Title: Social Engineering
1Social Engineering Internal/External
ThreatsMarch 22, 2006 Leland
C.DudekLeland_dudek_at_ios.doi.gov
United States Department of the Interior
2Agenda
- Whats at stake?
- DOI FY 2005 Threat/Incident Statistics
- Survey of Government Departments - Alarming
Statistics - Social Engineering Often the first vector of
attack - Internal and External Threats
3Whats at Stake
Train2Secure
- Information Privacy - Confidentiality
- Provision of Services - Availability
- Data Manipulation - Integrity
- Critical Roles and Missions
- Critical Infrastructure
- Agency Reputation
4DOI FY 2005 Threat/Incident Statistics
- Over 650 million suspicious probes/attacks
blocked - Over 3.4 million viruses, trojans, worms
detected, deleted, cleaned
5Survey of Government Departments - Alarming
Statistics
Train2Secure
- 99 use anti-virus software, yet 82 have been
hit by viruses, worms, etc. - 98 have firewalls and 73 have IDS, yet 36
report penetration from the outside - 90 detected computer security breaches
- 84 blame their most recent security breach on
human error - 80 attribute human error to lack of security
knowledge, a lack of training or a failure to
follow security procedures. - 75 acknowledged financial losses due to breaches.
Sources 2003 CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security
Survey 2004 CompTia Survey
6Social Engineering
- Hey! I need to reset your password
- can you tell me your old one?
- Help Desk or Social Engineering?
- Can be either an internal or external threat
7What is Social Engineering
- Social Engineering is the unauthorized
acquisition of sensitive information or
inappropriate access privileges by a potential
threat source, based upon the building of an
inappropriate trust relationship with a
legitimate user of an information technology
system. - The goal of social engineering is to trick
someone - into providing valuable information or access to
that information.
8Social Engineering a Wikipedia definition
- In the field of computer security, social
engineering is the practice of obtaining
confidential information by manipulation of
legitimate users. A social engineer will commonly
use the telephone or Internet to trick people
into revealing sensitive information or getting
them to do something that is against typical
policies. Perhaps the simplest, but still
effective attack is tricking a user into thinking
one is an administrator and requesting a password
for various purposes. Users of Internet systems
frequently receive messages that request password
or credit card information in order to "set up
their account" or "reactivate settings" or some
other benign operation in what are called
phishing attacks. Users must be warned early and
frequently not to divulge passwords or any other
sensitive information to anyone for any purpose,
even to legitimate system administrators. In
reality, administrators of computer systems
rarely, if ever, need to know the user's password
to perform administrative tasks. - Social engineering also applies to the act of
face-to-face manipulation to gain physical access
to computer systems. - In an IT security survey, 90 of office workers
gave away their password in exchange for a cheap
pen.
9The Weakest Link in the IT Security Chain
- People are usually the weakest link in the
security chain. - Social engineering is still the most effective
method used to get around security obstacles. - A skilled social engineer will often try to
exploit this weakness before spending time and
effort on other methods to crack passwords.
10The Weakest Link in the IT Security Chain
- Why try to hack through someones security system
when you can get a user to open the door for you? - Social engineering is the hardest form of attack
to defend against because it cannot be defended
with hardware or software alone. - A successful defense depends on having good
policies in place ensuring that all employees are
trained to follow them.
11Different Avenues of Persuasion
- In attempting to persuade someone to do
something, there are two methods a persuader can
employ - The Direct Route
- the social engineer simply asks for the
information or access with no set up - often challenged and refused
- seldom used due to low probability of success
- The Peripheral Route
- Contrived situation - The more factors the target
must consider in addition to the basic request,
the more likely the target is to be persuaded. - Forgot a password
- Manager on vacation
- Looming deadlines
- Personal Persuasion - Many social engineers are
adept at using personal persuasion to overcome
initial resistance. - The goal is not to force compliance but to get
voluntary action - Target believes they are making the decision
12Different Avenues of Persuasion
- A Direct Route uses
- Systematic
- logical arguments
- To
- stimulate a favorable response
- prompting the recipient to action
13Different Avenues of Persuasion
- A Peripheral Route uses
- peripheral cues
- mental shortcuts
- misrepresent their objectives
- To
- trigger acceptance without thinking
14Different Avenues of Persuasion
- One way in which the social engineer can make
prospective victims more susceptible to
Peripheral routes to persuasion is by making some
statement at the outset that triggers a strong
emotion such as - Excitement
- The Chief of Staff is writing up an award
nomination for you and needs some additional
information! - Fear
- The Chief Information Officer is waiting for
this!
