F-Secure’s new unit focuses on ‘Goldilocks zone’ of tactical defense

June 26, 2019

Press release

Unit head Christine Bejerasco says team’s medium-term focus ensures F-Secure’s products and services proactively evolve to stay a step ahead of attackers

Helsinki, Finland – June 26, 2019: Cyber security provider F-Secure is creating a new unit dedicated to building on the company’s tradition of providing the best protection in the industry. The new team, called the Tactical Defense Unit, comprises of researchers and analysts responsible for operationalizing holistic protection strategies that ensure F-Secure’s award-winning products and services evolve faster than the threats facing people and organizations.

The new unit is headed by F-Secure Vice President Christine Bejerasco, who previously served as F-Secure’s head of consumer security desktop research and development. The unit’s focus is on developing defensive mechanisms and preventative measures that address current and near-future security problems. It’s an area that Bejerasco calls the “Goldilocks zone” because it helps bridge the long and short-term security needs of people and organizations based on what’s already happening in the threat landscape.

“F-Secure does plenty of research around discovering new vulnerabilities that will shape future threats, and has plenty of professionals going head-to-head with attackers in real-time on behalf of the organizations and people that trust us. The Tactical Defense Unit works hand-in-glove with these processes, but primarily focuses on the ‘Goldilocks zone’ between the long-term outlook and more immediate needs,” explains Bejerasco. “We’re building more comprehensive, efficient security mechanisms that help our products and services evolve based on threats we already see developing without depending on constant updates.”

While online threats have been around for longer than most people have been using the internet, they have evolved considerably since the first computer virus was written in 1986. Back then, viruses were rare. Even in the early 2000s the number of malicious files and programs numbered in tens or hundreds per year, making the analytical work manageable for a team of human experts.

But the diversity, scope, and scale of today’s threat landscape is much more dynamic. In addition to hundreds of thousands of malware samples, F-Secure’s systems analyze an average of 7 billion online queries, 6 billion behavioral events, and a million suspicious URLs per day. And attackers are acquiring more sophisticated capabilities and relying more frequently on a diverse range of tactics such as abusing legitimate administrative tools, using in-memory techniques and unique malware variants, and leveraging the ever-expanding number of stolen login credentials available online.

Bejerasco says the Tactical Defense Unit’s focus on understanding the threat landscape and building defenses against current and medium-term threats will help the company create broad protection strategies and technologies that serve as an important complement to threat-specific mitigations.

“Our products are built on security fundamentals honed by our decades of experience, such as the development of generic protection mechanisms that can catch attacks based on their behavior. This is an important complement to more specific prevention and detection mechanisms, as it keeps our products and services from becoming so focused on specifics that they become unable to catch new and emerging threats,” says Bejerasco.

More information on research conducted at F-Secure is available on F-Secure Labs’ News from the Labs blog.

https://press.f-secure.com/2019/06/26/f-secures-new-unit-focuses-on-goldilocks-zone-of-tactical-defense/

Complessità, un'introduzione semplice, di Ignazio Licata.

Cosa sono i sistemi complessi?

Questa è la domanda fondamentale, a mio parere, che deve guidare chi ha deciso di leggere il libro di Ignazio Licata, fisico teorico presso l'Institute for Scientific Methodology di Palermo e visiting professor al Research Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics of Maragha in Iran.

L'autore, a questa domanda, fornisce varie risposte, più o meno complicate.
Tra queste ve ne sono due in particolare che mi sono piaciute per la loro capacità di sintesi:
- la prima dice che "un sistema è complesso quando mostra una pluralità di comportamenti che per essere descritti richiedono più modelli";
- la seconda dice che "un sistema complesso è un sistema che richieda una gestione dinamica dei modelli".
Entrambe le definizioni ci fanno capire che abbiamo a che fare con qualcosa di molto particolare.

In effetti della categoria dei sistemi complessi, chiamata anche "terra di mezzo", fanno parte i superfluidi, le aziende, le società animali, i sistemi viventi, i cristalli e cosi via…
Per Licata "i sistemi sociali ed economici, e il fattore cognitivo che li anima, sono i sistemi radicalmente più complessi".
Lo studio dei sistemi complessi è dunque una sfida moderna che va affrontata con la consapevolezza che ad un problema non è possibile applicare un modello per trovare una soluzione ma occorre invece utilizzare una strategia, utilizzare diversi modelli parziali e far ricorso alla propria esperienza e conoscenza. In definitiva in un sistema complesso è più importante studiare le relazioni tra i componenti del sistema e le modifiche delle relazioni nel tempo più che i singoli componenti.

