Positive thinking is not a gift but a skill one must learn. Given an expression X – Y, one may see the minus symbol only or ignore that the varialble Y can be negative. If we can treat it as X + (-Y), consider everything is a “plus” operation, and focus on the truth, life would be much better.
Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. This cloud model is composed of five essential characteristics, three service models, and four deployment models.
~ NIST SP 800-145
The three service models are SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS. The four deployment models are private cloud, community cloud, public cloud, and hybrid cloud. The five essential characteristics are 1) on-demand self-service, 2) broad network access, 3) resource pooling, 4) rapid elasticity, and 5) measured service. However, NIST SP 800-145 doesn’t mention the characteristic of multitenancy, which is specified in ISO/IEC 17788.
tenant: One or more cloud service users sharing access to a set of physical and virtual resources.
multi-tenancy: Allocation of physical or virtual resources such that multiple tenants and their computations and data are isolated from and inaccessible to one another.
Multi-tenancy: A feature where physical or virtual resources are allocated in such a way that multiple tenants and their computations and data are isolated from and inaccessible to one another. Typically, and within the context of multi-tenancy, the group of cloud service users that form a tenant will all belong to the same cloud service customer organization. There might be cases where the group of cloud service users involves users from multiple different cloud service customers, particularly in the case of public cloud and community cloud deployments. However, a given cloud service customer organization might have many different tenancies with a single cloud service provider representing different groups within the organization;
~ ISO/IEC 17788
I came across the following practice question from the CCSP OPT 3rd edition, which reads: “In a private cloud deployment, only Matthew’s company would have access to any resources hosted on the same physical hardware. This is not multitenancy.” Its explanation implies a private cloud has a single tenant, and multitenancy leads to a public cloud.
I disagree with the explanation. According to the above definitions in ISO/IEC 17788, all cloud services and deployment models should support multitenancy, regardless of whether it is a private or public cloud. A tenant refers to one or more cloud service users instead of a cloud service customer organization. A single cloud service customer can have multiple tenants.
Since NIST SP 800-145, NIST SP 500-292, and the CSA Cloud Security Glossary don’t define “multitenancy,” while ISO/IEC 17788 does so precisely, I suggest we align the concept of multitenancy with ISO/IEC 17788.
Matthew is reviewing a new cloud service offering that his organization plans to adopt. In this offering, a cloud provider will create virtual server instances under the multitenancy model. Each server instance will be accessible only to Matthew's company. What cloud deployment model is being used?
A. Hybrid cloud
B. Public cloud
C. Private cloud
D. Community cloud
B. The key to answering this question is recognizing that the multitenancy model
involves many different customers accessing cloud resources hosted on shared hardware. That makes this a public cloud deployment, regardless of the fact that access to a particular server instance is limited to Matthew's company. In a private cloud deployment, only Matthew's company would have access to any resources hosted on the same physical hardware. This is not multitenancy. There is no indication that Matthew's organization is combining resources of public and private cloud computing, which would be a hybrid cloud, or that the resource use is limited to members of a particular group, which would be a community cloud.
Source: CCSP Official Practice Tests, 3rd editionContinue readingError detection is the detection of errors caused by noise or other impairments during transmission from the transmitter to the receiver.
Error correction is the detection of errors and reconstruction of the original, error-free data.
A true random number generator produces numeric sequences that are irregular (no recognizable patterns or periods), unpredictable, and irreproducible.
“It looks random. This means that it passes all the statistical tests of randomness that we can find.” (Schneier)
“It is unpredictable. It must be computationally infeasible to predict what the next random bit will be, given complete knowledge of the algorithm or hardware generating the sequence and all of the previous bits in the stream.” (Schneier)
It is irreproducible. “It cannot be reliably reproduced. If you run the sequence generator twice with the exact same input (at least as exact as humanly possible), you will get two completely unrelated random sequences.” (Schneier)
What is information security? I propose the WISE Model as a cybersecurity conceptual model and explain it in Chinese. Your feedback is welcome!
何謂資訊安全？ 我提出了WISE Model作為學習資安的入門觀念架構. 歡迎大家不吝回饋與指正.
I organized cybersecurity concepts into the mind map along with the following definition:
“Information security is a discipline of protecting assets from threats through security controls to achieve confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA), support business, and create value and fulfill organizational mission and vision.”
The definition and the mind map are collectively called the WISE model. I hope it helps in your CISSP journey!
PS. I use “information security” and “cybersecurity” interchangeably, even though the Presidential Cybersecurity Policy, CISM, and many other sources may treat them differently. I use “information security” in a broad sense of asset security.
Ontology concerns claims about the nature of being and existence.
Soundtrack: What was I made for?