15Perception
- In a typical transaction our perception about the
request for service begins with a basic belief
that each party is who they say they are. - Some social engineering victims may tend to rely
primarily on their belief that the person with
whom they dealt was honest, and to give little
thought to the activities.
16Common Types of Social Engineering Exploit Methods
- Social engineering can be broken into
- Human based person-to-person interactions to
retrieve the desired information - Computer based computer software that attempts
to retrieve the desired information.
17Human-based
- Impersonation - Case studies indicate that help
desks are the most frequent targets of social
engineering attacks. - A Social Engineer calls the help desk
- Help desk is helpful
- Social engineer will often know names of
employees - Important User - A common ploy is to pretend to
be a senior executive. - Help desk is less likely to turn down a request
coming from a high-level official - Social engineer may threaten to report the
employee to their supervisor.
18Human-based
- Third-party Authorization - The social engineer
may have obtained the name of someone in the
organization who has the authority to grant
access to information. - Mr. Martinez says its OK.
- Before he went on vacation, Mr. Martinez said I
should call you to get this information. - Tech Support - Social engineer pretends to be
someone from the infrastructure-support groups. - System is having a problem
- Needs them to log on to test the connection
19Human-based
- In Person - The social engineer may enter the
building and pretend to be an employee, guest or
service personnel. - May be dressed in a uniform
- Allowed to roam
- Becomes part of the cleaning crew
- Dumpster diving - Going through the trash
- Shoulder Surfing - Looking over a shoulder to see
what someone is typing. - Passwords
- Phone-card numbers
20Computer-based
- Popup Windows - A window will appear on the
screen telling the user they have lost their
network connection and needs to reenter their
user name and password. - A program will then e-mail the intruder the
information. - Mail attachments - Programs can and are
frequently hidden in e-mail attachments. - Viruses
- Worms
- Trojans
21Computer-based
- Spam, Chain Letters and Hoaxes - These all rely
on social engineering to be spread. - While they do not usually cause damage, they do
cause a loss of productivity. - Frequently used by entrepreneurs in African
countries (e.g., Nigerian scams) - They use valuable network resources.
- Websites - A common ploy is to offer something
- free or a chance to win a sweepstakes on a
Website. - To register requires an e-mail address and
password.
22Computer-based
- Hacking Made Easy (http//www.washingtonpost.com/w
p-dyn/content/article/2006/03/16/AR2006031600916_p
f.html) - When Graeme Frost received an e-mail notice that
an expensive digital camera had been charged to
his credit card account, he immediately clicked
on the Internet link included in the message that
said it would allow him to dispute the charge.
As the 29-year-old resident of southwestern
England scoured the resulting Web page for the
merchant's phone number, the site silently
installed a password-stealing program that
transmitted all of his personal and financial
information. - Frost is just one of thousands of victims whose
personal data has been stolen by what security
experts are calling one of the more brazen and
sophisticated Internet fraud rings ever
uncovered. The Web-based software employed by
ring members to manage large numbers of illegally
commandeered computers is just as easy to use as
basic commercial office programs. No knowledge of
computer programming or hacking techniques is
required to operate the software, which allows
the user to infiltrate and steal financial
information from thousands of PCs simultaneously.
- The quality of the software tools cyber criminals
are using to sort through the mountains of
information they've stolen is a clear sign that
they are seeking more efficient ways to monetize
that data, experts say.
