CyberSecurity 101 and Top 25 AWS Certified Security Specialty Questions and Answers Dumps

Almost 4.57 billion people were active internet users as of July 2020, encompassing 59 percent of the global population.  94% of enterprises use cloud. 77% of organizations worldwide have at least one application running on the cloud. This results in an exponential growth of cyber attacks. Therefore, CyberSecurity is one  the biggest challenge to individuals and organizations worldwide:  158,727 cyber attacks per hour, 2,645 per minute and 44 every second of every day.  

In this blog, we cover the Top 25 AWS Certified Security Specialty Questions and Answers Dumps and all latest and relevant information about CyberSecurity including:

• CyberSecurity Key Terms
• CyberSecurity Certification Roadmap
• Hacking Tools Cheat Sheet
• Wireshark Cheat Sheet
• CyberSecurity Top Posts on Reddit
• Best CyberSecurity Books
• Best CyberSecurity Online Training
• Best CyberSecurity Courses
• Best CyberSecurity Podcasts
• Best Cybersecurity Youtube Channels
• CyberSecurity Jobs
• CyberSecurity Cheat Sheets
• How SSl Certificates Works
• Penetration Testing Terms
• CyberSecurity Post COVID-19
• CyberSecurity Questions and Answers
• What are the best ways to protect yourself on the internet?
• Who are the notable hackers
• History of RansomWare

I- The AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C01) examination is intended for  individuals who perform a security role. This exam validates an examinee’s ability to effectively demonstrate knowledge about securing the AWS platform.

It validates an examinee’s ability to demonstrate:

An understanding of specialized data classifications and AWS data protection mechanisms.

An understanding of data-encryption methods and AWS mechanisms to implement them.

An understanding of secure Internet protocols and AWS mechanisms to implement them.

A working knowledge of AWS security services and features of services to provide a secure production environment.

Competency gained from two or more years of production deployment experience using AWS security services and features.

The ability to make tradeoff decisions with regard to cost, security, and deployment complexity given a set of application requirements.

An understanding of security operations and risks.

Below are the Top 25 AWS Certified Security Specialty Questions and Answers Dumps including Notes, Hint and References:

Question 1:  When requested through an STS API call, credentials are returned with what three components?

ANSWER1: Show Answer

Notes/Hint1: Show Notes

Reference1: Security Token, Access Key ID, Secret Access Key

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Question 2: A company has AWS workloads in multiple geographical locations. A Developer has created an Amazon Aurora database in the us-west-1 Region. The database is encrypted using a customer-managed AWS KMS key. Now the Developer wants to create the same encrypted database in the us-east-1 Region. Which approach should the Developer take to accomplish this task?

ANSWER2: Show Answer

Notes/Hint2: Show Notes

Reference2: copies an encrypted snapshot, KMS Keys are Region-specific

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Question 3: A corporate cloud security policy states that communication between the company’s VPC and KMS must travel entirely within the AWS network and not use public service endpoints. Which combination of the following actions MOST satisfies this requirement? (Select TWO.) 

ANSWER3: Show Answer

Notes/Hint3: Show Notes

Reference3: AWS KMS

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Question 4: An application team is designing a solution with two applications. The security team wants the applications’ logs to be captured in two different places, because one of the applications produces logs with sensitive data. Which solution meets the requirement with the LEAST risk and effort? 

ANSWER4: Show Answer

Notes/Hint4: Show Notes

Reference4: Amazon CloudWatch Logs log group.

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Question 5: A security engineer must set up security group rules for a three-tier application: 

• Presentation tier – Accessed by users over the web, protected by the security group presentation-sg
• Logic tier – RESTful API accessed from the presentation tier through HTTPS, protected by the security group logic-sg
• Data tier – SQL Server database accessed over port 1433 from the logic tier, protected by the security group data-sg

ANSWER5: Show Answer

Notes/Hint5: Show Notes

Reference5: n-tier architecture

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Question 6: A security engineer is working with a product team building a web application on AWS. The application uses Amazon S3 to host the static content, Amazon API Gateway to provide RESTful services, and Amazon DynamoDB as the backend data store. The users already exist in a directory that is exposed through a SAML identity provider. Which combination of the following actions should the engineer take to enable users to be authenticated into the web application and call APIs? (Select THREE). 

ANSWER6: Show Answer

Notes/Hint6: Show Notes

Reference6: user pool attributes Amazon API Gateway 

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Question 7: A company is hosting a web application on AWS and is using an Amazon S3 bucket to store images. Users should have the ability to read objects in the bucket. A security engineer has written the following bucket policy to grant public read access:

ANSWER7: Show Answer

Notes/Hint7: Show Notes

Reference7: IAM Policy – Access to S3 bucket

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Question 8: A company decides to place database hosts in its own VPC, and to set up VPC peering to different VPCs containing the application and web tiers. The application servers are unable to connect to the database. Which network troubleshooting steps should be taken to resolve the issue? (Select TWO.)

ANSWER8: Show Answer

Notes/Hint8: Show Notes

Reference8: route tables ,  rules to the security group , security group in the other VPC

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Question 9: A company is building a data lake on Amazon S3. The data consists of millions of small files containing sensitive information. The security team has the following requirements for the architecture: 

• Data must be encrypted in transit. 
• Data must be encrypted at rest. 
• The bucket must be private, but if the bucket is accidentally made public, the data must remain confidential. 

ANSWER9: Show Answer

Notes/Hint9: Show Notes

Reference9: Bucket encryption using KMS, privileges granted data in transit

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Question 10: A security engineer must ensure that all API calls are collected across all company accounts, and that they are preserved online and are instantly available for analysis for 90 days. For compliance reasons, this data must be restorable for 7 years. Which steps must be taken to meet the retention needs in a scalable, cost-effective way? 

ANSWER10: Show Answer

Notes/Hint10: Show Notes

Reference10: lifecycle policies

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Question 11: A security engineer has been informed that a user’s access key has been found on GitHub. The engineer must ensure that this access key cannot continue to be used, and must assess whether the access key was used to perform any unauthorized activities. Which steps must be taken to perform these tasks? 

ANSWER11: Show Answer

Notes/Hint11: Show Notes

Reference11: malicious activities

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Question 12: You have a CloudFront distribution configured with the following path patterns: When users request objects that start with ‘static2/’, they are receiving 404 response codes. What might be the problem?

A) CloudFront distributions cannot have multiple different origin types

B) The ‘*’ path pattern must appear after the ‘static2/*’ path

ANSWER12: Show Answer

Notes/Hint12: Show Notes

Reference12: CloudFront

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Question 13: An application running on EC2 instances processes sensitive information stored on Amazon S3. The information is accessed over the Internet. The security team is concerned that the Internet connectivity to Amazon S3 is a security risk. Which solution will resolve the security concern?

ANSWER13: Show Answer

Notes/Hint13: Show Notes

Reference13: S3 VPC Endpoints

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Question 14: An organization is building an Amazon Redshift cluster in their shared services VPC. The cluster will host sensitive data. How can the organization control which networks can access the cluster?

ANSWER14: Show Answer

Notes/Hint14: Show Notes

Reference14: AWS Security best practice

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Question 15: From a security perspective, what is a principal?

ANSWER15: Show Answer

Notes/Hint15: Show Notes

Reference15: IAM

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Question 16: A company is storing an access key (access key ID and secret access key) in a text file on a custom AMI. The company uses the access key to access DynamoDB tables from instances created from the AMI. The security team has mandated a more secure solution. Which solution will meet the security team’s mandate?

ANSWER16: Show Answer

Notes/Hint16: Show Notes

Reference16: IAM Roles for EC2

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Question 17: While signing in REST/ Query requests, for additional security, you should transmit your requests using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) by using ____.”,

ANSWER17: Show Notes

Notes/Hint17: Show Answer

Reference17: Rest API

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Question 18: You are using AWS Envelope Encryption for encrypting all sensitive data. Which of the followings is True with regards to Envelope Encryption?

ANSWER18: Show Answer

Notes/Hint18: Show Notes

Reference18: KMS

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Question 19: Your company has developed a web application and is hosting it in an Amazon S3 bucket configured for static website hosting. The users can log in to this app using their Google/Facebook login accounts. The application is using the AWS SDK for JavaScript in the browser to access data stored in an Amazon DynamoDB table. How can you ensure that API keys for access to your data in DynamoDB are kept secure?

ANSWER2: Show Answer

Notes/Hint19: Show Notes

Reference19: About Web Identity Federation

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Question 20: Your application currently makes use of AWS Cognito for managing user identities. You want to analyze the information that is stored in AWS Cognito for your application. Which of the following features of AWS Cognito should you use for this purpose?

ANSWER20: Show Answer

Notes/Hint20: Show Notes

Reference20: Cognito Streams

ANSWER21: Show Answer

Notes/Hint21: Show Notes

Reference21: AWS Key Management Service FAQs

Question 22: Which of the following statements are correct? (Choose 2)

ANSWER22: Show Answer

Notes/Hint22: Show Notes

Reference22: KMS

ANSWER23: Show Answer

Notes/Hint23: Show Notes

Reference23: Envelope encryption

Question 24: Which command can you use to encrypt a plain text file using CMK?

ANSWER24: Show Answer

Notes/Hint24: Show Notes

Reference24: AWS CLI Encrypt

Question 25: If an EC2 instance uses an instance role, key rotation is automatic and handled by __.

ANSWER25: Show Answer

Notes/Hint25: Show Notes

Reference25: IAM/STS

Question 26: A Security engineer must develop an AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) strategy for a company’s organization in AWS Organizations. The company needs to give developers autonomy to develop and test their applications on AWS, but the company also needs to implement security guardrails to help protect itself. The company creates and distributes applications with different levels of data classification and types. The solution must maximize scalability.

Which combination of steps should the security engineer take to meet these requirements? (Choose three.)

A) Create an SCP to restrict access to highly privileged or unauthorized actions to specific AM principals. Assign the SCP to the appropriate AWS accounts.

B) Create an IAM permissions boundary to allow access to specific actions and IAM principals. Assign the IAM permissions boundary to all AM principals within the organization

C) Create a delegated IAM role that has capabilities to create other IAM roles. Use the delegated IAM role to provision IAM principals by following the principle of least privilege.

D) Create OUs based on data classification and type. Add the AWS accounts to the appropriate OU. Provide developers access to the AWS accounts based on business need.

E) Create IAM groups based on data classification and type. Add only the required developers’ IAM role to the IAM groups within each AWS account.

F) Create IAM policies based on data classification and type. Add the minimum required IAM policies to the developers’ IAM role within each AWS account.

Question 27: A Network Load Balancer (NLB) target instance is not entering the InService state. A security engineer determines that health checks are failing,

Which factors could cause the health check failures? (Choose three.)

A) The target instance’s security group does not allow traffic from the NLB.

B) The target instance’s security group is not attached to the NLB

C) The NLB’s security group is not attached to the target instance.

D) The target instance’s subnet network ACL does not allow traffic from the NLB.

E) The target instance’s security group is not using IP addresses to allow traffic from the NLB.

F) The target network ACL is not attached to the NLB.

