A Professional cybersecurity Blog, best practice, managing risks, and knowledgebase. Including tips and tricks, and much more...
Founded by ex-military and police background, a forensics expert, Osint and intelligence. On a mission of "Inspire and educate", SecProf is a leading cyber technology, and other mission-specific ethics and Law, privacy, AI, and all from the point of reducing Risks.
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Bard can now access useful information from Google apps, in Gmail, Docs, and Drive
Bard can now retrieve and help work in real-time from maps, YouTube, hotels, and flights. Can be disabled at any time.
Google search, [G] button can help check bard, can click to learn more.
When someone shares a Bard conversation with you through Bard's sharing feature, you can now continue the conversation in your account and build on what they started.
You can upload photos with Google Lens, get Google Search images, and change Bard's comments to be simpler, longer, shorter, more professional, or more casual in all supported languages.
Bard is available in new locations and languages, now in over 40 new languages including Arabic, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), German, Hindi, Spanish and more.
Images can be uploaded alongside text in conversations with Bard, which makes it possible to increase imagination and creativity in new ways. Bard has added the capability of Google Lens at this stage in English.
Added text-to-speech capabilities to Bard in over 40 languages, including Hindi, Spanish, and American English.
Pinned and recent threads, you can now pick up where you left off with your past bard conversations and organize them according to your needs.
Exporting Python code to Replit The ability to export Bard to code has been expanded. Python code for Replit, plus Google Co lab.
Bard has been updated to recognize computational instructions and run code in the background, making Bard better at math tasks, coding questions, and string manipulation, plus exporting Bard-generated tables to Google Sheets
More relevant responses with location details - Accurate location helps Bard deliver more relevant responses in your area.
It is hard to believe that only ten months have passed since the AI revolution began. The release of a free public version of ChatGPT in November of last year prompted Google and other competitors to accelerate their development efforts, releasing beta versions in an attempt to push the boundaries of AI technology while ensuring their products meet industry standards.
Google released an early version called Bard, which is a prototype of its flagship product, Gemini AI. The article I linked to mentions that Gemini is expected to be released in three months, but does not provide details on its features. As someone who has been following this product for the past two years, I can say that Google has not yet announced a specific release date as the company has discovered more capabilities in the areas of machine learning, artificial intelligence and deep learning (AI, ML, DL).
However, it is important to note that the release date may be delayed. There are those who claim that high capabilities have been discovered in DL, Google wants to test those capabilities before release. In addition, some argue that the Gemini AI will not be as powerful as some people hope. Only time will tell what the true capabilities of this product are.
All in all, regarding the potential of artificial intelligence, there is much more to look forward to. There are many challenges that need to be addressed before AI systems can reach their full potential as imagined.
In short, the race is on, and the AI revolution is already underway.
Don't expect too much from this letter... but this is too important a topic to ignore.
📌 I recommend you take seven minutes of your life to read and listen to this.
First of all, I will say that the evolutionary development we are experiencing in the last year of AI solutions, are only the tip of the iceberg in the sense of how many changes are going to be made in our world without us knowing or noticing them until it is impossible to correct errors on the way or the apocalypse predicted by human groups as recently appeared on the internet, and on the deep web will prove that the writing was on the wall.
I myself am not at all paranoid and I make good use of the AI, and it's hard for me to define it as a bad thing.
In the link you will find an opinion of one who opposes the changes that are taking place, worth reading, as well as a recording of a potential car buyer with Tesla's AI system for the specific case.
So it is recommended that you spend the next few minutes to absorb the things and think. Here's a short quote from the post
"My point is: it's great to automate low-value, routine queries to allow human customer service agents to focus on complex, high-value interactions. But human empathy can't be replaced.
It's what (thankfully) sets us apart. A robot can't replicate experiences and emotions: human empathy is core and so essential in (human) customer interactions."
And when you finish... THINK 💬🤔
Below is the link, at the bottom of the post is the recording.
PCI-DSS compliance is on of the best way's to show your cyber-resilience is trusty. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of security requirements designed to protect cardholder data. It is widely recognized as a best practice for organizations that store, process, or transmit credit card data, and showing your organisation resilience to privacy (PII).
