Competitive Advantage - Social Engineering Defense

By Claudio Locicero

Social engineering has become, due to the advent of more intelligent and comprehensive technological security controls that guard against viruses and the like, the greatest non-technological risk to the security of personal and corporate information. Although there are as many forms of social engineering attacks as there are books on the topic of information security, the aim of this article is to provide a general overview of a few of the most common scenarios, the principles of which can be extrapolated and applied as a litmus test to other situations an employee may be exposed to.

In its strictest form, social engineering is a category of security attacks in which someone manipulates another individual, either directly or indirectly, to acquire sensitive information or unauthorized access. An attack is performed by tricking an unsuspecting individual by building, in some manner, a trust relationship. An example of social engineering is where an attacker telephones an employee then pretends to be from the IT department and asks the user to download and install a system update. Unbeknownst to the employee, this "update" is actually a Trojan horse which will open a backdoor to the computer for the attacker to gain full access to corporate network resources.

Phishing
Phishing is type of scam that often leads to theft of personal details such as passwords or credit card numbers. In one example, an attacker sends an email to an employee of a business that appears to come from a legitimate website used by that employee that requires the use of a user name and password to access his/her account. The email may ask the employee to reply with their account user name and password to update/verify account details or, more probably, ask the employee to a follow a website link to an especially created fake site which has the look and feel of the real site, but has been specifically set up for stealing personal information.
Unsuspecting individuals are then fooled into entering user names, passwords, credit card numbers, or other private and confidential personal or corporate details on this fake website. After the required information is entered the fake website will then redirect the individual to the real site and may even automatically pass the previously entered credentials to allow them seamless access. The employee would then be completely unaware that they have been compromised.

Hoaxes
Hoaxes usually fall into two categories, the first is a virus hoax and the second is an urban myth. Although not usually considered a social engineering attack by mainstream information security specialists, these need to be considered as such due to the structure of the attacks themselves and their intended purposes.

a. Virus Hoaxes
A virus hoax is an email message prank that warns readers about a supposed virus that has either already infected their computer or is about to through various means. Recipients of this type of hoax are usually tricked into downloading a file that is supposed to "fix" their computers but in actuality infects the computer with some type of Trojan or virus causing further chaos.
Additionally this type of attack may be used as a diversionary tactic by hackers if directed to a particular organization to engage their IT personnel in a flood of support calls from internal users while the hacker tries to gain access into the organization's network via alternate means.

b. Urban Myths
This is the type of hoax that inevitably wastes an individual's time by having them chase something that doesn't exist perhaps in addition to having personal information compromised.
Recipients may be informed that they can receive some type of prize for following instructions contained in an email or even warn of bad luck for not following the instructions. One such hoax promised a free pair of Nike running shoes for filling out a questionnaire which asked for personal information such as name and address then forwarding the email to ten other individuals to perpetuate the compromise of personal information.

Dumpster Diving
Dumpster diving, again not usually considered social engineering in a traditional sense, allows attackers to make use of certain societal taboos such as sifting through the garbage of others and the collective belief that no one would. This collective belief has, over the years, allowed attackers to obtain for large amounts of confidential information by sifting through corporate waste. Organizations dispose of policy manuals, meeting notes, memos, organizational charts, vacation schedules, and much more in their dumpsters. Sensitive documents should be shredded and the type of shredder used depends on how difficult a document reconstruction task should be. Corporate data can be restored from hard drives retrieved from dumpsters, thus all electronic devices should have any stored data permanently erased with tools that are available to accomplish this. This method of attack has been so harmful that many organizations now keep their waste in secured areas and utilize only bonded waste removal companies that certify waste disposal and provide chain of custody reports.

Employees have to be given the tools to understand and identify risks to corporate and personal confidential information. Organizations that provide an information security awareness program for their employees with ongoing refresher training have a competitive advantage to their business rivals that do not have such a program in place. The reason for this is because they are much less likely to face the publicity, associated embarrassment, and loss of goodwill brought on by an information security breach that exposes confidential data, consumer or otherwise.

Understanding information security risks, how it can affect your organization, and following industry standard best practices to safeguard information assets just makes good business sense.
Written by Claudio LoCicero, M.S.

Over his career he has held several technical and management positions both in the United States and overseas within the private and government sectors.

He holds a Master of Science in Information Technology with an Information Security Specialization from a university designated as a National Security Agency Certified Center of Academic Excellence for Information Assurance. He also holds numerous professional certifications such as the Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundation, along with several other professional certifications from Cisco, Microsoft, and the National Security Agency (NSA).

He is an active member of the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC2), Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), Information Systems Security Association (ISSA), and the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Claudio_Locicero

Qualities Of An Ideal Criminal Defense Lawyer

By Eshwarya Patel

Criminal cases are the most important aspects in the legal world. It is in the hands of a criminal lawyer to get the accused punished as per the law.

