Dailydave mailing list archives

Re: "I hunt Sys-Admins"


From: future () systemli org
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2016 08:16:29 +0000

I've put in some links, underpinning my sad perception that your idea of values and borders is desirable but not the status quo.
-dmos

Am 2016-07-12 18:16, schrieb Alex Grigsby:
I agree with most of the points you raise (esp. with respect to the
vagueness of "critical infrastructure") but I'll push back a bit on
your CERT point.

You're right that a CERT would likely be a prime target during a
conflict, but just because a country would want to pwn a CERT doesn't
necessarily mean that it should. Over the last 100+ years, countries
have agreed to not deliberately target certain installations in
wartime even if it's in their strategic interest to do so. For
example, the laws of war prohibit the targeting hospitals or anything
with a red cross/red crescent
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protective_sign) even if it would be
militarily advantageous for a country to do so (i.e. less enemies on
the battlefield).

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/08/doctors-without-borders-bombing-hospital-war-crime-analysis

It is also not allowed to bomb helpers. People that rescue wounded.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/world/asia/us-drone-strikes-are-said-to-target-rescuers.html?_r=0


 Same thing goes for restrictions on certain weapons
(e.g. chemical weapons in the case of the Geneva protocol or booby
traps in the case of the Conventional Weapons convention).

http://www.globalresearch.ca/turkish-police-find-chemical-weapons-in-the-possession-of-al-nusra-terrorists-heading-for-syria/5336917
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/12/syrian-chemical-weapons-attack-false-flag-turkey-isis.html
http://nsnbc.me/2013/09/19/al-nusra-producing-chemical-weapons-turkey/

Countries have agreed to these restrictions largely on the basis of
reciprocity--we won't do it to you if you don't do it to us. It
doesn't necessarily mean that all states will comply, but they create
a strong norm in favor of their adherence.

Based on the history of the laws of war, it doesn't seem completely
ridiculous that countries could eventually come to some sort of
understanding that CERTs are off limits.

Alex

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Today's Topics:

   1. "I hunt Sys-Admins" (dave aitel)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2016 15:15:12 -0400
From: dave aitel <dave () immunityinc com>
To: "dailydave () lists immunityinc com"
        <dailydave () lists immunityinc com>
Subject: [Dailydave] "I hunt Sys-Admins"
Message-ID: <5fc94935-e035-6b70-5d55-7f16d7f25992 () immunityinc com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Occasionally I like to reflect, as you all do, on the various things
that have mis-shaped our understanding of cyber war.

For example, take this Intercept article based on the Snowden leaks:
https://theintercept.com/2014/03/20/inside-nsa-secret-efforts-hunt-hack-system-administrators/

Viewed in hindsight, this article points very closely at something I'm
going to support in depth in an article coming out shortly, which is
that *the term "Critical Infrastructure" does not apply in cyber the
way defense strategists think it does*. I mention this, which may seem
obvious to the readership of this list, because if you read policy
papers they go on an on about how nations should avoid "attacking"
each others "critical infrastructure" as a "norm". They don't, of
course, consider defining a lot of terms in any specificity, but they
do mention that under no circumstances should CERTs be attacked. Which
clearly is ridiculous because in cyberwar the CERT is something you
will have penetrated first so you know when you've been caught
everywhere else.
Likewise, CERTs are usually very easy to attack. Likewise, top on your
list is secure () microsoft com, and every other security contact. And in
order to claim those things as "off limits" we have to declare huge
swaths of infrastructure (often unknown ahead of time) as off limits.

Also visible in retrospect is that people love to focus on the catchy
phrases. "I hunt sys-admins". Sure you do! But that means your
strategic offensive efforts have already failed at least twice. In
order to get to the point where "I hunt sys-admins" team is involved,
you have to get through "I hunt developers", "I hunt other hackers",
and "I hunt system integrators". And even above them is "I hunt
standards developers and cryptographers" (aka, NIST :) ).

-dave






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