Educause Security Discussion mailing list archives

Re: [EXTERNAL] Re: [SECURITY] TikTok Security (should we block it)


From: Rob Milman <rob.milman () SAIT CA>
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2020 20:54:11 +0000

Agreed.

Rob Milman
Associate Director, Information Security
Information Technology Services

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
EH Crandell Building, GA 214
1301 – 16 Avenue NW, Calgary AB, T2M 0L4

(Office) 403.774.5401  (Cell) 403.606.3173
rob.milman () sait ca

-----Original Message-----
From: The EDUCAUSE Security Community Group Listserv <SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU> On Behalf Of Menne, Michael S
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2020 12:01 PM
To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU
Subject: Re: [SECURITY] [EXTERNAL] Re: [SECURITY] TikTok Security (should we block it)

I do not want to be in the business of policing what apps people should or shouldn't use by means of technology 
blocking. Blocking them at the firewall is pretty much a useless futile effort. Users will simply turn off WiFi and run 
over cell data.

Given the concerns and risks to student data we face as a University, TikTok is not one that rises to the top of my 
list to worry about on a daily basis. It's kind of a daily fire fight. With the house in front of me burning, I can't 
worry about the house that may or may not catch fire across the street.  Do I need to keep an eye on the developments?  
Certainly, but not to the level that I'm going to take action on at the moment. We may post a news article, but that's 
about as far as I would take it at the moment.


Michael Menne, CISSP
Chief Information Security Officer
IT Solutions Information Security
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Phone:  (507) 389-5705
mnsu.edu/cyberaware
 

 
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-----Original Message-----
From: The EDUCAUSE Security Community Group Listserv <SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU> On Behalf Of Gene LeDuc
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2020 10:08 AM
To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU
Subject: Re: [SECURITY] [EXTERNAL] Re: [SECURITY] TikTok Security (should we block it)

Palo Alto has an app signature for tiktok, we'd block on that if we needed to.  We haven't talked about doing anything 
like that, if we do it will probably be just for domain-joined devices.

Gene


On 2/14/20 6:57 AM, randy wrote:
I'm not sure how one would block it given it being installed mostly on 
individual machines. Certainly a warning about its dangers/weaknesses 
should be publicized.
-Randy Marchany
VA Tech IT Security Office & Lab

On Thu, Feb 13, 2020 at 10:33 AM Davidson, Charles <cdavidson () wpi edu 
<mailto:cdavidson () wpi edu>> wrote:

    Hello,

    Has anyone considered blocking Tiktok on their campus due to the
    poor security reported?
    Some of the articles I have been reading are below.

    Thanks,
    Charlie

            Related TikTok Articles:


            *China's TikTok banned by US Army amid security concerns:
            Report*

            
https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zdnet.com%2Fgoogle-amp%2Farticle%2Fchinas-tiktok-banned-by-us-army-amid-security-concerns-report%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7Cmichael.menne%40MNSU.EDU%7C8f7cedb77b9a433a46e708d7b1681e6e%7C5011c7c60ab446ab9ef4fae74a921a7f%7C0%7C0%7C637172933053739523&amp;sdata=bJUfu%2FHWqe9iZ7dBzqeD870arSpRP%2BosPouajW8siGw%3D&amp;reserved=0
            
<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zdnet.com%2Fgoogle-amp%2Farticle%2Fchinas-tiktok-banned-by-us-army-amid-security-concerns-report%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7Cmichael.menne%40MNSU.EDU%7C8f7cedb77b9a433a46e708d7b1681e6e%7C5011c7c60ab446ab9ef4fae74a921a7f%7C0%7C0%7C637172933053739523&amp;sdata=bJUfu%2FHWqe9iZ7dBzqeD870arSpRP%2BosPouajW8siGw%3D&amp;reserved=0>
 reported
            in the news


            *Senators call for federal investigation into TikTok for
            potential national security risks*

            
https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.
zdnet.com%2Farticle%2Fsenators-call-for-federal-investigation-into-tik
tok-for-potential-national-security-risks%2F%23ftag%3DCAD-00-10aag7e&a
mp;data=02%7C01%7Cmichael.menne%40MNSU.EDU%7C8f7cedb77b9a433a46e708d7b
1681e6e%7C5011c7c60ab446ab9ef4fae74a921a7f%7C0%7C0%7C63717293305373952
3&amp;sdata=vElFn%2BATr7r4o93KvFJIUwQfi069TF4YV3DhRrDbyYQ%3D&amp;reser
ved=0
            