A good lawyer should have a clear understanding of all the significant details of the case. His duty is to bring to light the bare essentials of the case before the jury, and prove the prosecution wrong. The defense lawyer should ensure that if his client is wrongly accused, he does not get punishment for something that he has not done.

An ideal lawyer is the one who performs his duties well. The duties of a criminal defense lawyer are as follows:

• Arrange for your release and make sure you get justice.

• Take required action concerning papers and procedure.

• Give you the right advice on procedures.

• Recommend the best path to take to get justice and escape punishment.

• Tell you about your options and legal rights.

A few qualities of an ideal criminal defense lawyer are as follows:

• He should not only be well qualified in criminal law but also should have a good past experience of dealing with cases similar to your case.

• He should be honest, sincere, and ardent about justice. He should have the zeal to protect the rights of his client.

• He should be confident enough to daunt the prosecution.

• He should know how to act in front of the jury to prove his client’s despair.

• He should also be capable of doing and understanding police work so that he can find out all the clues and facts needed for the case.

• He should have a clear understanding of the hidden facets of law.

• He should have a good reputation.

• He should be fair in his dealings and extremely intelligent.

• He should know no defeat and should have an optimistic attitude.

• He should be adventurous enough to seek new strategies.

http://www.lawyerucla.com

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The Truth About Personal Self Defense Weapons

By SA Rubin

Sorry I haven’t written anything for a while folks, but these days it seems like there’s more on my to-do-list then there is time to do them. In fact, my daily travels are what inspired me to sit down and write this letter today.

It seems like everywhere I go these days, I get asked the same questions about self defense weapons. Are they legal? Should I carry one? Do they really work? (And assuming they really do work for self defense)… How do I know which one is really going to work for me?

The truth is, there really is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. It’s a personal question, which has a personal answer for each individual. So I’m going to do what I can to help clear some of the fog on this topic, and we’ll start with a simple definition for the term “self defense weapon”.

Self-defense: The act of defending one’s person or interests from harm by the use of physical force or argument.

Weapon: Any instrument or device used to inflict harm on another, either for attack or defense.

So for the purpose of this article, we’ll consider a self defense weapon to be any instrument or device used to defend yourself from physical harm or attack... Simple enough.

Personal defense weapons come in many shapes and sizes. In fact, just about anything you use to defend yourself could be considered a self defense weapon. So rather than creating a list of self defense weapons (which is practically endless), I’ll just go over some of the concepts that are common for all of these devices.

First let’s talk about what a self defense weapon is NOT…

A self defense weapon is NOT an animate object with a mind of its own. In other words, it doesn’t think for itself, and it doesn’t sit there coiled up, waiting for the opportunity to strike at someone. A self defense weapon is a tool, no more. And being a tool, what it does depends entirely on what you do with it. A weapon can be very useful for keeping you safe. However, you've got to remember a few certain things...

1. A SELF DEFENSE WEAPON IS NOT MAGIC. Once you have a weapon, it doesn’t mean you’re automatically safe. So, don’t go walking into a bad section of town, in the middle of the night, carrying a big handful of money. And don’t flip off the local gang leader just because you have a weapon in your pocket

2. YOU NEED TO LEARN HOW TO USE YOUR SELF DEFENSE WEAPON. And even more important, you need to have confidence in your ability to use it. Just having a weapon doesn't mean it'll be any help at all. This is actually a big problem among the uninformed; Military and law enforcement research confirms that people who lack confidence in a technique or device will not resort to it in a stressful situation.

Many people have been seriously hurt in violent encounters with a personal self defense weapon right in their hand. In the stress of the moment, they didn't think to use it or doubted its' ability to impact the situation. Perhaps they were afraid that it would only make matters worse.

So if you’re thinking of carrying a personal self defense weapon, make sure you’re prepared to learn how to use it. And practice to become skillful with it. You also need to be prepared to use the device aggressively on a predator, to protect yourself. Never carry a Personal Safety Weapon with the intent to "bluff" your assailant. This is one sure way to have your weapon taken away and used against you. So if you are not prepared to use it decisively, don't carry it!

3. WEAPONS DON’T WORK IF YOU AREN’T HOLDING THEM.You've got to keep your eyes open and pay attention, and you need to know how to carry and use your weapon of choice, cause if you don't, you may not get a chance to use it. A gun doesn't help if it's still in its holster, and a pepper spray or a stun gun isn't too useful if it's still in the bottom of your purse or in the kitchen drawer at home when you get attacked. So when you carry a weapon for self defense, make sure you can get to it quickly if the need arises.

People seldom leave their homes thinking, "Gee, I think I'll go out and fend off a mugger, or a rapist today!" What happens to most self defense weapons is the novelty wears off and they’re quickly forgotten, then they find their way to the bottom of a purse, the glove box of your car, or the back of a kitchen drawer. They won't do you much good there! So ask yourself, is the device you are considering something practical enough to carry with you all of the time.

4. NOTHING WORKS 100% OF THE TIME. Over-inflated claims and quick-fix promises are everywhere in the self-defense business. Many gadget salespeople and wannabe self-defense experts exaggerate the benefits and capabilities of their systems and products.