PCI DSS compliance is not the least demanding of all regulations, but it is certainly one of the most comprehensive. The standard covers a wide range of security controls, from physical security to network security to application security. This makes it a good starting point for organizations that are looking to improve their overall cyber security posture.
Of course, PCI DSS compliance is not a silver bullet. It is important to remember that no single regulation can guarantee that an organization will be immune to cyber attacks. However, PCI DSS compliance can help to reduce the risk of a data breach and can help organizations to demonstrate their commitment to security.
Here are the organisation benefits achieved by PCI DSS compliance:
Reduced risk of data breaches
Increased customer trust
Compliance with other regulations
Improved operational efficiency
Reduced liability
If you are considering achieving PCI DSS compliance, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
The standard is a middle level complexity and can be challenging to implement.
There are different levels of compliance, depending on the volume of cardholder data that you process.
You will need to be audited by a qualified third party to verify your compliance.
However, the benefits of achieving PCI DSS compliance can outweigh the challenges. If you are serious leveraging your Commitment to information security and privacy protection, you can put the PCI DSS compliance in you priority to become compliant officialy. It's a good place to start.
The latest concerns raised and publicized by CISOs, information security consultants, and cybersecurity managers regarding the use of AI, Bard, ChatGPT, etc. are not entirely unfounded. While AI technology has numerous benefits and potential applications, it also introduces certain risks that organizations need to address. However, it is important to approach the issue with nuance and consider both the advantages and challenges associated with AI adoption.
Here are some points to consider specific threats that organizations may face when using AI like ChatAI /ML (machine learning), along with potential solutions:
Data privacy and security - AI systems like ChatGPT often rely on large amounts of data to function effectively. Care must be taken to monitor the information presented to the AI system for fear that sensitive organizational information or business development will be revealed.
Unauthorized data access - One of the primary concerns is the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive organizational data. To mitigate this threat, organizations should implement strong access controls and encryption mechanisms to protect data both at rest and in transit. Robust user authentication and authorization protocols should be in place to ensure that only authorized individuals can access and interact with the AI system. Organizations should conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing on their systems. Implementing strong network security measures, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems, can help detect and prevent unauthorized access attempts, using SIEM systems to detect behavior and anomalies.
Adversarial attacks - Adversarial attacks aim to manipulate AI models by providing misleading or crafted inputs. Organizations can employ techniques such as adversarial training and robust model architectures to make AI systems more resilient against such attacks. Ongoing research and collaboration with the AI community can help stay ahead of emerging adversarial techniques.
Insider threats - Employees who have access to AI systems may intentionally or inadvertently misuse the technology, leading to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information. Organizations should establish clear policies and guidelines for AI system usage, conduct regular training and awareness programs, and implement monitoring mechanisms to detect any suspicious behavior or policy violations.
Ethical considerations - AI systems should be designed and deployed in an ethically responsible manner to avoid biases, discrimination, or unfair practices. Organizations should ensure transparency in AI decision-making processes, regularly evaluate the system's fairness and accuracy, and provide channels for user feedback and redressal.
User awareness and training - If employees within an organization are given access to AI systems like ChatGPT, it is crucial to provide adequate training and guidelines for their usage. This helps prevent accidental disclosure of sensitive information and ensures that employees are aware of the potential risks associated with AI.
Regulatory compliance - Organizations need to consider relevant laws and regulations when using AI, particularly those of data protection, privacy, and industry-specific standards. Compliance with regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or industry-specific frameworks like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and industries that deal with highly regulated data, such as healthcare or finance. It is crucial to avoid legal ramifications and maintain customer trust.
Continuous monitoring and updates - AI systems need to be regularly monitored and updated to address emerging threats and vulnerabilities. This includes keeping the underlying software and models up to date, applying security patches, and conducting periodic audits of the AI system's performance and behavior.
In addition, it is recommended for organizations establish incident response plans to promptly address and mitigate any security incidents or breaches. Regular security audits, vulnerability assessments, and ongoing monitoring of AI systems are essential to identify and remediate any vulnerabilities or weaknesses.
