Page 111 - StudyBook.pdf

General Security Concepts: Attacks • Chapter 2 95

Q: How can my applications be protected against buffer overflow attacks?
A: It’s impossible to provide 100 percent protection, but a good start is making
sure you are current with patches from the software vendor.Another approach
for developers is to perform code reviews, looking for overlooked flaws in the
code that could potentially be exploitable, and adopting secure coding practices
with a security development lifecycle.

Q: Is there any way to protect against dumpster diving?
A: Having a policy in place that requires shredding of any discarded company doc-
uments will provide a decent amount of protection against dumpster diving.
Remember, any document with employee names, phone numbers, or e-mail
addresses could be potentially used against you by a social engineer.

Q: What can be done to guard against the dangers of social engineering?
A: A policy forbidding the disclosure of information over the phone and e-mail is
a good place to start.Warn employees that they need to be able to verify the
identity of any person requesting information. Let them know that they will
not be reprimanded for strictly enforcing this policy. Some employees worry
that if a “boss” asks for information, they should give it immediately.
Additionally, create an environment where information is obtained in appro-
priate ways, rather than blindly over the telephone or via e-mail.

Q: My company has a firewall, do I need to worry about worms?
A: Yes. Many users these days have laptop computers that are connected to a
number of different networks. Each new network is a new vector for worm
attack. Many companies stand to face outages caused by worms brought in on
employee laptops.Also, some worms/virus/Trojans are unwittingly downloaded
from seemingly harmless Web sites. Firewalls need to inspect all allowed traffic
to filter out attacks through normally safe protocols.

Q: What’s the best way to keep on top of new security vulnerabilities, exploits, and
dangers that my company faces?
A: There are a multitude or resources to keep you informed on the latest security
concerns.You should subscribe to at least one (and maybe more) e-mail bul-
letins and security-related newsletters. Some of the most common include
those from Microsoft (www.microsoft.com/security), SANS (www.sans.org),

www.syngress.com