Satwinder is a Blue Team Cybersecurity Analyst

Satwinder discusses his work with Ashley through her Cybersecurity Job-Hunt Mentoring Program

Sat is a Blue Team Security Analyst with a strong background in InfoSec. Sat learned how to apply and master his own technical/interpersonal skills during his Cybersecurity Job-Hunt. Sat is a Master of his Craft and he receives notifications from recruiters Daily!

Ashley Oliver - Cybersecurity Mentor, Engineer, Consultant & Entreprenue...

Unwritten – The History of the Shell

Welcome, if you’re new to the Cybersecurity Sphere – you may have seen and/or heard the term ‘Shell’ anywhere from current Job Searching to traditional Matriculate Studies. The powerful Shell is the prompt where you would enter commands, or syntax. In your classes or online labs, book material, what have you – you may have seen photos or had actual hands-on experience writing syntax (which simply means writing commands) into the Shell – or CLI.

I thought it important to write this article specifically because Shell/CLI Learning is falling by the wayside, whereas – it is actually More-Important-Than-Ever- to be well versed using the Shell. Why is this? Well, almost every Major Player on the Frontlines of Cybersecurity, vendors like Palo Alto, Cisco (Firepower), Fortigate, Checkpoint, etc. all of which were NGFWs before Layered Security started to become a forerunner for almost all Secure Infrastructures – have migrated and/or will migrate to a fully GUI End-User platform. Which means, everything will be point-and-click.

In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with point-and-click, so to speak. However, my problem with a fully P&C environment is; when something breaks – how are you going to click your way around to fix it? This transition will leave millions of professionals without work, when (if) we migrate to a fully Graphical User Interface – where jobs will become depleted. You’ve heard the term ‘Everyone is migrating to the Cloud.’ This is True. But that doesn’t mean that it’s all good and great.

Consider my Penetration Testing work. I must be strong in the shell in order to move my way around the environment and find whatever open-doors that I can. Now, think for a minute. What if you had NO knowledge of the Shell – but someone hacked into your environment on-the-job. It’s too late, the enemy is in, and your only countermeasure is to reload the system, because you can’t bring a Knife to a Gun fight. You don’t have the same knowledge that the other person has that helped them get in in the first place, and you cannot retaliate with your knife. You need to know your way around not only the system, but the system AND the way the system is set-up.

Stay well versed in the Shell, My Friends, and Stay Strong.

See my Job Post Page for Open Positions in Cybersecurity that are Shell-Intensive. Break Free from the Legacy, don’t ever Believe that your job is irrelevant. My prediction is that within the next 10 years every digital environment will have migrated to the cloud – this means that those of us who still have knowledge of CLI/Shell will be the heroes who are capable, and qualified to solve real-world-problems, when they arise.The title of this article remains 'Unwritten' even at the  end of the text - because between the black/white of each article I am sending an underlying message. The CLI is the Written Word, Written Text - the User MUST possess to aptitude to move his or her way around. Whereas, Point-and-click = almost completely erases the humanness that we all possess and is the first step into a completely Digital existence. 

For a 1x1 Phone Call with Ashley - Sign up here - We will discuss your Key Strengths and Target Areas to Land one of these high-paying CLI Intensive Positions.

Ashley Oliver is an experienced Cybersecurity Consultant, Engineer, Mentor and Teacher based in the Central New York area. Ashley has over 10 years of experience. Ashley is a SME in several areas of security including Network Security Engineering, Architecture, Policy, Standards, and Compliance. Ashley's rare and unique experience is based on her love for the Shell, and perfect design. Ashley has knowledge of NIST, and is very proficient in Layered Security, DLP, Encryption, IPSec, and more, and she is always more than willing to share and to teach. 

You can be Honey, Honeypots, Honeynets, & Hackers

“You can be Honey.” It’s what my Close Friend & Relationship Coach, Jess Powell repeatedly said to me, when I was unsure how I should respond to someone. See Jess's Relationship Coaching Site What does it mean to be Honey? To be sweet, alluring, magnetic, attractive. I’m sure you’re wondering why this Cybersecurity SME is writing an article about Honey instead of Threat Intel and Attack Vectors =), and I am certain, that I still have your Attention…

See what I did there? Honey. The same doctrine is used for Honeypots. In terms of Cybersecurity, a Honeypot is an Individual Computer that is set up as a trap for gatecrashers. (I just really wanted an excuse to use the word gatecrasher – think intruder if you’d prefer). There is also such a thing called Honeynets, which is multiple computers connected to form a simulated Network, with the same purpose.