Per concludere, vi invito ad affrontare la lettura con la consapevolezza che il libro, "Complessità, un'introduzione semplice", vi permetterà di avvicinarvi a quella "terra di mezzo" che acquista sempre più interesse nel mondo reale in quanto ci può aiutare a capire meglio le dinamiche della nostra società. Per farlo consapevolmente è bene però dare uno sguardo alla nuvola di parole da me costruita (in maniera non scientifica!) sulla base del libro, delle mie conoscenze pregresse e dei miei obiettivi.

Buona lettura!

Glocalization     Big Data     Modello    Gnoseologia

       Shareholders      Etica     Epistemologia      

Sistemi Complessi     Effetto Farfalla      Semantica

    Fisica Quantistica    Coopetition     Caos

Sintassi      Strategia


Alessandro Rugolo

IAI offers its innovative OPAL system for establishing dynamic real time connectivity, with data sharing for maximized operational efficiency and survivability

Press release, 15 april, 2019

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has launched OPAL, an innovative solution that connects between all platforms in the battle arena, manned and unmanned alike. OPAL is based on forming a decentralized communication cloud for all members on the ground, in the air, and at sea, to allow real time information sharing. This allows all members to exchange relevant information in order to achieve a comprehensive operational picture of the battlefield.

OPAL relies on a secure and proven communication network that connects different networks and platforms without fixed base stations. OPAL is compatible with any platform, including advanced fighter aircrafts, tanks, ships or ground troops.

The OPAL solution provides an unprecedented range of proven capabilities and operational flexibility, which allows for optimal utilization of the available resources to maximize effectiveness for a wide range of missions. OPAL is installed in variety of advanced fighters, attack helicopters, refueling aircrafts, UAVs, ships, Command and Control centers, as well as mobile and fixed base stations.

OPAL provides its users with several significant benefits:

• Optimized effectiveness in accomplishing mission goals by generating and sharing a Common Operating Picture in real time; providing interoperability of 5th generation fighter aircraft with legacy platforms, maximized utilization of resources and the ability to execute multiple missions within a given timeframe.
• Improved survivability by sharing threat data with air and ground forces, to avoid entry into danger zones.  Enhanced flight safety with the collision avoidance warning indications which alerts pilots of near-collision conditions and provides visual avoidance maneuvers. This capability has saved numerous lives in recent years.
• Time and cost savings – OPAL enables users to develop new operational capabilities and deploy them rapidly without having to change hardware or aircraft avionics software blocks. This capability significantly reduces the time to introduce new capabilities on the platforms from years to months.

Yossi Melamed, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Aviation Group, commented, “OPAL is a unique and advanced IAI development that has been operational for many  years and is a major factor in operational successes. OPAL provides comprehensive interoperability of communications and operational capabilities between air and ground forces, and serves as a force multiplier. I believe it will be a major asset for air, sea and ground users and enhance their performance in the future battlefield.”

BlackBerry

La BlackBerry Limited è una azienda canadese con sede a Waterloo, in Ontario, e attiva in 30 paesi, fondata nel 1984 con il nome di Research in Motion da Mike Lazaridis e Douglas Fregin, all’epoca due studenti di ingegneria, durante gli anni novanta la compagnia si specializzò in tecnologie di trasmissioni di dati e dispositivi che utilizzavano la tecnologia Mobitex e ricevette numerosi investimenti da parte di compagnie canadesi.

Nel 1999 la compagnia lanciò il Blackberry 850, un cercapersone che ebbe un ottimo successo e diede la spinta alla RiM verso questo settore, negli anni successivi furono rilasciati altri modelli, orientati ad un pubblico più vasto.

Dal 2006 cominciò ad aprire il mercato al pubblico con una serie di dispositivi di telefonia mobile, la compagnia ebbe un notevole successo in questo campo e diventò uno dei giganti del settore con la sua serie di telefoni BlackBerry.

Alcune interruzioni dei servizi della durata di alcuni giorni, dovute a problemi del software Blackberry minarono la credibilità e l’affidabilità dei prodotti, qualità a cui l’azienda puntava molto, in quanto fornitreice di numerose aziende.

