[ISN] SANS Updates Its Annual Top 20 List

From: InfoSec News (alerts@private)
Date: Thu Nov 23 2006 - 22:31:57 PST


Forwarded from: Security UPDATE <Security_UPDATE (at) list.windowsitpro.com>

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=== CONTENTS ===================================================

IN FOCUS: SANS Updates Its Annual Top 20 List

NEWS AND FEATURES
   - Microsoft Licenses Group Policy Conversion Tool to Ease Vista 
Migration
   - Forefront Client Beta Available; New Forefront Server Products 
Coming Soon
   - Web Application Security Report to Debut in January
   - Recent Security Vulnerabilities

GIVE AND TAKE
   - Security Matters Blog: Windows Vista Security Guide Available
   - FAQ: Using FrontPage to Backup or Restore a SharePoint Site 
   - From the Forum: Setting Up Security Groups
   - Know Your IT Security Contest
   - SharePoint Pro Online--LIVE! Event

PRODUCTS
   - Manage USB Drives for Access and Storage
   - Wanted: Your Reviews of Products 

RESOURCES AND EVENTS

FEATURED WHITE PAPER

ANNOUNCEMENTS


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=== IN FOCUS: SANS Updates Its Annual Top 20 List ==============
   by Mark Joseph Edwards, News Editor, mark at ntsecurity / net

In the past, the SANS Institute published an annual list, Top 10 
Vulnerabilities, that outlined the most serious vulnerabilities facing 
system administrators on a variety of platforms. The list was later 
expanded to the top 20 vulnerabilities. This year, SANS has changed the 
name of its list to the SANS Top-20 Internet Security Attack Targets.

The list is divided into four categories--OSs, cross-platform 
applications, network devices, and security policy and personnel--along 
with a special section that discusses zero-day attacks. The OS category 
is almost entirely devoted to Windows. Areas that need special 
attention on Windows platforms include Internet Explorer (IE), Windows 
libraries (DLLs), services, overall system configuration, and Office. 

The cross-platform applications category is broad and includes common 
targets of attack such as Web applications, database software, P2P and 
IM applications, media players, DNS servers, backup software, and 
various types of management servers. 

As history shows, new targets of attack typically include emerging 
technologies, which are usually less mature and thus prone to include 
exploitable bugs. VoIP technology is a case in point. SANS points out 
that both VoIP servers and phones have become major targets, with no 
fewer than four vulnerabilities reported in the hugely popular Asterisk 
VoIP server platform, two vulnerabilities in Cisco Call Manager, and at 
least seven vulnerabilities in VoIP phones. 

Two long-standing information security problems have been the existence 
of excessive user rights and the use of unauthorized devices. Both 
these problems could be related to insufficient or nonexistent security 
policies. Such problems could give rise to situations in which users 
inadvertently open security holes into a network or introduce malware. 
The problem could also lead to the exposure or theft of sensitive 
company information. 

Phishing is of course a major problem and makes end users a major point 
of attack. Phishing attacks, like other forms of social engineering, 
are designed to glean sensitive information from unsuspecting users. 
Attacks can be very sophisticated and highly tailored and targeted. 

Last, but certainly not least, are the ever-present zero-day exploits 
that have plagued security administrators since computers came into 
mainstream use. Although historically, most zero-day attacks have 
targeted Windows platforms, other OSs aren't immune. The SANS list 
points to Windows and Apple OS X as the current major points of attack. 
However, zero-day exploits have also turned into attacks against 
various Linux platforms, Wi-Fi devices and their drivers, and other 
commonly used technologies. In fact, the Kernel Fun blog is currently 
hosting a "month of kernel bugs" that affect various platforms, 
including BSD and Linux. In some cases, no patch is available for the 
bugs posted, which of course puts millions of users and many businesses 
at serious risk. How fun is that? 
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=410A8:7EB890

The SANS Top-20 Internet Security Attack Targets report is a good 
resource for security administrators to use as a means to gain insight 
into what others see as the most serious attack vectors. The report is 
free at the SANS Web site in HTML or PDF format, and administrators 
would do well to carefully review the report to make sure that they've 
got all their bases covered. 
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=== SECURITY NEWS AND FEATURES =================================

Microsoft Licenses Group Policy Conversion Tool to Ease Vista Migration
   The ADMX Migrator tool, developed by FullArmor, will be available 
for free to convert ADM templates to ADMX.
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=4109F:7EB890

Forefront Client Beta Available; New Forefront Server Products Coming 
Soon
   Microsoft released the Forefront Client Security public beta and 
announced that Forefront Security for Exchange Server and Forefront 
Security for SharePoint will be available in December.
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=410A1:7EB890

Web Application Security Report to Debut in January
   WhiteHat Security will soon begin offering a quarterly report on the 
vulnerabilities affecting enterprise Web sites.
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=410A0:7EB890

Recent Security Vulnerabilities
   If you subscribe to this newsletter, you also receive Security 
Alerts, which inform you about recently discovered security 
vulnerabilities. You can also find information about these 
discoveries at
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=41094:7EB890


=== SPONSOR: Liquid Machines ===================================

Liquid Machines and Windows RMS: Rights Management for the Enterprise
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enterprise requirements for information protection, including 
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=== GIVE AND TAKE ==============================================

SECURITY MATTERS BLOG: Windows Vista Security Guide Available 
   by Mark Joseph Edwards, http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=410A6:7EB890

Microsoft published its official Windows Vista Security Guide. It's 
available at the TechNet Web site now. 
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=4109E:7EB890

FAQ: Using FrontPage to Backup or Restore a SharePoint Site

Q: How can I use Microsoft FrontPage to back up or restore a Microsoft 
SharePoint site?

Find the answer at
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FROM THE FORUM: Setting Up Security Groups
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=== PRODUCTS ===================================================
   by Renee Munshi, products@private

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=== RESOURCES AND EVENTS =======================================
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=== FEATURED WHITE PAPER =======================================

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=== ANNOUNCEMENTS ==============================================

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