23Computer-based
- Hacking Made Easy
- Frost's data, along with information stolen from
thousands of other victims, made its way to a Web
site hosted by a Russian Internet service
provider. The site is currently the home base of
a network of sites designed to break into
computers through a security hole in Microsoft's
Internet Explorer Web browser. The data thieves
use the IE flaw to install programs known as
"keyloggers" on computers that visit the
specially coded Web pages. The keyloggers then
copy the victims' stored passwords and computer
keystrokes and upload that information to the
database. - The hacking software also features automated
tools that allow the fraudsters to make minute
adjustments or sweeping changes to their networks
of hacked PCs. With the click of a mouse or a
drag on a pull-down menu, users can add or delete
files on infected computers. - They can even update their spyware installations
with new versions tailored to defeat the most
recent anti-virus updates. With one click on the
Web site's "Add New Exploit" button, users can
simultaneously modify all of the keylogger
programs already installed on their networks. - Symantec and other security experts also have
spotted earlier versions of the software
installed on at least two other Web sites, one of
which is still active and has harvested password
information from nearly 30,000 victims, the bulk
of whom reside in the United States and Brazil.
24Computer-based
- Hacking Made Easy (http//www.washingtonpost.com/w
p-dyn/content/article/2006/03/16/AR2006031600916_p
f.html) - Keyloggers Watching while you type
- Fast becoming among the most prevalent and
insidious online threats More than half of the
viruses, worms and other malicious computer code
that Symantec now tracks are designed not to harm
host machines but to surreptitiously gather data
from them. - These keylogger-control Web sites follow a trend
toward automation in other realms of online
fraud, such as virus-creation programs, spamming
software and pre-packaged toolkits to help
fraudsters set up "phishing" sites -- Web pages
designed to trick people into giving away their
personal and financial data at what looks like a
legitimate e-commerce or banking site. - "This type of plug-and-play, click-and-hack
software simply represents the commercialization
of criminal activity, and in many respects lowers
the technical knowledge barrier of entry to this
type of crime." - Online criminals hack into thousands of
small-merchant Web sites and embed code that
silently install keyloggers when users browse the
sites with Internet Explorer. - A recent analysis for SANS estimated that nearly
10 million U.S. households own a computer that is
infected with some type of keystroke logging
program. Although not every PC user whose
keystrokes are being logged has experienced
financial losses the analysis estimates that
organized-crime groups have access to roughly 24
billion in bank assets from accounts associated
with the owners of infected machines.
25Computer-based
- eBay, Yahoo, Microsoft All ask us to click Yes
26Computer-based
27Computer-based
Drag the window to Reveal the real info!
28Computer-based
- Drive-by social engineering
Free game Sites! Hey we ALL love free stuff!
29Computer-based
30Computer-based
Each user session includes different exploit
content
31Common Types of Social Engineering Exploit Methods
- Most dire request (e.g., recent PayPal e-mail
phishing scams) - Contrived situation (e.g., Nigerian e-mail scams)
32Exploiting Human Nature and Personality Traits
- Social engineers prey on qualities of human
nature and personality traits - the desire to be helpful, cooperative, or a team
player - the tendency to trust people
- the fear of getting into trouble, moral
obligation or duty, guilt - The most skilled social engineer is able to
obtain information without raising any suspicion
as to what they are doing.
33Personality Traits
- In the following discussion we will examine how
various social engineering personality traits
enhance the possibility of successful social
engineering. - When present, these traits increase the
likelihood of compliance.
34Personality Traits
- Diffusion of responsibility - The target is made
to believe that they are not solely responsible
for their actions. - The social engineer creates situations with many
factors that dilute personal responsibility for
decision making. - The social engineer may drop names.
- May claim someone higher up has made the
decision. - Chance for ingratiation - The target is lead to
believe that compliance with the request will
enhance their chances of receiving some sort of
benefit. - Gaining advantage over a competitor.
- Getting in good with the boss.
35Personality Traits
- Trust Relationships - The social engineer expends
time developing a trust relationship with the
intended victim. - Usually following a series of small interactions.
- Moral duty - Encouraging the target to act out of
a sense of moral duty or moral outrage. - Requires the social engineer to gather
information on the target and the organization. - Tries to get the target to believe that
compliance will mitigate some sort of wrong that
has been done.
36Personality Traits
- Guilt-Most individuals attempt to avoid guilt
feelings if possible. - Social engineers create situations designed to
- tug at the heartstrings
- manipulate empathy
- create sympathy
- If granting a request will lead to avoidance of
guilt, target is more likely to comply. - Believing that not granting the request will lead
to significant problems to the requestor is often
enough to weigh the balance in favor of
compliance with the request.
