Cisco Cloudlock

Cloud-native Security:

Cisco Cloudlock is a cloud-native security platform designed to provide comprehensive protection for cloud-based applications, particularly enterprises. By integrating with leading SaaS providers like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Salesforce, Cloudlock offers a unified approach to data security, ensuring safe collaboration and preventing data breaches. Its API-first architecture allows easy deployment and scalability, providing a smooth transition to a cloud-centric security model. Cisco Cloudlock provides user security, app security, and data security.

a. Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Cloudlock’s advanced DLP capabilities allow organizations to define and enforce policies to prevent the leakage of sensitive data. With real-time monitoring and automated remediation, Cloudlock ensures that your critical information remains secure within the cloud environment. Countless out-of-the-box policies are available, as well as highly customizable custom policies.

b. Threat Protection: Leveraging machine learning algorithms and threat intelligence, Cloudlock identifies and mitigates risks posed by malicious insiders, compromised accounts, and external threats. By continuously analyzing user behavior and detecting anomalies, Cloudlock provides proactive threat detection and response. In Cloudlock, anomalies are detected based on various factors using advanced machine learning algorithms. Moreover, it identifies illegal activities outside of allow listed countries and actions that appear to occur at impossible speeds across long distances.

c. Compliance and Governance: Cloudlock offers robust compliance and governance features for businesses operating in regulated industries. It helps organizations meet industry-specific regulations and standards by providing visibility, control, and audit capabilities across cloud applications. Cloudlock Apps Firewall discovers and controls cloud apps connected to your corporate network. Each app has a crowd-sourced Community Trust Rating, and you can ban or allowlist it based on its risk.

Challenge: Lack of Visibility

Cloud computing is becoming more popular due to its cost-savings, scalability, and accessibility. However, there is a drawback when it comes to security posture. Firstly, you no longer have as much visibility or control as you used to with on-premise application access. Cloud providers assume more risk and have less visibility into your environment the more they manage it for you.

A critical security concern is that you have yet to learn what’s being done in the cloud and when. In addition, the cloud now hosts your data, which raises questions about what information is there, who can access it, where it goes, and whether it’s being stolen. Cloud platforms’ security challenges are unique, and Cisco has several solutions that can help alleviate these challenges. 

Examples: Cloud Security Solutions.

1. Cisco CloudLock
2. Cisco Umbrella 
3. Cisco Secure Cloud Analytics
4. Cisco Duo Security

Direct to the Cloud

Cloud computing offers cost savings, scalability, and accessibility to applications, data, and identities. With SaaS applications, businesses give their employees greater control over the applications they use and how information is shared inside and outside the office. Users no longer need a VPN to get work done since sensitive data and applications are no longer restricted behind a firewall. Due to an increased reliance on the cloud, more branch offices opt for direct internet access instead of backhauling traffic over the corporate network.

The traditional security stack was not designed to protect mobile, cloud-enabled users. Since users connect directly to the internet, they are more likely to get infected with malware because IT security professionals cannot protect what they cannot see. Organizations face an increased risk of exposing sensitive data inadvertently or maliciously as employees have greater flexibility in installing and self-enabling applications.

Example Product: Cisco Cyber Vision

#### Key Features and Benefits

Cisco Cyber Vision comes packed with features that make it an essential tool for any organization. Some of the key benefits include:

1. **Real-Time Monitoring**: This feature provides continuous visibility into your network, allowing you to detect anomalies and potential threats as they occur.

2. **Asset Identification**: Cisco Cyber Vision automatically identifies and classifies all devices connected to your network, making it easier to manage and secure them.

3. **Threat Detection**: Leveraging advanced algorithms and machine learning, Cyber Vision can detect and respond to a wide range of cyber threats, ensuring your network remains secure.

4. **Integration with Cisco Tools**: The solution integrates seamlessly with other Cisco security tools, creating a unified and robust security ecosystem.

