Data privacy, IoT

The fundamental of data sharing versus data privacy

Preface:

What is “Fair Information Practices,” the principles of privacy protection are internationally recognized and are found in most privacy legislation around the world. These principles inform the way private organizations collect, secure, use and disclose personal information.

What is the bottleneck of data sharing?

Privacy is about respecting individuals. If a person has a reasonable desire to keep something private, it is disrespectful to ignore that person’s wishes without a compelling reason to do so. And therefore this is the fundamental limitation of the data sharing. In the sense that you must consensus the data owner or object before use.

Can we found out the easy way to implement data sharing?

If you agree above standpoint is the bottleneck. I believe that you will continue to read this article. Ok, let’s take a quick way to elaborate.

The successful data analytic technology can tell the truth but not include survillance type. Because survillance program in my view point will categories as monitoring feature instead of data sharing categories. The phenomenon we have seen shown below table:

Above table perhaps not the official survey, it can’t provide the significant and reliable reference. However it shown an hints that the bottleneck of data sharing concept driven by Fair Information Practices.

As a matter of fact, even though the extreme regime governance country also not shown government will lead open his repository including personal information. The realistic so far is the private company collect their customer data for business goal or do a re-engineering of the usage of their customer data.

Potential hidden power

Natural & Non-Human Activities data contain huge potential power build a comprehensive big data infrastructure. We haven’t seen traditional database structure weakness until big data analytic born. As a result even though data sharing not mature in the moment however it can develop a perfect infrastructure waiting for the future.

Global Positioning System pioneer build the data sharing infrastructure

You use Global Positioning System (GPS) on your smartphone for directions to a particular place, or if you ask a search engine for the locations of local famous restaurants near a physical address or landmark, you are using applications relying on spatial data. Therefore spatial databases is the key component of the global positioning system. As time goes by, GPS system build the data sharing architecture established.

Revolution of database technology

Big data is a term used to refer to the study and applications of data sets that are so big and complex that traditional data-processing application software are inadequate to deal with them.

Big data technologies break the ice, it improve traditional database model fundamental limitation on data access speed and usage efficiency. SQL was originally designed for relatively static data structured as a table. IoT-generated data is the data generated by the sensors fitted into interconnected devices. In the IoT scheme of things, each device will have an IP address so that it is able to communicate with destination peer. The IoT-generated data is a dynamic data because it is not the human input data model. So, a Key-Value Store technology can receive the advantage. In the market do far there were many different types of non-SQL, or non-relational, databases. The high-end system model is the famous IBM mainframe VSAM access method. But low end products can do similar things today. Below top 5 (low end) NoSQL database engines closer look.

IoT data require to do analytic before use. The data analytics focusing process device status data and sensor readings to generate descriptive reports and alarm.

Real-time analytics tools usually support controlling the window of time analysis, and calculating rolling metrics. For example, to track hourly averages over time rather than calculating a single average across an entire dataset. As a result the system require quick reponse and processing power.

Remark: What are rolling metrics good for? Get numbers faster – every day or minute if you want

Speed up an access

A general-purpose distributed memory caching system boost up the data access speed. It is often used to speed up dynamic database-driven websites by caching data and objects in RAM to reduce the number of times an external data source (such as a database or API) must be read. Below architecture can provide hints to you in this regard.

Summary:

So far, not seen any feature will be improved the data security. Since we are focus Natural & Non-Human Activities data. So it did not touch with any confidential data. The key factor of data sharing bottleneck not the limitation of technology. The fact shown that the successful factor to promote data sharing concept depends on you how to treat people with respect.

 

Under our observation

It is a hurricane, but it happen in cyber world – Multiple vulnerabilities in PHP (Sep 2018)

The United States and Asia were hit by hurricanes. It looks that the similar situation is happen in cyber world. MS-ISAC Releases Advisory on PHP Vulnerabilities urge technology world to staying alert. For more details, please refer below hyperlink:

https://www.cisecurity.org/advisory/multiple-vulnerabilities-in-php-could-allow-for-arbitrary-code-execution_2018-101/

Hacker exploit the PHP design weakenss (Arbitrary Code Execution or RCE) for attack must fulfill below conditions.

  1. The application must have a class which implements a PHP magic method (such as __wakeup or __destruct) that can be used to carry out malicious attacks.
  2. Pass untrusted user input to unserialize() regardless of the options value of allowed_classes. Unserialization can result in code being loaded and executed due to object instantiation and autoloading.
  3. The data passed to unserialized comes from a file, so a file with serialized data must be present on the server.
Potential Risk of CVE, Under our observation

Sep 2018 – Veeam MongoDB left unsecured, 440 million records exposed

Sanitization process is important in IT world. If without correct validation, it may allow malicious code pass to trust boundary. As a result it may causes remote code execution, SQL injection, trigger Zero day attack, ….etc. So…… Headline News this week. Should you have interest, my picture can tell my speculation.

https://www.scmagazine.com/home/news/veeam-mongodb-left-unsecured-440-million-records-exposed/

Vulnerability looks scary! However, as the variety and volume of data has increased in recent years, non-relational databases like MongoDB have arisen to meet the new needs of our fluid data.