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II- SOURCES:

0- Djamgatech Cloud Security Playlist on Youtube:

1- Developer Certified Exam Prep Pro App

2- Prepare for Your AWS Certification Exam

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CYBERSECURITY KEY TERMS

1- Security Key Terms:

• • Cryptography:  Practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties called adversaries.

• • Hacking: catch-all term for any type of misuse of a computer to break the security of another computing system to steal data, corrupt systems or files, commandeer the environment or disrupt data-related activities in any way.

• • Cyberwarfare: Uuse of technology to attack a nation, causing comparable harm to actual warfare. There is significant debate among experts regarding the definition of cyberwarfare, and even if such a thing exists

• • Penetration testing: Colloquially known as a pen test, pentest or ethical hacking, is an authorized simulated cyberattack on a computer system, performed to evaluate the security of the system. Not to be confused with a vulnerability assessment.

• • • Malwares: Any software intentionally designed to cause damage to a computer, server, client, or computer network. A wide variety of malware types exist, including computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, ransomware, spyware, adware, rogue software, and scareware. 
  • Malware Analysis Tool: Any .Run Malware hunting with live access to the heart of an incident https://any.run/Malware Analysis Total:  VirusTotal – Analyze suspicious files and URLs to detect types of malware, automatically share them with the security community https://www.virustotal.com/gui/

• • VPN: A virtual private network (VPN) extends a private network across a public network and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. Applications running across a VPN may therefore benefit from the functionality, security, and management of the private network. Encryption is a common, although not an inherent, part of a VPN connection.

• • Antivirus: Antivirus software, or anti-virus software (abbreviated to AV software), also known as anti-malware, is a computer program used to prevent, detect, and remove malware.

• • DDos: A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is one of the most powerful weapons on the internet. When you hear about a website being “brought down by hackers,” it generally means it has become a victim of a DDoS attack.

• • Fraud Detection: Set of activities undertaken to prevent money or property from being obtained through false pretenses. Fraud detection is applied to many industries such as banking or insurance. In banking, fraud may include forging checks or using stolen credit cards.

• • Spywares: Spyware describes software with malicious behavior that aims to gather information about a person or organization and send such information to another entity in a way that harms the user; for example by violating their privacy or endangering their device’s security.
  • Spoofing: Disguising a communication from an unknown source as being from a known, trusted source
  • Pharming: Malicious websites that look legitimate and are used to gather usernames and passwords.
  • Catfishing: Creating a fake profile for fraudulent or deceptive purposes

• • SSL: Stands for secure sockets layer. Protocol for web browsers and servers that allows for the authentication, encryption and decryption of data sent over the Internet.
  • Phishing emails: Disguised as trustworthy entity to lure someone into providing sensitive information

• • Intrusion detection System: Device or software application that monitors a network or systems for malicious activity or policy violations. Any intrusion activity or violation is typically reported either to an administrator or collected centrally using a security information and event management system.

• • Encryption: Encryption is the method by which information is converted into secret code that hides the information’s true meaning. The science of encrypting and decrypting information is called cryptography. In computing, unencrypted data is also known as plaintext, and encrypted data is called ciphertext.

• • MFA: Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is defined as a security mechanism that requires an individual to provide two or more credentials in order to authenticate their identity. In IT, these credentials take the form of passwords, hardware tokens, numerical codes, biometrics, time, and location.

• • Vulnerabilities: A vulnerability is a hole or a weakness in the application, which can be a design flaw or an implementation bug, that allows an attacker to cause harm to the stakeholders of an application. Stakeholders include the application owner, application users, and other entities that rely on the application.

• • SQL injections: SQL injection is a code injection technique, used to attack data-driven applications, in which malicious SQL statements are inserted into an entry field for execution.

• • Cyber attacks: In computers and computer networks an attack is any attempt to expose, alter, disable, destroy, steal or gain unauthorized access to or make unauthorized use of an asset.

• • Confidentiality: Confidentiality involves a set of rules or a promise usually executed through confidentiality agreements that limits access or places restrictions on certain types of information.

• • Secure channel: In cryptography, a secure channel is a way of transferring data that is resistant to overhearing and tampering. A confidential channel is a way of transferring data that is resistant to overhearing, but not necessarily resistant to tampering.

• • Tunneling: Communications protocol that allows for the movement of data from one network to another. It involves allowing private network communications to be sent across a public network through a process called encapsulation.

• • SSH: Secure Shell is a cryptographic network protocol for operating network services securely over an unsecured network. Typical applications include remote command-line, login, and remote command execution, but any network service can be secured with SSH.

• • SSL Certificates: SSL certificates are what enable websites to move from HTTP to HTTPS, which is more secure. An SSL certificate is a data file hosted in a website’s origin server. SSL certificates make SSL/TLS encryption possible, and they contain the website’s public key and the website’s identity, along with related information.

• • Phishing: Phishing is a cybercrime in which a target or targets are contacted by email, telephone or text message by someone posing as a legitimate institution to lure individuals into providing sensitive data such as personally identifiable information, banking and credit card details, and passwords.

• • Cybercrime: Cybercrime, or computer-oriented crime, is a crime that involves a computer and a network. The computer may have been used in the commission of a crime, or it may be the target. Cybercrime may threaten a person, company or a nation’s security and financial health.

• • Backdoor: A backdoor is a means to access a computer system or encrypted data that bypasses the system’s customary security mechanisms. A developer may create a backdoor so that an application or operating system can be accessed for troubleshooting or other purposes.

• • Salt and Hash: A cryptographic salt is made up of random bits added to each password instance before its hashing. Salts create unique passwords even in the instance of two users choosing the same passwords. Salts help us mitigate rainbow table attacks by forcing attackers to re-compute them using the salts.

• • Password: A password, sometimes called a passcode,^[1] is a memorized secret, typically a string of characters, usually used to confirm the identity of a user.^[2] Using the terminology of the NIST Digital Identity Guidelines,^[3] the secret is memorized by a party called the claimant while the party verifying the identity of the claimant is called the verifier. When the claimant successfully demonstrates knowledge of the password to the verifier through an established authentication protocol,^[4] the verifier is able to infer the claimant’s identity.

• • Fingerprint: A fingerprint is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. The recovery of partial fingerprints from a crime scene is an important method of forensic science. Moisture and grease on a finger result in fingerprints on surfaces such as glass or metal.

• • Facial recognition: Facial recognition works better for a person as compared to fingerprint detection. It releases the person from the hassle of moving their thumb or index finger to a particular place on their mobile phone. A user would just have to bring their phone in level with their eye.

• • Asymmetric key ciphers versus symmetric key ciphers (Difference between symmetric and  Asymmetric encryption): The basic difference between these two types of encryption is that symmetric encryption uses one key for both encryption and decryption, and the asymmetric encryption uses public key for encryption and a private key for decryption.

• • Decryption: The conversion of encrypted data into its original form is called Decryption. It is generally a reverse process of encryption. It decodes the encrypted information so that an authorized user can only decrypt the data because decryption requires a secret key or password.

• • Algorithms: Finite sequence of well-defined, computer-implementable instructions, typically to solve a class of problems or to perform a computation.

• • Authentication: is the act of proving an assertion, such as the identity of a computer system user. In contrast with identification, the act of indicating a person or thing’s identity, authentication is the process of verifying that identity. It might involve validating personal identity documents, verifying the authenticity of a website with a digital certificate,^[1] determining the age of an artifact by carbon dating, or ensuring that a product or document is not counterfeit.

• • DFIR: Digital forensic and incident response: Multidisciplinary profession that focuses on identifying, investigating, and remediating computer network exploitation. This can take varied forms and involves a wide variety of skills, kinds of attackers, an kinds of targets. We’ll discuss those more below.

• • • OTP: One Time Password: A one-time password, also known as one-time PIN or dynamic password, is a password that is valid for only one login session or transaction, on a computer system or other digital device

• • Proxy Server and Reverse Proxy Server:A proxy server is a go‑between or intermediary server that forwards requests for content from multiple clients to different servers across the Internet. A reverse proxy server is a type of proxy server that typically sits behind the firewall in a private network and directs client requests to the appropriate backend server.

LATEST CYBER SECURITY NEWS

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Show All Around Defender Primers

• Linux CLI 101 https://wiki.sans.blue/Tools/pdfs/LinuxCLI101.pdf
• Linux CLI https://wiki.sans.blue/Tools/pdfs/LinuxCLI.pdf
• PowerShell Primer https://wiki.sans.blue/Tools/pdfs/PowerShell.pdf
• PowerShell Get-WinEvent https://wiki.sans.blue/Tools/pdfs/Get-WinEvent.pdf

Show Offensive * Exploit Database

Offensive * Exploit Database – The Exploit Database is maintained by Offensive Security, an information security training company that provides various Information Security Certifications as well as high end penetration testing services. https://www.exploit-db.com/

CYBERSECURITY NEWS

• Krebs On Security In depth security news and investigation https://krebsonsecurity.com/
• Dark Reading Cyber security’s comprehensive news site is now an online community for security professionals. https://www.darkreading.com/
• The Hacker News – The Hacker News (THN) is a leading, trusted, widely-acknowledged dedicated cybersecurity news platform, attracting over 8 million monthly readers including IT professionals, researchers, hackers, technologists, and enthusiasts. https://thehackernews.com
• SecuriTeam – A free and independent source of vulnerability information. https://securiteam.com/
• SANS NewsBites – “A semiweekly high-level executive summary of the most important news articles that have been published on computer security during the last week. Each news item is very briefly summarized and includes a reference on the web for detailed information, if possible.” Published for free on Tuesdays and Fridays. https://www.sans.org/newsletters/newsbites

CYBERSECURITY YOUTUBE CHANNELS

YouTube Channels

This list was originally forked/curated from here: https://wportal.xyz/collection/cybersec-yt1 on (7/29/2020) Attribution and appreciation to d4rckh

