. Finally, and primarily, it sought to devise a national strategy that would assist SA in fulfilling its objective of cultivating a culture of cybersecurity on a national level.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Towards an evaluation and protection strategy for critical infrastructure
- Authors: Gottschalk, Jason Howard
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Computer crimes -- Prevention , Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer crimes -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Public works -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4721 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018793
- Description: Critical Infrastructure is often overlooked from an Information Security perspective as being of high importance to protect which may result in Critical Infrastructure being at risk to Cyber related attacks with potential dire consequences. Furthermore, what is considered Critical Infrastructure is often a complex discussion, with varying opinions across audiences. Traditional Critical Infrastructure included power stations, water, sewage pump stations, gas pipe lines, power grids and a new entrant, the “internet of things”. This list is not complete and a constant challenge exists in identifying Critical Infrastructure and its interdependencies. The purpose of this research is to highlight the importance of protecting Critical Infrastructure as well as proposing a high level framework aiding in the identification and securing of Critical Infrastructure. To achieve this, key case studies involving Cyber crime and Cyber warfare, as well as the identification of attack vectors and impact on against Critical Infrastructure (as applicable to Critical Infrastructure where possible), were identified and discussed. Furthermore industry related material was researched as to identify key controls that would aid in protecting Critical Infrastructure. The identification of initiatives that countries were pursuing, that would aid in the protection of Critical Infrastructure, were identified and discussed. Research was conducted into the various standards, frameworks and methodologies available to aid in the identification, remediation and ultimately the protection of Critical Infrastructure. A key output of the research was the development of a hybrid approach to identifying Critical Infrastructure, associated vulnerabilities and an approach for remediation with specific metrics (based on the research performed). The conclusion based on the research is that there is often a need and a requirement to identify and protect Critical Infrastructure however this is usually initiated or driven by non-owners of Critical Infrastructure (Governments, governing bodies, standards bodies and security consultants). Furthermore where there are active initiative by owners very often the suggested approaches are very high level in nature with little direct guidance available for very immature environments.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Gottschalk, Jason Howard
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Computer crimes -- Prevention , Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer crimes -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Public works -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4721 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018793
- Description: Critical Infrastructure is often overlooked from an Information Security perspective as being of high importance to protect which may result in Critical Infrastructure being at risk to Cyber related attacks with potential dire consequences. Furthermore, what is considered Critical Infrastructure is often a complex discussion, with varying opinions across audiences. Traditional Critical Infrastructure included power stations, water, sewage pump stations, gas pipe lines, power grids and a new entrant, the “internet of things”. This list is not complete and a constant challenge exists in identifying Critical Infrastructure and its interdependencies. The purpose of this research is to highlight the importance of protecting Critical Infrastructure as well as proposing a high level framework aiding in the identification and securing of Critical Infrastructure. To achieve this, key case studies involving Cyber crime and Cyber warfare, as well as the identification of attack vectors and impact on against Critical Infrastructure (as applicable to Critical Infrastructure where possible), were identified and discussed. Furthermore industry related material was researched as to identify key controls that would aid in protecting Critical Infrastructure. The identification of initiatives that countries were pursuing, that would aid in the protection of Critical Infrastructure, were identified and discussed. Research was conducted into the various standards, frameworks and methodologies available to aid in the identification, remediation and ultimately the protection of Critical Infrastructure. A key output of the research was the development of a hybrid approach to identifying Critical Infrastructure, associated vulnerabilities and an approach for remediation with specific metrics (based on the research performed). The conclusion based on the research is that there is often a need and a requirement to identify and protect Critical Infrastructure however this is usually initiated or driven by non-owners of Critical Infrastructure (Governments, governing bodies, standards bodies and security consultants). Furthermore where there are active initiative by owners very often the suggested approaches are very high level in nature with little direct guidance available for very immature environments.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Bolvedere: a scalable network flow threat analysis system
- Authors: Herbert, Alan
