Cybersecurity Skills

"Companies spend millions of dollars on firewalls, encryption, and secure access devices, and it's money wasted because none of these measures address the weakest link in the security chain: the people who use, administer, operate, and account for computer systems that contain protected information,"

- Kevin David Mitnick

Cybersecurity, while not traditionally associated with physical repairs, is crucial in safeguarding the digital world and your digital assets. Just as repairing your iPhone's screen or replacing your PC's thermal paste ensures optimal functionality, identifying and fixing vulnerabilities can be considered a "digital repair." This page is dedicated to helping users understand, address, and prevent cybersecurity vulnerabilities in various devices, systems, and applications.

• What is Cybersecurity?
  • Cybersecurity protects digital systems, networks, and devices from cyber threats, including hacking, data breaches, malware, and identity theft.
• Importance of Cybersecurity
  • Cybersecurity is essential for individuals, businesses, and organizations to prevent unauthorized access, maintain data privacy, and ensure a safe online environment.

In cybersecurity, a vulnerability refers to a weakness or flaw in a system, software, hardware, or process that malicious actors can exploit to compromise the system's security or gain unauthorized access. Vulnerabilities can exist in various forms, akin to weaknesses in the digital armor protecting your data and systems.

• Potential Impact: Vulnerabilities can have varying levels of impact, from minor inconveniences to severe security breaches. Some vulnerabilities may lead to data leaks, while others could result in the total compromise of a system or network.
• Exploitation: Malicious actors, often referred to as hackers or cybercriminals, actively seek and exploit vulnerabilities to achieve their objectives. This exploitation can include gaining unauthorized access, stealing sensitive data, launching attacks, or causing system failures.
• Mitigation and Remediation: Cybersecurity professionals and organizations actively work to identify and address vulnerabilities through patching, updating software, improving configurations, and implementing security best practices. This ongoing process is essential for reducing the risk associated with vulnerabilities.

Vulnerabilities can manifest as software bugs, misconfigurations, design flaws, or human errors. They are categorized into different types, including but not limited to:

• Software Vulnerabilities: These include issues within computer programs or applications, such as buffer overflows, code injection, and SQL injection.
• Hardware Vulnerabilities: These relate to weaknesses in physical devices or components, such as vulnerabilities in microprocessors like Meltdown and Spectre.
• Network Vulnerabilities: These involve weaknesses in network configurations, protocols, or devices that can be exploited to gain unauthorized access or disrupt network operations.

• Description: A system misconfiguration refers to the improper or incorrect setup of software, hardware, or network components within a computer system or network infrastructure. It occurs when system settings, parameters, or configurations deviate from recommended or intended configurations, leading to unexpected behaviors, vulnerabilities, or performance issues. System misconfigurations can arise from human errors, lack of knowledge, inadequate testing, or changes made without a comprehensive understanding of the system's dependencies. Addressing system misconfigurations is crucial for maintaining a computing environment's security, stability, and optimal functionality, as they can expose vulnerabilities that malicious actors may exploit and disrupt the system's intended operations.
• Example: Leaving default login credentials on a network router, allowing unauthorized access to its settings.

• Description: A zero-day vulnerability refers to a security flaw in software, hardware, or an operating system that cyber attackers exploit before the vendor becomes aware of. The term "zero-day" signifies that there are zero days between the discovery of the vulnerability and the first attack exploiting it. Because the vendor has had no time to develop and release a fix, these vulnerabilities pose significant risks to systems and data. Zero-day vulnerabilities are highly sought after by cybercriminals and state-sponsored actors due to their potential for launching targeted attacks. Organizations and individuals often rely on security experts to swiftly detect and mitigate these vulnerabilities to minimize potential damage. The discovery of a zero-day vulnerability underscores the constant challenge of maintaining cybersecurity against evolving threats.
• Example: A newly discovered flaw in an operating system that the software vendor has not yet patched.