• Djamga Technology
• SimplyCyber Weekly vids, Simply Cyber brings Information security related content to help IT or Information Security professionals take their career further, faster. Current cyber security industry topics and techniques are explored to promote a career in the field. Topics cover offense, defense, governance, risk, compliance, privacy, education, certification, conferences; all with the intent of professional development. https://www.youtube.com/c/GeraldAuger
• IPPSec https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa6eh7gCkpPo5XXUDfygQQA
• Tradecraft Security Weekly – Want to learn about all of the latest security tools and techniques? https://wiki.securityweekly.com/Tradecraft_Security_Weekly
• Derek Rook – CTF/Boot2root/wargames Walkthrough – lots of lengthy screenshot instructional vids https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMACXuWd2w6_IEGog744UaA
• Adrian Crenshaw – lots of lengthy con-style talks https://www.youtube.com/user/irongeek
• LionSec – lots of brief screenshot instructional vids, no dialog https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCQLBOt_hbGE-b9I696VRow
• Zer0Mem0ry – lots of brief c++ security videos, programming intensive https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDk155eaoariJF2Dn2j5WKA
• webpwnized – lots of brief screenshot vids, some CTF walkthroughs https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPeJcqbi8v46Adk59plaaXg
• Waleed Jutt – lots of brief screenshot vids covering web security and game programming https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeN7cOELsyMHrzfMsJUgv3Q
• Troy Hunt – lone youtuber, medium length news videos, 16K followers, regular content https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD6MWz4A61JaeGrvyoYl-rQ
• Tradecraft Security Weekly – Want to learn about all of the latest security tools and techniques?https://wiki.securityweekly.com/Tradecraft_Security_Weekly
• SSTec Tutorials – lots of brief screenshot vids, regular updates https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHvUTfxL_9bNQgqzekPWHtg
• Shozab Haxor – lots of screenshot style instructional vids, regular updates, windows CLI tutorial https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBwub2kRoercWQJ2mw82h3A
• Seytonic – variety of DIY hacking tutorials, hardware hacks, regular updates https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW6xlqxSY3gGur4PkGPEUeA
• Security Weekly – regular updates, lengthy podcast-style interviews with industry pros https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg–XBjJ50a9tUhTKXVPiqg
• SecureNinjaTV – brief news bites, irregular posting, 18K followers https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNxfV4yR0nIlhFmfwcdf3BQ
• Samy Kamkar’s Applied hacking https://www.youtube.com/user/s4myk
• rwbnetsec – lots of medium length instructional videos covering tools from Kali 2.0, no recent posts. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAJ8Clc3188ek9T_5XTVzZQ
• Penetration Testing in Linux https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC286ntgASMskhPIJQebJVvA
• Pentester Academy TV – lots of brief videos, very regular posting, up to +8 a week https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChjC1q6Ami7W0E71TzPZELA
• Open SecurityTraining – lots of lengthy lecture-style vids, no recent posts, but quality info. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthV50MozQIfawL9a_g5rdg
• NetSecNow – channel of pentesteruniversity.org, seems to post once a month, screenshot instructional vids https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6J_GnSAi7F2hY4RmnMcWJw
• Metasploitation – lots of screenshot vids, little to no dialogue, all about using Metasploit, no recent vids. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Qa_gXarSmObPX3ooIQZrg
• LiveOverflow – Lots of brief-to-medium instructional vids, covering things like buffer overflows and exploit writing, regular posts. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClcE-kVhqyiHCcjYwcpfj9w
• LionSec – lots of brief screenshot instructional vids, no dialog https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCQLBOt_hbGE-b9I696VRow
• Latest Hacking News 10K followers, medium length screenshot videos, no recent releases https://www.youtube.com/user/thefieldhouse/feed
• John Hammond – Solves CTF problems. contains penTesting tips and tricks https://www.youtube.com/user/RootOfTheNull
• JackkTutorials – lots of medium length instructional vids with some AskMe vids from the youtuber https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC64x_rKHxY113KMWmprLBPA
• iExplo1t – lots of screenshot vids aimed at novices, 5.7K Followers, no recent posts https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx0HClQ_cv0sLNOVhoO2nxg/videos
• HACKING TUTORIALS – handful of brief screenshot vids, no recent posts. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbsn2kQwNxcIzHwbdDjzehA
• HackerSploit – regular posts, medium length screenshot vids, with dialog https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0ZTPkdxlAKf-V33tqXwi3Q
• GynvaelEN – Security streams from Google Researcher. Mainly about CTFs, computer security, programing and similar things. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCkVMojdBWS-JtH7TliWkVg
• Geeks Fort – KIF – lots of brief screenshot vids, no recent posts https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC09NdTL2hkThGLSab8chJMw
• Error 404 Cyber News – short screen-shot videos with loud metal, no dialog, bi-weekly https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4HcNHFKshqj-aeyi6imW7Q
• Don Does 30 – amateur pen-tester posting lots of brief screenshot vids regularly, 9K Followers https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCarxjDjSYsIf50Jm73V1D7g
• Derek Rook – CTF/Boot2root/wargames Walkthrough – lots of lengthy screenshot instructional vids, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMACXuWd2w6_IEGog744UaA
• DemmSec – lots of pen testing vids, somewhat irregular uploads, 44K followers https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJItQmwUrcW4VdUqWaRUNIg
• DEFCON Conference – lots of lengthy con-style vids from the iconical DEFCON https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Om9kAkl32dWlDSNlDS9Iw
• DedSec – lots of brief screenshot how-to vids based in Kali, no recent posts. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx34ZZW2KgezfUPPeL6m8Dw
• danooct1 – lots of brief screenshot, how-to vids regarding malware, regular content updates, 186K followers https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqbkm47qBxDj-P3lI9voIAw
• BalCCon – Balkan Computer Congress – Long con-style talks from the Balkan Computer Congress, doesn’t update regularlyhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoHypmu8rxlB5Axh5JxFZsA
• Corey Nachreiner – security newsbites, 2.7K subscribers, 2-3 videos a week, no set schedule https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7dUL0FbVPGqzdb2HtWw3Xg
• Adrian Crenshaw – lots of lengthy con-style talks https://www.youtube.com/user/irongeek
• 0x41414141 – Channel with couple challenges, well explained https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPqes566OZ3G_fjxL6BngRQ
• HackADay – Hackaday serves up Fresh Hacks Every Day from around the Internet. https://hackaday.com/
• TheCyberMentor – Heath Adams uploads regular videos related to various facets of cyber security, from bug bounty hunts to specific pentest methodologies like API, buffer overflows, networking. https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCyberMentor/
• Grant Collins – Grant uploads videos regarding breaking into cybersecurity, various cybersecurity projects, building up a home lab amongst many others. Also has a companion discord channel and a resource website. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTLUi3oc1-a7dS-2-YgEKmA/featured

CYBERSECURITY PODCASTS:

Podcasts

• Risky Business Published weekly, the Risky Business podcast features news and in-depth commentary from security industry luminaries. Hosted by award-winning journalist Patrick Gray, Risky Business has become a must-listen digest for information security professionals. https://risky.biz/
• Pauls Security Weekly This show features interviews with folks in the security community; technical segments, which are just that, very technical; and security news, which is an open discussion forum for the hosts to express their opinions about the latest security headlines, breaches, new exploits and vulnerabilities, “not” politics, “cyber” policies and more. https://securityweekly.com/category-shows/paul-security-weekly/
• Security Now – Steve Gibson, the man who coined the term spyware and created the first anti-spyware program, creator of Spinrite and ShieldsUP, discusses the hot topics in security today with Leo Laporte. https://twit.tv/shows/security-now
• Daily Information Security Podcast (“StormCast”) Stormcasts are daily 5-10 minute information security threat updates. The podcast is produced each work day, and typically released late in the day to be ready for your morning commute. https://isc.sans.edu/podcast.html
• ShadowTalk Threat Intelligence Podcast by Digital Shadow_. The weekly podcast highlights key findings of primary-source research our Intelligence Team is conducting, along with guest speakers discussing the latest threat actors, campaigns, security events and industry news. https://resources.digitalshadows.com/threat-intelligence-podcast-shadowtalk
• Don’t Panic – The Unit 42 Podcast Don’t Panic! is the official podcast from Unit 42 at Palo Alto Networks. We find the big issues that are frustrating cyber security practitioners and help simplify them so they don’t need to panic. https://unit42.libsyn.com/
• Recorded Future Recorded Future takes you inside the world of cyber threat intelligence. We’re sharing stories from the trenches and the operations floor as well as giving you the skinny on established and emerging adversaries. We also talk current events, technical tradecraft, and offer up insights on the big picture issues in our industry. https://www.recordedfuture.com/resources/podcast/
• The Cybrary Podcast Listen in to the Cybrary Podcast where we discuss a range topics from DevSecOps and Ransomware attacks to diversity and how to retain of talent. Entrepreneurs at all stages of their startup companies join us to share their stories and experience, including how to get funding, hiring the best talent, driving sales, and choosing where to base your business. https://www.cybrary.it/info/cybrary-podcast/
• Cyber Life The Cyber Life podcast is for cyber security (InfoSec) professionals, people trying to break into the industry, or business owners looking to learn how to secure their data. We will talk about many things, like how to get jobs, cover breakdowns of hot topics, and have special guest interviews with the men and women “in the trenches” of the industry. https://redcircle.com/shows/cyber-life
• Career Notes Cybersecurity professionals share their personal career journeys and offer tips and advice in this brief, weekly podcast from The CyberWire. https://www.thecyberwire.com/podcasts/career-notes

Below podcasts Added from here: https://infosec-conferences.com/cybersecurity-podcasts/

• Down the Security Rabbithole http://podcast.wh1t3rabbit.net/ Down the Security Rabbithole is hosted by Rafal Los and James Jardine who discuss, by means of interviewing or news analysis, everything about Cybersecurity which includes Cybercrime, Cyber Law, Cyber Risk, Enterprise Risk & Security and many more. If you want to hear issues that are relevant to your organization, subscribe and tune-in to this podcast.
• The Privacy, Security, & OSINT Show https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-privacy-security-osint-show/id1165843330 The Privacy, Security, & OSINT Show, hosted by Michael Bazzell, is your weekly dose of digital security, privacy, and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) opinion and news. This podcast will help listeners learn some ideas on how to stay secure from cyber-attacks and help them become “digitally invisible”.
• Defensive Security Podcast https://defensivesecurity.org/ Hosted by Andrew Kalat (@lerg) and Jerry Bell (@maliciouslink), the Defensive Security Podcasts aims to look/discuss the latest security news happening around the world and pick out the lessons that can be applied to keeping organizations secured. As of today, they have more than 200 episodes and some of the topics discussed include Forensics, Penetration Testing, Incident Response, Malware Analysis, Vulnerabilities and many more.
• Darknet Diaries https://darknetdiaries.com/episode/ Darknet Diaries Podcast is hosted and produced by Jack Rhysider that discuss topics related to information security. It also features some true stories from hackers who attacked or have been attacked. If you’re a fan of the show, you might consider buying some of their souvenirs here (https://shop.darknetdiaries.com/).
• Brakeing Down Security https://www.brakeingsecurity.com/ Brakeing Down Security started in 2014 and is hosted by Bryan Brake, Brian Boettcher, and Amanda Berlin. This podcast discusses everything about the Cybersecurity world, Compliance, Privacy, and Regulatory issues that arise in today’s organizations. The hosts will teach concepts that Information Security Professionals need to know and discuss topics that will refresh the memories of seasoned veterans.
• Open Source Security Podcast https://www.opensourcesecuritypodcast.com/ Open Source Security Podcast is a podcast that discusses security with an open-source slant. The show started in 2016 and is hosted by Josh Bressers and Kurt Siefried. As of this writing, they now posted around 190+ podcasts
• Cyber Motherboard https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cyber/id1441708044 Ben Makuch is the host of the podcast CYBER and weekly talks to Motherboard reporters Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai and Joseph Cox. They tackle topics about famous hackers and researchers about the biggest news in cybersecurity. The Cyber- stuff gets complicated really fast, but Motherboard spends its time fixed in the infosec world so we don’t have to.
• Hak5 https://shop.hak5.org/pages/videos Hak5 is a brand that is created by a group of security professionals, hardcore gamers and “IT ninjas”. Their podcast, which is mostly uploaded on YouTube discusses everything from open-source software to penetration testing and network infrastructure. Their channel currently has 590,000 subscribers and is one of the most viewed shows when you want to learn something about security networks.
• Threatpost Podcast Series https://threatpost.com/category/podcasts/ Threatpost is an independent news site which is a leading source of information about IT and business security for hundreds of thousands of professionals worldwide. With an award-winning editorial team produces unique and high-impact content including security news, videos, feature reports and more, with their global editorial activities are driven by industry-leading journalist Tom Spring, editor-in-chief.
• CISO-Security Vendor Relationship Podcast https://cisoseries.com Co-hosted by the creator of the CISO/Security Vendor Relationship Series, David Spark, and Mike Johnson, in 30 minutes, this weekly program challenges the co-hosts, guests, and listeners to critique, share true stories. This podcast, The CISO/Security Vendor Relationship, targets to enlighten and educate listeners on improving security buyer and seller relationships.
• Getting Into Infosec Podcast Stories of how Infosec and Cybersecurity pros got jobs in the field so you can be inspired, motivated, and educated on your journey. – https://gettingintoinfosec.com/
• Unsupervised Learning Weekly podcasts and biweekly newsletters as a curated summary intersection of security, technology, and humans, or a standalone idea to provoke thought, by Daniel Miessler. https://danielmiessler.com/podcast/

