Architecture-based Qualitative Risk Analysis for Availability of IT Infrastructures

An IT risk assessment must deliver the best possible quality of results in a time-effective way. Organisations are used to customise the general-purpose standard risk assessment methods in a way that can satisfy their requirements. In this paper we present the QualTD Model and method, which is meant to be employed together with standard risk assessment methods for the qualitative assessment of availability risks of IT architectures, or parts of them. The QualTD Model is based on our previous quantitative model, but geared to industrial practice since it does not require quantitative data which is often too costly to acquire. We validate the model and method in a real-world case by performing a risk assessment on the authentication and authorisation system of a large multinational company and by evaluating the results w.r.t. the goals of the stakeholders of the system. We also perform a review of the most popular standard risk assessment methods and an analysis of which one can be actually integrated with our QualTD Model

Managing the outsourcing of information security processes: the 'cloud' solution

Information security processes and systems are relevant for any organization and involve medium-to-high investment; however, the current economic downturn is causing a dramatic reduction in spending on Information Technology (IT). Cloud computing (i.e., externalization of one or more IT services) might be a solution for organizations keen to maintain a good level of security. In this paper we discuss whether cloud computing is a valid alternative to in-house security processes and systems drawing on four mini-case studies of higher education institutions in New England, US. Our findings show that the organization’s IT spending capacity affects the choice to move to the cloud; however, the perceived security of the cloud and the perceived in-house capacity to provide high quality IT (and security) services moderate this relationship. Moreover, other variables such as (low) quality of technical support, relatively incomplete contracts, poor defined Service License Agreements (SLA), and ambiguities over data ownership affect the choice to outsource IT (and security) using the cloud. We suggest that, while cloud computing could be a useful means of IT outsourcing, there needs to be a number of changes and improvements to how the service is currently delivered

Database management system performance comparisons: A systematic literature review

Efficiency has been a pivotal aspect of the software industry since its inception, as a system that serves the end-user fast, and the service provider cost-efficiently benefits all parties. A database management system (DBMS) is an integral part of effectively all software systems, and therefore it is logical that different studies have compared the performance of different DBMSs in hopes of finding the most efficient one. This study systematically synthesizes the results and approaches of studies that compare DBMS performance and provides recommendations for industry and research. The results show that performance is usually tested in a way that does not reflect real-world use cases, and that tests are typically reported in insufficient detail for replication or for drawing conclusions from the stated results.Comment: 36 page

SoK: Cryptographically Protected Database Search

Protected database search systems cryptographically isolate the roles of reading from, writing to, and administering the database. This separation limits unnecessary administrator access and protects data in the case of system breaches. Since protected search was introduced in 2000, the area has grown rapidly; systems are offered by academia, start-ups, and established companies. However, there is no best protected search system or set of techniques. Design of such systems is a balancing act between security, functionality, performance, and usability. This challenge is made more difficult by ongoing database specialization, as some users will want the functionality of SQL, NoSQL, or NewSQL databases. This database evolution will continue, and the protected search community should be able to quickly provide functionality consistent with newly invented databases. At the same time, the community must accurately and clearly characterize the tradeoffs between different approaches. To address these challenges, we provide the following contributions: 1) An identification of the important primitive operations across database paradigms. We find there are a small number of base operations that can be used and combined to support a large number of database paradigms. 2) An evaluation of the current state of protected search systems in implementing these base operations. This evaluation describes the main approaches and tradeoffs for each base operation. Furthermore, it puts protected search in the context of unprotected search, identifying key gaps in functionality. 3) An analysis of attacks against protected search for different base queries. 4) A roadmap and tools for transforming a protected search system into a protected database, including an open-source performance evaluation platform and initial user opinions of protected search.Comment: 20 pages, to appear to IEEE Security and Privac

Database Intrusion Detection Using Role Profiling

Insider threats cause the majority of computer system security problems and are also among the most challenging research topics in database security. An anomaly-based intrusion detection system (IDS), which can profile inside users’ normal behaviors and detect anomalies when a user’s behaviors deviate from his/her profiles, is effective to protect computer systems against insider threats since the IDS can profile each insider and then monitor them continuously. Although many IDSes have been developed at the network or host level since 1980s, there are still very few IDSes specifically tailored to database systems. We initially build our anomaly-based database IDS using two different profiling methods: one is to build profiles for each individual user (user profiling) and the other is to mine profiles for roles (role profiling). Detailed comparative evaluations between role profiling and user profiling are conducted, and we also analyze the reasons why role profiling is more effective and efficient than user profiling. Another contribution of this thesis is that we introduce role hierarchy into database IDS and remarkably reduce the false positive rate without increasing the false negative rate

Network and Database Security: Regulatory Compliance, Network, and Database Security - A Unified Process and Goal