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Bolvedere (Computer network analysis system) , Computer networks -- Scalability , Computer networks -- Measurement , Computer networks -- Security measures , Telecommunication -- Traffic -- Measurement
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/71557 , vital:29873
- Description: Since the advent of the Internet, and its public availability in the late 90’s, there have been significant advancements to network technologies and thus a significant increase of the bandwidth available to network users, both human and automated. Although this growth is of great value to network users, it has led to an increase in malicious network-based activities and it is theorized that, as more services become available on the Internet, the volume of such activities will continue to grow. Because of this, there is a need to monitor, comprehend, discern, understand and (where needed) respond to events on networks worldwide. Although this line of thought is simple in its reasoning, undertaking such a task is no small feat. Full packet analysis is a method of network surveillance that seeks out specific characteristics within network traffic that may tell of malicious activity or anomalies in regular network usage. It is carried out within firewalls and implemented through packet classification. In the context of the networks that make up the Internet, this form of packet analysis has become infeasible, as the volume of traffic introduced onto these networks every day is so large that there are simply not enough processing resources to perform such a task on every packet in real time. One could combat this problem by performing post-incident forensics; archiving packets and processing them later. However, as one cannot process all incoming packets, the archive will eventually run out of space. Full packet analysis is also hindered by the fact that some existing, commonly-used solutions are designed around a single host and single thread of execution, an outdated approach that is far slower than necessary on current computing technology. This research explores the conceptual design and implementation of a scalable network traffic analysis system named Bolvedere. Analysis performed by Bolvedere simply asks whether the existence of a connection, coupled with its associated metadata, is enough to conclude something meaningful about that connection. This idea draws away from the traditional processing of every single byte in every single packet monitored on a network link (Deep Packet Inspection) through the concept of working with connection flows. Bolvedere performs its work by leveraging the NetFlow version 9 and IPFIX protocols, but is not limited to these. It is implemented using a modular approach that allows for either complete execution of the system on a single host or the horizontal scaling out of subsystems on multiple hosts. The use of multiple hosts is achieved through the implementation of Zero Message Queue (ZMQ). This allows for Bolvedre to horizontally scale out, which results in an increase in processing resources and thus an increase in analysis throughput. This is due to ease of interprocess communications provided by ZMQ. Many underlying mechanisms in Bolvedere have been automated. This is intended to make the system more userfriendly, as the user need only tell Bolvedere what information they wish to analyse, and the system will then rebuild itself in order to achieve this required task. Bolvedere has also been hardware-accelerated through the use of Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technologies, which more than doubled the total throughput of the system.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Herbert, Alan
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Bolvedere (Computer network analysis system) , Computer networks -- Scalability , Computer networks -- Measurement , Computer networks -- Security measures , Telecommunication -- Traffic -- Measurement
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/71557 , vital:29873
- Description: Since the advent of the Internet, and its public availability in the late 90’s, there have been significant advancements to network technologies and thus a significant increase of the bandwidth available to network users, both human and automated. Although this growth is of great value to network users, it has led to an increase in malicious network-based activities and it is theorized that, as more services become available on the Internet, the volume of such activities will continue to grow. Because of this, there is a need to monitor, comprehend, discern, understand and (where needed) respond to events on networks worldwide. Although this line of thought is simple in its reasoning, undertaking such a task is no small feat. Full packet analysis is a method of network surveillance that seeks out specific characteristics within network traffic that may tell of malicious activity or anomalies in regular network usage. It is carried out within firewalls and implemented through packet classification. In the context of the networks that make up the Internet, this form of packet analysis has become infeasible, as the volume of traffic introduced onto these networks every day is so large that there are simply not enough processing resources to perform such a task on every packet in real time. One could combat this problem by performing post-incident forensics; archiving packets and processing them later. However, as one cannot process all incoming packets, the archive will eventually run out of space. Full packet analysis is also hindered by the fact that some existing, commonly-used solutions are designed around a single host and single thread of execution, an outdated approach that is far slower than necessary on current computing technology. This research explores the conceptual design and implementation of a scalable network traffic analysis system named