Computer Security and Compliance

GIAC Certification
Information Assurance (IA) is defined by the U.S. DoD as "development, operation, management, and enforcement of security capabilities for systems and networks." Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) was established in 1999 to test and certify the knowledge and experience of computer security experts in various fields of information assurance. GIAC certifications are recognized globally by industry, military and government institutions including the United States National Security Agency (NSA). GIAC certifications require candidates to complete rigorous testing to demonstrate their depth of skills in specific knowledge areas, not just general computer security knowledge. Areas covered by GIAC certifications include audit, intrusion detection, incident handling, firewalls and perimeter protection, forensics, hacker techniques, Windows and Unix operating system security, plus secure software and application coding

Progent's security consultants have earned GIAC certification in key areas of information assurance. Progent offers online information assurance services from GIAC-certified consultants and can provide onsite IA expertise in major metropolitan areas throughout the U.S. By offering affordable rates and the highest level of expertise, Progent can give small and mid-size businesses the same quality of information assurance once available only to the largest enterprises and institutions.

Areas of proven expertise available from Progent's GIAC-certified security consultants include:

• Auditing Networks, Perimeters, and Systems
• Incident Handling and Response
• Intrusion Detection and Traffic Analysis
• Web Application Security
• Reverse Engineering Malware

Auditing Networks, Perimeters, and Systems
Progent's security consultants who have obtained the GIAC Systems and Network Auditor (GSNA) credential understand the best practices, system analysis, and forensics required to perform thorough network security audits that can uncover a wide range of known threats and vulnerabilities. Progent can also help you build appropriate countermeasures and defenses based on realistic risk assessment in order to provide ongoing protection for your information system. Specific network security auditing services offered by Progent's GIAC-certified information assurance consultants include:

• Conduct detailed router audits
• Test the Firewall for OS configuration, firewall configuration, and system administration
• Test firewall policies for vulnerabilities, packet flow from all networks, and change control
• Assess third-party software encryption, authentication, virus scanning, and URL redirection
• Review logs and alerts from the Intrusion Detection System (IDS) and Firewall
• Deploy router analysis tools such as Router Audit Tool (RAT), scanning tools such as Nmap, packet building tools such as -Hping2 and Nemesis, sniffers such as Wire Shark, and IDS auditing tools such as Fragroute
• Audit wireless security including 802.11b security issues and LEAP/PEAP authentication using wireless auditing tools such as WSA, Airopeek, and Net Stumbler
• Map your network from inside and outside your Firewall and auditing perimeter defenses
• Perform penetration tests
• Audit configuration of key network services such as DNS and SMTP
• Check database security for Microsoft SQL, MySQL and Oracle
• Identify security weaknesses for web-enabled services and applications
• Evaluate web application architectures and infrastructures
• Look for web-based phishing, resource exhaustion, buffer overflows, hidden form elements, and unexpected user input
• Audit web application user sign-on and sign-off process, session tracking, and management
• Audit Windows-based systems focusing on patch levels, network based services, local services, installed software, security configuration, group policy management, plus log aggregation, management and analysis
• Perform event reconstruction if necessary
• Sarbanes-Oxley and Graham-Leach-Bliley compliance

Incident Handling and Response
Security professionals who have earned the GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) credential have demonstrated in-depth knowledge of the current threats to systems and networks, along with effective countermeasures. Progent's GIAC-certified security engineers have the knowledge and experience to manage incidents, understand common attack techniques and tools, defend against and respond to attacks when they occur, and detect security gaps in your environment. Additionally, Progent's GIAC-certified information assurance consultants are sensitive to legal issues associated with responding to computer attacks, including employee monitoring, working with law enforcement, and handling evidence.

Progent's incident handling experts can offer consulting assistance both on how to respond to a security incident and how to understand and foil the techniques used by hackers to penetrate your network.

Responding to a Security Incident
Progent's information assurance consultants can help you plan and implement a precise step-by-step procedure for responding to successful network attacks or to physical incidents such as fires, floods and crime. By putting in place a proven and well-defined methodology for incident handling, your company will be able to get systems and services back online as quickly and securely as possible. The step-by-step incident response model recommended and supported by Progent covers these phases:

• In the Preparation Phase, you create a set of tools to use as an incident response Jump Kit, identify the core team of responders, and deploy appropriate instrumentation for your site and system
• In the Identification Phase you report signs of an incident, take the first steps to control it, and establish a chain of custody so that no relevant information or evidence is lost or unreported
• In the Containment Phase you implement predetermined video and audio documentation strategies, execute containment and quarantine procedures, pull the network cable and switch if required, and identify and isolate the Trust Model
• In the Eradication Phase you evaluate whether a backup is compromised, totally rebuild the Operating System if required, and if necessary move to a new architecture
• In the Recovery Phase you determination who makes the decision to return to production, monitor the system, and prepare for increase in attacks
• For Special Incidents such as espionage, inappropriate use, or sexual harassment, take appropriate actions determined by the type of incident
• In the Incident Record Keeping Phase you complete legally acceptable pre-built forms to document and report the incident
• In the Incident Follow-Up Phase you conduct a lessons-learned meeting and define appropriate changes in process for the future