SECURITY BOOKS:

• Building Secure & Reliable Systems Best Practices for Designing, Implementing and Maintaining Systems (O’Reilly) By Heather Adkins, Betsy Beyer, Paul Blankinship, Ana Oprea, Piotr Lewandowski, Adam Stubblefield https://landing.google.com/sre/books/
• Security Engineering By Ross Anderson – A guide to building dependable distributed systems. (and Ross Anderson is brilliant //OP editorial) https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/book.html
• The Cyber Skill Gap By Vagner Nunes – The Cyber Skill Gap: How To Become A Highly Paid And Sought After Information Security Specialist! (Use COUPON CODE: W4VSPTW8G7 to make it free) https://payhip.com/b/PdkW
• The Beginner’s Guide to Information Security By Limor Elbaz – Offers insight and resources to help readers embark on a career in one of the 21st century’s most important—and potentially lucrative—fields. https://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Guide-Information-Security-Kickstart-ebook/dp/B01JTDDSAM
• Free Springer Textbooks Valid at least through July, Springer is providing free access to several hundred titles in its eBook collection. Books are available via SpringerLink and can be viewed online or downloaded as PDF or EBUP files. Disciplines include computer science, networking, cryptography, digital forensics, and others. https://link.springer.com/search/page/1?facet-content-type=%22Book%22&package=mat-covid19_textbooks&facet-language=%22En%22&sortOrder=newestFirst&showAll=true
• Texas A&M Security Courses The web-based courses are designed to ensure that the privacy, reliability, and integrity of the information systems that power the global economy remain intact and secure. The web-based courses are offered through three discipline-specific tracks: general, non-technical computer users; technical IT professionals; and business managers and professionals. https://teex.org/program/dhs-cybersecurity/

CYBERSECURITY TRAINING:

Training

• WebSecurity Academy Free online web security training from the creators of Burp Suite https://portswigger.net/web-security
• Mosse Cyber Security Institute Introduction to cybersecurity free certification with 100+ hours of training, no expiry/renewals, https://www.mosse-institute.com/certifications/mics-introduction-to-cyber-security.html
• BugCrowd University Free bug hunting resources and methodologies in form of webinars, education and training. https://www.bugcrowd.com/hackers/bugcrowd-university/
• Certified Network Security Specialist Certification and training; Expires Aug 31 2020 Use coupon code #StaySafeHome during checkout to claim your free access. Offer is valid till 31/08/2020. £500.00 Value https://www.icsi.co.uk/courses/icsi-cnss-certified-network-security-specialist-covid-19
• Metasploit Unleashed Most complete and in-depth Metasploit guide available, with contributions from the authors of the No Starch Press Metasploit Book. https://www.offensive-security.com/metasploit-unleashed/
• AWS Cloud Certified Get skills in AWS to be more marketable. Training is quality and free. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hLmDS179YE Have to create an AWS account, Exam is $100.
• SANS Faculty Free Tools List of OSS developed by SANS staff. https://www.sans.org/media/free/free-faculty-tools.pdf?msc=sans-free-lp
• “Using ATT&CK for Cyber Threat Intelligence Training” – 4 hour training The goal of this training is for students to understand the following: at: https://attack.mitre.org/resources/training/cti/
• Coursera -“Coursera Together: Free online learning during COVID-19” Lots of different types of free training. https://blog.coursera.org/coursera-together-free-online-learning-during-covid-19/
• Fortinet Security Appliance Training Free access to the FortiGate Essentials Training Course and Network Security Expert courses 1 and 2 https://www.fortinet.com/training/cybersecurity-professionals.html
• Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Workshop Training – The Chief Information Security Office (CISO) workshop contains a collection of security learnings, principles, and recommendations for modernizing security in your organization. This training workshop is a combination of experiences from Microsoft security teams and learnings from customers. – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/ciso-workshop/ciso-workshop
• CLARK Center Plan C – Free cybersecurity curriculum that is primarily video-based or provide online assignments that can be easily integrated into a virtual learning environments https://clark.center/home
• Hack.me is a FREE, community based project powered by eLearnSecurity. The community can build, host and share vulnerable web application code for educational and research purposes. It aims to be the largest collection of “runnable” vulnerable web applications, code samples and CMS’s online. The platform is available without any restriction to any party interested in Web Application Security. https://hack.me/
• Hacker101 – Free classes for web security – https://www.hacker101.com/
• ElasticStack – Free on-demand Elastic Stack, observability, and security courses. https://training.elastic.co/learn-from-home
• Hoppers Roppers – Community built around a series of free courses that provide training to beginners in the security field. https://www.hoppersroppers.org/training.html
• IBM Security Learning Academy Free technical training for IBM Security products. https://www.securitylearningacademy.com/
• M.E. Kabay Free industry courses and course materials for students, teachers and others are welcome to use for free courses and lectures. http://www.mekabay.com/courses/index.htm
• Open P-TECH Free digital learning on the tech skills of tomorrow. https://www.ptech.org/open-p-tech/
• Udemy – Online learning course platform “collection from the free courses in our learning marketplace” https://www.udemy.com/courses/free/
• Enroll Now Free: PCAP Programming Essentials in Python https://www.netacad.com/courses/programming/pcap-programming-essentials-python Python is the very versatile, object-oriented programming language used by startups and tech giants, Google, Facebook, Dropbox and IBM. Python is also recommended for aspiring young developers who are interested in pursuing careers in Security, Networking and Internet-of-Things. Once you complete this course, you are ready to take the PCAP – Certified Associate in Python programming. No prior knowledge of programming is required.
• Packt Web Development Course Web Development Get to grips with the fundamentals of the modern web Unlock one year of free online access. https://courses.packtpub.com/pages/free?fbclid=IwAR1FtKQcYK8ycCmBMXaBGvW_7SgPVDMKMaRVwXYcSbiwvMfp75gazxRZlzY
• Stanford University Webinar – Hacked! Security Lessons from Big Name Breaches 50 minute cyber lecture from Stanford.You Will Learn: — The root cause of key breaches and how to prevent them; How to measure your organization’s external security posture; How the attacker lifecycle should influence the way you allocate resources https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9agUAz0DwI
• Stanford University Webinar – Hash, Hack, Code: Emerging Trends in Cyber Security Join Professor Dan Boneh as he shares new approaches to these emerging trends and dives deeper into how you can protect networks and prevent harmful viruses and threats. 50 minute cyber lecture from Stanford. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=544rhbcDtc8
• Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America’s Elections (Documentary) (Referenced at GRIMMCON), In advance of the 2020 Presidential Election, Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America’s Elections takes a deep dive into the weaknesses of today’s election technology, an issue that is little understood by the public or even lawmakers. https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/kill-chain-the-cyber-war-on-americas-elections
• Intro to Cybersecurity Course (15 hours) Learn how to protect your personal data and privacy online and in social media, and why more and more IT jobs require cybersecurity awareness and understanding. Receive a certificate of completion. https://www.netacad.com/portal/web/self-enroll/c/course-1003729
• Cybersecurity Essentials (30 hours) Foundational knowledge and essential skills for all cybersecurity domains, including info security, systems sec, network sec, ethics and laws, and defense and mitigation techniques used in protecting businesses. https://www.netacad.com/portal/web/self-enroll/c/course-1003733
• Pluralsight and Microsoft Partnership to help you become an expert in Azure. With skill assessments and over 200+ courses, 40+ Skill IQs and 8 Role IQs, you can focus your time on understanding your strengths and skill gaps and learn Azure as quickly as possible.https://www.pluralsight.com/partners/microsoft/azure
• Blackhat Webcast Series Monthly webcast of varying cyber topics. I will post specific ones in the training section below sometimes, but this is worth bookmarking and checking back. They always have top tier speakers on relevant, current topics. https://www.blackhat.com/html/webcast/webcast-home.html
• Federal Virtual Training Environment – US Govt sponsored free courses. There are 6 available, no login required. They are 101 Coding for the Public, 101 Critical Infrastructure Protection for the Public, Cryptocurrency for Law Enforcement for the Public, Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management for the Public, 101 Reverse Engineering for the Public, Fundamentals of Cyber Risk Management. https://fedvte.usalearning.gov/public_fedvte.php
• Harrisburg University CyberSecurity Collection of 18 curated talks. Scroll down to CYBER SECURITY section. You will see there are 4 categories Resource Sharing, Tools & Techniques, Red Team (Offensive Security) and Blue Teaming (Defensive Security). Lot of content in here; something for everyone. https://professionaled.harrisburgu.edu/online-content/
• OnRamp 101-Level ICS Security Workshop Starts this 4/28. 10 videos, Q&A / discussion, bonus audio, great links. Get up to speed fast on ICS security. It runs for 5 weeks. 2 videos per week. Then we keep it open for another 3 weeks for 8 in total. https://onramp-3.s4xevents.com
• HackXOR WebApp CTF Hackxor is a realistic web application hacking game, designed to help players of all abilities develop their skills. All the missions are based on real vulnerabilities I’ve personally found while doing pentests, bug bounty hunting, and research. https://hackxor.net/
• Suricata Training 5-part training module using a simulation as a backdrop to teach how to use Suricata. https://rangeforce.com/resource/suricata-challenge-reg/
• flAWS System Through a series of levels you’ll learn about common mistakes and gotchas when using Amazon Web Services (AWS). Multiple levels, “Buckets” of fun. http://flaws.cloud/
• Stanford CS 253 Web Security A free course from Stanford providing a comprehensive overview of web security. The course begins with an introduction to the fundamentals of web security and proceeds to discuss the most common methods for web attacks and their countermeasures. The course includes video lectures, slides, and links to online reading assignments. https://web.stanford.edu/class/cs253
• Linux Journey A free, handy guide for learning Linux. Coverage begins with the fundamentals of command line navigation and basic text manipulation. It then extends to more advanced topics, such as file systems and networking. The site is well organized and includes many examples along with code snippets. Exercises and quizzes are provided as well. https://linuxjourney.com
• Ryan’s Tutorials A collection of free, introductory tutorials on several technology topics including: Linux command line, Bash scripting, creating and styling webpages with HTML and CSS, counting and converting between different number systems, and writing regular expressions. https://ryanstutorials.net
• The Ultimate List of SANS Cheat Sheets Massive collection of free cybersecurity cheat sheets for quick reference (login with free SANS account required for some penetration testing resources). https://www.sans.org/blog/the-ultimate-list-of-sans-cheat-sheets/
• CYBER INTELLIGENCE ANALYTICS AND OPERATIONS Learn:The ins and outs of all stages of the intelligence cycle from collection to analysis from seasoned intel professionals. How to employ threat intelligence to conduct comprehensive defense strategies to mitigate potential compromise. How to use TI to respond to and minimize impact of cyber incidents. How to generate comprehensive and actionable reports to communicate gaps in defenses and intelligence findings to decision makers. https://www.shadowscape.io/cyber-intelligence-analytics-operat
• Linux Command Line for Beginners 25 hours of training – In this course, you’ll learn from one of Fullstack’s top instructors, Corey Greenwald, as he guides you through learning the basics of the command line through short, digestible video lectures. Then you’ll use Fullstack’s CyberLab platform to hone your new technical skills while working through a Capture the Flag game, a special kind of cybersecurity game designed to challenge participants to solve computer security problems by solving puzzles. Finally, through a list of carefully curated resources through a series of curated resources, we’ll introduce you to some important cybersecurity topics so that you can understand some of the common language, concepts and tools used in the industry. https://prep.fullstackacademy.com/
• Hacking 101 6 hours of free training – First, you’ll take a tour of the world and watch videos of hackers in action across various platforms (including computers, smartphones, and the power grid). You may be shocked to learn what techniques the good guys are using to fight the bad guys (and which side is winning). Then you’ll learn what it’s like to work in this world, as we show you the different career paths open to you and the (significant) income you could make as a cybersecurity professional. https://cyber.fullstackacademy.com/prepare/hacking-101
• Choose Your Own Cyber Adventure Series: Entry Level Cyber Jobs Explained YouTube Playlist (videos from my channel #simplyCyber) This playlist is a collection of various roles within the information security field, mostly entry level, so folks can understand what different opportunities are out there. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4Q-ttyNIRAqog96mt8C8lKWzTjW6f38F
• NETINSTRUCT.COM Free Cybersecurity, IT and Leadership Courses – Includes OS and networking basics. Critical to any Cyber job. https://netinstruct.com/courses
• HackerSploit – HackerSploit is the leading provider of free and open-source Infosec and cybersecurity training. https://hackersploit.org/
• Resources for getting started (Free and Paid)Practice
  • DetectionLab (Free)
  • LetsDefend.io (Free/Paid)
  • DetectionLabELK (Free)