Bolvedere. Analysis performed by Bolvedere simply asks whether the existence of a connection, coupled with its associated metadata, is enough to conclude something meaningful about that connection. This idea draws away from the traditional processing of every single byte in every single packet monitored on a network link (Deep Packet Inspection) through the concept of working with connection flows. Bolvedere performs its work by leveraging the NetFlow version 9 and IPFIX protocols, but is not limited to these. It is implemented using a modular approach that allows for either complete execution of the system on a single host or the horizontal scaling out of subsystems on multiple hosts. The use of multiple hosts is achieved through the implementation of Zero Message Queue (ZMQ). This allows for Bolvedre to horizontally scale out, which results in an increase in processing resources and thus an increase in analysis throughput. This is due to ease of interprocess communications provided by ZMQ. Many underlying mechanisms in Bolvedere have been automated. This is intended to make the system more userfriendly, as the user need only tell Bolvedere what information they wish to analyse, and the system will then rebuild itself in order to achieve this required task. Bolvedere has also been hardware-accelerated through the use of Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technologies, which more than doubled the total throughput of the system.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
A comparison of exact string search algorithms for deep packet inspection
- Authors: Hunt, Kieran
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Algorithms , Firewalls (Computer security) , Computer networks -- Security measures , Intrusion detection systems (Computer security) , Deep Packet Inspection
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60629 , vital:27807
- Description: Every day, computer networks throughout the world face a constant onslaught of attacks. To combat these, network administrators are forced to employ a multitude of mitigating measures. Devices such as firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems are prevalent today and employ extensive Deep Packet Inspection to scrutinise each piece of network traffic. Systems such as these usually require specialised hardware to meet the demand imposed by high throughput networks. Hardware like this is extremely expensive and singular in its function. It is with this in mind that the string search algorithms are introduced. These algorithms have been proven to perform well when searching through large volumes of text and may be able to perform equally well in the context of Deep Packet Inspection. String search algorithms are designed to match a single pattern to a substring of a given piece of text. This is not unlike the heuristics employed by traditional Deep Packet Inspection systems. This research compares the performance of a large number of string search algorithms during packet processing. Deep Packet Inspection places stringent restrictions on the reliability and speed of the algorithms due to increased performance pressures. A test system had to be designed in order to properly test the string search algorithms in the context of Deep Packet Inspection. The system allowed for precise and repeatable tests of each algorithm and then for their comparison. Of the algorithms tested, the Horspool and Quick Search algorithms posted the best results for both speed and reliability. The Not So Naive and Rabin-Karp algorithms were slowest overall.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Hunt, Kieran
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Algorithms , Firewalls (Computer security) , Computer networks -- Security measures , Intrusion detection systems (Computer security) , Deep Packet Inspection
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60629 , vital:27807
- Description: Every day, computer networks throughout the world face a constant onslaught of attacks. To combat these, network administrators are forced to employ a multitude of mitigating measures. Devices such as firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems are prevalent today and employ extensive Deep Packet Inspection to scrutinise each piece of network traffic. Systems such as these usually require specialised hardware to meet the demand imposed by high throughput networks. Hardware like this is extremely expensive and singular in its function. It is with this in mind that the string search algorithms are introduced. These algorithms have been proven to perform well when searching through large volumes of text and may be able to perform equally well in the context of Deep Packet Inspection. String search algorithms are designed to match a single pattern to a substring of a given piece of text. This is not unlike the heuristics employed by traditional Deep Packet Inspection systems. This research compares the performance of a large number of string search algorithms during packet processing. Deep Packet Inspection places stringent restrictions on the reliability and speed of the algorithms due to increased performance pressures. A test system had to be designed in order to properly test the string search algorithms in the context of Deep Packet Inspection. The system allowed for precise and repeatable tests of each algorithm and then for their comparison. Of the algorithms tested, the Horspool and Quick Search algorithms posted the best results for both speed and reliability. The Not So Naive and Rabin-Karp algorithms were slowest overall.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
A framework for malicious host fingerprinting using distributed network sensors
- Authors: Hunter, Samuel Oswald
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Malware (Computer software) , Multisensor data fusion , Distributed Sensor Networks , Automated Reconnaissance Framework , Latency Based Multilateration
