Security Basics mailing list archives
RE: Concepts: Security and Obscurity
From: "Craig Wright" <Craig.Wright () bdo com au>
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2007 05:35:29 +1000
1 Then there is an additional hazard function. The risk increases due to this possibility. The offset is a proposed increase in overall security. Studies from Vaos & Miller as well as others have modeled the hazard functions for software and this is a quantifiable area. The probability of a successful attack and the discovery of a vulnerability may be modeled on a number of factors which increase or decrease the condifence of the resultant function. However, I have as yet seen nothing to show that obscurity adds any real quantifiable value to offset the loss from the software minimum time to hazard and mean time to hazard functions or even to cover the cost of managing a non-standard implementation. 2 Port knocking is reliant on a set secret that is replicated to a number of hosts/clients, is discoverable and relys on the secrecy of the process. Secrecy of the process not being the same as "something you know" as it is shared and open to a select group at the least. Regards, Craig J Voas and K Miller "Predicting softwares minimum time to hazard and mean time to hazard for rare input events In Proc of the Int Symp on Software Reliability Eng J Voas C Michael and K Miller "Condently assessing a zero probability of software failure High Integrity Systems Journal Craig Wright Manager of Information Systems Direct +61 2 9286 5497 Craig.Wright () bdo com au BDO Kendalls (NSW) Level 19, 2 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 GPO Box 2551 Sydney NSW 2001 Fax +61 2 9993 9497 www.bdo.com.au Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation in respect of matters arising within those States and Territories of Australia where such legislation exists. The information in this email and any attachments is confidential. If you are not the named addressee you must not read, print, copy, distribute, or use in any way this transmission or any information it contains. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender by return email, destroy all copies and delete it from your system. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and not necessarily endorsed by BDO Kendalls. You may not rely on this message as advice unless subsequently confirmed by fax or letter signed by a Partner or Director of BDO Kendalls. It is your responsibility to scan this communication and any files attached for computer viruses and other defects. BDO Kendalls does not accept liability for any loss or damage however caused which may result from this communication or any files attached. A full version of the BDO Kendalls disclaimer, and our Privacy statement, can be found on the BDO Kendalls website at http://www.bdo.com.au or by emailing administrator () bdo com au. BDO Kendalls is a national association of separate partnerships and entities. ________________________________ From: listbounce () securityfocus com on behalf of Pranay Kanwar Sent: Wed 18/04/2007 12:22 AM To: security-basics () securityfocus com Subject: Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity This discussion has really got interesting, still i would like to make the following points. 1. What if port knocking daemon is itself vulnerable ?, then you create a another point of failure. 2. Also i am still unclear on the fact that is using a port knocking daemon would be really called obscurity ?. Regards, warl0ck // MSG http://wwww.metaeye.org
Current thread:
- Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity, (continued)
- Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Craig Wright (Apr 13)
- Message not available
- RE: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Craig Wright (Apr 17)
- Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Craig Wright (Apr 13)
- Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Craig Wright (Apr 15)
- Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity lordl3ane (Apr 13)
- Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity jbloss (Apr 13)
- Re: Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity levinson_k (Apr 15)
- RE: Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Craig Wright (Apr 15)
- Re: Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Florian Rommel (Apr 16)
- Re: Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Justin Lintz (Apr 16)
- Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Pranay Kanwar (Apr 17)
- RE: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Craig Wright (Apr 17)
- RE: Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Craig Wright (Apr 15)
- Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Ansgar -59cobalt- Wiechers (Apr 17)
- Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Michael Rash (Apr 17)
- RE: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Craig Wright (Apr 17)
- Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Michael Rash (Apr 17)