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1. Final Assignment > Concept

Cybersecurity Reflections

Attack

  • The mindset of a Cyber Attacker is the same as that of a criminal
    • Penetrate the defenses of others > invade the privacy of others
    • Take that which belong to others without their permission
  • Security attacks are inevitable and will be persistent

Defense

  • Make a wall > prevent outsiders into the protected zone
  • Create layers of protection > inner sanctum
  • Secure openings
  • Secure individual objects > software and memory
  • Prevent survaillance

Concept Ideas

  • Fortress
  • Counter-Espionage
  • Camoflage

Project Ideas

For our Final Assignment we are asked to…

Analyze and harden the vulnerabilities of a computing system that you want to secure

I have spent most of the course just trying to keep up…to understand all of the new concepts and jargon that was presented in the lectures…I needed help to come up with a Final Assignment idea. Using ChatGPT, I explained the contents of the Cybersecurity course and the kinds of homework assignments that we needed to complete. Afterwards, I asked it to provide me with ideas for a project to do to meet the above final assignment requirements. ChatGPT proposed the following:

  1. Harden an Ubuntu Virtual Machine
  2. Secure an ESP32 IOT Device
  3. Secure an MQTT Smart Home
  4. Harden a Windows PC
  5. Secure a Godot Multiplayer Game
  6. Analyze Raspberry Pi Security
  7. Secure a Small Web Application
  8. Harden Home Network Security

Among these provided options, the first, forth and eight options were the most appealing to me. Ultimately, I decided to go with the last option, as it seemed to offered the most practical real-world benefit to me right away.

Final Assignment > Lab Network Security

In my fablab, visitors are given free access to the lab’s wifi network. The network’s SSID and Password are given to any lab visitor.

I live in Japan, where crime is low and people are generally trust worthy. Until I took the Cybersecurity course, I didn’t really see the need to investigate the idea of ‘security’ for my lab’s network…as I implicitly trust the people who frequent my lab (Human Security Vulnerabilty!!).

Having learned from the course, I realize now that not considering the security implications of my lab’s wifi network is a huge operational risk.

So for my Final Assignment, I will:

  • Assess the vulnerability of my lab wifi network
  • Improve defenses to protect my network from outside and inside threats

Research

Securing Home Network Learning #1

I watched My Dope Advance Home Network Setup for Privacy and Security and learned:

Objectives

  1. Automatic VPN Access
  2. Non-VPN Internet
  3. Ad Blocking Capability
  4. Wired Networking

Automatic VPN Access
- multiple devices accessing the internet via one router
- hide IP address > IP address and GPS location sold as pair to criminals to ID you exactly
- difficult to enforce VPN use for entire household or visitors
- cannot configure VPN for IOT devices

Non-VPN Internet
- some services do not work with VPNs (Netflix, banks, etc.)
- allow for some special non-vpn internet access

Ad Blocking
- selling IP address, email and location data problem - mostly done via tracking software that comes with ads and free apps
- done using a DNS called ‘Pi-Hole’ > ID ad-blocking domains, sends traffic intended for ad companies to a black hole (hmmmm…seems like I am just sending private data to another unknown, possibly criminal, destination)

Wired Networking
- exact location and MAC address harvested from wifi adapter via “Wifi Triangulation”
- wired connections eliminates risks associated with wifi connection

Execution

Create 2 trunks from the DSL Modem

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Connect Wifi Router to a VPN Router

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…and here is where I stopped watching the video as I realized the presenter is trying to sell a device he made to make automatic VPN access.

I did learn a few things about home network vulnerabilities.