Question

a) One of your friends is concerned that attackers could be exploiting a vulnerability in software to gain access to resources that the user normally would be restricted from accessing. In this regard he/she has asked for your help. Identify the type of attack for which your friend is worried and propose a solution.

b) You have recently joined a large enterprise as an information security officer. In a recent meeting, you were asked which of the standard networking devices already present on the network could be configured to supplement the specific network security hardware devices that were recently purchased. Identify and discuss two standard networking devices which you would recommend. How could these devices help in securing information in a networked scenario?

Answer 1

a) Privilege Escalation is the attack where the attackers could be exploiting a vulnerability in the software to gain access to resources that the user normally would be restricted from accessing.

The solutions to privilege escalation are as follows:

i) Try using unique and secure passwords and change them periodically to avoid being hacked or attacked.

ii) Keep two-factor authentication especially using sensitive data in the software.

iii) Keep critical data on the server-side rather than on the client-side.

iv) Keep the system patched or updated.

v) Encrypt the data that is to be sent to the server-side and secure it with digital signature.

b) Router and Switching can be configured to supplement the specific network security hardware devices.

A router is an internetworking device that connects the system distributed over a large area and connects devices with the internet. The router chooses the best path for the information to travel. It acts as a secure networking device as it protects the data from attacks and even blocks the unnecessary incoming data. It also provides a secure path for communication between mobile workers and employees of the organisations.

A switch is an intelligent networking device that can be connected to many systems but sends data packets to the only specified MAC address. Therefore no unnecessary will be created and there will be no unnecessary wastage of bandwidth. Also, because of the specified MAC address, the information is highly secured. Switches works in DLL(Data Link Layer).