2018, Application Development, Data privacy

Consider how does JQuery affect millions of people confidential data – Sep 2018

RiskIQ expose one of the possible way how hacker steal customer credit card data of British Airline. Expert speculate the suspects exploit Inject jQuery into a page technique collect the confidential data. BA claim that the data breach only occurs in credit card data.
Risk IQ share the proof of concept shown that the technique equilvalent ATM machine skimmer. But this round the skimmer feature is install on web page. The fact is that when victim click the specific compromise web page button. The personal data belongs to victim will divert to hacker server.
Perhaps we know the technique so called Inject jQuery into a page is not a news. But exploit inject jQuery technique cope with ATM machine skimmer concept may be is new.
I am not going to copy RiskIQ POC programming language this time. However I will display the inject jQuery sample code for your reference. Meanwhile I will let your memory awaken.

BeEF, the Browser Exploitation Framework, is a testing tool designed to enable penetration testers to launch client-side attacks against target browsers.
The BeEF hook is a JavaScript file hosted on the BeEF server that needs to run on client browsers. When it does, it calls back to the BeEF server communicating a lot of information about the target. So this is another possibility let British Airways lost the customer data.

Potential Risk of CVE

Adobe has released security updates to address vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash Player and ColdFusion – Sep 2018

Adobe revealed that the Flash end of life will take place at the end of 2020. So we still can be use the flash. Perhaps computer products includes software and hardware.The key word vulnerability similar human not feeling well (sick) then receive medication. The patient will get well. So vulnerability occurs in cyber world do not give people any suprise! The vulnerabilities found in Adobe product not limit to Flash Player this week. Adobe ColdFusion is a commercial rapid web application development platform created by J. J. Allaire in 1995.Medical software manufacturer uses Adobe ColdFusion to more securely collect electronic clinical outcome assessment (eCOA) data.Digital solutions company uses Adobe ColdFusion to help midmarket companies manage eCommerce more effectively. Adobe has released security updates to address vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash Player and ColdFusion.

Adobe Security Bulletin can provides above details, see below:

ColdFusion – https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/coldfusion/apsb18-33.html

Flash Player – https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb18-31.html

Potential Risk of CVE

Docker for Windows design weakness – without verifying the validity of the object – CVE-2018-15514

Docker brings several new things to the table that the earlier technologies didn’t. It capable to all platform. It equivalent a multiple adapter. It is hard to avoid vulnerability happen on software and hardware. Docker no exception.

The specific vulnerability found on Aug 2018. For more details, please see below:

Docker for Windows Edge Release notes

https://docs.docker.com/docker-for-windows/edge-release-notes/

Docker for Windows Stable Release notes

https://docs.docker.com/docker-for-windows/release-notes/

 

Potential Risk of CVE, Under our observation

Security Notification – Modicon M221 (Sep 2018)

Because many industries requires monitoring and control capabilities that SCADA offers. In most uses, SCADA is used to manage a physical process of Electric, Gas and water Utilities.We heard cyber security alert in SCADA facilities so far. As a citizen we cannot immagine how worst will be the incident happened. For instance once SCADA PLC compromised by hacker (malware).

Coolant in a nuclear reactor is used to remove heat generated from it. It flushes out heat to electrical generators and environment. But how to monitor the temperature. Deploy Schneider M221 can conduct the Electric Temperature Control.

On end of Aug 2018, vendor found design weakness on Modicon M221. For more details, please refer below URL.

https://www.schneider-electric.com/en/download/document/SEVD-2018-235-01/

Potential Risk of CVE

6th Sep 2018 – AirWatch Agent and VMware Content Locker updates resolve data protection vulnerabilities

The development of the cyber security mechanism involves preventive and corrective control. Security experts alert IT world that a unforseen cyber security loophole will be occurs when the poplarity of smartphone growth. Perhaps mobile device management (MDM) establish a way to rescue the enterprise firm business operation in demand of the usage of mobile phone devices.

Stephan Sekula from compass-security found design weakness on Airwatch Agent and VMware Content Locker. The problem is that it shown an Insufficient data protection feature of Airwatch agent and VMware content locker.

In vendor point of view, they beleive that the severity of such vulnerabilities in low risk. However we fully understand the following statement: You can use iCloud Keychain to access your stored logins and passwords, credit card details, and personal information. So, what do you think?

Airwatch and VMware official announcement shown as below:

https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2018-0023.html

cyber security incident news highlight, Under our observation

British Airway announcement – 7th Sep 2018 (380,000 customers’ bank details stolen from website)

The Spokesman of British Airways said around 380,000 payment cards had been compromised and it had notified the police.He stated that they suspected that hacker stolen customers’ bank details through official website and or mobile apps. However the stolen data didn’t include travel or passport details.

If there is european citizens become a victims of this incident. The penalty is that it can lead to fines of up to 20 million euros or 4% of the total worldwide annual turnover of the preceding financial year, whichever is higher. Official announcement shown as below:

https://www.britishairways.com/en-hk/information/incident/data-theft/latest-information?dr=&dt=British%20Airways&tier=&scheme=&logintype=public&audience=travel&CUSTSEG=&GGLMember=&ban=%7C%7CP1M%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7CHOME%7C%7C%7C%7CL4%7C%7C%7C%7Canonymous-inspiration%7C%7C%7C&KMtag=c&KMver=1.0&clickpage=HOME

Potential Risk of CVE

Cisco Releases Security Updates on 5th Sep 2018 – Staying alert!

Vendor would like to bring below problems to your attention.

Apache Struts Remote Code Execution Vulnerability Affecting Cisco Products: August 2018

https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20180823-apache-struts

Cisco Umbrella API Unauthorized Access Vulnerability

https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20180905-umbrella-api

Cisco RV110W, RV130W, and RV215W Routers Management Interface Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20180905-rv-routers-overflow

 

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