Tag: cyberwar

The importance of preparation

March 6, 2022 /

I started wondering how people can prepare themselves for such times, given the recent events. Military clashes are happening in the real world and the cyber one in modern times. The are many parallels between defending assets in both of these worlds. In this article, I shall try listing the different approaches one could use to harden their defenses. At the same time, I shall try giving a clear picture of the target goals of the defenders. 

So what is the ultimate goal of every defender? By default, it is to make the cost of the attack too high, and this way to diminish the gains of that attack. This kind of narrative is often seen in many books focused on the defensive side of cybersecurity. It is important to note that sometimes, people attack other people for personal reasons or even because of emotion. In these cases, attackers usually do not care how much it will cost them to perform the attack. As a defender, we should consider these reasons during the design phase of our defense.

You can see a sample architecture of an off-grid data center on the diagram. Such data centers have much better resilience during any events

There is one exciting proverb regarding the importance of preparation – more sweat in training, less blood in the fight. If we transfer this to the realm of cyber security – the more efforts we put into preparing the infrastructure, the less likely it is to be penetrated. So how we can prepare ourselves for an attack:

  • Buy quality equipment: Your equipment shouldn’t be the most expensive or cheapest. You need gear that can do the job and have a lifespan of at least five years. It is a good idea to buy multiple pieces, so you have hot swaps in case of failure. Items in the middle price range usually are good candidates. 
  • Plan and train: There is little sense in having great gear without using it. Regular training sharpens the skills and decreases the reaction time during the use of the equipment. At the same time, testing the items help check their limits and allows the designer to prepare a better defense. In the realm of cybersecurity, we could do regular red/blue team games where the red team will try to penetrate the infrastructure, and the blue team will defend it.
  • Be realistic: If your attacker has much more resources (money and time) than you, they will penetrate you. There is no great sense in making sure your electronic infrastructure survives an EMP wave coming after a detonation of a nuclear warhead. At the same time, it makes excellent sense to make sure your data is backed up into a protected vault and that you have replacement units if such an event happens.
  • Hack and Slash: Don’t be afraid to modify your equipment if it does not suit your needs. Many security units prefer buying cheaper equipment and rigging it for double or triple purposes. Play around with your gear, and don’t be afraid of breaking it. Sometimes you can find real gems by doing that.

In conclusion, preparation for any defense activity comes with a lot of research. The primary goal of every defender is to increase the cost of attack. The higher the price is, the less motivated the attacker will be. Often the resources of both sides are asymmetric, and thus, some defenders must think such as guerilla fighters or even as Start-Up owners. They have to squeeze the last piece of efficiency provided by their infrastructure.

Should countries hire hacker-privateers to engage other coutries in cyber wars?

January 22, 2022 /

Unfortunately, during the last two years, we saw quite a rise in the number of cybercrimes worldwide. Many attacks allegedly came from nation-state actors, and we observed much blame in the public media space supporting this statement. Life is indeed a challenge, and the strongest ones almost always win. Still, there is a subdue difference between being aggressive and attacking foreign countries and defending your interests and infrastructure. 

As a matter of fact, we could categorize the last couple of years as a series of standalone cyber battles, which could finally end in a fully-fledged cyberwar. And in such situations, some people start fantasizing about hiring hackers-privateers and starting a Cyber World War, where teams of the best hackers will fight each other. It sounds like an incredible plot for a sci-fi novel, but there are reasons why such actions could lead to disaster in reality:

On the diagram, you can see the standard military uses of electrical and communication equipment. Cyberwarfare privateers can use their skills to attack many targets without even going near the real battlefield
  • Global World: We live in a global village. The world is no more disconnected, and one crisis can quickly affect it. Check the COVID-19 situation, for instance. Despite its allegedly natural origin, it blocked the global economy and opened many old wounds. Now, believe me, if a worldwide cyberwar happens, we shall have much more complex problems, which could easily lead to conventional or even a nuclear, large-scale war.
  • Ethical Reasons: An old proverb states that one is to be able, another is to have the will, and the entirely different thing is to do it. Ethical hackers could start a fully-fledged cyberwar suitable for their businesses. However, I believe that cybersecurity must be more oriented to stopping criminals rather than achieving political agenda or starting conventional or nuclear wars. 
  • Willingness: Most white hat cybersecurity specialists will not act of aggression for any sum of money. As patriots, they care for the well-being of their country; however, one thing is being a patriot, another is doing destructive actions versus another country or organization. At the same time, most hackers are criminals. Working for state actors will reveal their personalities and end them in jail. These statements reduce the number of individuals willing to work, such as hacker-privateers, to a tiny number.

In conclusion, cybersecurity and hacking are not similar to conventional armies. Sure, we can use the same terminology and ever do “war” games. But essentially, the whole sector is more identical to the standard private security companies, which defend infrastructure perimeters and fight crime. The role of pentesting companies is to test these defenses acting like criminals. Everything other than that should be categorized as cyber warfare and be forbidden.