CircleCityCon - Bootstrapping a Security Research Project

It has become increasingly common to see a headline in the mainstream media talking about the latest car, television, or other IoT device being hacked (hopefully by a researcher). In each report, blog, or presentation, we learn about the alarming lack of security and privacy associated with the device’s hardware, communications mechanisms, software/app, and hosting infrastructure in addition to how easy it might be for an attacker to take advantage of one, or multiple, threat vectors.

The truth is, anyone can perform this kind of research if given the right guidance. To many security professionals, however, the act of researching something isn’t the problem…it’s what to research, how to start, and when to stop. Academics think nothing of researching something until they feel it’s “done” (or their funding/tenure runs out). Security professionals, however, often do not have that luxury.

This session will discuss how to research, well, ANYTHING. Proven methods for starting, continuing, ending, leading, and collaborating on reproducible research will be discussed – taking into account real-world constraints such as time, money, and a personal life. We will also discuss how to generate data, design your experiments, analyze your results, and present (and in some cases defend) your research to the public.

Transcript

1. Bootstrapping A Security Research Project Andrew Hay, CISO DataGravity, Inc. ahay@datagravity.com @andrewsmhay
2. 2 About Andrew Hay • Andrew Hay – Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) @ DataGravity • Former: – Director of Research @ OpenDNS – Chief Evangelist & Director of Research @ CloudPassage – Senior Security Analyst @ 451 Research – Sr. Security Analyst in higher education and a bank in Bermuda – Product, Program, and Engineering Manager @ Q1 Labs • Wrote some books, blog, spend more time on planes than I care to mention…
3. Bootstrapping & How To Start Core Research Ideas Knowing When To Stop Presenting & Defending Your Research Introduction Summary 1 2 3 4 5 6
4. 4 Why Me? • Managed software engineers, researchers, and security analysts at various companies • Self-taught data scientist and R, Ruby, and Python “hacker”
5. Bootstrapping & How To Start Core Research Ideas Knowing When To Stop Presenting & Defending Your Research Introduction Summary 1 2 3 4 5 6
6. 6 What’s Research?
7. 7 Pasteur’s Quadrant: Applied vs. Basic Research Pure basic research (e.g. Niels Bohr, Josh Corman) Use-inspired basic research (e.g. Louis Pasteur, Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek) - Pure applied research (e.g. Thomas Edison, Deviant Ollam) YES NO NO YES Quest for fundamental understanding Considerations of use? Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasteur%27s_quadr ant
8. 8 Pasteur’s Quadrant: Applied vs. Basic Research Pure basic research (e.g. Niels Bohr, Josh Corman) Use-inspired basic research (e.g. Louis Pasteur, Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek) - Pure applied research (e.g. Thomas Edison, Deviant Ollam) KNOWLEDGE UTILITY Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasteur%27s_quadr ant
9. 9 Do You Look Like a Researcher? • ”Profile” for a Data Scientist • Most traits overlap with a security researcher • What’s missing, however is: – Curiosity – Event/action-driven – GTM time sensitivity – Need to do good (or bad) Source: http://www.marketingdistillery.com/2014/11/29/is-data-science-a-buzzword-modern-data-scientist-defined/
10. 10 Research Pros and Cons New Research Continued Research Challenge Research • Full control of experiment • Potential to be first Pros Cons • Time consuming • Time sensitivity • Opportunity to find new results • Data exists / familiar • Limited control over experiment • Breaking findings already known • Little time sensitivity • Opportunity to challenge or disprove existing findings • Potentially time consuming • Could result in no new/different results
11. 11 What is the question you’re trying to answer? Do you have the data to answer the question? If you could answer the question, could you use the answer? Should I Research Something? 1 2 3
12. 12 Types of Questions • one that seeks to summarize a characteristic of a set of data Descriptive • one in which you analyze the data to see if there are patterns, trends, or relationships between variables Exploratory • restatement of this proposed hypothesis as a question and would be answered by analyzing a different set of data Inferential • you are less interested in what causes an outcome, just what predicts whether an outcome will occur Predictive • asks about whether changing one factor will change another factor, on average, in a population Causal • the fundamental processes involved in or responsible for an action, reaction or other natural phenomenon Mechanistic
13. 13 Epicycle of Data Analysis Setting Expectations Collecting information (data) 2 Revising your expectations • comparing the data to your expectations • if the expectations don’t match • or fixing the data so your data and your expectations match • continuously refine your • question, exploratory data analysis, formal models, interpretation, and communication
14. 14 Bootstrapping Research • All you need to get started is… Research A Question Curiosity Time Ability to Execute Asset/Device