  Log Analysis

  • malware-traffic-analysis (Free)
  • Practical Packet Analysis (Book) Chris Sanders
  • Logging and Log Management  by Anton A. Chuvakin , Kevin J. Schmidt  (Book)
  • Sigma (Tool)
  • SysmonSearch (Tool)

  Network Monitoring

  • Applied Network Security Monitoring: Collection, Detection, and Analysis (Book)
  •  Open Security Training
  • SANS Reading Room

  Linux Distributions

  • Security Onion
  • The Appliance for Digital Investigation and Analysis (ADIA) https://forensics.cert.org/#ADIA
  • SANS Investigative Forensic Toolkit (SIFT) Workstation

  Memory Analysis Tools

  • volatility
  • volatilityBot
  • evolve
  • voldiff

  Professional Training

  • FOR578: Cyber Threat Intelligence (Paid)
  • SEC511: Continuous Monitoring & Security Operations (Paid)
  • SEC445: SIEM Design & Implementation (Paid)
  • AEGIS Certification (Paid)

  Conferences

  • Virus Bulletin
  • SANS Blue Team Summit
  • Blueteamcon

CYBERSECURITY COURSES: (Multi-week w/Enrollment)

College Courses

• Computer Science courses with video lectures Intent of this list is to act as Online bookmarks/lookup table for freely available online video courses. Focus would be to keep the list concise so that it is easy to browse. It would be easier to skim through 15 page list, find the course and start learning than having to read 60 pages of text. If you are student or from non-CS background, please try few courses to decide for yourself as to which course suits your learning curve best. https://github.com/Developer-Y/cs-video-courses?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com
• Cryptography I -offered by Stanford University – Rolling enrollment – Cryptography is an indispensable tool for protecting information in computer systems. In this course you will learn the inner workings of cryptographic systems and how to correctly use them in real-world applications. The course begins with a detailed discussion of how two parties who have a shared secret key can communicate securely when a powerful adversary eavesdrops and tampers with traffic. We will examine many deployed protocols and analyze mistakes in existing systems. The second half of the course discusses public-key techniques that let two parties generate a shared secret key. https://www.coursera.org/learn/crypto
• Software Security Rolling enrollment -offered by University of Maryland, College Park via Coursera – This course we will explore the foundations of software security. We will consider important software vulnerabilities and attacks that exploit them — such as buffer overflows, SQL injection, and session hijacking — and we will consider defenses that prevent or mitigate these attacks, including advanced testing and program analysis techniques. Importantly, we take a “build security in” mentality, considering techniques at each phase of the development cycle that can be used to strengthen the security of software systems. https://www.coursera.org/learn/software-security
• Intro to Information Security Georgia Institute of Technology via Udacity – Rolling Enrollment. This course provides a one-semester overview of information security. It is designed to help students with prior computer and programming knowledge — both undergraduate and graduate — understand this important priority in society today. Offered at Georgia Tech as CS 6035 https://www.udacity.com/course/intro-to-information-security–ud459
• Cyber-Physical Systems Security Georgia Institute of Technology via Udacity – This course provides an introduction to security issues relating to various cyber-physical systems including industrial control systems and those considered critical infrastructure systems. 16 week course – Offered at Georgia Tech as CS 8803 https://www.udacity.com/course/cyber-physical-systems-security–ud279
• Finding Your Cybersecurity Career Path – University of Washington via edX – 4 weeks long – self paced – In this course, you will focus on the pathways to cybersecurity career success. You will determine your own incoming skills, talent, and deep interests to apply toward a meaningful and informed exploration of 32 Digital Pathways of Cybersecurity. https://www.edx.org/course/finding-your-cybersecurity-career-path
• Building a Cybersecurity Toolkit – University of Washington via edX – 4 weeks self-paced The purpose of this course is to give learners insight into these type of characteristics and skills needed for cybersecurity jobs and to provide a realistic outlook on what they really need to add to their “toolkits” – a set of skills that is constantly evolving, not all technical, but fundamentally rooted in problem-solving. https://www.edx.org/course/building-a-cybersecurity-toolkit
• Cybersecurity: The CISO’s View – University of Washington via edX – 4 weeks long self-paced – This course delves into the role that the CISO plays in cybersecurity operations. Throughout the lessons, learners will explore answers to the following questions: How does cybersecurity work across industries? What is the professionals’ point of view? How do we keep information secure https://www.edx.org/course/cybersecurity-the-cisos-view
• Introduction to Cybersecurity – University of Washington via edX – In this course, you will gain an overview of the cybersecurity landscape as well as national (USA) and international perspectives on the field. We will cover the legal environment that impacts cybersecurity as well as predominant threat actors. – https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-to-cybersecurity
• Cyber Attack Countermeasures New York University (NYU) via Coursera – This course introduces the basics of cyber defense starting with foundational models such as Bell-LaPadula and information flow frameworks. These underlying policy enforcements mechanisms help introduce basic functional protections, starting with authentication methods. Learners will be introduced to a series of different authentication solutions and protocols, including RSA SecureID and Kerberos, in the context of a canonical schema. – https://www.coursera.org/learn/cyber-attack-countermeasures
• Introduction to Cyber Attacks New York University (NYU) via Coursera – This course provides learners with a baseline understanding of common cyber security threats, vulnerabilities, and risks. An overview of how basic cyber attacks are constructed and applied to real systems is also included. Examples include simple Unix kernel hacks, Internet worms, and Trojan horses in software utilities. Network attacks such as distributed denial of service (DDOS) and botnet- attacks are also described and illustrated using real examples from the past couple of decades. https://www.coursera.org/learn/intro-cyber-attacks
• Enterprise and Infrastructure Security New York University (NYU) via Coursera – This course introduces a series of advanced and current topics in cyber security, many of which are especially relevant in modern enterprise and infrastructure settings. The basics of enterprise compliance frameworks are provided with introduction to NIST and PCI. Hybrid cloud architectures are shown to provide an opportunity to fix many of the security weaknesses in modern perimeter local area networks. https://www.coursera.org/learn/enterprise-infrastructure-security
• Network Security Georgia Institute of Technology via Udacity – This course provides an introduction to computer and network security. Students successfully completing this class will be able to evaluate works in academic and commercial security, and will have rudimentary skills in security research. The course begins with a tutorial of the basic elements of cryptography, cryptanalysis, and systems security, and continues by covering a number of seminal papers and monographs in a wide range of security areas. – https://www.udacity.com/course/network-security–ud199
• Real-Time Cyber Threat Detection and Mitigation – New York University (NYU) via Coursera This course introduces real-time cyber security techniques and methods in the context of the TCP/IP protocol suites. Explanation of some basic TCP/IP security hacks is used to introduce the need for network security solutions such as stateless and stateful firewalls. Learners will be introduced to the techniques used to design and configure firewall solutions such as packet filters and proxies to protect enterprise assets. https://www.coursera.org/learn/real-time-cyber-threat-detection

CYBERSECURITY JOBS:

 CYBERSECURITY Cheat sheets

• Privilege-Escalation: This cheasheet is aimed at the CTF Players and Beginners to help them understand the fundamentals of Privilege Escalation with examples. https://github.com/Ignitetechnologies/Privilege-Escalation
• Malware analysis tools and resources. https://github.com/rshipp/awesome-malware-analysis
• Analyzing Malicious Documents Cheat Sheet https://zeltser.com/analyzing-malicious-documents/
• ReverseEngineering Cheat Sheet https://www.cybrary.it/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cheat-sheet-reverse-v6.png
• SQL Injection | Various DBs http://pentestmonkey.net/category/cheat-sheet/sql-injection
• Nmap Cheat Sheet and Pro Tips https://hackertarget.com/nmap-cheatsheet-a-quick-reference-guide/
• PENTESTING LocalFileInclude Cheat Sheet https://highon.coffee/blog/lfi-cheat-sheet/
• Penetration Testing Tools Cheat Sheet https://highon.coffee/blog/penetration-testing-tools-cheat-sheet/
• Reverse Shell Cheat Sheet https://highon.coffee/blog/reverse-shell-cheat-sheet/
• nbtscan Cheat Sheet https://highon.coffee/blog/nbtscan-cheat-sheet/
• Linux Commands Cheat Sheet https://highon.coffee/blog/linux-commands-cheat-sheet/
• Kali Linux Cheat Sheet https://i.redd.it/9bu827i9tr751.jpg
• Hacking Tools Cheat Sheet (Diff tools) https://i.redd.it/fviaw8s43q851.jpg
• Google Search Operators: The Complete List (42 Advanced Operators) https://ahrefs.com/blog/google-advanced-search-operators/
• (Multiple) (Good) Cheat Sheets – Imgur https://imgur.com/gallery/U5jqgik
• Active-Directory-Exploitation-Cheat-Sheet: A cheat sheet that contains common enumeration and attack methods for Windows Active Directory. https://github.com/S1ckB0y1337/Active-Directory-Exploitation-Cheat-Sheet
• Shodan Query Filters https://github.com/JavierOlmedo/shodan-filters
• Getting Real with XSS – A reference on the new technquies to XSS https://labs.f-secure.com/blog/getting-real-with-xss/