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60653 , vital:27811
- Description: Numerous software agents exist and are responsible for increasing volumes of malicious traffic that is observed on the Internet today. From a technical perspective the existing techniques for monitoring malicious agents and traffic were not developed to allow for the interrogation of the source of malicious traffic. This interrogation or reconnaissance would be considered active analysis as opposed to existing, mostly passive analysis. Unlike passive analysis, the active techniques are time-sensitive and their results become increasingly inaccurate as time delta between observation and interrogation increases. In addition to this, some studies had shown that the geographic separation of hosts on the Internet have resulted in pockets of different malicious agents and traffic targeting victims. As such it would be important to perform any kind of data collection over various source and in distributed IP address space. The data gathering and exposure capabilities of sensors such as honeypots and network telescopes were extended through the development of near-realtime Distributed Sensor Network modules that allowed for the near-realtime analysis of malicious traffic from distributed, heterogeneous monitoring sensors. In order to utilise the data exposed by the near-realtime Distributed Sensor Network modules an Automated Reconnaissance Framework was created, this framework was tasked with active and passive information collection and analysis of data in near-realtime and was designed from an adapted Multi Sensor Data Fusion model. The hypothesis was made that if sufficiently different characteristics of a host could be identified; combined they could act as a unique fingerprint for that host, potentially allowing for the re-identification of that host, even if its IP address had changed. To this end the concept of Latency Based Multilateration was introduced, acting as an additional metric for remote host fingerprinting. The vast amount of information gathered by the AR-Framework required the development of visualisation tools which could illustrate this data in near-realtime and also provided various degrees of interaction to accommodate human interpretation of such data. Ultimately the data collected through the application of the near-realtime Distributed Sensor Network and AR-Framework provided a unique perspective of a malicious host demographic. Allowing for new correlations to be drawn between attributes such as common open ports and operating systems, location, and inferred intent of these malicious hosts. The result of which expands our current understanding of malicious hosts on the Internet and enables further research in the area.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Hunter, Samuel Oswald
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Malware (Computer software) , Multisensor data fusion , Distributed Sensor Networks , Automated Reconnaissance Framework , Latency Based Multilateration
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60653 , vital:27811
- Description: Numerous software agents exist and are responsible for increasing volumes of malicious traffic that is observed on the Internet today. From a technical perspective the existing techniques for monitoring malicious agents and traffic were not developed to allow for the interrogation of the source of malicious traffic. This interrogation or reconnaissance would be considered active analysis as opposed to existing, mostly passive analysis. Unlike passive analysis, the active techniques are time-sensitive and their results become increasingly inaccurate as time delta between observation and interrogation increases. In addition to this, some studies had shown that the geographic separation of hosts on the Internet have resulted in pockets of different malicious agents and traffic targeting victims. As such it would be important to perform any kind of data collection over various source and in distributed IP address space. The data gathering and exposure capabilities of sensors such as honeypots and network telescopes were extended through the development of near-realtime Distributed Sensor Network modules that allowed for the near-realtime analysis of malicious traffic from distributed, heterogeneous monitoring sensors. In order to utilise the data exposed by the near-realtime Distributed Sensor Network modules an Automated Reconnaissance Framework was created, this framework was tasked with active and passive information collection and analysis of data in near-realtime and was designed from an adapted Multi Sensor Data Fusion model. The hypothesis was made that if sufficiently different characteristics of a host could be identified; combined they could act as a unique fingerprint for that host, potentially allowing for the re-identification of that host, even if its IP address had changed. To this end the concept of Latency Based Multilateration was introduced, acting as an additional metric for remote host fingerprinting. The vast amount of information gathered by the AR-Framework required the development of visualisation tools which could illustrate this data in near-realtime and also provided various degrees of interaction to accommodate human interpretation of such data. Ultimately the data collected through the application of the near-realtime Distributed Sensor Network and AR-Framework provided a unique perspective of a malicious host demographic. Allowing for new correlations to be drawn between attributes such as common open ports and operating systems, location, and inferred intent of these malicious hosts. The result of which expands our current understanding of malicious hosts on the Internet and enables further research in the area.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018