37Personality Traits
- Identification - Trying to get the target to
identify with the social engineer. - The social engineer tries to build a connection
with the target based on information gathered. - Informality is another trait social engineers
excel at. - Desire to help - Social engineers rely on
peoples desire to be helpful. - Holding the door.
- Logging on to an account.
- Lack of assertiveness or refusal skills.
38Personality Traits
- Cooperation - The less conflict with the target
the better. - Voice of reason
- logic
- patience
39Social Engineering Example
- Mr. Smith Hello?
- Caller Hello, Mr. Smith. This is Fred
Jones in tech support. Due to some disk space
constraints, - were going to be moving some
users home directories to another disk at 800
this evening. - Your account will be part of
this move, and will be unavailable temporarily. - Mr. Smith Uh, okay. Ill be home by then,
anyway. - Caller Good. Be sure to log off before you
leave. I just need to check a couple of things.
What was - your username again, smith?
- Mr. Smith Yes. Its smith. None of my files
will be lost in the move, will they? - Caller No sir. But Ill check your
account just to make sure. What was the password
on that account, - so I can get in to check your
files? - Mr. Smith My password is Tuesday, in lower case
letters. - Caller Okay, Mr. Smith, thank you for your
help. Ill make sure to check you account and
verify all - the files are there.
- Mr. Smith Thank you. Bye.
40Potential Security Breaches
- Help Desks - They try too hard to be helpful.
- Websites - As we discussed before, setting up a
bogus website to trap information (e.g., clone
any well-known web site and cause people to click
on a bogus link in an e-mail to enter their logon
credentials phishing). - A social engineer may simply walk in and behave
like one of the employees. - We tend NOT to challenge unfamiliar personnel
often enough
41Common Defenses
- Everyone that enters the building (contractors,
business partners, vendors, employees) must show
identification. - Passwords should never be spoken over the phone.
- Passwords are not to be left lying around they
must be stored in a secure location only
accessible to the individual they were issued to. - Caller ID technology can be used to help verify
who you are speaking to. - Properly destroy passwords and all sensitive but
unclassified (SBU) information - invest in and
properly use shredders and degaussers.
42Recognize the Signs
- Recognize key signs that indicate you may be the
target of a social engineering attack - Refusal to give contact information
- I cannot be contacted
- Im on my cell phone and the battery is about to
die - The number they give you is a call out only
number - Rushing
- Name-dropping
- Intimidation
- Small mistakes
- Requesting sensitive information
43Defense the 2 step (actually 4 step)
- Step 1
- If you cannot personally identify a caller who
asks for Personal information about you or anyone
else (including badge number or employee number),
for information about your computer system, or
for any other sensitive information, do not
provide the information. - Insist on verifying the callers identity by
calling them back at their proper telephone
number as listed in organizations telephone
directory. This procedure creates minimal
inconvenience to legitimate activity when
compared with the scope of potential losses.
44Defense the 2 step (actually 4 step)
- Step 2
- Remember that passwords are sensitive. A
password for your personal account should be
known ONLY to you. -
- Systems administrators or maintenance
technicians who need to do something to your
account will not require your password. They
have their own password with system privileges
that will allow them to work on your account
without the need for you to reveal you password. - If a system administrator or maintenance
technician asks you for your password, be
suspicious, very suspicious.
45Defense the 2 step (actually 4 step)
- Step 3
- Systems maintenance technicians from outside
vendors who come on site should be accompanied by
the local site administrator (who should be known
to you). - If the site administrator is not familiar to
you, or if the technician comes alone, it is wise
to give a call to your known site administrator
to check if the technician should be there. - Unfortunately, many people are reluctant to do
this because it makes them look paranoid, and it
is embarrassing to show that they do not trust a
visitor.
46Defense the 2 step (actually 4 step)
- Step 4
- If you feel you have thwarted or perhaps been
victimized by an attempt at social engineering,
report the incident to your manager and to
security personnel immediately!