SANS Massive List of Cheat Sheets Curated from here: https://www.sans.org/blog/the-ultimate-list-of-sans-cheat-sheets/

General IT Security * Windows and Linux Terminals & Command Lines https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt36c2e63521272fdc/bltea7de5267932e94b/5eb08aafcf88d36e47cf0644/Cheatsheet_SEC301-401_R7.pdf

• TCP/IP and tcpdump https://www.sans.org/security-resources/tcpip.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• IPv6 Pocket Guide https://www.sans.org/security-resources/ipv6_tcpip_pocketguide.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Powershell Cheat Sheet https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt36c2e63521272fdc/bltf146e4f361db3938/5e34a7bc946d717e2eab6139/power-shell-cheat-sheet-v41.pdf
• Writing Tips for IT Professionals https://zeltser.com/writing-tips-for-it-professionals/
• Tips for Creating and Managing New IT Products https://zeltser.com/new-product-management-tips/
• Tips for Getting the Right IT Job https://zeltser.com/getting-the-right-it-job-tips/
• Tips for Creating a Strong Cybersecurity Assessment Report https://zeltser.com/security-assessment-report-cheat-sheet/
• Critical Log Review Checklist for Security Incidents https://zeltser.com/security-incident-log-review-checklist/
• Security Architecture Cheat Sheet for Internet Applications https://zeltser.com/security-architecture-cheat-sheet/
• Tips for Troubleshooting Human Communications https://zeltser.com/human-communications-cheat-sheet/
• Security Incident Survey Cheat Sheet for Server Administrators https://zeltser.com/security-incident-survey-cheat-sheet/
• Network DDoS Incident Response Cheat Sheet https://zeltser.com/ddos-incident-cheat-sheet/
• Information Security Assessment RFP Cheat Sheet https://zeltser.com/cheat-sheets/

Digital Forensics and Incident Response

• SIFT Workstation Cheat Sheet https://digital-forensics.sans.org/media/sift_cheat_sheet.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Plaso Filtering Cheat Sheet https://digital-forensics.sans.org/media/Plaso-Cheat-Sheet.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Tips for Reverse-Engineering Malicious Code https://digital-forensics.sans.org/media/reverse-engineering-malicious-code-tips.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• REMnux Usage Tips for Malware Analysis on Linux https://digital-forensics.sans.org/media/remnux-malware-analysis-tips.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Analyzing Malicious Documents https://digital-forensics.sans.org/media/analyzing-malicious-document-files.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Malware Analysis and Reverse-Engineering Cheat Sheet https://digital-forensics.sans.org/media/malware-analysis-cheat-sheet.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• SQlite Pocket Reference Guide https://digital-forensics.sans.org/media/SQlite-PocketReference-final.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Eric Zimmerman’s tools Cheat Sheet https://digital-forensics.sans.org/media/EricZimmermanCommandLineToolsCheatSheet-v1.0.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Rekall Memory Forensics Cheat Sheet https://digital-forensics.sans.org/media/rekall-memory-forensics-cheatsheet.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Linux Shell Survival Guide https://digital-forensics.sans.org/media/linux-shell-survival-guide.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Windows to Unix Cheat Sheet https://digital-forensics.sans.org/media/windows_to_unix_cheatsheet.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Memory Forensics Cheat Sheet https://digital-forensics.sans.org/media/volatility-memory-forensics-cheat-sheet.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Hex and Regex Forensics Cheat Sheet https://digital-forensics.sans.org/media/hex_file_and_regex_cheat_sheet.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• FOR518 Mac & iOS HFS+ Filesystem Reference Sheet https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt36c2e63521272fdc/blt61c336e02577e733/5eb0940e248a28605479ccf0/FOR518_APFS_CheatSheet_012020.pdf
• The majority of DFIR Cheat Sheets can be found here –> https://digital-forensics.sans.org/community/cheat-sheets?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog.

Penetration Testing * Swiss Army Knife collection of PenTesting Cheatsheets https://github.com/swisskyrepo/PayloadsAllTheThings

• SQLite Injection Cheat Sheet https://github.com/unicornsasfuel/sqlite_sqli_cheat_sheet
• SSL/TLS Vulnerability Cheat Sheet https://github.com/IBM/tls-vuln-cheatsheet
• Windows Intrusion Discovery Cheat Sheet v3.0 https://pen-testing.sans.org/retrieve/windows-cheat-sheet.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Intrusion Discovery Cheat Sheet v2.0 (Linux) https://pen-testing.sans.org/retrieve/linux-cheat-sheet.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Intrusion Discovery Cheat Sheet v2.0 (Windows 2000) https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt36c2e63521272fdc/bltd6fa777a3215f34a/5eb08aae08d37e6d82ef77fe/win2ksacheatsheet.pdf
• Windows Command Line https://pen-testing.sans.org/retrieve/windows-command-line-sheet.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Netcat Cheat Sheet https://pen-testing.sans.org/retrieve/netcat-cheat-sheet.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Misc Tools Cheat Sheet https://pen-testing.sans.org/retrieve/misc-tools-sheet.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Python 3 Essentials https://www.sans.org/blog/sans-cheat-sheet-python-3/?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Windows Command Line Cheat Sheet https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt36c2e63521272fdc/blt4e45e00c2973546d/5eb08aae4461f75d77a48fd4/WindowsCommandLineSheetV1.pdf
• SMB Access from Linux Cheat Sheet https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt36c2e63521272fdc/blta6a2ae64ec0ed535/5eb08aaeead3926127b4df44/SMB-Access-from-Linux.pdf
• Pivot Cheat Sheet https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt36c2e63521272fdc/blt0f228a4b9a1165e4/5ef3d602395b554cb3523e7b/pivot-cheat-sheet-v1.0.pdf
• Google Hacking and Defense Cheat Sheet https://www.sans.org/security-resources/GoogleCheatSheet.pdf?msc=Cheat+Sheet+Blog
• Scapy Cheat Sheet https://wiki.sans.blue/Tools/pdfs/ScapyCheatSheet_v0.2.pdf
• Nmap Cheat Sheet https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt36c2e63521272fdc/blte37ba962036d487b/5eb08aae26a7212f2db1c1da/NmapCheatSheetv1.1.pdf

Cloud Security Cheat sheets

• Multicloud Cheat Sheet https://www.sans.org/security-resources/posters/cloud/multicloud-cheat-sheet-215?msc=blog-ultimate-list-cheat-sheets

CYBERSECURITY Q&A

• Which of the following is an encrypted key used by KMS to encrypt your data

‎AWS Certified Developer A. PRO

• How to scan for secrets like API keys using a simple python script

• How do you protect your small business website from cyber threats?

• How can I protect my business from cyber attacks?

• How do I determine when cyber security is needed for my company?

• What is the best cyber security package for SMBs to ensure the basic steps for protecting their business?

• What can a small business do in a single day that would improve their cyber security and protect customer data?

• How do you protect your devices from cyber threats?

• What is the biggest cyber security threat to your business?

• What is the best protection against cyber threats and ransomware?

 

• What do you know about the cyber security tools you need to get protection from the latest and most advanced cyber threats?

• What cyber threats concern you the most?

 

• How do VPNs protect you from cyber threats?

• How can I protect against cyber threats while employees work from home?

• What are some ways by which we can prevent cyber threats?

• Is the Tor browser enough to make me anonymous/hide me if Indian government wants to track me down?  TOR, by itself, is not going to completely anonymize you. The addition of a VPN would increase your protections.

• What is the likelihood that an MMS Text Message can infect my phone without being opened?

 

• If someone has my IP once, and I switch to a VPN, will it update that IP to show the new VPN IP? 
• How do I know if my system is not comprimised?

• How is HTTPS secure if Private Key is able to be intercepted?

What is the best cheap Wi-Fi cracking/hacking adapter? 

Source: What is the best cheap Wi-Fi cracking/hacking adapter?

Hey everyone, I’ve started getting into hacking, and would like to know the cheapest but best Wi-Fi cracking/deauthing/hacking adapter. I’m on a fairly tight budget of 20AUD and am willing to compromise if needed. Priority is a card with monitor mode, then cracking capabilities, then deauthing, etc. Thank you guys! By the way, if there are any beginner tips you are willing to give, please let me know!

 

 

How SSL Certificates Work

• A browser or server attempts to connect to a website (i.e. a web server) secured with SSL. The browser/server requests that the web server identify itself.
• The web server sends the browser/server a copy of its SSL certificate.
• The browser/server checks to see whether or not it trusts the SSL certificate. If so, it sends a message to the web server.
• The web server sends back a digitally signed acknowledgement to start an SSL encrypted session.
• Encrypted data is shared between the browser/server and the web server.

There are many benefits to using SSL certificates. Namely, SSL customers can:

• Utilize HTTPs, which elicits a stronger Google ranking
• Create safer experiences for your customers
• Build customer trust and improve conversions
• Protect both customer and internal data
• Encrypt browser-to-server and server-to-server communication
• Increase security of your mobile and cloud apps

Penetration Testing Terms

Penetration Testing Terms to know:

• Authentication — The process of checking if a user is allowed to gain access to a system. eg. Login forms with username and password.
• Authorization — Checking if the authenticated user has access to perform an action. eg. user, admin, super admin roles.
• Audit — Conduct a complete inspection of an organization’s network to find vulnerable endpoints or malicious software.
• Access Control List — A list that contains users and their level of access to a system.
• Aircrack-ng — Wifi penetration testing software suite. Contains sniffing, password cracking, and general wireless attacking tools.
• Backdoor — A piece of code that lets hackers get into the system easily after it has been compromised.
• Burp Suite — Web application security software, helps test web apps for vulnerabilities. Used in bug bounty hunting.
• Banner Grabbing — Capturing basic information about a server like the type of web server software (eg. apache) and services running on it.
• Botnet — A network of computers controlled by a hacker to perform attacks such as Distributed Denial of Service.
• Brute-Force Attack — An attack where the hacker tries different login combinations to gain access. eg. trying to crack a 9 -digit numeric password by trying all the numbers from 000000000 to 999999999
• Buffer Overflow — When a program tries to store more information than it is allowed to, it overflows into other buffers (memory partitions) corrupting existing data.
• Cache — Storing the response to a particular operation in temporary high-speed storage is to serve other incoming requests better. eg. you can store a database request in a cache till it is updated to reduce calling the database again for the same query.
• Cipher — Cryptographic algorithm for encrypting and decrypting data.
• Code Injection — Injecting malicious code into a system by exploiting a bug or vulnerability.
• Cross-Site Scripting — Executing a script on the client-side through a legitimate website. This can be prevented if the website sanitizes user input.
• Compliance — A set of rules defined by the government or other authorities on how to protect your customer’s data. Common ones include HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and FISMA.
• Dictionary Attack — Attacking a system with a pre-defined list of usernames and passwords. eg. admin/admin is a common username/password combination used by amateur sysadmins.
• Dumpster Diving — Looking into a company’s trash cans for useful information.
• Denial of Service & Distributed Denial of Service — Exhausting a server’s resources by sending too many requests is Denial of Service. If a botnet is used to do the same, its called Distributed Denial of Service.
• DevSecOps — Combination of development and operations by considering security as a key ingredient from the initial system design.
• Directory Traversal — Vulnerability that lets attackers list al the files and folders within a server. This can include system configuration and password files.
• Domain Name System (DNS) — Helps convert domain names into server IP addresses. eg. Google.com -> 216.58.200.142
• DNS Spoofing — Trikcnig a system’s DNS to point to a malicious server. eg. when you enter ‘facebook.com’, you might be redirected to the attacker’s website that looks like Facebook.
• Encryption — Encoding a message with a key so that only the parties with the key can read the message.
• Exploit — A piece of code that takes advantage of a vulnerability in the target system. eg. Buffer overflow exploits can get you to root access to a system.
• Enumeration — Mapping out all the components of a network by gaining access to a single system.
• Footprinting — Gathering information about a target using active methods such as scanning and enumeration.
• Flooding — Sending too many packets of data to a target system to exhaust its resources and cause a Denial of Service or similar attacks.
• Firewall — A software or hardware filter that can be configured to prevent common types of attacks.
• Fork Bomb — Forking a process indefinitely to exhaust system resources. Related to a Denial of Service attack.
• Fuzzing — Sending automated random input to a software program to test its exception handling capacity.
• Hardening — Securing a system from attacks like closing unused ports. Usually done using scripts for servers.
• Hash Function — Mapping a piece of data into a fixed value string. Hashes are used to confirm data integrity.
• Honey Pot — An intentionally vulnerable system used to lure attackers. This is then used to understand the attacker’s strategies.
• HIPAA — The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. If you are working with healthcare data, you need to make sure you are HIPAA compliant. This is to protect the customer’s privacy.
• Input Validation — Checking user inputs before sending them to the database. eg. sanitizing form input to prevent SQL injection attacks.
• Integrity — Making sure the data that was sent from the server is the same that was received by the client. This ensures there was no tampering and integrity is achieved usually by hashing and encryption.
• Intrusion Detection System — A software similar to a firewall but with advanced features. Helps in defending against Nmap scans, DDoS attacks, etc.
• IP Spoofing — Changing the source IP address of a packet to fool the target into thinking a request is coming from a legitimate server.
• John The Ripper — Brilliant password cracking tool, runs on all major platforms.
• Kerberos — Default authorization software used by Microsoft, uses a stronger encryption system.
• KeyLogger — A software program that captures all keystrokes that a user performs on the system.
• Logic Bombs — A piece of code (usually malicious) that runs when a condition is satisfied.
• Light Weight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) — Lightweight client-server protocol on Windows, central place for authentication. Stores usernames and passwords to validate users on a network.
• Malware — Short for “Malicious Software”. Everything from viruses to backdoors is malware.
• MAC Address — Unique address assigned to a Network Interface Card and is used as an identifier for local area networks. Easy to spoof.
• Multi-factor Authentication — Using more than one method of authentication to access a service. eg. username/password with mobile OTP to access a bank account (two-factor authentication)
• MD5 — Widely used hashing algorithm. Once a favorite, it has many vulnerabilities.
• Metasploit — All in one penetration testing framework that helps to successfully exploit vulnerabilities and gain access to target systems.
• Meterpreter — An advanced Metasploit payload that lives in memory and hard to trace.
• Null-Byte Injection — An older exploit, uses null bytes (i.e. %00, or 0x00 in hexadecimal) to URLs. This makes web servers return random/unwanted data which might be useful for the attacker. Easily prevented by doing sanity checks.
• Network Interface Card(NIC) — Hardware that helps a device connect to a network.
• Network Address Translation — Utility that translates your local IP address into a global IP address. eg. your local IP might be 192.168.1.4 but to access the internet, you need a global IP address (from your router).
• Nmap — Popular network scanning tool that gives information about systems, open ports, services, and operating system versions.
• Netcat — Simple but powerful tool that can view and record data on a TCP or UDP network connections. Since it is not actively maintained, NCat is preferred.
• Nikto — A popular web application scanner, helps to find over 6700 vulnerabilities including server configurations and installed web server software.
• Nessus — Commercial alternative to NMap, provides a detailed list of vulnerabilities based on scan results.
• Packet — Data is sent and received by systems via packets. Contains information like source IP, destination IP, protocol, and other information.
• Password Cracking — Cracking an encrypted password using tools like John the Ripper when you don’t have access to the key.
• Password Sniffing — Performing man-in-the-middle attacks using tools like Wireshark to find password hashes.
• Patch — A software update released by a vendor to fix a bug or vulnerability in a software system.
• Phishing — Building fake web sites that look remarkably similar to legitimate websites (like Facebook) to capture sensitive information.
• Ping Sweep — A technique that tries to ping a system to see if it is alive on the network.
• Public Key Cryptography — Encryption mechanism that users a pair of keys, one private and one public. The sender will encrypt a message using your public key which then you can decrypt using your private key.
• Public Key Infrastructure — A public key infrastructure (PKI) is a system to create, store, and distribute digital certificates. This helps sysadmins verify that a particular public key belongs to a certain authorized entity.
• Personally Identifiable Information (PII) — Any information that identified a user. eg. Address, Phone number, etc.
• Payload — A piece of code (usually malicious) that performs a specific function. eg. Keylogger.
• PCI-DSS — Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. If you are working with customer credit cards, you should be PCI-DSS compliant.
• Ransomware — Malware that locks your system using encryption and asks you to pay a price to get the key to unlock it.
• Rainbow Table — Pre calculated password hashes that will help you crack password hashes of the target easily.
• Reconnaissance — Finding data about the target using methods such as google search, social media, and other publicly available information.
• Reverse Engineering — Rebuilding a piece of software based on its functions.
• Role-Based Access — Providing a set of authorizations for a role other than a user. eg. “Managers” role will have a set of permissions while the “developers” role will have a different set of permissions.
• Rootkit — A rootkit is a malware that provides unauthorized users admin privileges. Rootkits include keyloggers, password sniffers, etc.
• Scanning — Sending packets to a system and gaining information about the target system using the packets received. This involved the 3-way-handshake.
• Secure Shell (SSH) — Protocol that establishes an encrypted communication channel between a client and a server. You can use ssh to login to remote servers and perform system administration.
• Session — A session is a duration in which a communication channel is open between a client and a server. eg. the time between logging into a website and logging out is a session.
• Session Hijacking — Taking over someone else’s session by pretending to the client. This is achieved by stealing cookies and session tokens. eg. after you authenticate with your bank, an attacker can steal your session to perform financial transactions on your behalf.
• Social Engineering — The art of tricking people into making them do something that is not in their best interest. eg. convincing someone to provide their password over the phone.
• Secure Hashing Algorithm (SHA) — Widely used family of encryption algorithms. SHA256 is considered highly secure compared to earlier versions like SHA 1. It is also a one-way algorithm, unlike an encryption algorithm that you can decrypt. Once you hash a message, you can only compare with another hash, you cannot re-hash it to its earlier format.
• Sniffing — performing man-in-the-middle attacks on networks. Includes wired and wireless networks.
• Spam — Unwanted digital communication, including email, social media messages, etc. Usually tries to get you into a malicious website.
• Syslog — System logging protocol, used by system administrators to capture all activity on a server. Usually stored on a separate server to retain logs in the event of an attack.
• Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) — Establishes an encrypted tunnel between the client and server. eg. when you submit passwords on Facebook, only the encrypted text will be visible for sniffers and not your original password.
• Snort — Lightweight open-source Intrusion Detection System for Windows and Linux.
• SQL Injection — A type of attack that can be performed on web applications using SQL databases. Happens when the site does not validate user input.
• Trojan — A malware hidden within useful software. eg. a pirated version of MS office can contain trojans that will execute when you install and run the software.
• Traceroute — Tool that maps the route a packet takes between the source and destination.
• Tunnel — Creating a private encrypted channel between two or more computers. Only allowed devices on the network can communicate through this tunnel.
• Virtual Private Network — A subnetwork created within a network, mainly to encrypt traffic. eg. connecting to a VPN to access a blocked third-party site.
• Virus — A piece of code that is created to perform a specific action on the target systems. A virus has to be triggered to execute eg. autoplaying a USB drive.
• Vulnerability — A point of attack that is caused by a bug / poor system design. eg. lack of input validation causes attackers to perform SQL injection attacks on a website.
• War Driving — Travelling through a neighborhood looking for unprotected wifi networks to attack.
• WHOIS — Helps to find information about IP addresses, its owners, DNS records, etc.
• Wireshark — Open source program to analyze network traffic and filter requests and responses for network debugging.
• Worm — A malware program capable of replicating itself and spreading to other connected systems. eg. a worm to built a botnet. Unlike Viruses, Worms don’t need a trigger.
• Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) — Protocol that helps mobile devices connect to the internet.
• Web Application Firewall (WAF) — Firewalls for web applications that help with cross-site scripting, Denial of Service, etc.
• Zero-Day — A newly discovered vulnerability in a system for which there is no patch yet. Zero-day vulnerabilities are the most dangerous type of vulnerabilities since there is no possible way to protect against one.
• Zombie — A compromised computer, controlled by an attacker. A group of zombies is called a Botnet.

CyberSecurity Post COVID-19

How does Covid19 affect cyber risk?

1. Increased distributed working: With organizations embracing work from home, incremental risks have been observed due to a surge in Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), Virtual Private Network (VPN), Software As A Service (SaaS), O365 and Shadow IT, as it could be exploited by various Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack vectors.
2. Reimagine Business Models: Envisioning new business opportunities, modes of working, and renewed investment priorities. With reduced workforce capability, compounded with skill shortages, staff who are focusing on business as usual tasks can be victimized, via social engineering.
3. Digital Transformation and new digital infrastructure: With the change in nature for organizations across the industrial and supply chain sector – security is deprioritized. Hardening of the industrial systems and cloud based infrastructure is crucial as cyber threats exploit these challenges via vulnerability available for unpatched systems.
4. With an extreme volume of digital communication, security awareness is lowered with increased susceptibility. Malicious actors are using phishing techniques to exploit such situations.

Re-evaluate your approach to cyber

• • Which cyber scenarios your organization appears to be preparing for or is prepared?

• •  Is there a security scenario that your organization is currently ignoring – but shouldn’t be?

• • What would your organization need to do differently in order to win, in each of the identified cyber scenarios?

