RE: Oh Dear, Where to start?!

["Drew Hunt" <Drew () Valleymed org>]

Here are my 2 cents:
Have a basic plan. It will have to be reworked over and over but don't bite off more than you can chew. Have meaningful 
goals and attainable objectives.
Get support! You will need upper-level support to approve and support your seemingly never ending stream of changes and 
updates which will invariable brake some current business processes in the path to a sustainable business computing 
environment. 
Have a basic policy that you accept will change over time(hopefully better and more detailed). Then focus on one thing 
and make that work right. Than choose another. Sometime the area will choose you (a virus outbreak) and sometimes you 
will be forced to be working on several areas at the same time but stay focused and moving forward. 
Don't give up or give in to the fact that you name had now become synonymous with rapid change and more stuff that 
you're forcing people to do. 
Educate everyone that this is the right thing to do and it is know because you said so and know better. 
Document well and over time you may get the organization walking the path. 
Good Luck.
Drew

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Frank [mailto:stevefrankrit () yahoo com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2003 4:56 AM
To: security-basics () securityfocus com
Subject: Oh Dear, Where to start?!


Hey everyone,

Ok... I am in a bit of a jam here and I was hoping to
get some feedback from some of you with appropriate
experience in the field of network security and policy
development.

I am an senior at RIT studying (essentially) systems
administration. My main focus and priority has been
computer security and policy development. I recently
took a internship with a small government office
helping out with computer administration tasks. Upon
arrival, I decided it would be fun to do a windows
update to see what sort of things would come up for my
PC. Low and behold, there were over 40 critical
updates, driver updates, and recommended updates. 

Right off the bat this triggered the feeling that
there was absolutely no security or update plans in
place at this particular organization. I quickly
addressed the issue, and have been working to draft a
comprehensive security policy and implement technical
controls.

What I need advice on is the following: If you were
introduced to a mixed network (literally all versions
of windows since 3.1 and mac systems) that have no
updates, backups, or patches installed... connected to
a network with only a basic NAT table and no other
security... with not even anti-virus software
enabled... with no user policies or disaster plans in
place... with unprotected netbios shares everywhere...
where would you start the process of building some
sort of security solution?

I mean, I've seen passwords on monitors, shared
accounts, open public ports (even the wiring cabinet
was unlocked in plain view of passbys to the
building). I've been tasked with creating the security
policies relating to internet use, network and phone
use, passwords, physical security, backup/disaster
plans, antivirus, incident response, email
use/protection, and whatever else needs done. This
wouldnt be so bad normally I guess, but there is
virtually no budget allocated to help for this project
and I have approximately 3 months to do it. To make
matters worse, I am also responsible for systems
admin, network admin, tech support, programming, and
whatever other tasks may need to be done in the
meantime.

So basically, if you had to start from nothing, where
would you start first? What would you consider to be
the most important things to be implemented? I am
literally working from ground zero here... heh!

Thank so much in advance ;-)

Steve Frank

----------------
President SPARSA
Security Practices and Research Student Association
Rochester Institute of Technology

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