47Final Thoughts
- A social engineer with enough time, patience and
tenacity will eventually exploit some weakness in
the security of an enterprise. - The best defense against social engineering
attacks combines raising the bar of awareness
among employees, volunteers and contractors, a
sense of personal responsibility to protect DOIs
mission and IT assets, an understanding of the
signs of social engineering attacks, and
reporting any suspected incidents.
48Credits (or who I stole this presentation from)
- Plagiarism is the greatest form of flattery
- With Permission from Stan Lowe (DOI BLM)
- Melissa Guenther
- Wikipedia
- Foundstone
49Ready for a break?
Questions?
50Social Engineering Internal/External
ThreatsMarch 22, 2006 Lawrence K.
RuffinLawrence_Ruffin_at_ios.doi.gov
United States Department of the Interior
51Internal and External Threats
- The greatest security risks to an agency
frequently come from the action, inaction, or
inadvertent mistakes of people. - Motivated internal threat agents pose the
greatest risk due to their access to sensitive
information and privileges - External threats pose a risk to vulnerable
systems and gaps in network security coverage. -
- It is estimated that 99 of all reported
intrusions result through exploitation of known
vulnerabilities or configuration errors, for
which safeguards and countermeasures were
available.
52Internal and External Threats
- Insider Threat Greatest at Financial
Institutions - By Allen Bernard _at_ CIOUpdate.com
- Internal attacks on information technology
systems are surpassing external attacks at the
world's largest financial institutions, according
to the 2005 Global Security Survey by Deloitte
Touche Tohmatsu (DTT). - Thirty-five percent of respondents confirmed
encountering attacks from inside their
organization in 2005 (up from 14 in 2004)
compared to 26 from external sources (up from
23 in 2004).
53Internal and External Threats
- Before We Do Anything
- Accept the FACT that vulnerabilities open doors
to the unexpected. - Accept that there is NO separation between the
cyber world and the physical world. - Weve become distracted insider threat is real
growing. - Terrorism is multifaceted. Traditional
definitions must be adapted to the new realities. - Change the way you THINK about future
threatsdont be a security APPEASER.
54Appeaser
- According to Websters Dictionary
- \Appeas"er\, n. One who appeases a pacifier.
- According to Vertons Dictionary
- \Appeas"er\, n. One who feeds a crocodile
hoping it will eat him last. - Sir Winston Churchill
55What Do I Really Mean ByAppeasement?
- Maybe we are growing dangerously complacent?
- Maybe we do underestimate our enemies?
- Maybe we really do think this is as bad as it can
get? - Maybe the threat-independent model is not how we
should be approaching these issues?
56The Vulnerability Matrix
- 5,800 registered hospitals
Viruses, Worms
Home Users
5,000 airports 300 maritime ports
Wireless
3,000 govt. facilities
2,800 power plants 104 commercial nuclear
plants
Broadband Connections
26,000 FDIC institutions
EmergencyServices
Government
Transportation
Insiders
Configuration Problems
150,000 miles transmission lines
66,000 chemical plants
Banking
Chemical
130 overlapping grid controllers
300,000 production sites
Rail
Oil
Natural Gas
Telecom
Water Waste Water
120,000 miles of major rails
E-commerce 2 billion miles of cable
Natural Gas
2 million miles of pipelines
1,600 municipal wastewater facilities
80,000 Dams
57IT Security - How Important Is It Really?
- Not only about Its about public safety too!
- Railroads.
- Water Wastewater Treatment.
- Uranium Mining.
- Oil Wells, Water Flood Operations.
- Airline Baggage Checking.
- Aug. 14 Power Failure.
- Online Information Control.
58Risk Management
- Risk Threat Probability Impact
- Threat an entity likely to have intent and
capability to exploit a vulnerability in a system - Disgruntled Insiders (e.g., employees or
contractors) - Hackers for Hire (e.g., State- or non-State
sponsored) - Organized Crime
- Terrorists
- Probability Likelihood of someone having
intent, motivation and capability to exploit a
known weakness in a system - Impact Potential magnitude of harm to
information or an information system resulting
from someone actually exploiting a known weakness
59Cyber-Terrorism Controversial Topic
- The problem is that when you make a
recommendation before an attack happens, people
tend to think you're nuts. - That's the kind of mind set that made it
difficult for usthe institutional
bureaucracycouldn't see the threat because it
hadn't happened.
