Announcement: "A Treatise on Informational Warfare"

From: Eric Knight (ericat_private)
Date: Thu Aug 21 2003 - 00:39:28 PDT

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     Dear Security Focus Community:
    
    This is an announcement for the public release of the publication "A
    Treatise on Informational Warfare".  It is available for download in PDF
    format at http://63.230.73.253/treatiseiw.pdf and the table of contents is
    included at the end of this announcement so that you can determine if you
    have an interest.
    
    This research paper involves making connections between informational
    warfare and enterprise security design.  The research focuses on a proposed
    "Informational Warfare Model" that is based on strategic, operational, and
    tactical design.  It builds on my previous publication "Computer
    Vulnerabilities" that was released to BugTraq about three years ago, and
    greatly expands on the conceptualizations that were originally presented.
    
    The research should be used to provide assistance on the construction of
    enterprise security models currently being developed as well as give
    security professionals a way to predict and understand computer security
    advancements in technology and their meaning in a networked environment.
    
    The publication also provides a moderately detailed explanation and
    comparison of IW warfare that the proposed framework is capable of which may
    be interesting reading for non-designers.  It covers a capability analysis
    for human against computerized agent, agent against agent, agent against
    combined enterprise security, and combined security against combined
    security.
    
    I have made a considerable effort to make this document a detailed and well
    thought out example and to keep as much speculation as I could out of the
    text.  I certainly welcome all comments and discussion on the model I've
    presented.
    
    Thank you,
    
    Eric Knight
    
    ---------------
    
    "A TREATISE ON INFORMATIONAL WARFARE"
    
    TABLE OF CONTENTS
    
    Forward. 1
    Introduction. 2
    Informational Warfare Model 7
        Command Layer 9
        Communications Layer 9
        Agent Layer 10
        Functional Layer 10
        Facilitators Layer 10
        Vulnerabilities Layer 10
        Inherent Layer Characteristics. 11
        Layer Design Idealisms. 12
        Effectiveness Measurements. 12
    Command Layer 14
        Command Console. 15
        Log Repository. 15
        Analysis Components. 16
        History Analysis. 16
        Game Theory. 16
        Expert Engine. 17
        Heuristic and Statistic Reporting. 17
        Scheduling. 17
        Account Management 18
        Network Component Awareness. 18
        Security Policy Management 18
        Security Tool Repository. 18
        Early Warning System.. 19
    Communications Layer 20
        Channel Communications. 20
            Open Channel 21
            Secure Channels. 21
            Isolated Channels. 21
            Covert Channels. 22
            Polymorphic Channels. 22
            Alternative Channels. 23
            Switching Channels. 23
        Public Key Infrastructure. 24
        Conventional Encryption. 24
        Trust Relationships. 25
        Protocol 25
            Uniform Standard Protocol 25
            Covert Protocol 26
            Alternative Protocol 26
            Polymorphic Protocol 26
    Agent Layer 27
        Command Interface. 28
        Host Console. 28
        Response Reporting. 29
        Mission Intelligence. 29
        Process Control 29
        Sensors and Sensor Analysis. 30
            Agent Sensors. 30
            Sensor Analysis. 32
        Artificial Intelligence. 32
        Agent Overload. 32
    Functional Layer 34
        Layer Considerations. 36
    Facilitators. 38
        Fastest Order of Discovery. 39
    Vulnerabilities Layer 42
    Command Layer Construction. 45
        Agent Status and Control 46
        Command Control 46
        Artificial Intelligence. 46
        Higher Authority. 47
        Agent Layer Construction. 49
            Security Network. 50
            Artificial Intelligence. 50
            Data Processing. 50
            Function Control 51
            Log File Sensors. 51
            Streaming Sensors. 51
            Boolean Sensors. 51
            Result Sensors. 52
        Functional Layer Standardization. 52
    Common Network Attack Strategies. 54
        Hacker Attack. 54
        Viral Infestation. 55
        Bee Swarm.. 55
        Conscription. 56
        Invasion. 57
        Crawler 58
        Amoeba. 59
        Infiltration. 60
        Attack Method Comparison. 60
    Agent vs Agent Warfare. 62
        Agent Attacks. 62
            Shutting down processes. 63
            Promoting access level 63
            Seizure of Security Tools. 63
            Creating New Services. 64
            Downgrading. 64
            Removing the opposition. 64
            Disrupting communication. 65
            Backdoor 65
            Highest Level Access. 65
            Binary Scan. 66
            Compromising the opposition. 66
            Call for help. 66
            Ghosts. 67
            Analysis Disruption. 67
            Sandbox Modification. 67
            Resource Starvation. 68
            Overload. 68
            Rebooting. 68
        Agent Defenses. 69
            Deep Embedding. 69
            Polymorphism.. 69
            Advance Awareness. 70
            Agent Required for Use. 70
            Encrypted Binary Executable. 71
            Quarantine. 71
            Scuttle. 71
            Hide valuables. 72
            Honeypot 72
            Replication. 72
            Mutually assured destruction. 73
            Forfeiture of Duties. 73
        Aftermath. 74
            Scavenging. 74
            Searching for valuables. 74
            Cleaning the Logs. 75
            Customizing the environment 75
            Selecting a new target 75
            Reporting. 76
            Promotion/demotion. 76
            Fulfilling the Mission. 76
        Event of Capture. 77
            Tools in Random Access Memory. 77
            Deletion After Execution. 77
            Emulation Engines and Polymorphic Machine Code. 77
            Polymorphic Machine Code. 77
            Emulation Engines. 78
            Encryption. 78
    Human vs Agent 79
        Physical Access. 80
        Stolen Password/Identity. 80
        Insider Cooperation. 80
        Internal Access Point 81
        Wiring Control 81
        Human Effectiveness. 81
    Mission Goals. 83
        Espionage. 85
        Sabotage. 85
        Camouflage. 86
        Subterfuge. 86
        Programming Evolutions Required for Missions. 87
    Agent Communication Structures. 89
        Communications Room.. 90
            Designated Computer 90
            Broadcast Protocol 91
            Peer-To-Peer 91
            Relay. 92
        Private Communication. 93
        Three Channel Method. 94
    Security Network Warfare. 95
        Combined Capabilities. 96
            Speed of Communication. 96
            Combined Calculation. 96
            Robustness of Tools. 96
            Artificial Intelligence. 97
        Combined Calculation Danger Rating. 97
        Complexities of the Mission. 98
        Natural Warfare Advantages. 98
            Attacking. 98
                Ambush Advantage. 98
                Mission Advantage. 99
                Deterioration Advantage. 99
                Anonymity. 99
                Siege Advantage. 99
            Defending. 99
                Preparation Advantage. 99
                Network Speed Advantage. 100
                Awareness Advantage. 100
                Design Advantage. 100
    Cyber-Pandemonium.. 101
    Conclusion. 103
    



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