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Author(s):
Kelce S. Wilson Muge Ayse Kiy
Journal
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Abstract

The results of successful hacking attacks against commercially available cybersecurity protection tools that had been touted as secure are distilled into a set of concepts that are applicable to many protection planning scenarios. The concepts, which explain why trust in those systems was misplaced, provides a framework for both analyzing known exploits and also evaluating proposed protection systems for predicting likely potential vulnerabilities. The concepts are: 1) differentiating security threats into distinct classes; 2) a five layer model of computing systems; 3) a payload versus protection paradigm; and 4) the nine Ds of cybersecurity, which present practical defensive tactics in an easily remembered scheme. An eavesdropping risk, inherent in many smartphones and notebook computers, is described to motivate improved practices and demonstrate real-world application of the concepts to predicting new vulnerabilities. Additionally, the use of the nine Ds is demonstrated as analysis tool that permits ranking of the expected effectiveness of some potential countermeasures.

Concluding remarks
Four important cybersecurity concepts were described in the context of lessons-learned from successful hacking attacks against cybersecurity protection tools that had been touted as “secure” by protection experts. The concepts explain why trust in those systems was misplaced and are: (1) differentiating security threats into distinct classes; (2) a five layer model of computing systems; (3) a payload vs. protection paradigm; and (4) the nine Ds of cybersecurity.

The value of the concepts was illustrated by examining a disturbing cybersecurity threat that is easily understandable and nearly trivially predictable in light of these concepts—but yet had previously been largely overlooked or unknown.

Reference details

DOI
10.1109/ACCESS.2014.2305658
Resource type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2014
ISSN Number
2169-3536
Publication Area
Dual-use cybersecurity
Date Published
2014

How to cite this reference:

Wilson, K. S., & Kiy, M. A. (2014). Some Fundamental Cybersecurity Concepts. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2014.2305658 (Original work published 2014)