A causa di ciò, oltre a varie vicissitudini interne e l’incapacità di tenere il passo del mercato della telefonia, anche a causa di avversari agguerriti come Apple, Microsoft ed Android, la compagnia tuttoggi ha perso la sua posizione tra i leader del settore.

Dal 2012 i fondatori dell’azienda decisero di abbandonare il ruolo di CEO che venne assegnato a Thorsten Heins per poi passare a John Chen, sotto la sua guida BlackBerry avviò una procedura di transizione, specializzandosi in sicurezza ed IoT, anche grazie a numerose acquisizioni.

Tuttoggi la società fornisce prodotti legati alla sicurezza e servizi di consultazione per aziende nel campo della sicurezza informatica, e principalmente attiva negli ambiti della sanità, governo,finanziario e trasporti, fornisce training nel settore della sicurezza informatica a dipendenti di aziende e supporto tecnico e consultivo.

Francesco Rugolo

https://www.blackberry.com/us/en

Airbus tests its Network for the Sky on a MRTT aircraft

Press release, 13 june 2019

13 June 2019 – Airbus has successfully completed a flight demonstration of a connected airborne battlespace scenario, centred on a MRTT aircraft. The test was carried out as part of the development of Airbus’ Network for the Sky (NFTS) programme. This follows on from last August’s demonstration in Canada of secure mobile communications using a stratospheric balloon to simulate a HAPS (High Altitude Pseudo Satellite), such as Airbus’ Zephyr UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle).

NFTS combines various technologies - satellite and ground communications, air-to-ground, ground-to-air and air-to-air tactical links, 5G mobile communications and laser connections - in a resilient, unified, secure, highly interoperable, mesh network. Aircraft, UAVs and helicopters currently use networks with limited bandwidth and interoperability, and often little resilience. NFTS will allow them to form an integral part of high-speed military networks.

“This unique demonstration is a significant milestone in realising our vision of secure connectivity, which will enable the future air combat cloud and enhance real time execution of military missions,” said Evert Dudok, Head of Communications, Intelligence & Security at Airbus Defence and Space.

The demonstration scenario simulates the establishment of multi-Mbit/s, wideband communication links between ground forces operatives, a fighter jet, a MRTT, and a combined air operations centre (CAOC) on the ground. Both the operatives and jet fighter had to send video in real time to provide enhanced real-time situational awareness and receive instructions from the CAOC in return.

The operative located in Getafe (Spain) was equipped with a standard handheld radio for NATO forces (ROVER). The fighter was deployed to obtain imagery of the area of interest and act as a communications node between the operative and the MRTT flying at 30,000 feet within a 150 km radius in secure airspace. Communications were thus relayed between the fighter jet and the MRTT, via a wideband LOS (line-of-sight) data link. The MRTT then routed the video along with its own communications via a wideband satellite link to an space teleport near Washington, D.C. The communications flow was then returned to Europe via a terrestrial link to the CAOC.

This complex scenario demonstrates the real-time operation of secure end-to-end communications across different networks and technologies: ground-air tactical link, air-air wideband link between two aircrafts, air-satellite relay and terrestrial networks. This type of configuration, known as a ‘hybrid network’, represents the future of military communications and meets the needs of armed forces to be able to use a wide range of networks while allowing these to be managed dynamically and transparently. The solutions developed by Airbus thus allow secure IP (Internet Protocol) communications to be established, links to be reconfigured in real time and the available bandwidth to be allocated to data links based on operational priorities.

For this demonstration an MRTT aircraft has been equipped with Janus, Airbus’ new tri-band (Ku-Ka-MilKa) satellite antenna, as well as the latest version of the Proteus satellite modem, which is highly resilient against interference and jamming, and Airbus’ aircraft links integration management system (ALIMS).

This exercise paves the way for the development of the core capability for SMART MRTT connectivity, which will allow the MRTT to act as a high-end communication node. Network for the Sky (NFTS) sets the foundation for the connected airborne battlespace, with the objective to offer a full operational capability by 2020. The NFTS programme is part of Airbus’ Future Air Power project and is fully aligned with the development of the European Future Combat Air System (FCAS).

www.nfts.airbus.com

NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence grows to 25 members

NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) celebrates today the accession of four new members – Bulgaria, Denmark, Norway and Romania – with a special flag-raising ceremony at the CCDCOE. This enlargement makes the CCDCOE in Tallinn, Estonia, the biggest among 25 NATO-accredited centres of excellences.