Database security has evolved; data security professionals have developed numerous techniques and approaches to assure data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. This paper will show that the Traditional Database Security, which has focused primarily on creating user accounts and managing user privileges to database objects are not enough to protect data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. This paper is a compilation of different journals, articles and classroom discussions will focus on unifying the process of securing data or information whether it is in use, in storage or being transmitted. Promoting a change in Database Curriculum Development trends may also play a role in helping secure databases. This paper will take the approach that if one make a conscientious effort to unifying the Database Security process, which includes Database Management System (DBMS) selection process, following regulatory compliances, analyzing and learning from the mistakes of others, Implementing Networking Security Technologies, and Securing the Database, may prevent database breach

Secure external access to Odoo

Tämän kirjallisuustutkimuksena toteutettavan opinnäytetyön tavoitteena on tutkia kuinka Odoo-toiminnanohjausjärjestelmän (ERP) käyttöönotto toteutetaan turvallisesti ulkoisten toimijoiden kanssa. Lisäksi tavoitteena on löytää parhaita käytänteitä, miten ulkoiset käyttäjät liitetään ERP:iin vaarantamatta yrityksen ydintietoa. Työn toimeksiantaja on suomalainen teollisuusalan yritys, jolla on käytössä avoimen lähdekoodin ERP-järjestelmä Odoo. Yrityksessä on tulevaisuudessa vahva tarve laajentaa Odoon toiminnallisuuksia siten, että myös ulkoiset toimijat kuten partnerit, toimittajat sekä asiakkaat saadaan integroitua osaksi yrityksen Odoota. Teoriaosuudessa perehdytään ERP-järjestelmien tarkoitukseen, etuihin ja haittapuoliin sekä eri toimitus- sekä hankintamalleihin. Lisäksi luodaan lyhyt katsaus tietoturvaan, keskittyen etenkin sovellusten ja tietokantojen tietoturvaan. Lisäksi tarkastellaan myös ERP-tietoturvamenetelmiä. ERP:n arkkitehtuurimalli yhdessä sovellus- ja tietokantaturvamekanismien kanssa nähdään ratkaisevaksi tietoturvahaasteisiin vastaamisessa. Kolmitasoinen arkkitehtuurimalli, jota myös Odoo tukee, nähdään turvallisempana ratkaisuna kuin yksi- tai kaksitasoiset mallit. Koska yritykset toimivat tänä päivänä verkostoissa, joissa liiketoimintapartnerit ovat osa ERP-järjestelmää, tarvitaan uudenlaisia tapoja mahdollistamaan pääsy ERP:iin mutta kuitenkin samalla suojaamaan yrityksen ydindataa. Perinteiset ERP-tietoturvamekanismit eivät välttämättä enää riitä. Tarvitaan uusia ratkaisuja, joilla ERP:n turvallinen ulkoinen käyttö voidaan mahdollistaa. Nämä parhaat käytänteet ovat vasta muovautumassa.The aim of this thesis is to investigate based on the literature review that how to implement Odoo enterprise resource planning system (ERP) securely with external connectivity. Additionally, the target was to form an understanding of the best practises available to create the external connections in ERP without risking the core data of the company. The commissioner of this thesis is a manufacturing company in Finland which is using open source ERP called Odoo. In the future there is a strong need to enable connectivity also with external partners meaning that several modules from the same ERP application need to be enabled for external usage. The theory framework is introducing main purpose of ERP systems, its advantages, disadvantages, different delivery models and acquisition options. Information security on high level is introduced with focus on application, database and ERP specific security aspects. The architectural structure of ERPs, together with application and database security mechanisms, are seen crucial to respond to security challenges. The three tier architecture model, supported also by Odoo, is seen more secure than one or two tier models. As companies today are operating over the traditional company borders, secure business partner access to enterprise data is needed. Traditional security methods of ERP have to be re-considered to enable usage also with external connections to fulfil the security needs of companies. It seems that at the moment the best practise security mechanisms for web ERPs are not yet widely established

Delayed failure of software components using stochastic testing

The present research investigates the delayed failure of software components and addresses the problem that the conventional approach to software testing is unlikely to reveal this type of failure. Delayed failure is defined as a failure that occurs some time after the condition that causes the failure, and is a consequence of long-latency error propagation. This research seeks to close a perceived gap between academic research into software testing and industrial software testing practice by showing that stochastic testing can reveal delayed failure, and supporting this conclusion by a model of error propagation and failure that has been validated by experiment. The focus of the present research is on software components described by a request-response model. Within this conceptual framework, a Markov chain model of error propagation and failure is used to derive the expected delayed failure behaviour of software components. Results from an experimental study of delayed failure of DBMS software components MySQL and Oracle XE using stochastic testing with random generation of SQL are consistent with expected behaviour based on the Markov chain model. Metrics for failure delay and reliability are shown to depend on the characteristics of the chosen experimental profile. SQL mutation is used to generate negative as well as positive test profiles. There appear to be few systematic studies of delayed failure in the software engineering literature, and no studies of stochastic testing related to delayed failure of software components, or specifically to delayed failure of DBMS. Stochastic testing is shown to be an effective technique for revealing delayed failure of software components, as well as a suitable technique for reliability and robustness testing of software components. These results provide a deeper insight into the testing technique and should lead to further research. Stochastic testing could provide a dependability benchmark for component-based software engineering