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Submission + - And the Top Source of Critical Security Threats is...PowerShell (esecurityplanet.com)

Submitted by storagedude
storagedude writes: That's right, Microsoft's CLI management tool was the source of more than a third of critical security threats detected by Cisco in the second half of 2020, according to eSecurity Planet.

Dual-use tool exploitation was the top threat category noted by Cisco, followed by ransomware, fileless malware, and credential dumping, with PowerShell a primary vector in those last two categories also.

“Based on Cisco’s research, PowerShell is the source of more than a third of critical threats,” noted Gedeon Hombrebueno, Endpoint Security Product Manager for Cisco Secure.

Cisco recommends a number of protection steps that are, of course, made easier with Cisco Secure Endpoint, and other EDR tools are effective against PowerShell exploits also.

But there are a number of steps admins can (and should) take that are completely free, like preventing or restricting PowerShell execution in non-admin accounts, allowing execution of signed scripts only, and using Constrained Language mode.

Submission + - MITRE Security Tests Reveal Built-in Advantage of First-gen Antivirus Vendors (esecurityplanet.com)

Submitted by storagedude
storagedude writes: The MITRE cybersecurity product evaluations use adversarial attack techniques instead of basic malware samples, and as a result are the best tests of enterprise security products — particularly in light of dramatic recent attacks on SolarWinds and Colonial Pipeline.

What's especially interesting is just how well first-generation antivirus vendors like Symantec, McAfee and Trend Micro have fared in the MITRE tests. An eSecurity Planet article analyzes the data and speculates on why the old guard may have a built-in advantage over the hot upstarts:

"They may have been overshadowed in recent years by some of the flashy marketing of the upstarts, but that long history gives the old guard a product depth that’s tough to beat," eSecurity Planet wrote. "Just one example: Symantec was prepared for last year’s SolarWinds hack because it long ago faced attacks when hackers tried to disable endpoint agents, a primary vector for the Sunburst malware.

"In cybersecurity, experience still counts for something."

Submission + - New Object Storage Protocol Could Mean the End for POSIX (enterprisestorageforum.com) 1

Submitted by storagedude
storagedude writes: POSIX has scalability and performance limitations that will become increasingly important in data-intensive applications like deep learning, but until now it has retained one key advantage over the infinitely scalable object storage: the ability to process data in memory. That advantage is now gone with the new mmap_obj() function, which paves the way for object storage to become the preferred approach to Big Data applications.

Submission + - How Cloud Computing Changed the World (datamation.com)

Submitted by jammag
jammag writes: The definitive account of how cloud computing changed the world – and all of our lives – by dissolving the boundary between humans and technology. The article makes the point that "cloud computing's effect on the world has been profound: it has dissolved the boundary between humans and technology. Cloud makes technology immersive, for better or worse. There is, in effect, no longer any boundary between we humans and an ever expanding computing environment."

Submission + - GDPR Will Change Security and Privacy Everywhere (esecurityplanet.com)

Submitted by storagedude
storagedude writes: Companies that have separate data protection and privacy policies for non-EU customers may find that solution unworkable, writes Henry Newman on eSecurity Planet. Microsoft acknowledged the problem this week when it announced it would follow GDPR mandates globally for all customers. Expect others to follow, writes Newman.

'[G]iven the worldwide nature of business and worldwide travel of people ... it is virtually impossible to have different data policies in different locations. From a cost perspective, it makes the most sense to have a single inclusive policy for the company to follow around the world instead of lots of local polices that will be confusing to those charged with implementing them. A workforce that implements a single policy is much more cost-effective.'

Submission + - SPAM: Big Data and Cambridge Analytica: 5 Big Picture Truths

Submitted by jammag
jammag writes: Despite all the brouhaha about Cambridge Analytica and Facebook, "This is the role that Big Data plays in our lives. It’s nothing new or even slightly unusual." Furthermore, "Expect calls for regulation. Don’t expect much change." The problem is that consumers don't seem to care about privacy — can we protect people who don't care about being protected?
Link to Original Source

Submission + - Should You Use Linux Mint's Debian or Standard Edition? (datamation.com)

Submitted by jammag
jammag writes: At first, users might wonder why Linux Mint offers both its Ubuntu-based Linux Mint Standard Edition and the Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE). Since Debian, Linux Mint, and Ubuntu all derive from the Debian repositories, isn't the family resemblance too close to bother? However, depending on your needs and preferences, you may find that one edition suits your needs more than the other.