#### How Cisco Cyber Vision Works

Cisco Cyber Vision operates by collecting data from various points in your network. It uses this data to build a comprehensive map of your network’s topology and the devices connected to it. This map is continuously updated, providing real-time visibility into your network’s status. The tool then analyzes this data to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities, allowing you to take proactive measures to secure your network.

#### Real-World Applications

Cisco Cyber Vision is not just a theoretical tool; it has been successfully implemented in various industries, including manufacturing, energy, and transportation. For example, in a manufacturing plant, Cyber Vision can monitor the network to ensure that all devices are operating correctly and securely. If a device starts behaving abnormally, the tool can alert network administrators, who can then take action to prevent any potential issues.

#### Why Choose Cisco Cyber Vision?

Choosing Cisco Cyber Vision means investing in a reliable and comprehensive network security solution. Its advanced features, real-time monitoring capabilities, and seamless integration with other Cisco tools make it an invaluable asset for any organization looking to enhance its network security. With Cyber Vision, you can gain peace of mind knowing that your network is protected against a wide range of cyber threats.

Common Cloud Threats

1. Data Breaches: One of the most significant concerns in the cloud landscape is the potential for unauthorized access to sensitive information. Hackers and cybercriminals may exploit vulnerabilities in cloud infrastructure or use social engineering techniques to gain entry, leading to data breaches that can have severe consequences.

2. Account Hijacking: Weak passwords or compromised credentials can enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to cloud accounts. Once inside, they can manipulate data, disrupt services, or launch attacks. Vigilance and robust authentication mechanisms are crucial to combat account hijacking.

3. Malware and Ransomware: The cloud is not immune to malware and ransomware attacks. Malicious software can infiltrate cloud environments, infecting files and spreading across connected systems. Organizations and individuals must implement robust antivirus measures and regularly update their security software to mitigate these risks.

4. Insider Threats: While external threats often grab the spotlight, insider threats should not be underestimated. Malicious insiders or employees with compromised credentials can intentionally or unintentionally harm cloud systems. Organizations must implement proper access controls, monitor user activities, and educate employees about the risks associated with their actions.

5. DDoS Attacks: Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks can disrupt cloud services by overwhelming them with incoming traffic. These attacks aim to exhaust system resources, rendering the cloud infrastructure inaccessible to legitimate users. Mitigation strategies such as traffic filtering, rate limiting, and advanced monitoring systems are crucial in defending against DDoS attacks.

Example: Cloud Security Threat: Phishing Attack

Below, we have an example of a phishing attack. I’m using the Social Engineering Toolkit to perform a phishing attack for a web template. Follow the screenshots and notice we have a hit at the end.

Note: Understanding Social Engineering

Social engineering is a technique cybercriminals use to manipulate individuals and exploit human psychology to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. By understanding the fundamentals of social engineering, security professionals can better anticipate and defend against potential threats.

The Social Engineering Toolkit, developed by trusted security expert David Kennedy, is an open-source tool that facilitates simulated social engineering attacks. It offers many attack vectors, including spear-phishing, website cloning, malicious USB drops, and more. SET provides a controlled environment for security professionals to test and assess an organization’s vulnerability to social engineering attacks.

Example Technology: Network Scanning

Network scanning systematically explores a computer network to gather information about connected devices, open ports, and potential security weaknesses. By employing specialized tools and techniques, security professionals can gain valuable insights into the network’s architecture and identify possible entry points for malicious actors.

a) Port Scanning: Port scanning involves probing a network’s connected devices to discover open ports and services. This technique helps security experts understand which services are running, identify potential vulnerabilities, and strengthen the network’s defenses accordingly.

b) Vulnerability Scanning: Vulnerability scanning identifies weaknesses and flaws within network devices and systems. By utilizing automated tools, security teams can quickly pinpoint vulnerabilities and take proactive measures to patch or mitigate them.