Richard Clarke Testifying at 9/11 Commission
Hearing, 3/24/04
60Cyber-Terrorism Controversial Topic
Omar Bakri MuhammadBin Laden's man in London
- Syrian-born, radical, founder of Al-Muhajirun
- Spokesman for the International Islamic Front,
the political wing of the International Islamic
Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders, led
by Osama bin Laden - Has recruited for Hamas, Hezbollah and various
groups in Afghanistan - FBI memo on July 10, 2001, noted a connection
between Middle Eastern men in Phoenix-area flight
schools and Bakri's London-based Al-Muhajirun.
61Cyber-Terrorism Controversial Topic
Bakri On Cyber Attacks
- "In a matter of time, you will see attacks on the
stock market." - I would not be surprised if tomorrow I hear of a
big economic collapse because of somebody
attacking the main technical systems in big
companies." - "The third letter from Osama bin Ladenwas
clearly addressing using the technology in order
to destroy the economy of the capitalist states.
This is a matter that is very clear."
62Insider Threats
- Why spend RD money when you can steal it?
- Economic Espionage hundreds of billions
- Four forms of insider
- Internal (current/former employees, executives)
- External (contractor, maintenance, business
partner) - Collaborator (external working with internal)
- Rogue Ideologue (seeks hire for purpose of doing
harm) - Technology Complicates Internal Defenses
- The Perimeter is gone!
- USB devices, cell phone cameras, common
configuration errors, lack of access controls,
contractors, outsourcing
63Insider Stats (2004)
64Types of Data Being Stolen
- Computer source code
- Business plans and design specifications
- Customer and order information databases
- Motorola 2-way radio specifications
- Newest Intel chip specifications (twice)
- Sales and pricing data
- Oil and gas well logs and software used in the
analysis of the information - Engineering drawings for next generation of
Gillette razor systems - Eng. Drawings Next Generation Space Shuttle
- (inside or outside??)
65Case Ramon
- An intellectual of sorts, highly educated,
conservative in his politics, painfully
introverted, somewhat arrogant and kind of a
geek. - Expert programmer who preferred communicating
with associates through e-mail rather than in
person. - Hacked his employer's computer system without
permission to show management that there were
serious security gaps that needed to be fixed.
- Robert Hanssen The worst insider spy case in
FBI history.
66Insider Psychological Profile
Introverted A common characteristic of IT
specialists, which can pose a significant
management challenge. Frustrated Family or
social problems may be compounded by negative
attitudes toward authority. Computer-dependent
Such individuals often prefer online activity to
direct social interaction. Ethical flexibility
Dangerous insiders view malicious actions as
justified, given their circumstances.
Entitlement Feelings of being special
employeesfor example, the only ones with the
necessary training. Being overworked with no
rewards can lead to a desire for revenge.
Reduced loyalty Some insiders identify with the
IT/programming profession and not with the
organization that employs them. Lack of
empathy The impersonal nature of cyberspace
leads to a lack of regard for the impact of the
perpetrators actions on others.
67Final Thoughts
Think differently the Threats do every day! New
frontiers and attack vectors continue to emerge
with advances in technology Instant Messaging
(IM) Year-on-year rises of over 800 increase
in exploitation of IM technology to introduce
viruses, worms, and trojans into unsuspecting
system.
A steady climb throughout 2005 showed a
disturbing trend. IM threats are more popular
than ever and this momentum is increasing.
November 2005 was the most dangerous month to
date with a record number of unique threats being
discovered. IM worms are the most dominant
threat type hitting the public IM networks and
all of the popular networks have been attacked
(AIM, ICQ, MSN, WM, Yahoo!).
68Final Thoughts
Think differently the Threats do every day! New
frontiers and attack vectors continue to emerge
with advances in technology Wireless technology
and devices potentially open back-doors into
networks and bridges agency trusted networks with
un-trusted networks and the public infrastructure
(the Internet). Highly portable media with
enormous storage capacity on extremely small
footprints can be used to steal information.
69Credits
- Dan Verton - Vice President Executive Editor,
IT Security Magazine, FISSEA March 2005
presentation on Cyber-Terrorism and Security
70Thank You
Questions?