A Honeypot is a Deterrent Control. Much like the man I met recently under circumstances that I’m not going to share; a Deterrent Control is like a Detective. They come in after-the-fact and investigate to gather as much information as possible before they determine what they think happened. In other words, a Deterrent Control cannot prevent an attack from happening, but it can observe the incident after it has happened. 

Amateur Hackers beware, Honeypots are known to open common ports. They don’t store any real data such as the data you would find in a production system. They are merely there for the organization that deploys them to gain valuable insight and information about different types of attacks and attack methods are out there. If you are interested in Hacking, but would rather sit out Amateur Hour – Fill out this contact form and I will be happy to get in touch and discuss the different avenues that a student or professional can take to become an Ethical Hacker, Penetration Tester, Vulnerability Assessor, etc. Fun jobs! But you MUST – be Accountable. There are many examples of pros in these positions who have been arrested while performing pen tests, novice hackers who learn a little and try to play around, and more.

About the Author

Ashley Oliver is an experienced Cybersecurity Consultant, Engineer, Mentor and Teacher based in the Central New York area. Ashley has over 10 years of experience. Ashley is a SME in several areas of security including Network Security Engineering, Architecture, Policy, Standards, and Compliance. Ashley's rare and unique experience is based on her love for the Shell, and perfect design. Ashley has knowledge of NIST, and is very proficient in Layered Security, DLP, Encryption, IPSec, and more, and she is always more than willing to share and to teach.

Concurrency, Dirty Reads, Lost Updates

The Common Criteria Framework

Do you struggle with Validation? I mean, within yourself, not others? How do you uphold yourself to your own set of standards? Do you have standards? Maybe you are athletic and as such it is required that you run every morning for at least 6.5 Miles. This is your own standard – that you set – and you uphold yourself to, as an athletic professional. When you stick to this criteria, you are then validating yourself – and you probably feel GREAT when you go to bed at night, because you upheld your own vision and values, you went for your run, and you are being your best self. Like my last 500 articles – what does this have to do with Cybersecurity?

First things first, we need to revert to the evaluation requirement. Referring to my former opening statement, ‘How do you uphold yourself to your own set of standards?’ – For me personally, my self evaluation is based on my own criteria- having met or unmet my standards- i.e, did I run my 6.5 or not?  This is the basis for the International Framework known as the Common Criteria. The Common Criteria is a Standard for Computer Security Certification – which is globally recognized and was developed with the involvement of 6 different countries.

The CC offers whats considered an Assurance Evaluation, which measures the parts of a computer system that are pertinent to it’s security aspects. InfoSec Pros are familiar with terms such as the TCB (Trusted Computing Base), Reference Monitor, Kernel, and Access Control & Protection Mechanisms. There used to be different processes and techniques to evaluate and assign an assurance level to a system. However, The Common Criteria is as globally known as the Coronavirus.

So, since this framework enables the User to specify security requirements, and the Vendor to exemplify how those requirements are satisfied, not to mention independent labs can be involved which will help to verify said claims, The product in question will be assigned an Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) prior to having been evaluated. There are seven levels of assurance involved with the Common Criteria Framework, EAL 1-7.

I figured my readers would be less interested in the EAL levels, so I will leave it up to you to examine them if you are interested. Instead, I thought we would take a look at a real time example. Take a look at this list of Common Criteria-Certified Products. Don't be surprised if you see your phone or computer on it =).

About the Author - Ashley Oliver


About the Author - Ashley Oliver is an experienced Cybersecurity Consultant, Engineer, Mentor and Teacher based in the Central New York area. Ashley has over 10 years of experience. Ashley is a SME in several areas of security including Network Security Engineering, Architecture, Policy, Standards, and Compliance. Ashley's rare and unique experience is based on her love for the Shell, and perfect design. Ashley has knowledge of NIST, and is very proficient in Cybersecurity, Network Security, Next-Gen Firewalls, Layered Security, DLP, Encryption, IPSec, and more, and she is always more than willing to share and to teach.

Imagine Not having to Sift through the Wreckage..

What if You could have just one specific person that was the best person for You? Imagine, no Tinder, Facebook Dating, Hinge, etc. But rather, just one person designed just-the-way You want him or her? Well, this is the concept behind Data Warehousing. Data Warehousing is a process where data from more than one database or source is combined into one large database, in order to provide more specific information for data analysis and data retrieval. This can be helpful in Business Intelligence and making Forecasting decisions.