• What capabilities, cyber security partnerships, and workforce strategies do you need to strengthen?

The organizations should reflect the following scenarios at a minimum and consider:

• • Which cyber scenarios your organization appears to be preparing for or is prepared?

• •  Is there a security scenario that your organization is currently ignoring – but shouldn’t be?

• • What would your organization need to do differently in order to win, in each of the identified cyber scenarios?

• • What capabilities, cyber security partnerships, and workforce strategies do you need to strengthen?

• To tackle the outcome from the above scenarios, the following measures are the key:

Inoculation through education: Educate and / or remind your employees about –

• • Your organization’s defense – remote work cyber security policies and best practices

• • Potential threats to your organization and how will it attack – with a specific focus on social engineering scams and identifying COVID-19 phishing campaigns

• Assisting remote employees with enabling MFA across the organization assets

Adjust your defenses: Gather cyber threat intelligence and execute a patching sprint:

• • Set intelligence collection priorities

• • Share threat intelligence with other organizations

• • Use intelligence to move at the speed of the threat

• Focus on known tactics, such as phishing and C-suite fraud.

• Prioritize unpatched critical systems and common vulnerabilities.

Enterprise recovery: If the worst happens and an attack is successful, follow a staged approach to recovering critical business operations which may include tactical items such as:

• • Protect key systems through isolation

• • Fully understand and contain the incident

• • Eradicate any malware

• • Implement appropriate protection measures to improve overall system posture

• • Identify and prioritize the recovery of key business processes to deliver operations

• Implement a prioritized recovery plan

Cyber Preparedness and Response: It is critical to optimize the detection capability thus, re-evaluation of the detection strategy aligned with the changing landscape is crucial. Some key trends include:

• • Secure and monitor your cloud environments and remote working applications

• • Increase monitoring to identify threats from shadow IT

• Analyze behavior patterns to improve detection content

Finding the right cyber security partner: To be ready to respond identify the right partner with experience and skillset in Social Engineering, Cyber Response, Cloud Security, and Data Security.

Critical actions to address

At this point, as the organizations are setting the direction towards the social enterprise, it is an unprecedented opportunity to lead with cyber discussions and initiatives. Organizations should immediately gain an understanding of newly introduced risks and relevant controls by:

• • Getting a seat at the table

• • Understanding the risk prioritization:

• • Remote workforce/technology performance

• • Operational and financial implications

• • Emerging insider and external threats

• Business continuity capabilities

Assessing cyber governance and security awareness in the new operating environment

Assessing the highest areas of risk and recommend practical mitigation strategies that minimize impact to constrained resources.

Keeping leadership and the Board apprised of ever-changing risk profile

Given the complexity of the pandemic and associated cyber challenges, there is reason to believe that the recovery phase post-COVID-19 will require unprecedented levels of cyber orchestration, communication, and changing of existing configurations across the organization.

CyberSecurity: Protect Yourself on Internet

• • Use two factor authentication when possible. If not possible, use strong unique passwords that are difficult to guess or crack. This means avoiding passwords that use of common words, your birthdate, your SSN, names and birthdays of close associates, etc.

• • Make sure the devices you are using are up-to-date and have some form of reputable anti-virus/malware software installed.

• • Never open emails, attachments, programs unless they are from a trusted source (i.e., a source that can be verified). Also disregard email or web requests that ask you to share your personal or account information unless you are sure the request and requestor are legitimate.

• • Try to only use websites that are encrypted. To do this, look for either the trusted security lock symbol before the website address and/or the extra “s” at the end of http in the URL address bar.

• • Avoid using an administrator level account when using the internet.

• • Only enable cookies when absolutely required by a website.

• • Make social media accounts private or don’t use social media at all.

• • Consider using VPNs and encrypting any folders/data that contains sensitive data.

• Stay away from using unprotected public Wi-Fi networks.

• • Social media is genetically engineered in Area 51 to harvest as much data from you as possible. Far beyond just having your name and age and photograph.

• • Never use the same username twice anywhere, or the same password twice anywhere.

• • Use Tor/Tor Browser whenever possible. It’s not perfect, but it is a decent default attempt at anonymity.

• • Use a VPN. Using VPN and Tor can be even better.

• • Search engines like DuckDuckGo offer better privacy (assuming they’re honest, which you can never be certain of) than Google which, like social media, works extremely hard to harvest every bit of data from you that they can.

• • Never give your real details anywhere. Certainly not things like your name or pictures of yourself, but even less obvious things like your age or country of origin. Even things like how you spell words and grammatical quirks can reveal where you’re from.

• • Erase your comments from websites after a few days/weeks. It might not erase them from the website’s servers, but it will at least remove them from public view. If you don’t, you can forget they exist and you never know how or when they can and will be used against you.

• With Reddit, you can create an account fairly easily over Tor using no real information. Also, regularly nuke your accounts in case Reddit or some crazy stalker is monitoring your posts to build a profile of who you might be. Source: Reddit

 Notable Hackers

• Adrian Lamo – gained media attention for breaking into several high-profile computer networks, including those of The New York Times, Yahoo!, and Microsoft, culminating in his 2003 arrest. Lamo was best known for reporting U.S. soldier Chelsea Manning to Army criminal investigators in 2010 for leaking hundreds of thousands of sensitive U.S. government documents to WikiLeaks.
• Albert Gonzales – an American computer hacker and computer criminal who is accused of masterminding the combined credit card theft and subsequent reselling of more than 170 million card and ATM numbers from 2005 to 2007: the biggest such fraud in history.
• Andrew Auernheimer (known as Weev) – Went to jail for using math against AT&T website.
• Barnaby Jack – was a New Zealand hacker, programmer and computer security expert. He was known for his presentation at the Black Hat computer security conference in 2010, during which he exploited two ATMs and made them dispense fake paper currency on the stage. Among his other most notable works were the exploitation of various medical devices, including pacemakers and insulin pumps.
• Benjamin Delpy – Mimikatz
• DVD-Jon – He wrote the DeCSS software, which decodes the Content Scramble System used for DVD licensing enforcement.
• Eric Corley (known as Emmanuel Goldstein) – 2600
• Gary McKinnon – a Scottish systems administrator and hacker who was accused in 2002 of perpetrating the “biggest military computer hack of all time,” although McKinnon himself states that he was merely looking for evidence of free energy suppression and a cover-up of UFO activity and other technologies potentially useful to the public. 👽🛸
• George Hotz aka geohot – “The former Facebook engineer took on the giants of the tech world by developing the first iPhone carrier-unlock techniques,” says Mark Greenwood, head of data science at Netacea, “followed a few years later by reverse engineering Sony’s PlayStation 3, clearing the way for users to run their own code on locked-down hardware. George sparked an interest in a younger generation frustrated with hardware and software restrictions being imposed on them and led to a new scene of opening up devices, ultimately leading to better security and more openness.”
• Guccifer 2.0 – a persona which claimed to be the hacker(s) that hacked into the Democratic National Committee (DNC) computer network and then leaked its documents to the media, the website WikiLeaks, and a conference event.
• Hector Monsegur (known as Sabu) – an American computer hacker and co-founder of the hacking group LulzSec. He Monsegur became an informant for the FBI, working with the agency for over ten months to aid them in identifying the other hackers from LulzSec and related groups.
• Jacob Appelbaum – an American independent journalist, computer security researcher, artist, and hacker. He has been employed by the University of Washington, and was a core member of the Tor project, a free software network designed to provide online anonymity.
• James Forshaw – one of the world’s foremost bug bounty huners
• Jeanson James Ancheta – On May 9, 2006, Jeanson James Ancheta (born 1985) became the first person to be charged for controlling large numbers of hijacked computers or botnets.
• Jeremy Hammond – He was convicted of computer fraud in 2013 for hacking the private intelligence firm Stratfor and releasing data to the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
• John Draper – also known as Captain Crunch, Crunch or Crunchman (after the Cap’n Crunch breakfast cereal mascot), is an American computer programmer and former legendary phone phreak.
• Kevin Mitnick – Free Kevin
• Kimberley Vanvaeck (known as Gigabyte) – a virus writer from Belgium known for a long-standing dispute which involved the internet security firm Sophos and one of its employees, Graham Cluley. Vanvaeck wrote several viruses, including Quis, Coconut and YahaSux (also called Sahay). She also created a Sharp virus (also called “Sharpei”), credited as being the first virus to be written in C#.
• Lauri Love – a British activist charged with stealing data from United States Government computers including the United States Army, Missile Defense Agency, and NASA via computer intrusion.
• Michael Calce (known as MafiaBoy) – a security expert from Île Bizard, Quebec who launched a series of highly publicized denial-of-service attacks in February 2000 against large commercial websites, including Yahoo!, Fifa.com, Amazon.com, Dell, Inc., E*TRADE, eBay, and CNN.
• Mudge – Peiter C. Zatko, better known as Mudge, is a network security expert, open source programmer, writer, and a hacker. He was the most prominent member of the high-profile hacker think tank the L0pht as well as the long-lived computer and culture hacking cooperative the Cult of the Dead Cow.
• Phineas Fisher – vigilante hacker god
• PRAGMA – Also known as Impragma or PHOENiX, PRAGMA is the author of Snipr, one of the most prolific credential stuffing tools available online.
• The 414s – The 414s were a group of computer hackers who broke into dozens of high-profile computer systems, including ones at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and Security Pacific Bank, in 1982 and 1983.
• The Shadow Brokers – is a hacker group who first appeared in the summer of 2016. They published several leaks containing hacking tools from the National Security Agency (NSA), including several zero-day exploits. Specifically, these exploits and vulnerabilities targeted enterprise firewalls, antivirus software, and Microsoft products.[6] The Shadow Brokers originally attributed the leaks to the Equation Group threat actor, who have been tied to the NSA’s Tailored Access Operations unit.

Notable Viruses & Worms

• Anna Kournikova
• Blaster
• Code Red
• Conficker
• ILOVEYOU virus
• Melissa virus
• Morris Worm
• MyDoom
• Santy
• Slammer
• Storm Worm
• Stuxnet
• WannaCry virus
• Welchia

History

• The Strange History of Ransomware
  The first ransomware virus predates e-mail, even the Internet as we know it, and was distributed on floppy disk by the postal service. It sounds quaint, but in some ways this horse-and-buggy version was even more insidious than its modern descendants. Contemporary ransomware tends to bait victims using legitimate-looking email attachments — a fake invoice from UPS, or a receipt from Delta airlines. But the 20,000 disks dispatched to 90 countries in December of 1989 were masquerading as something far more evil: AIDS education software.

How to protect sensitive data for its entire lifecycle in AWS

You can protect data in-transit over individual communications channels using transport layer security (TLS), and at-rest in individual storage silos using volume encryption, object encryption or database table encryption. However, if you have sensitive workloads, you might need additional protection that can follow the data as it moves through the application stack. Fine-grained data protection techniques such as field-level encryption allow for the protection of sensitive data fields in larger application payloads while leaving non-sensitive fields in plaintext. This approach lets an application perform business functions on non-sensitive fields without the overhead of encryption, and allows fine-grained control over what fields can be accessed by what parts of the application. Read m ore here…

 

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