15. 15 A Word on Asset/Device Acquisition • Electronics • Software • Toys Buy • From work • From friend • From neighbor Borrow • Electronics store • Kiosk • Rent-A-Center Rent • Trial • VM • SaaS/PaaS Download
16. 16 My Favorite Places… • Full refund on anything • Items must be returned within 90 days of purchase for a full refund • televisions • projectors • computers • cameras • camcorders • tablets • iPod / MP3 players • cellular phones • Target brand items • within one year for a refund or exchange • Unopened and in new condition • 90 days for a refund or exchange • Electronics such as no-contract cellphones, computers, cameras and gaming systems • within 30 days • Music, movies, video games and software that have been opened • cannot be returned but may be exchanged
17. 17 My Favorite Places… • Most products • 15 days • Cell phones and devices with a carrier contract • 14 days • Wedding registry items • 60 days • Most products may be returned within 30 days of original purchase date • Caveats • Original receipt must accompany any product to be returned / exchanged • Must be in original box with original accessories, packaging, manuals, and registration card in undamaged, clean, and brand new condition • Prepaid wireless phones are returnable ONLY if unopened
18. Bootstrapping & How To Start Core Research Ideas Knowing When To Stop Presenting & Defending Your Research Introduction Summary 1 2 3 4 5 6
19. 19 Core Research Ideas Network Platform Software Hardware Circuitry The network communications involved between the device and its control/management software The UI/UX and backend software required to make the device operable The combined operating system and compute platform of the device and its hosting provider The physical hardware of the device How the schematics and hardware code make it work DIFFICULTY
20. 20 Example Questions By Research Level Circuitry Machine code, components, etc. Hardware Docs, schematics, etc. Platform Cloud, VM, mobile, OS, etc. Software Web app, mobile app, etc. Network Packets/flows, DNS Where does it call out to? Is it encrypted? Does the software have any flaws? Plaintext data available? Is the way it’s hosted make it vulnerable? Useable information provided by direct hardware I/O? Known (or unknown) issues with machine code or base components?
21. 21 The Research Team Hardware Expertise Network Expertise Software Expertise
22. 22 The Research Team Hardware Expertise Network Expertise Software Expertise
23. 23 The Research “Team”? Hardware Expertise Network Expertise Software Expertise
24. 24 What If I’m Missing $TYPE Expertise? • Just because you’re missing hardware, software, or network knowledge doesn’t mean you’re stuck • Make due with what you have – “My/our research focusses on the network and software capabilities of ACME webcams” • Invite other researchers to contribute to your body of work with hardware/software/network knowledge
25. 25 Sample IoT Device Research Workflow Firmware Software download site IoT device Mobile app device Analysis of firmware, app code, etc. Software Analysis station
26. 26 Sample IoT Device Research Workflow Hub or switch with span port External router Internal router Storage for pcaps, logs, etc. Analysis station Networking
27. 27 Sample IoT Device Research Workflow IoT camera Networking
28. 28 Sample IoT Device Research Workflow Cloud hosting infrastructure Capture all network traffic • IP, domains, URLs • Ports, protocols Networking Bidirectional device communications
29. 29 Sample IoT Device Research Workflow Analysis station Cloud infrastructure UI, API, open/vulnerable ports, etc. Software Device UI, API, open/ vulnerable ports, etc.
30. 30 Sample IoT Device Research Workflow Device firmware Mobile app device Hardware Analysis station
31. 31 Suggested Lab Equipment and Software Networking • Hub, tap, or switch with span port • 2 x WiFi routers • RJ45 cables • Packet capture (tcpdump, Wireshark, etc.) Software • Debugger (GDB, WinDbg, IDA Pro, OllyDbg, Immunity) • Fuzzers (w3af, Wfuzz, Peach Fuzzer, etc.) • Vuln and port scanners (Nessus, nmap, ssl_connect, telnet, etc.) Hardware • Oscilloscope, logic analyzer, USB-to-serial adapter, JTAGulator • Software defined radio, SmartRF protocol packet sniffer • Other HW/SW mentioned here: •https://www.blackhat.com/docs/webcast/04232014-tools-of-the-hardware-hacking-trade.pdf
32. Bootstrapping & How To Start Core Research Ideas Knowing When To Stop Presenting & Defending Your Research Introduction Summary 1 2 3 4 5 6
33. 33 Knowing When To Stop • There are four main reasons to stop your research – Artificial or organic time constraints • e.g. conference deadline or marketing campaign launch – Diminished relevancy of research • e.g. hypothesis proven/disproved by someone else – Success • You have proven your hypothesis – Failure • You have disproved your hypothesis STOP Time Constraint Diminished Relevancy Success Failure
34. 34 What Does Success Look Like? • Defining success is a crucial part of any research project • Examples of successful research outcomes include: – New knowledge is created – Decisions or policies are made based on the outcome of the experiment – A report, presentation, or application/script with impact is created – It is learned that the data can't answer the question being asked of it