Submission + - Needed: A universal file wrapper for data continuity (enterprisestorageforum.com)

Submitted by storagedude
storagedude writes: With thousands of file formats that quickly become incompatible and outdated, our data today likely won't have the staying power that hieroglyphs or even paper enjoyed. The solution:
a universal file wrapper agreed upon by standards bodies, writes Henry Newman on Enterprise Storage Forum.

' I would like to suggest that an ANSI, ISO or IEEE committee come together and create an open standard for self-describing data. This format must encompass all other formats that exist today in weather, multiple medical formats, geospatial, genetics and so on. This working group could meet and get agreement across various industries in pretty short order, I believe. Just like wrapping files that are already wrapped. This clearly doesn’t solve the whole problem with its long-term issues, but it does get us to a common agreed format. This could also be used for any other file type like a jpeg.'

Submission + - Google Fuchsia: Inside Google's new 'Fuchsia' OS (datamation.com)

Submitted by jammag
jammag writes: Google is creating a new operating system, Fuchsia — but why? For IoT, mobile, world domination? The search giant remains remarkably tight-lipped about the project. Yet one thing's for sure: with Google behind it, Fuchsia will likely play a key role in development in the years ahead.

Submission + - Rootkits: The next big security challenge

Submitted by storagedude
storagedude writes: Rootkits are becoming a critical security challenge, writes Henry Newman at Enterprise Storage Forum. The solution: a secure supply chain for firmware, and users need to be alert for any changes or insider threats.

'The only way I can see this working — and there is still risk — is if you have multiple employees inspecting the firmware to ensure it is indeed the manufacturer’s firmware. I would have at least two or more people get the firmware and validate the SHA256 hashes,' Newman writes.

Submission + - Object storage and POSIX should merge (enterprisestorageforum.com)

Submitted by storagedude
storagedude writes: Object storage’s low cost and ease of use have made it all the rage, but a few additional features would make it a worthier competitor to POSIX-based file systems, writes Jeff Layton at Enterprise Storage Forum. Byte-level access, easier application portability and a few commands like open, close, read, write and lseek could make object storage a force to be reckoned with.

‘Having an object storage system that allows byte-range access is very appealing,’ writes Layton. ‘It means that rewriting applications to access object storage is now an infinitely easier task. It can also mean that the amount of data touched when reading just a few bytes of a file is greatly reduced (by several orders of magnitude). Conceptually, the idea has great appeal. Because I'm not a file system developer I can't work out the details, but the end result could be something amazing.’

Submission + - Tech Vendors Say They Can Stop Hackers (esecurityplanet.com)

Submitted by storagedude
storagedude writes: A group of eleven tech vendors say they've developed a data infrastructure that can stop hackers in their tracks.

At the heart of the Multilevel Secure System (MLS) is a modified version of SELinux, with role-based access control with a policy for each role, so no one can get to the system root and the root can’t see user data. Policies are based on roles such as security admin, audit admin and sysadmin, and each file is tagged with a security level so some users can see it while others can’t.

Lockheed Martin, Seagate and Red Hat are among the vendors who developed the system, which was unveiled at last week's Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) conference in DC.

Submission + - Is The Era of Cheap Disk Storage Over? (infostor.com)

Submitted by storagedude
storagedude writes: Big Data, the Internet of Things and manufacturing and areal density limitations could combine to reverse the long-running trend of falling data storage prices, according to an article on InfoStor. With neither flash nor tape offering a viable alternative to bulk disk storage, users may have to turn to technologies such as deduplication, thin provisioning, RAID 1 and heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) to meet demand.

Submission + - Is LTO tape on its way out? (enterprisestorageforum.com)

Submitted by storagedude
storagedude writes: With LTO media sales down by 50% in the last six years, is the end near for tape? With such a large installed base, it may not be imminent, but the time is coming when vendors will find it increaingly difficult to justify continued investment in tape technology, writes Henry Newman at Enterprise Storage Forum.

“If multiple vendors invest in a technology, it has a good chance of winning over the long haul,” writes Newman, a long-time proponent of tape technology. “If multiple vendors have a technology they’re not investing in, it will eventually lose over time. Of course, over time market requirements can change. It is these interactions that I fear that are playing out in the tape market.”

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