TAXII

Trusted Automated eXchange of Intelligence Information (TAXII) is a protocol for exchanging cyber threat information (CTI) across organizations and services. TAXII is a transport mechanism that uses Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) to transfer STIX insights.

TAXII is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security initiative that enables organizations to share CTI to detect, prevent, and mitigate cyber threats. TAXII is not a specific application or information-sharing initiative; it provides the tools to help organizations share CTI with their chosen partners.

TAXII defines a set of requirements for TAXII clients and servers and a RESTful API that supports various sharing models. The three main TAXII models are:

Hub and spoke: A single repository of information

Source/subscriber: A single source of information

Peer-to-peer: Multiple groups share information

TAXII is a good starting point for those new to threat intelligence.

 STIX

Structured Threat Information eXpression (STIX) is a free, open-source language that allows users to share and analyze cyber threat intelligence (CTI) in a consistent, human-readable format:

Purpose

STIX is a standardized language that allows users to share CTI in a way that can be easily understood by both humans and security technologies.

Features

STIX is flexible, extensible, and automatable. It uses a JSON-based lexicon to describe threats in terms of their motivations, abilities, capabilities, and responses.

Benefits

STIX allows users to share and analyze CTI quickly and consistently, which can help them understand threats and act proactively or defensively.

Community

STIX is a collaborative, community-driven effort that welcomes participation from anyone interested.

Integration

STIX can be integrated into existing tools and products or used for specific analyst or network needs.

Transport

STIX is often used with Trusted Automated eXchange of Intelligence Information (TAXII), a transport protocol that supports transferring STIX insights over HTTPS.

 SED (Self Encrypting Drive)

A self-encrypting drive (SED) is a type of hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD) that automatically encrypts and decrypts data without requiring user intervention or additional software. Here are the key features and benefits of SEDs:

Automatic Encryption: SEDs use hardware-based encryption to secure all data written to the drive. This process is seamless and does not require the user to take any action.

• Security: The encryption keys are stored within the drive, making it difficult for unauthorized users to access the data. The data remains encrypted and inaccessible if the drive is removed from the system.
• Performance: Since the drive’s hardware handles the encryption, there is minimal impact on system performance compared to software-based encryption solutions3.
• Ease of Use: SEDs are designed to be user-friendly, with encryption and decryption processes occurring transparently in the background.
• Data Protection: If a drive is lost or stolen, the data remains protected due to the encryption, reducing the risk of data breaches.
• Disposal: Issuing the erase command is issued, the MEK is erased, rendering the data unrecoverable
  

SEDs are widely used in environments where data security is critical, such as in corporate, government, and healthcare settings.

 The Diamond Model of Intrusion Analysis

The Diamond Model of Intrusion Analysis is a cybersecurity framework that helps analysts understand and analyze cyber threats and attacks. It uses four components to visualize the relationship between the attacker, victim, and infrastructure during a cyber-attack:

• Adversary: The actor who uses a capability against the victim
• Capability: The tools, techniques, and procedures used by the adversary to attack the victim
• Infrastructure: The underlying infrastructure
• Victim: The target of the attack

The Diamond Model uses mathematical and cognitive reasoning to trace and authenticate cyber threats. It's a simple yet powerful model that helps analysts create a comprehensive view of cyber attacks.

Here are some ways the Diamond Model is used:

• Documenting, analyzing, and correlating intrusions: The Diamond Model can document, analyze, and correlate intrusions into an organization's digital, network, and physical environments.
• Describing threat actor behaviors: The Diamond Model can describe the behaviors of threat actors.
• Ordering events: The Diamond Model can help order events because threat actors don't take actions in isolation.
• Creating activity threads: Activity threads can be constructed as adversary-victim pairs.
• Creating pivots: The logical deductions from traversing the Diamond are called pivots. 

 SLO (Service Level Objective)

A service level objective (SLO) is a measurable goal for a service's performance over a set period. SLOs are part of a service level agreement (SLA), a formal customer-service provider contract. They set customer expectations and help align the goals of both parties.

Here are some examples of SLOs:

Availability

A web application might have an SLO of 99.9% availability over time.

Response time

A help desk might have an SLO of responding to 90% of requests in less than three minutes.

SLOs are measured using service level indicators (SLIs), quantitative metrics of a service's performance. SLOs should be realistic and achievable while reflecting the desired service quality level. They should also be regularly monitored and reviewed to identify areas for improvement.

 Adversary Emulation

Adversary emulation, also known as adversary simulation, is a cybersecurity practice in which security experts imitate the actions of cyber threat actors to attack an organization's systems. The goal is to improve people, processes, and technology through ethical hacking engagements.

Adversary emulation involves:

• Penetration testing: This includes network mapping, vulnerability scanning, phishing assessments, and web application testing.
• Tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs): Security experts use the same TTPs that real-world adversaries to target organizations.
• Training: The goal is to train and improve people, processes, and technology.

Adversary emulation plans (AEPs) include an overview of the plan, the adversary group, the emulation phases, and a biography of sources.

NAT vs. PAT: Understanding IP Address Translation for Secure Networking

 NAT vs PAT

Network Address Translation (NAT) and Port Address Translation (PAT) are both methods used to map private IP addresses to public IP addresses, but they operate differently:

 NAT (Network Address Translation)

• Function: NAT translates private IP addresses to public IP addresses. This can be done in a one-to-one or many-to-one relationship.
• Types: There are two main types of NAT:
• Static NAT: Maps a private IP address to a public IP address.
• Dynamic NAT: Maps a private IP address to a public IP address from a pool of public addresses.
• Use Case: NAT is typically used to allow devices within a private network to access the internet by translating their private IP addresses to public ones.

PAT (Port Address Translation)

• Function: PAT, also known as NAT overload, extends NAT by mapping multiple private IP addresses to a single public IP address using different port numbers.
• Mechanism: PAT uses the transport layer port numbers to distinguish between multiple private IP addresses sharing a single public IP address.
• Use Case: PAT is commonly used in home and small office networks to allow multiple devices to share a single public IP address for internet access.

Key Differences

Translation Basis:

• NAT: Translates IP addresses only.
• PAT: Translates both IP addresses and port numbers.

Address Mapping:

• NAT: Can be one-to-one or many-to-one.
• PAT: Always many-to-one, using port numbers to differentiate traffic.

Usage:

• NAT: Suitable for scenarios where a direct mapping of IP addresses is needed.
• PAT: Ideal for conserving public IP addresses by allowing multiple devices to share one public IP address.