35. 35 What Does Failure Look Like? • Not every research project is a success • Don’t look at a negative outcome as failure – It’s just validation that your experiment resulted in a negative result • Some negative outcomes include: – Decisions being made that disregard clear evidence from the data – Equivocal results that do not shed light in one direction or another – Uncertainty prevents new knowledge from being created
36. Bootstrapping & How To Start Core Research Ideas Knowing When To Stop Presenting & Defending Your Research Introduction Summary 1 2 3 4 5 6
37. 37 Research Pipeline Model Source: “Computational and Policy Tools for Reproducible Research” - Roger D. Peng, PhD
38. 38 Presenting Your Research: Print • Blogs – Effective way of sharing research with the masses in bite sized chunks • Tip: create a series of posts to keep readers coming back • Articles – Publish your findings in a popular print or online publication • Tip: offer an exclusive to a trusted reporter ahead of announcing via a blog post
39. 39 Presenting Your Research: Print • Academic paper – Effective way of sharing research with academically inclined peers – Required for some conference submissions • Whitepaper – Effective way of sharing research with customers – Also a consumable medium for those who want more details
40. 40 Presenting Your Research: Print • Hierarchy of information: Academic paper – Title / Author list – Abstract – Body / Results – Supplementary Materials / the gory details – Code / Data / really gory details Source: https://github.com/DataScienceSpecialization/courses/blob/master/05_ReproducibleResearch/LevelsOfDetail/index.md
41. 41 Presenting Your Research: Visualizations • Charts – Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers for Mac – RAW - http://app.raw.densitydesign.org/ • Interactive – Tableau Public - https://public.tableau.com/ – OpenGraphiti - http://www.opengraphiti.com/ • Graphics – Pictures • e.g. device tested, concepts, you working on the research, etc. – Infographics are good for communicating big picture concepts
42. 42 Presenting Your Research: In Person • Conference talks – Very common (and important) in the security community – Allows audience question your research and methods • Could be stressful • Be open, but always point back to the data • Press interviews – Know your audience • Tech journalist vs. “civilian” journalist – Remember: #SBAC • Sound bytes and charts
43. 43 Presenting Your Research: Code • Code – Python, R, Ruby…whatever you want – Jupytr Notebook - http://jupyter.org/ • Revision control – Github - https://github.com/ • Publishing code allows others to reproduce and challenge your findings • If possible, publish your source data along with the code
44. 44 Presenting Your Research: Code
45. 45 Defending Your Research • Often, your findings get challenged • Challengers may include – disturbers – heads – ty grandstanders – Friends, colleagues, and peers • Tips: – Argue with your data and your findings – Publish your code, process, and data (if allowed) – Ask for alternative findings based on the presented data • Some people are jealous – happens
46. 46 Defending Your Research • Roger Peng provides a fantastic checklist that can help you identify if your research is both reproducible and defensible • Ask yourself the following questions Are we doing good science? Have we documented our software environment? Was any part of this analysis done by hand? • If so, are those parts precisely documented? • Does the documentation match reality? How far back in the analysis pipeline can we go before our results are no longer (automatically) reproducible? Have we taught a computer to do as much as possible (i.e. coded)? Have we saved any output that we cannot reconstruct from original data + code? Are we using a version control system?
47. 47 A Word About Responsible Disclosure • Responsible disclosure of findings should be a higher priority than publishing your findings • Contact the company that has their brand attached to the device – Email, Twitter, Phone • Do not get frustrated if you do not get a response – Or if you get a negative response – Document the effort in your research • Use your judgement on time-to-publish – Consult with legal representation if you’re not sure
48. Bootstrapping & How To Start Core Research Ideas Knowing When To Stop Presenting & Defending Your Research Introduction Summary 1 2 3 4 5 6
49. 49 Summary • Anyone can research something – It’s whether or not you do it well that makes you a researcher • Establish your own process and cadence for research – This will help you reproduce your methodology for the future • Disclose responsibly • Haters gonna hate – You will have to defend your research so be prepared to stand by your data
50. 50 Further Reading: Courses • Executive Data Science, Johns Hopkins University - https://www.coursera.org/specializations/executive-data-science • Data Science, Johns Hopkins University - https://www.coursera.org/specializations/jhu-data-science – Course materials for the Data Science Specialization - https://github.com/DataScienceSpecialization/courses • Codecademy - https://www.codecademy.com/
51. 51 Further Reading: Books
52. 52 Further Reading: Blogs • Data Driven Security – http://datadrivensecurity.info/blog/ • Bob Rudis – https://rud.is/b/ • My blog – http://www.andrewhay.ca • OpenDNS Security Labs – https://labs.opendns.com/blog/
53. Questions? Bootstrapping A Security Research Project Andrew Hay, CISO DataGravity, Inc. ahay@datagravity.com @andrewsmhay