<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww
.zdnet.com%2Farticle%2Fsenators-call-for-federal-investigation-into-ti
ktok-for-potential-national-security-risks%2F%23ftag%3DCAD-00-10aag7e&
amp;data=02%7C01%7Cmichael.menne%40MNSU.EDU%7C8f7cedb77b9a433a46e708d7
b1681e6e%7C5011c7c60ab446ab9ef4fae74a921a7f%7C0%7C0%7C6371729330537395
23&amp;sdata=vElFn%2BATr7r4o93KvFJIUwQfi069TF4YV3DhRrDbyYQ%3D&amp;rese
rved=0>

            *Major TikTok Security Flaws Found*

            
https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.
nytimes.com%2F2020%2F01%2F08%2Ftechnology%2Ftiktok-security-flaws.html
&amp;data=02%7C01%7Cmichael.menne%40MNSU.EDU%7C8f7cedb77b9a433a46e708d
7b1681e6e%7C5011c7c60ab446ab9ef4fae74a921a7f%7C0%7C0%7C637172933053739
523&amp;sdata=RDCMitH8MyfKZh7IhCEXxL%2BSCTMHRSQzVoYYfeneI1Y%3D&amp;res
erved=0
            
<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww
.nytimes.com%2F2020%2F01%2F08%2Ftechnology%2Ftiktok-security-flaws.htm
l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Cmichael.menne%40MNSU.EDU%7C8f7cedb77b9a433a46e708
d7b1681e6e%7C5011c7c60ab446ab9ef4fae74a921a7f%7C0%7C0%7C63717293305373
9523&amp;sdata=RDCMitH8MyfKZh7IhCEXxL%2BSCTMHRSQzVoYYfeneI1Y%3D&amp;re
served=0>

            *Tik or Tok? Is TikTok secure enough?*

            
https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Frese
arch.checkpoint.com%2F2020%2Ftik-or-tok-is-tiktok-secure-enough%2F&amp
;data=02%7C01%7Cmichael.menne%40MNSU.EDU%7C8f7cedb77b9a433a46e708d7b16
81e6e%7C5011c7c60ab446ab9ef4fae74a921a7f%7C0%7C0%7C637172933053749521&
amp;sdata=xFmCZDmDC%2FUgcS%2BS7yuCrmNhc%2Frn1w8PfyA9kb4s5EM%3D&amp;res
erved=0
            
<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fres
earch.checkpoint.com%2F2020%2Ftik-or-tok-is-tiktok-secure-enough%2F&am
p;data=02%7C01%7Cmichael.menne%40MNSU.EDU%7C8f7cedb77b9a433a46e708d7b1
681e6e%7C5011c7c60ab446ab9ef4fae74a921a7f%7C0%7C0%7C637172933053749521
&amp;sdata=xFmCZDmDC%2FUgcS%2BS7yuCrmNhc%2Frn1w8PfyA9kb4s5EM%3D&amp;re
served=0>

            *Is TikTok a Cybersecurity Threat?*

            
https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.
infosecurity-magazine.com%2Fopinions%2Ftiktok-cybersecurity-threat%2F&
amp;data=02%7C01%7Cmichael.menne%40MNSU.EDU%7C8f7cedb77b9a433a46e708d7
b1681e6e%7C5011c7c60ab446ab9ef4fae74a921a7f%7C0%7C0%7C6371729330537495
21&amp;sdata=WCtkTTqa7q7Ruoh%2BPbQPTWiRoH74TWTIxgcB%2FAxO6LE%3D&amp;re
served=0
            
<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww
.infosecurity-magazine.com%2Fopinions%2Ftiktok-cybersecurity-threat%2F
&amp;data=02%7C01%7Cmichael.menne%40MNSU.EDU%7C8f7cedb77b9a433a46e708d
7b1681e6e%7C5011c7c60ab446ab9ef4fae74a921a7f%7C0%7C0%7C637172933053749
521&amp;sdata=WCtkTTqa7q7Ruoh%2BPbQPTWiRoH74TWTIxgcB%2FAxO6LE%3D&amp;r
eserved=0>



    *Charles Davidson, CISSP*

    Information Security Engineer

    *p:*(508) 831-6250

      
1518278940442_worcester-polytechnic-institute_2014-06-05_14-10-50.981.
png

    /Worcester Polytechnic Institute //•// Information Technology/

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-- 
Gene LeDuc                 | Any sufficiently advanced technology is
Technology Security        | indistinguishable from a rigged demo.
San Diego State University |   --James Klass

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