In the past week 2 companies have been hit with security breaches regarding unauthorized access. Although both incidents are different in the mode of attack the outcome is still the same, unauthorized access causing downtime and loss of integrity in a system which in the long run will have more of a financial impact.
First Lockheed Martin is hit with authorized access surrounding the use of remote server access by employees using RSA token system. Right now Lockheed Martin is reporting that a remote server was hacked into and that the hacker gained access to a system by possibly using an RSA token. This is significant because RSA in March reported a security breach and that possibly tokens were stolen. Could a hacker have used a stolen token to access Lockheed Martin or could a Lockheed Martin employee token been stolen and used to gain access? The answer is not clear and we may never know. However swift action by Lockheed Martin's cyber-security unit prevented any more unauthorized access or breach of data.
Second, PBS reported thier website was defaced by hackers because of the airing of the "Wiki Leaks story" last week. The hacking group claimed they were upset over the show and decided to show PBS the power of a hacking group. The website was restored and new security measures were added to prevent this type of attack in the future.
So what do these two different security breaches have in common? Both show what happens when "a threat + a vulnerablity = a breach." It can be assumed that Lockheed Martin, the largest supplier of military airplanes, has very good security. PBS, well since they are a non-profit company, they might not have the tightest security. Both Lockheed and PBS remind us that no matter what your company, vulnerabilities have to be addressed or eventually your company will either have a major disruption or downtime.
- Tom Pruett, Cisco & Security Expert; MCT, CTT+, CISSP, CWNA, CEH, CHFI, CCSI, CCNA, MCSE LinkIn with Tom
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