Re: Honeytokens and detection

["David Zbonski" <dzbonski () hotmail com>]

I think the idea is great but I think if the numbers (or tokens) were public 
it would be self-defeating.  The would be theif might easily avoid pulling 
the token like a theif avoids pulling the last bill from a bank drawer to 
avoid setting off the alarm.   Wouldn't it be best for each instiution to 
create their own? The security would be in detecting and alerting on the 
movement of the token information.  I think it falls into "security by 
obscurity" but I also feel that this does not mean that it is wrong - it 
just means that you can't count on it 100%.  It is a part of that larger 
puzzle of keeping data safe and systems useable.

Just my two cents.

David Zbonski
Zbonski Consulting
www.zbonski.com






> From: Lance Spitzner <lance () honeynet org>
> To: Focus on Intrusion Detection Systems <FOCUS-IDS () SECURITYFOCUS COM>
> Subject: Honeytokens and detection
> Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 16:45:06 -0600 (CST)
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>
> I've been playing with the concept of Honeytokens,
> thinking of ways that they could apply to intrusion
> detection.  Based on recent events, had some ideas.
> There have been reports of databases broken into, with
> thousands of social security numbers or millions of
> credit cards stolen.  One of the problems is in some
> of these cases, it was not known for days, weeks, or
> even months that the data had been compromised.
>
> I was thinking that Honeytokes could be used for detecting
> when such data was compromised/stolen.  Inside each
> database Honeytoken numbers are inserted.  These tokens
> are known to have no value, no one should be using them.
> Detection mechanisms such as IDS signatures are then created
> to look for and detect these tokens being access or used.  If
> these tokens are seen, this means someone has captured the
> database, or looking where they shouldn't be.
>
> For example, create bogus social security numbers and store
> them in your SSN database.  If the honeytoken SSN's hit
> your network, someone may have just grabbed your database.  For
> a CC database, insert honeytoken CC's and monitor for
> those to hit your wire.  Once again, if you see someone
> retrieving these numbers, someone is most likely being
> naughty.
>
> The advantage with this detection method is its both
> very simple and should dramatically reduce false positives.
> What would be even better is if the IRS or some credit
> card companies could post or distribute such honeytoken
> numbers, so we within the security community are certain
> we are not implanting valid numbers.
>
> Either way, a thought to consider :)
>
> --
> Lance Spitzner
> http://www.tracking-hackers.com
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> ALERT: Exploiting Web Applications- A Step-by-Step Attack Analysis
> Learn why 70% of today's successful hacks involve Web Application
> attacks such as: SQL Injection, XSS, Cookie Manipulation and Parameter
> Manipulation.
> http://www.spidynamics.com/mktg/webappsecurity71


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-----------------------------------------------------------
ALERT: Exploiting Web Applications- A Step-by-Step Attack Analysis
Learn why 70% of today's successful hacks involve Web Application
attacks such as: SQL Injection, XSS, Cookie Manipulation and Parameter 
Manipulation.
http://www.spidynamics.com/mktg/webappsecurity71