Mapping and Identifying Networks

TCP Dump is a command-line packet analyzer that allows network administrators to capture and analyze network packets in real time. It offers a plethora of functionalities, including the ability to filter packets based on various criteria, dissect protocols, and save packet captures for later analysis. Whether you’re a network engineer, a security analyst, or a curious enthusiast, TCP Dump has something valuable to offer.

Wireshark is an open-source network protocol analyzer that allows users to capture and examine network traffic in real-time. It provides detailed insights into network packets, helping network administrators, security experts, and developers troubleshoot issues, analyze performance, and detect anomalies.

Cisco Umbrella and Cisco Cloudlock

Umbrella was built with a bidirectional API to easily integrate with security appliances, threat intelligence platforms or feeds, and custom, in-house tools. With Umbrella’s pre-built integrations with over 10 security providers, including Splunk, FireEye, and Anomali, you can easily extend protection beyond the perimeter and amplify existing investments.

Cloudlock uses a 100 percent cloud-native, API-based approach. It is the most open platform and connects to your most commonly used SaaS services, including Okta, OneLogin, and Splunk. It aggregates data feeds across existing IT infrastructure to enrich security intelligence and ensure data protection across on-premise and cloud environments.

With both Cisco Umbrella and Cisco Cloudlock, you can securely access the Internet and use cloud apps. With Umbrella, users can stay protected wherever they are on the Internet as a cloud-delivered service. Organizations can defend internet access by providing visibility across all network devices, office locations, and roaming users. It identifies infected devices faster, prevents data exfiltration, and prevents malware infections earlier.

Highlighting Cisco Cloudlock

Cisco Cloudlock is a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) that helps organizations protect their cloud-based identities, data, and applications. As a result, organizations can monitor what is happening in their cloud applications, guarding against compromised credentials, insider threats, and malware. Cloudlock also helps organizations identify data leakages and privacy violations and respond to them.

A Cisco Cloudlock Data Loss Prevention (DLP) engine continuously monitors cloud environments to identify sensitive information stored in cloud environments that violates policy. In addition to out-of-the-box policies focused on PCI-DSS and HIPAA compliance, Cisco Cloudlock has custom policies to identify proprietary information, such as intellectual property. Advanced capabilities such as regular expression (RegEx) input, threshold settings, and proximity controls ensure a high true positive rate and a low false positive rate.

By offering configurable cross-platform automated responses, Cisco Cloudlock goes beyond cloud DLP discovery. As part of Cisco Cloudlock’s API-driven Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) architecture, deep, integrated response workflows are enabled that leverage the native capabilities of the monitored application, including automatic field-level encryption in Salesforce.com and automated file quarantining in Box. By combining Cisco Cloudlock and many other data protection tools, Cisco Cloudlock reduces risk efficiently without requiring resource-intensive operations.

Understanding CASB ( Cisco CloudLock )

CASB, the acronym for Cloud Access Security Broker, acts as a vital intermediary between cloud service providers and users. It is a security control point, offering visibility, compliance, and data protection for cloud-based applications. By enforcing security policies, CASBs enable organizations to have a unified view of their cloud environment, ensuring secure and compliant usage. CASBs come equipped with powerful features designed to fortify cloud security. These include:

1. Threat Detection and Prevention:

CASBs leverage advanced threat intelligence and machine learning algorithms to detect and prevent malicious activities, ensuring proactive security. Organizations need proactive measures to combat advanced threats in the ever-evolving threat landscape. Cisco Cloudlock offers advanced threat protection features that enable businesses to detect and respond to security incidents effectively. Through continuous analysis of cloud activity, Cloudlock leverages machine learning algorithms to identify abnormal behavior, detecting potential threats such as account compromises or malicious insider activities.

Threat detection involves actively monitoring systems, networks, and applications to identify potential malicious activities or security breaches. It employs advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques to analyze patterns, anomalies, and known attack signatures. On the other hand, threat prevention aims to proactively mitigate risks by blocking or neutralizing threats before they can cause harm.