• Description: Missing or weak authorization credentials refer to a critical security lapse where systems, applications, or services fail to properly authenticate and authorize users, granting unintended access to sensitive resources. Authorization involves verifying if a user possesses the necessary permissions to access specific functionalities or data within a system. When authorization credentials are missing or weak, attackers may exploit this gap to gain unauthorized entry, potentially compromising confidential data, financial transactions, or control over critical infrastructure. Invalid credentials could encompass using default usernames and passwords, employing easily guessable credentials, or overlooking multi-factor authentication. Organizations must implement robust access controls, encryption, and multi-factor authentication to fortify authorization mechanisms and prevent unauthorized access, bolstering overall security posture and safeguarding against potential breaches.
• Example: Allowing users to access sensitive financial data without proper authentication and authorization.

• Description: SQL injection is a malicious technique employed by cyber attackers to manipulate and exploit vulnerabilities in web applications that interact with databases. This method involves inserting malicious SQL (Structured Query Language) code into input fields of a website or application, tricking the system into executing unintended database queries. This can lead to unauthorized access, data theft, manipulation, or complete database control. SQL injection attacks target poorly sanitized user inputs, enabling attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms, retrieve sensitive information, modify data, or execute administrative commands. To mitigate the risks of SQL injection, developers must implement thorough input validation, parameterized queries, and prepared statements to prevent attackers from injecting malicious code. Regular security assessments and prompt patching of identified vulnerabilities are crucial to maintaining the security of web applications and safeguarding sensitive data from potential breaches.
• Example: Entering malicious SQL code in a login form to gain unauthorized access to a database.

• Description: Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a web security vulnerability in which attackers inject malicious scripts into otherwise benign and trusted websites or web applications. These scripts are then executed by unsuspecting users visiting the compromised sites, allowing attackers to steal sensitive information, manipulate content, or perform actions on behalf of the user. XSS attacks occur when a web application fails to validate and sanitize user inputs properly, allowing malicious code to be executed within a user's browser. There are different types of XSS attacks, including stored, reflected, and DOM-based XSS, each exploiting various aspects of how web applications handle user-generated content. Developers must implement input validation, output encoding, and content security policies to mitigate XSS vulnerabilities. Regular security testing and prompt patching of identified vulnerabilities are crucial to maintaining the integrity of web applications and ensuring a safe online experience for users.
• Example: Adding a script to a website's comment section that steals user login credentials.

• Description: Buffer overflow is a critical software vulnerability when a program or application attempts to write more data into a memory buffer than it can hold, overflowing excess data into adjacent memory locations. Attackers exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious inputs overflowing the buffer, often injecting harmful code into the adjacent memory regions. This can enable remote code execution, unauthorized access, or system crashes. Buffer overflow vulnerabilities are especially risky in languages like C and C++, where memory management is manual, making them susceptible to incorrect memory allocation. Preventing buffer overflows requires rigorous input validation, secure coding practices, and proper memory management techniques. Security updates, patches, and regular code audits are essential to identifying and addressing buffer overflow vulnerabilities, thus enhancing the overall security of software systems.
• Example: A stack-based buffer overflow in a software application that allows remote code execution.

• Description: Missing security updates refer to a significant cybersecurity risk wherein software applications, operating systems, or devices lack the latest patches and updates vendors provide to address known vulnerabilities. If left unpatched, malicious actors can exploit these vulnerabilities to compromise systems, steal sensitive data, or gain unauthorized access. Missing security updates can result from oversight, delay in applying patches, or neglect to update software regularly. This underscores the importance of promptly using security updates to ensure systems remain resilient against emerging threats. Regularly updating software, operating systems, and applications with the latest security patches is a fundamental defense mechanism that helps maintain a robust cybersecurity posture and protect against potential breaches.
• Example: Not updating an operating system with critical security patches, leaving it vulnerable to known attacks.

Create strong, unique passwords for each online account. Use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Consider using a reputable password manager to store and generate secure passwords.

Enable 2FA whenever possible. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second verification step, such as a code sent to your phone in addition to your password.

Keep your operating system, software, and applications up to date. Updates often include security patches that address vulnerabilities.

Be cautious of unsolicited emails, messages, or links. Avoid clicking on suspicious links or providing personal information to unknown sources.

Use a strong password for your Wi-Fi network and enable WPA3 encryption. Avoid using public Wi-Fi for sensitive transactions.

Install a reputable antivirus program and enable your device's built-in firewall to protect against malware and unauthorized access.

Review and adjust privacy settings on social media platforms, apps, and devices. Limit the amount of personal information you share online.

• What is cybersecurity?
• Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
• ThreatPost.com