It is worth noting that these concerns are not unique to AI systems but are present with many other technologies as well. The key lies in implementing appropriate security measures, establishing best practices, and fostering a culture of cybersecurity within organizations to mitigate the risks effectively.
While there are valid concerns surrounding the use of AI, it is important to evaluate these concerns in the context of the specific organizational needs, industry regulations, and the potential benefits that AI can bring. With proper planning, implementation, and risk mitigation strategies, the use of AI, including ChatGPT, can be done responsibly and securely, minimizing the potential risks associated with its adoption.
In Conclusion
A comprehensive security approach to Organizations that plans to use AI involves a combination of technical measures, user awareness and training, policy and governance frameworks, and ongoing monitoring and adaptation. By considering these factors, organizations can effectively manage the risks associated with AI adoption while leveraging its potential benefits.
Here are some methodologies for moving systems to the cloud in a hybrid configuration, when some of the assessments such as stored information and user identification databases will remain on-premises:
Assess your current environment, The first step is to assess your current environment and identify the systems and data that you want to move to the cloud. This will help you to determine the best migration strategy for your needs.
Choose a cloud agent /migration partner, If you don't have the resources or expertise to move your systems to the cloud yourself, you can choose a cloud migration partner to help you. A cloud migration partner can help you to assess your needs, develop a migration plan, and execute the migration.
Migrate your systems to the cloud, Once you have chosen a migration strategy, you can begin migrating your systems to the cloud. This process can be complex, so it's important to work with a qualified team to ensure a smooth migration.
Test your migrated systems, Once your systems have been migrated to the cloud, it's important to test them to make sure that they are working properly. This will help you to identify any potential problems and resolve them before they impact your users.
Monitor your migrated systems, Once your systems are in the cloud, it's important to monitor them to make sure that they are performing as expected. This will help you to identify any potential problems early on and resolve them before they impact your users.
Image copyrights: prplbx.com
Here are some additional considerations for moving systems to the cloud in a hybrid configuration:
Security - Security is a top concern for any organization that is considering moving to the cloud. When you move your systems to the cloud, it's important to make sure that your data is secure. There are a number of things you can do to protect your data in the cloud, such as using encryption and access controls, FW, Security SaaS etc.
Compliance - If your organization is subject to compliance regulations, you'll need to make sure that your cloud migration plan complies with those regulations. There are a number of cloud providers that offer compliance solutions that can help you to meet your compliance requirements.
Cost - The cost of moving to the cloud can vary depending on the size and complexity of your organization. There are a number of factors that can affect the cost of cloud migration, such as the type of cloud services you use, the amount of data you need to store, and the level of security you require.
Moving systems to the cloud can be a complex and challenging process, but it can also offer a number of benefits, such as increased scalability, flexibility, and cost savings. By following the steps outlined above, you can help to ensure that your cloud migration is successful. You can also try to contact a local or international advisor to help you get throgu it according to your Time, Neeed, Costs (TNC)
CI/CD or "Continuous Integration, Continuous Deployment", or "Continuous Delivery". It is a set of practices and tools that enable software development teams to automate the building, testing, and deployment of their software applications.
In software engineering, CI/CD is the set of work methods, tools and automations that form the technical backbone of agile software development. CI/CD tools enable continuous software development, which reduces as much as possible the time that passes between adding a feature or creating a change in the software code, and submitting a new and stable version of the software to the client
Continuous Integration (CI) involves developers regularly integrating their code changes into a shared repository, where automated builds and tests are run to detect and fix any issues early on in the development process.
Continuous Deployment (CD) focuses on automating the delivery process to ensure that the software can be reliably and repeatedly deployed to any environment, such as staging or production, with minimal manual intervention. It takes the automation a step further by automatically deploying the software changes to production environments after passing the necessary tests and approvals.
Continuous Delivery (CD) is a software development practice that aims to automate the process of delivering software changes to production environments. CD extends Continuous Integration (CI) by automating the deployment process after the code changes have passed the necessary tests and have been reviewed.
CD ensures that software changes are delivered in a consistent and reliable manner, allowing teams to deploy changes to production quickly and frequently. With CD, teams can deploy smaller, incremental changes more frequently, which can lead to faster feedback and shorter development cycles.