2. Data Loss Prevention (DLP):

With sensitive data being stored and accessed in the cloud, CASBs provide robust DLP capabilities, preventing unauthorized disclosure and ensuring compliance with data protection regulations. Data Loss Prevention, commonly known as DLP, refers to tools and practices designed to prevent the unauthorized disclosure or leakage of sensitive data. It encompasses various techniques and technologies for identifying, monitoring, and protecting sensitive information across multiple channels and endpoints.

3. Access Control and Identity Management:

CASBs facilitate granular access controls, ensuring only authorized users can access specific cloud resources. They integrate with identity management systems to provide seamless and secure access.

Access control refers to granting or denying authorization to individuals based on their identity and privileges. It involves defining user roles, permissions, and restrictions to ensure that only authorized personnel can access specific resources or perform certain actions. This helps prevent unauthorized access and potential data breaches.

Identity management plays a vital role in access control by ensuring that individuals are correctly identified and authenticated before granting access. It involves verifying user identities through various means, such as passwords, biometrics, or two-factor authentication. Identity management solutions also facilitate user provisioning, de-provisioning, and lifecycle management to maintain the accuracy and integrity of user information.

Example Technology: Suricata IPS IDS

Understanding Suricata

Suricata IPS/IDS is an open-source solution that analyzes network traffic and detects potential threats in real-time. Its robust capabilities include signature-based detection, protocol analysis, and behavioral anomaly detection. Suricata can identify malicious activities by inspecting network packets and responding swiftly to prevent security breaches.

One of Suricata’s key strengths is its ability to detect threats in real-time. Suricata can identify known malicious behavior patterns by leveraging its signature-based detection engine. Additionally, Suricata employs protocol analysis to detect abnormal network activities and behavioral anomalies, enabling it to identify zero-day attacks and emerging threats.

Example: Identity Management in Linux

Linux, renowned for its robust security features, is the foundation for many privacy-conscious individuals and organizations. However, to fortify your defenses effectively, it is crucial to grasp the nuances of Linux identity security. User authentication is the first defense in securing your Linux identity. From strong passwords to two-factor authentication, employing multiple layers of authentication mechanisms helps safeguard against unauthorized access.

4. Encryption and Tokenization:

CASBs offer encryption and tokenization techniques to protect data at rest and in transit, safeguarding it from unauthorized access.

Encryption converts plain text or data into an unreadable format known as ciphertext. It involves using encryption algorithms and keys to scramble the data, making it inaccessible to unauthorized individuals. Encryption ensures that the data remains secure and protected even if it is intercepted or stolen. Advanced encryption standards, such as AES-256, provide robust security and are widely adopted by organizations to protect sensitive data.

Tokenization, on the other hand, is a technique that replaces sensitive data with unique identification symbols called tokens. These tokens are randomly generated and have no relation to the original data, making it virtually impossible to reverse-engineer or retrieve the original information. Tokenization is particularly useful in scenarios where data needs to be processed or stored, but the actual sensitive information is not required. By utilizing tokens, organizations can minimize the risk of data exposure and mitigate the impact of potential breaches.

While encryption and tokenization are potent techniques, combining them can provide even more robust data security. Organizations can achieve a multi-layered approach to data protection by encrypting data first and then tokenizing it. This dual-layer approach ensures that even if attackers bypass one security measure, they face another barrier before accessing the original data. This combination of encryption and tokenization significantly enhances data security and reduces the risk of unauthorized access.

Related: Before you proceed, you may find the following posts helpful for pre-information:

1. Cisco Secure Firewall
2. Dropped Packet Test
3. Network Security Components
4. Cisco Umbrella CASB
5. CASB Tools
6. SASE Definition
7. Open Networking
8. Distributed Firewalls
9. Kubernetes Security Best Practice