The Big Bad Worm of 2009

The Big Bad Worm of 2009 - Conficker

Been hearing about this worm since November 2008. The researchers have found that it may have a payload that it may unleash today. Not sure how bad it could be, depending on all those un-patched machines out there in the wild.

So what does it do.... It has a very interesting payload and we have already seen more than 4 variants. Interestingly it looks like they let version A and B to check on how the community is going to respond. The cabal to counter its domain generation algorithm got a new lease and a new algorithm in the C version and also contains a p2p communication mechanism. The other part is how a digital signatures can be used effectively to control the compromised host. This is important to protect other bot commanders to take over the already compromised Conficker bots.

Network traces have not yielded much, but looks like it is a widely distributed system which has already started pushing the latest DLL updates across to the already compromised machines. Lets look at the changes we may perceive from the new variant today. The variant is supposed to have a payload that is activated on April 1st.

An interesting and well researched article on the conficker C variant

http://mtc.sri.com/Conficker/addendumC/

Comments

The Cybersecurity Certification Landscape

What does a typical Cybersecurity Professional need to buttress his credentials. Certifications should be thought of as our ability to present the credentials in a manner that makes it easy for the person to understand and note that the person has the ability and understand cybersecurity jargon and best practices to put to practice the various options as to how we protect our assets. The table was built to provide a set of certifications, what they test you for and the training that is requried to achieve the objective. As said the certificate is only a part of the story, it is the skills in addition to the understanding of the concepts that would be important for the cybersecuity professional to prove to his peers and his team as to his ability to protect the organization against threats. Certification Skills Tested Roles Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Security and risk management, asset security, security architecture and engineering, communication and ne

Are you a CISO in the making? What it takes to become one?

A good CISO is a strategic leader who can articulate the business value of cybersecurity and build a strong security program that aligns with the organization's overall goals. They have a deep understanding of the latest cybersecurity threats and technologies, and they are able to translate this knowledge into actionable insights that can be used to protect the organization. A good CISO also has strong communication and interpersonal skills. They are able to build relationships with key stakeholders, including the board of directors, the CEO, and other senior executives. They are also able to communicate effectively with employees at all levels of the organization, and they are able to build a culture of security within the organization. In terms of technical skills, a good CISO should have a strong understanding of the following areas: Network security: This includes knowledge of firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and other network security technologies. Application securit

Where are we headed ... A crystal ball into Cybersecurity in the next five years .. Are we ready?

The future of Cyber Security: Trends and Predictions for the Next 5 years The field of cybersecurity is constantly evolving, and the threats are only getting more sophisticated. In the next five years, we can expect to see a number of trends emerge in the field of cybersecurity, including: The rise of artificial intelligence (AI). AI is already being used by cybercriminals to develop more sophisticated and targeted attacks. As AI continues to develop, it is likely that cybercriminals will be able to use it to even greater effect. The increasing use of cloud computing. Cloud computing has many benefits, but it also introduces new security challenges. Cloud-based data is often more vulnerable to attack than data that is stored on-premises. The growth of the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT is connecting billions of devices to the internet, which creates a vast new attack surface for cybercriminals. IoT devices are often poorly secured, making them easy targets for attack. The shortage

Aardvarks to Zorillas - Anything goes

Search This Blog