The key to successful CD is automation, which eliminates human error and ensures that software changes are delivered consistently. CD involves automating the entire deployment pipeline, from building the software to testing, packaging, and deploying it to production.
CD also involves collaboration and communication between development, operations, and other stakeholders. It requires a cultural shift towards a DevOps mindset, where teams work together to automate the entire software development lifecycle, from planning to production.
Together, these practices ensure that software changes are tested, reviewed, and deployed in a consistent and timely manner, reducing errors and accelerating the development cycle.
It is essential component of a modern software development process, as it enables teams to deliver high-quality software changes quickly and reliably while reducing the risk of errors and downtime in production environments.
Together, these practices ensure that software changes are tested, reviewed, and deployed in a consistent and timely manner, reducing errors and accelerating the development cycle.
Secprof Blog: CI/CD
What kind of integration sys can help in a CICD process and what kind of solutions they provide?
There are several integration systems that can help in a CICD process, and each provides different solutions to facilitate the automation of software development, testing, and deployment processes. Here are some examples:
Version Control Systems (VCS): VCSs such as Git or SVN help to manage source code and enable developers to collaborate effectively. They are an essential component of a CICD process, as they facilitate Continuous Integration by providing a centralized repository for code changes.
Build Automation Tools: Tools such as Jenkins, Travis CI, or CircleCI, automate the build process and enable developers to compile and package their code changes automatically. These tools also provide Continuous Integration by running automated tests and reporting the results to the development team.
Testing Frameworks: Testing frameworks such as Selenium, JUnit, or NUnit enable developers to automate the testing of their code changes. These frameworks provide Continuous Integration by allowing developers to detect and fix issues early in the development process.
Configuration Management Tools: Configuration management tools such as Ansible or Puppet help to automate the deployment of software changes to various environments. They provide Continuous Delivery by enabling developers to deploy changes consistently across all environments.
Containerization Tools: Containerization tools such as Docker or Kubernetes provide a standardized environment for running applications and enable developers to package their applications into portable containers. These tools provide Continuous Deployment by automating the deployment of applications to production environments.
Integration systems help to automate various aspects of the software development process, making it easier and more efficient for developers to deliver high-quality software quickly and reliably.
OWASP Top Ten is a list of the top ten most critical web application security risks identified by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), a non-profit organization focused on improving software security. The list is updated every few years to reflect changes in the threat landscape and to provide guidance on current security risks to organizations that develop or use web applications.
The current version of the OWASP Top Ten (as of 2021) includes:
Injection
Broken Authentication and Session Management
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
Broken Access Control
Security Misconfiguration
Insecure Cryptographic Storage
Insufficient Logging and Monitoring
Injection (similar to number 1 but focused on non-SQL injection attacks)
Improper Session Handling
Insecure Communications
Secprof - Copyrights: synopsys.com
These vulnerabilities are commonly exploited by attackers to compromise the security of web applications, and as such, it is important for organizations to be aware of them and take steps to mitigate the risks associated with each vulnerability. The OWASP Top Ten serves as a valuable resource for security professionals, developers, and organizations to understand the current state of web application security risks and to take steps to improve the security of their web applications.
WAF in cybersecurity world, stands for "Web Application Firewall." It is a security tool that protects web applications from various types of attacks, such as cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection, and other types of malicious exploits.
A WAF works by analyzing incoming web traffic to detect and block malicious requests before they reach the web application. It does this by inspecting the content of HTTP requests and responses and comparing them against a set of rules that define what types of traffic are allowed or blocked.
WAFs can be deployed as a hardware appliance or as a software application. They are commonly used by organizations to secure their web applications and protect them from external threats.
What kind of solution a WAF can provide?
WAF's provide a range of solutions to protect web applications from different types of attacks. Some of the solutions that a WAF can provide include:
Protection against SQL Injection: A WAF can monitor and block SQL injection attacks, which is a common technique used to attack web applications by exploiting vulnerabilities in the SQL database.
