Application security tool version upgrade usually don't excite me as it's often the same old, same old with a few new checks and niche features. However, the new version of Checkmarx CxSAST (formerly CxSuite, CxDeveloper, etc.) is spot-on. The next generation of the popular static source code analyzer - version 8 - was recently released and it contains some much-needed improvements over its predecessor. One thing that's glaringly evident in version 8 ...
Continue Reading...If you're an IT or information security professional you need to know about a great - and relatively new - tool that you can use as part of your security assessment and/or user awareness and training programs...it's called LUCY. I came across a small online blurb about LUCY a few months ago and thought I would check it out. Having dealt with both open source and commercial email phishing tools ...
Continue Reading...When it comes to Web application and mobile app security, can you honestly say you know where everything stands...as American radio personality Paul Harvey used to proclaim - the rest of the story? You can run Web vulnerability scans, perform manual mobile app analysis, and the most in-depth penetration testing possible. You can look at things from the perspectives of unauthenticated attackers, trusted users, and all the angles in between ...
Continue Reading...Here are some pieces I've written recently on determining just how "fit" your network and application environment really is. Whether you're an IT auditor, penetration tester, IT admin, or security consultant, there's some stuff for you:How to perform a (next-generation) network security audit Don’t overlook details when scoping your Web application security assessmentsTop gotchas when performing email phishing tests How to take a measured approach to automated penetration testingFive steps ...
Continue Reading...Several years ago I wrote about the neat WEP/WPA recovery tools offered as part of TamoSoft's wireless network analyzer called CommView for WiFi. Well, those tools are no longer available but CommView for WiFi is as relevant as ever. I've been using it for years. It seems that it hasn't changed a ton other than some UI and packet analysis enhancements - probably just oversights on my part since I ...
Continue Reading...PCI DSS has been getting a lot of buzz lately and the latest version 3.0 will continue gaining momentum until the many small and medium-sized businesses get their arms around the new requirements. Of particular interest is the updated requirement 11.3 (below) which is much more prescriptive on how to find the actual security flaws that matter. I've always believe that you can't secure what you don't acknowledge...PCI DSS 3.0 ...
Continue Reading...Check out these new pieces I've written and recorded on Web application and cloud security. If you follow the things I recommend on communication (first three links), you can absolutely transform your information security program and the way that people perceive you as an IT professional.Communicating with Management about Web Security, Part 1 - Knowing What You're Up AgainstCommunicating with Management about Web Security, Part 2 - Prioritization and Sending ...
Continue Reading...If you haven't yet, you'll likely run into a situation where you need to run vulnerability scans over a VPN connection (i.e. for remote office networks). Well, certain scanners won't scan over "raw sockets" - the underlying communication method for certain VPN connections. Other scanners can't even connect to a remote network at all because they're caught up in their own little virtual machines that you cannot add a VPN ...
Continue Reading...If wireless security testing is on your radar, you need to get Reaver Pro. As I outlined in this Hacking For Dummies, 4th edition chapter, Reaver Pro is a great tool for cracking the WPA pre-shared key on all those consumer-grade wireless APs/routers that everyone installs in the enterprise. The latest version of Reaver Pro is very simple to use. No live CDs or VMs to boot. You simply connect ...
Continue Reading...In addition to my independent information security assessments through my consultancy Principle Logic, I've been writing a ton...including a lot on Windows 8 and 8.1. Check out these new pieces published by my friends at TechTarget:What's old, what's new for the enterprise with Windows 8.1Understanding why Windows 8 for mobile is perfectly viable for enterprise use Don’t forget enterprise password protection in a merger or acquisition Three ways Sysinternals Process Explorer ...
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