Data Warehousing provides the user (her) with data that comes in a condensed form, without irritation. Thus, making precision-decision making easier. See my personal blog for more details on how to make decisions with precision. Why is it easier for (her)? It’s less messy! Revert back to my opening statement – ‘Imagine, no Tinder, Facebook Dating, Hinge, etc. But rather, just one person designed just-the-way You want him or her?’ You get one clean, precise, presentation of data. Pieces that are related are abridged and correlated prior to being presented to the user (her). This way, she gets exactly what she wants. #Feminism! A clear, concise, piece of data, instead of every single piece of data presented – which BEST fits (her) needs. I’m all set with the inefficient, inauthentic, quantity over quality presentation that dating websites present. Do you see the analogy here? I would rather he show up in Real Life – smelling of After-Shave and Dollar signs, lol.

About the Author - Ashley Oliver is an experienced Cybersecurity Consultant, Engineer, Mentor and Teacher based in the Central New York area. Ashley has over 10 years of experience. Ashley is a SME in several areas of security including Network Security Engineering, Architecture, Policy, Standards, and Compliance. Ashley's rare and unique experience is based on her love for the Shell, and perfect design. Ashley has knowledge of NIST, and is very proficient in Cybersecurity, Network Security, Next-Gen Firewalls, Layered Security, DLP, Encryption, IPSec, and more, and she is always more than willing to share and to teach. Contact Ashley for Cybersecurity Job Hunt Mentoring

When you don't know what ya got til' it's gone

Do you ever feel like your partner won’t really appreciate you until you’re gone? Do you have Beyonce’ fever? I know I did when Lemonade came out – and I’m blissfully single - =D. Anyway, grab yourself a glass of wine because I’m getting ready to share with you the importance of one of the 3 Tenets of Cybersecurity CIA Triad – Availability. Lol, so you’re probably like what does CIA have to do with BEYONCE? Nothing. Lemonade is about lack of respect and appreciation from her partner, and ‘If you do that sh*t again, you gone lose your Wife.” How does this relate to Cybersecurity? What happens when I Pen Test myself into your system, disable your ports, and deny you access to the system you built? This is the importance of Availability. 

First and foremost – who is responsible for ensuring that systems are on the up/up? That would be the Network Admin, not the Security Admin. You would be surprised how often we work together yet keep our duties separate. Separation of Duties prevents what? Collusion. Back to the former – (this is literally how I think, one, to the next, back to the initial, and it goes on, lol). So, your Network Administrator is responsible for guaranteeing high availability as well as monitoring network performance. That being said, I too have checked my system’s CPU, Memory, Sessions, etc. I am anal, and I’ll be damned if I am working an extensive troubleshoot and then I get kicked off on the verge of a breakthrough. 

“It’s Always the Firewall.” The Network Security team takes a lot of heat, lol. While it is not true that it is always the firewall, it is true that we are responsible for potentially decreasing the performance in network transmission, and processing power mainly because we got a lot going on. I mean, a single Next-Gen Firewall unit can do a lot more now than simply processing an access control list (ACL). They can filter on content, detect intrusions (IDS), prevent intrusions (IPS), detect anomalies, etc. So, I mean yeah we (an our equipment) are high-maintenance, but with good intentions. 

One of my recent articles was on the Importance of Backups. You can see it tie in here as we move on to the next topic related to Availability. Make sure you have a great engineer and/or administrator on your Security team who understands and implements effective redundant (HA) systems as well as backup systems. This way, if and when something happens (COVID-19 much?), the productivity of your users will not be significantly affected. You don’t know what ya got til’ it’s gone. Protect yourself and your system. Reach out if you have any further questions on whether or not your current system architecture is HA capable, how to ensure availability, how to ensure your employees are upholding the standards of Availability, etc.

If you are interested in further reading, and want to know How to Get a Job& Kickstart a Career in the Field of Cybersecurity, click here. Disclaimer – not click bait – nothing erks me more than click bate. Serious inquiries only. =)

Cyber Prospects - Don't overthink HA - if Shon Harris were here I bet she would be telling me the same thing, about everything. I overthink, and overanalyze enough as it is (I used to deploy redundant Cisco Switches in a single-layered architecture for an Aerospace Corporation, I really liked HSRP to ensure redundancy, thus availability ensues). See my Technical Blog for more in-depth discussion on technical, protocols, policy, architecture, topology, encryption methods, API, and more. 

About the Author - Ashley Oliver is an experienced Cybersecurity Consultant, Engineer, Mentor and Teacher based in the Central New York area. Ashley has over 10 years of experience. Ashley is a SME in several areas of security including Network Security Engineering, Architecture, Policy, Standards, and Compliance. Ashley's rare and unique experience is based on her love for the Shell, and perfect design. Ashley has knowledge of NIST, and is very proficient in Cybersecurity, Network Security, Next-Gen Firewalls, Layered Security, DLP, Encryption, IPSec, and more, and she is always more than willing to share and to teach. Contact Ashley