• Network-level Attacks such as session hijacking (from Telnet to SSL and SSH), person-in-the-middle attacks, and passive sniffing
• Gathering and Parsing Packets via active sniffing through ARP cache poisoning and DNS injection, DNS cache poisoning to redirect traffic on the Internet, using Netcat for backdoors and Nasty Relays, and IP Address spoofing
• Operating System and Application-Level Attacks utilizing buffer overflows, the MetaSploit Exploitation Framework, the Perl Exploit Library, and format string attacks to exploit vulnerabilities in Windows
• Netcat-based Attacks for transferring files, creating backdoors, shell shoveling, setting up relays to obscure the source of an attack, and launching replay attacks
• Password Cracking with L0phtCrack and John the Ripper
• Web Application Attacks for account harvesting, SQL Injection to manipulate back-end databases, session cloning to grab other Users' web sessions, and cross-site scripting
• Denial of Service Attacks involving distributed Denial of Service, pulsing zombies and reflected attacks, Local Denial of Service, SYN floods and smurf attacks using spoofed broadcast ping messages
• Maintaining Unauthorized Access by creating backdoors using QAZ and Tini, using application-level Trojan Horse Backdoor suites such as VNC and SubSeven, using rootkits to substitute binary executables with malware, and using kernel-level rootkits such as Adore and KIS to compromise the operating system
• Covering the Attacker's Tracks via file and directory camouflage and hiding, log file editing, accounting entry editing of UTMP, WTMP, and Shell Histories, establishing covert channels over HTTP, ICMP, TCP and other protocols, and hiding data in images, music, binaries, or other file types

• In-depth understanding of the TCP/IP Communication Model
• Fragmentation
• Core Internet protocols such as Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)
• Stimulus and Response
• Microsoft Networking and Security
• Domain Name System (DNS)
• Routing
• The IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) suite of Internet security protocols
• Use of the TCPdump tool to examine Datagram Fields
• Analysis of TCPdump Output
• Using the Snort network intrusion detection system
• Traffic patterns and analysis
• Interoperability and standards in intrusion detection
• Passive analysis techniques
• Identifying crafted packets
• In-depth protocols analysis
• Advanced Analysis Profiling Techniques
• Reducing false-positives
• Identifying Denial-of-Service activity
• IDS/IPS architecture and implementation techniques
• Event correlation and common attack techniques

• Securing web application architectures and infrastructures
• Cryptography
• Authentication
• Access control
• Session mechanism
• Web application logging
• Input issues and validation
• SQL injection due to incorrect escape character filtering, type handling, etc.
• Cross-Site Scripting
• Phishing attacks for unauthorized information gathering such as name and password harvesting
• HTTP Response Splitting
• Cross-Site Request Forgery
• Resource exhaustion
• Buffer overflows
• Hidden form elements
• Unexpected user input
• User sign-on and sign-off process
• Session tracking and management
• GET vs. POST
• Improper Server Logic
• Web Browser Security
• Server-side Techniques for Protecting Sensitive Data

• Analyze malicious document files
• Analyze the techniques used by malware attacks to prevent malicious software from being scrutinized
• Analyze web-based malware
• Examine static Windows malware code in x86 assembly language
• Analyze complex malicious scripts in web browsers
• In-depth analysis malware executables
• Utilize memory forensics techniques to analyze threats
• Deploy debuggers, disassemblers, sniffers, and other tools to analyze malware behavior
• Reverse engineer Windows malware code at the x86 assembly level

Progent's certified security experts and Cisco CCIE network infrastructure consultants can help you plan, deploy, tune, manage and troubleshoot your SIEM ecosystem so you can meet the security and compliance standards that apply to your business or institution.

Additional Industry Certifications Earned by Progent's Security Engineers
In addition to providing the assistance of security experts with GIAC Global Information Assurance Certification credentials, Progent also offers the expertise of CISM-certified security management consultants, CISSP-certified cybersecurity experts, CISSP-ISSAP-certified security architecture professionals, CISA-certified information system security auditing specialists, and CRISC-certified risk management consultants.

Contact Progent for Access to a GIAC-certified Information Assurance Consultant
For more information about Progent's computer security engineering help, call Progent at 800-993-9400 or refer to Contact Progent.

Ransomware 24x7 Hot Line: Call 800-462-8800
Progent's Ransomware 24x7 Hot Line is designed to help organizations to carry out the time-critical first phase in mitigating a ransomware attack by containing the malware. Progent's remote ransomware engineer can help businesses to identify and quarantine breached servers and endpoints and guard clean resources from being penetrated. If your network has been breached by any strain of ransomware, act fast. Get immediate help by calling Progent's Ransomware Hot Line at 800-462-8800. For more information, visit Progent's Ransomware 24x7 Hot Line.