Selecting Security Countermeasures

1479 Words6 Pages
Unit 2 – Assignment 1: Selecting Security Countermeasures Marcial Norori IS3220 Mr. Sebastian Burci ITT Technical Institute – Hialeah, FL. 1/5/2015 A secure Web server provides a protected foundation for hosting Web applications. A Web server configuration plays a critical role in the Web application's security. Badly configured directories can lead to unauthorized access. A forgotten detail can provide a convenient back door, while an overlooked port can be an attacker's front door. Neglected user accounts can permit an attacker to slip by the defenses unnoticed. Part of the challenge of securing a Web server is recognizing the goal. As soon as we know what a secure Web server is, we can learn how to apply the configuration settings to create one. The fact that an attacker can strike remotely makes a Web server an appealing target. Understanding threats to a Web server and being able to identify appropriate countermeasures permits us to anticipate many attacks and prevent the ever-growing numbers of attackers. The main threats to a Web server are: * Profiling * Denial of service * Unauthorized access * Arbitrary code execution * Elevation of privileges * Viruses, worms, and Trojan horses 1) Profiling: Profiling, or host enumeration, is an exploratory process used to gather information about the Web site. An attacker uses this information to attack known weak points. Vulnerabilities: • Unnecessary protocols • Open ports •Web servers providing configuration information in banners Attacks: • Port scans • Ping sweeps • NetBIOS and server message block (SMB) enumeration Countermeasures: Include blocking all unnecessary ports, blocking Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) traffic, and disabling unnecessary protocols such as NetBIOS and SMB. 2) Denial of Service: Occurs when the server is overwhelmed by service
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