Posted by Carl Gerhardt on Aug 08, 2017
On 8/8/2017, Vic Friday, Managing Partner of Zecurity, LLC, spoke to the membership of the Magnolia Rotary Club about the state of cyber security in today's world. Pictured above is Vic Friday.
 
Vic Friday started his presentation with a general question of why is Cyber Security not solved yet? To answer that question, Vic used an example from World War II. When France was worried that the Germans might invade their country, the built the Maginot Line. The Maginot Line was a zone of heavy defensive fortifications erected by France along its eastern border in the years preceding World War II to protect against such an invasion by Germany. France thought the "Maginot Line" was invincible. However, because it had weak points, German troops were able to outflank the French Army and break through the line. Vic indicated that our modern internet is much like the Maginot Line. Hackers can get around individual areas of security and get in. They do this because all the current tools to prevent cyber breaches are based upon software and software can always be rewritten for nefarious purpose.
 
Vic made it clear that Cyber security is NOT a software problem. Firewalls, encryption and “layering” are incapable of solving cyber security vulnerabilities. How ever, many software tool companies mislead businesses into thinking that monitoring and mitigating hackers efforts can make them secure. It can not! The reasons are:
 
•Hackers have time to work through a problem.
•Hackers get multiple tries.
•Hackers get to plant seeds.
•Inexperience of the IT industry.
•Ubiquitous computing or “Hippie” architecture as Vic likes to call it.
 
The results of hacking is data theft, loss, or corruption. Vic explained that the Primary tool used in each of these attacks is malware written from an external source. Vic gave the example of the SONY Corporation that was hacked. Once the hackers (using malware) had copied all of the data from SONY's servers, they erased everything stored on 3,262 of the company’s 6,797 personal computers and 837 of its 1,555 servers. Then they demanded large sums of money to restore it.

 

Vic then asked why cyber security is so complicated? To answer the question, Vic explained that he had to use nine different security systems just to setup a simple website…

1. External access - Isolated path to the internet
2. Perimeter - Windows firewall
3. Perimeter/Path/Function - IIS
4. Perimeter/Path/Function - Router
5. Path/Function - File system - NAS Drive
6. Path/Function - Access method (FTP - FileZilla)
7. Login Authentication - Perimeter/Path/Function
8. Data Movement Method - Encryption/Decryption
9. Network Layering - Architecture - Hide the cheese

As a result, Vic pointed out that we have built an environment where it is OK for someone to hack your system or write malware on your system. Also, there is no Key Performance Indicator (KPI) to check against to determine if a company's servers have been hacked. In the old days we had physical security for servers because we had no internet connections to the servers inside of a room. That is simply no longer true.

Vic then pointed out that there is Hope! Cyber Security is solvable but the Ingredients of a successful solution must be:

•Correct analysis.
•“Time in grade”.
•Adequate tools.
•Precise design.
•Executable solution

•Hardware element

To this end, Vic's company has built the Model 3000 - A patented inline appliance that protects assets by stopping the deployment of malware or hacking breaches, while still allowing normal business operations. The security is built into the hardware. To prove his point, Vic set up a website (www.zecurityhardwall.com) about 3 weeks ago daring someone to break into it. To date, over 900 individuals have tried with no success. Currently this solution is only available for businesses but Vic's long term plan is to provide it for home use.

Vic's Model 3000 from Zecurity can be seen below:

 

For more info about this product, Contact – Vic Friday

Direct:  832-492-5525

vfriday@zecurity.net

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