Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

September 2024

A Comprehensive Guide to NIST SP 800-53B compliance in 2024

NIST 800-53B, Control Baselines for Information Systems and Organizations, offers security and privacy control baselines for the Federal Government. It serves as a companion to NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-53, Revision 5, which outlines security and privacy controls for information systems and organizations.

Disable HTTP Trace Method in IIS - no one likes a parrot

The primary function of the HTTP trace method (aka trace or track verbs) is as a diagnostic tool used in web servers. It works by echoing back the received request so that the client can see what changes or additions have been made by intermediate servers. Essentially, when a client sends a TRACE request to a server, the server responds by sending back the exact request it received, including all the headers.

Disable SSLv2: When older is not better

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a technology that encrypts data sent between a user's browser and a website or application on a server. The purpose of SSL is to secure the information preventing eavesdropping and tampering. Originally released in 1995, SSLv2 is a protocol used to encrypt data sent over the internet, ensuring that the information remains private and secure.

A Comprehensive Guide to X-Powered-By Header

An X-Powered-By header is a type of HTTP response in the header field (most headers prefixed with an ‘X-‘ are non-standard) that informs the user which technology stack or framework is running on the web server. For example, if a web server is running Node.js, the header would be “X-Powered-By:Express”, which indicates an Express framework is being used.

Understanding Adjust Memory Quotas for a Process

The windows security setting adjust memory quotas for a process, specifies who has the permission to change the maximum amount of random access memory (RAM) that a program or application can access at any specific time. Doing so controls and manages system resources, ensuring the system runs smoothly. The adjust memory quotas for a process setting decides who can change a program or process' memory quota.

TrustedInstaller - with great power comes great responsibility

TrustedInstaller is a Windows system account with special high-level permissions allowing it to modify certain system files, folders, and registry settings. It also prevents any account including administrator accounts from modifying these files and folders. Trustedinstaller.exe is a Windows Module Installer service, a part of Windows Resource Protection (WRP), which restricts access to core system files and folders preventing them from being modified or replaced.

OpenSCAP Hardening Guide in 2024

The OpenSCAP (Security Content Automation Protocol) project offers an extensive range of hardening guides, configuration baselines, and tools for assessing vulnerabilities and configuration issues, utilizing SCAP as the protocol for storing the foundational data. Created by the open-source community, OpenSCAP hardening allows a selection of a security policy that aligns with an organization’s needs, irrespective of its size.