RSAPublicKey ::= SEQUENCE {
modulus INTEGER, -- n
publicExponent INTEGER -- e
}
RSAPrivateKey ::= SEQUENCE {
version Version,
modulus INTEGER, -- n
publicExponent INTEGER, -- e
privateExponent INTEGER, -- d
prime1 INTEGER, -- p
prime2 INTEGER, -- q
exponent1 INTEGER, -- d mod (p-1)
exponent2 INTEGER, -- d mod (q-1)
coefficient INTEGER, -- (inverse of q) mod p
otherPrimeInfos OtherPrimeInfos OPTIONAL
}The following is a snippet of C# code in LINQPad that demonstrates RSA Cryptography:
System
System.Security.Cryptography
void Main()
{
string message =
"0123456789ABCDEF0123456789ABCDEF0123456789ABCDEF0123456789ABCDEF"+
"0123456789ABCDEF0123456789ABCDEF0123456789ABCDEF0123456789ABCDEF"+
"0123456789ABCDEF0123456789ABCDEF0123456789ABCDEF0123456789ABCDEF"+
"0123456789ABCDEF0123456789ABCDEF0123456789ABCDEF01234";
(message.Length * 8).Dump("message.Length"); //1960 bits
RSAParameters key = RsaEncryption.GenerateKey(2048);
key.Dump("Key per PKCS #1");
var encryptedData = RsaEncryption.Encrypt(message, key);
(encryptedData.Length * 8).Dump("encryptedData.Length");
var decryptedData = RsaEncryption.Decrypt(encryptedData, key);
(decryptedData.Length * 8).Dump("decryptedData.Length");
/*
string encryptedMessage = Convert.ToBase64String(encryptedData);
string decryptedMessage = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(RsaEncryption.Decrypt(encryptedData, key));
Console.WriteLine("Encrypted message: " + encryptedMessage);
Console.WriteLine("Decrypted message: " + decryptedMessage);
*/
//Digital Signature
var hash = Sha256Hash.ComputeHash(message);
BitConverter.ToString(hash).Dump("hash");
(hash.Length * 8).Dump("hash.Length");
var signature = DigitalSignature.Sign(hash, key);
bool verified = DigitalSignature.Verify(hash, signature, key);
(signature.Length * 8).Dump("signature.Length");
verified.Dump("verified");
//Console.WriteLine("Signature: " + signature);
//Console.WriteLine("Verified: " + verified);
}
// Define other methods and classes here
public class Sha256Hash
{
public static byte[] ComputeHash(string message)
{
byte[] hashValue;
using (SHA256 sha256 = SHA256.Create())
{
hashValue = sha256.ComputeHash(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(message));
}
return hashValue;
}
}
public class RsaEncryption
{
public static byte[] Encrypt(string message, RSAParameters key)
{
byte[] encryptedData;
using (RSACryptoServiceProvider rsa = new RSACryptoServiceProvider())
{
rsa.ImportParameters(key);
encryptedData = rsa.Encrypt(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(message), false);
}
return encryptedData;
}
public static byte[] Decrypt(byte[] ciphertext, RSAParameters key)
{
byte[] decryptedData;
using (RSACryptoServiceProvider rsa = new RSACryptoServiceProvider())
{
rsa.ImportParameters(key);
decryptedData = rsa.Decrypt(ciphertext, false);
}
return decryptedData;
}
public static RSAParameters GenerateKey(int keySzie)
{
RSACryptoServiceProvider rsa = new RSACryptoServiceProvider(keySzie);
return rsa.ExportParameters(true);
}
}
public class DigitalSignature
{
public static byte[] Sign(byte[] hash, RSAParameters key)
{
byte[] signature;
using (RSACryptoServiceProvider rsa = new RSACryptoServiceProvider())
{
rsa.ImportParameters(key);
signature = rsa.SignHash(hash, CryptoConfig.MapNameToOID("SHA256"));
}
return signature;
}
public static bool Verify(byte[] hash, byte[] signature, RSAParameters key)
{
using (RSACryptoServiceProvider rsa = new RSACryptoServiceProvider())
{
rsa.ImportParameters(key);
return rsa.VerifyHash(hash, CryptoConfig.MapNameToOID("SHA256"), signature);
}
}
}Evidence is presented to prove facts. Evidence can be materials or witnesses. Facts can be represented in natural language sentences, statements, assertions, or logical propositions. The proof is evidence accepted to believe facts are true or probably true. Investigation is the process of evidence identification, collection, preservation, analysis, review, processing, production, and presentation; investigation involving forensics or scientific knowledge is known as forensic investigation.
Continue readingSoftware delivery is not deployment. Delivery hands over the software to the customer, while deployment installs and provisions the software to the production environment. We have to be cautious about the term CD. Does it mean continuous delivery or continuous deployment? Both share the same acronym but convey different ideas. Software or application is only one part of the information system that shall be certified and accredited (C&A) to get the authorization to operate (ATO). In other words, the information system is authorized instead of the software alone. Continuous deployment may not comply with the C&A process. It’s a security concern that the software development or IT operations team often ignores when implementing continuous deployment.
Quality refers to the “degree to which a set of inherent characteristics of an object fulfills requirements.” (ISO/TS 82304-2)
Software refers to “all or part of the programs, procedures, rules and associated documentation of an information-processing system.” (ISO 17894)
“In software development, a build is the process of converting source code files into standalone software artifact(s) that can be run on a computer, or the result of doing so.” (Wikipedia)