In eleven years, we have grown from seven founding members to the 25-nations-strong cyber defence hub with prominent world-renowned flagships. We are glad to see so many new nations lining up to join our expert community, it shows that in cyber defence, the co-operation among like-minded countries has become inevitable,“ said Col Tarien, director of the multinational interdisciplinary hub of cyber defence expertise.

“The fact that more and more nations are joining up to actively contribute to the advancement of cyber security reflects the need for improved capabilities in the cyber domain. Increased global connectivity and technological development means that we have to be ready for any type of cyber threat and bring our capabilities up to date. Tackling cyber threats that our democracies are facing demand expert knowledge and skills, which are reinforced by close cooperation between Allies and Partners,” said Col Tarien.

The Centre continues to attract new members: Japan, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Switzerland are in the process of joining the CCDCOE. In addition, Luxembourg and Australia have announced their intention of accession.

Founded in 2008, NATO CCDCOE is a NATO-accredited international military organisation supporting its member nations and NATO with cyber defence expertise in the fields of technology, strategy, operations, and law. The heart of the Centre is a diverse group of experts: researchers, analysts, trainers, educators. The mix of military, government and industry backgrounds enables the Centre to provide a unique 360-degree approach to cyber defence.

NATO CCDCOE is the home of the Tallinn Manual 2.0 on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations. The Centre also organises the world’s largest and most complex international technical cyber defence exercise Locked Shields. Annual Conference on Cyber Conflict CyCon, organized by CCDCOE, brings regularly together more than 600 experts.

The Centre is staffed and financed by its sponsoring nations and contributing participants, altogether 25 countries as of today. Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States are signed up as Sponsoring Nations of NATO CCDCOE. Austria, Finland and Sweden are Contributing Participants, a status eligible for non-NATO nations.

https://ccdcoe.org/news/2019/nato-cooperative-cyber-defence-centre-of-excellence-grows-to-25-members/

Il NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence festeggia l'ingresso di quattro nuovi membri

Bulgaria, Danimarca, Norvegia e Romania si uniscono al NATO CCDCOE portando cosi a  il numero dei paesi partecipanti a 25 (dei quali 3 come paesi contributori, status previsto per i paesi non NATO).

La notizia era nell'aria ma è stata ufficializzata il 13 giugno scorso sul sito del CCDCOE. Una cerimonia speciale dell'alzabandiera ha salutato l'avvenimento.

Il direttore del Centro, Colonnello  Jaak Tarien, ha richiamato brevemente la storia del CCDCOE ricordando che in undici anni si è passati dai sette paesi fondatori a 25 paesi dimostrazione che nel settore cyber la collaborazione è diventata inevitabile:

"The fact that more and more nations are joining up to actively contribute to the advancement of cyber security reflects the need for improved capabilities in the cyber domain. Increased global connectivity and technological development means that we have to be ready for any type of cyber threat and bring our capabilities up to date. Tackling cyber threats that our democracies are facing demand expert knowledge and skills, which are reinforced by close cooperation between Allies and Partners”.

Il CCDCOE continua dunque a crescere e ad attirare l'attenzione internazionale. 

Diversi paesi sono attualmente in fase di adesione (Giappone, Croazia, Montenegro, Slovenia e Svizzera) mentre altri hanno dichiarato la propria intenzione di voler aderire (Lussemburgo e Australia).

Il CCDCOE è nato il 14 maggio del 2008 da sette paesi fondatori (Estonia, Germania, Italia, Lettonia, Lituania, Repubblica Slovacca e Spagna) ed è cresciuto nel tempo, anche grazie alla crescente consapevolezza internazionale riguardo i rischi cyber del mondo attuale.

Alessandro RUGOLO

Per approfondire:

- https://ccdcoe.org/news/2019/nato-cooperative-cyber-defence-centre-of-excellence-grows-to-25-members/
- https://ccdcoe.org/about-us/
- https://ccdcoe.org/news/2018/australia-to-join-the-nato-cooperative-cyber-defence-centre-of-excellence-in-tallinn/
- https://ccdcoe.org/news/2019/luxembourg-set-to-join-the-nato-cooperative-cyber-defence-centre-of-excellence/