You need to understand, and acknowledge the limitations of a self defense weapon, and have a back-up plan. Keep in mind that nothing is ever 100% effective all the time. Even a gun is only 99% effective. Sometimes people get shot, but they still don’t go down. Yet, I don’t know anyone who would say a gun isn’t effective.

So knowing that nothing works 100% of the time means no matter what self defense weapon you decide to carry, you should still have a back up plan for defending yourself… just in case
5. THERE ARE LAWS ABOUT WEAPONS… Lots of laws. Starting primarily with laws about guns, the use of guns, carrying a gun, etc. but there are also laws about stun guns, pepper spray, knives, batons, etc. Mostly having to do with when weapons may be used, and under what circumstances.

Do what you can to learn the laws about weapons in your area, but more importantly, use a bit of common sense. Pulling a gun on a guy because he cut you off in traffic is a no-no, and shooting someone in the face with pepper spray because they took the last donut at the meeting is not using good judgment. So when learning to use your self defense weapon, also learn the laws regarding the weapon, and when you can and can't use it legally.

So there you have it, a few basic truths about self defense weapons. I could go on for another half hour about personal defense weapons, and never run out of things to say, but this article has already passed the one thousand-word mark, so I’ll end it here. The bottom line is, if you’re going to carry a weapon for self defense, make sure you know how to use it, and are prepared to use if the need arises.

Until next time, Stay safe and stay alive.

Steve / NASP

SA Rubin is the owner of North American Security Products, LLC. A company dedicated to providing you with the means to protect and defend yourself against crime. For more information on Self Defense Weapons visit www.naselfdefense.com where you'll find a complete line of self-defense weapons and Personal Security Products

Wedding Dress Self Defense

By Kristy Bloch

I know traditionally that I am supposed to save my wedding dress and give it to my daughter one day, but the darn thing is taking up too much space. Besides, if she’s anything like me, she’ll want something much “cooler” or up-to-date than what her Mom wore way back in 2007. So I’ve decided to sell it.

Sounds simple enough right? Place a classified ad in the paper or online, and some sweet, grateful, bride-to-be without much money will be able to look beautiful on her big day.

But that’s exactly how a predator called the “wedding dress rapist,” found his victims.

Terrorizing women in Alabama and Colorado, police believe this maniac is still roaming the streets. While his identity is unknown, police know that he finds his victims by looking through “Wedding Dress for Sale” classified ads.

Saying that he wanted to buy the dress for his daughter, once in the victim's home he would overpower and rape them.

Now here’s the good news…
Not all of the women this creep tried to attack became victims.

One woman who was called about her ad by this guy, refused to meet with him as each time he called her from a different number. In another case, from the moment the guy came in the door the women selling her dress had a bad feeling.

When he asked if she could wear for him, she told him to leave, and he attacked her. Unlike his other victims, she fought back using good self defense moves that targeted vital areas like the head and groin. She beat him pretty good and threw him out of her home. Neighbors chased after the guy and even took a picture of his car, but he escaped before police arrived.

The best way to win a fight against an attacker is to never get allow one to happen. If you don't like how someone sounds over the phone, or through the door, don't let them in your home. If your instincts tell you not to go a certain direction, or that there is something wrong with somebody, listen…because you are probably right.

If you walk alone, try to find the safest route even if it takes a little longer. Don't always leave at the same time, and know more then one way to get home. If you are approached your first move should always be to run away.

As the instructor mentor for the International Association of Close Combat Professionals, I work with a number of highly skilled self-defense instructors. Many of which have female students who successfully fought off attackers.

In all cases, the key element that made their self defense training work each and every time was that they were attentive to their surroundings and made their move when they needed to.

In this busy world it is easy to overlook safety because most of the time things run fine. There are a lot of nice people in this world, and most do business with strangers every day without incident. But it is vitally important for every woman to remember that there are plenty of dangerous people as well that will exploit any opportunity you hand them.

When it comes to self defense keep it simple. Get away at the first opportunity, and if you have to fight, hurt them until you're able to get away.

This is not a game, not a sport, and not a martial arts competition. This is a matter of life and death, and you have to;

1) Have proper, legitimate self defense training (Not kiddie street corner Karate)
2) Be smart and vigilant in all your dealings with strangers
3) Be ready to fight for your life and to protect your body if you need to

You do not need to live a life of constant fear and paranoia to apply these tactics, just a little preparation and some good old fashioned common sense. Like the common sense not to invite a strange man over your house to look at your wedding dress (I’ll be using EBay to sell mine).

Kristy Bloch is an Instructor Mentor in the International Association of Close Combat Professionals. She left the corporate world behind in order to pursue her true passion martial arts. She has train in various martial arts including Karate, Judo, and Jujitsu. She is a long time advocate of women's self defense. For more information:
http://tstraining.powweb.com/dod/attention_women.htm