Protection against Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): A WAF can detect and block XSS attacks, which is a technique used to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
Protection against Remote File Inclusion (RFI): A WAF can block requests that attempt to include remote files, which is a technique used by attackers to execute malicious code on the server.
Protection against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks: A WAF can help mitigate the impact of DDoS attacks by limiting the amount of traffic that can be sent to a web application.
Compliance with regulatory requirements: A WAF can help organizations comply with regulatory requirements such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
WAF can provide a layer of protection for web applications and help organizations ensure that their web applications are secure against different types of attacks.
Does WAF can be use as a IDS/IPS system?
WAF has some similarities with other network security solutions such as IPS (Intrusion Prevention System) and IDS (Intrusion Detection System), there are some key differences.
Here are some of the solutions that a WAF can provide:
Application Layer Protection: A WAF provides application layer protection that is specifically designed to inspect HTTP traffic and detect and block web application attacks.
Access Control: A WAF can control access to web applications by implementing authentication and authorization mechanisms, which can help prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Threat Detection and Prevention: A WAF can detect and prevent various types of attacks, including SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and others.
Compliance: A WAF can help organizations meet regulatory requirements such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
While IPS and IDS are network security solutions that are designed to protect the network against attacks, they are not specifically tailored to protect web applications. IPS solutions are designed to prevent attacks by blocking them before they enter the network, while IDS solutions are designed to detect attacks and provide alerts. Both solutions are more focused on protecting the network rather than the web application itself.
WAF provides application layer protection specifically designed to protect web applications, while IPS and IDS provide network security solutions that protect the entire network.
A cybersecurity architect is a professional responsible for designing and implementing security solutions for an organization's information systems and networks. They are responsible for developing security policies and strategies, evaluating and selecting security technologies, and designing and implementing security architectures that protect against cyber threats.
A cybersecurity architect must have a thorough understanding of the organization's information systems and the risks associated with them. They must be able to identify vulnerabilities and threats and design solutions that address those risks while maintaining business continuity and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations.
Some specific responsibilities of a cybersecurity architect may include:
Developing security policies and procedures
Assessing and managing risk
Designing and implementing security architectures and solutions
Conducting security audits and assessments
Selecting and implementing security technologies
Training and educating staff on security best practices
Responding to security incidents and breaches
The cybersecurity architect plays a critical role in ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of an organization's information assets.
Here are some examples of Developing security policies and procedures, and Designing and implementing security architectures
Develop and deploy security policies and procedures:
Develop and deploy password policy that requires strong passwords, regular password changes, and prohibits password sharing.
Create an acceptable use policy that outlines the acceptable use of company resources, such as computers, email, and internet access.
Establish a security incident response plan that outlines the steps to be taken in the event of a security breach or incident.
Designing and implementing security architectures:
Configuring firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor network traffic and block unauthorized access attempts.
Implementing data encryption solutions to protect sensitive information, such as customer data or financial information, both in transit and at rest.
Deploy multi-factor authentication solutions to prevent unauthorized access to systems and applications, even if an attacker has stolen or guessed a user's password.
These are just a few examples, but the specific security policies, procedures, and architectures that a cybersecurity architect develops and implements will vary depending on the organization's size, industry, and unique security risks.
Here are some cybersecurity architect workflow methodologies
You may use it to plan and implement security solutions. Some of the most common methodologies include:
Risk Management Framework (RMF) The RMF is a process developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that provides a structured approach to managing cybersecurity risk. It involves six steps: categorize, select, implement, assess, authorize, and monitor.
Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) ITIL is a framework for IT service management that includes processes for managing security incidents, problem management, change management, and more.
Agile and DevOps Agile and DevOps methodologies are commonly used in software development, but they can also be applied to cybersecurity. These methodologies emphasize collaboration, continuous improvement, and rapid iteration.
Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) The SDL is a framework for building security into software development. It involves seven phases: requirements, design, implementation, verification, release, response, and retirement.
Zero Trust Zero Trust is a security model that assumes all network traffic is untrusted and requires authentication and authorization for every access attempt. This model is designed to prevent lateral movement by attackers within a network.
I provided here a structured approach to planning and implementing security solutions, but the specific methodology used will depend on the organization's needs and objectives.
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