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Editor’s note: ISACA Now recently moderated a conversation among a trio of millennials to discuss topics including professional development, networking, certification and how their generation differs from others when it comes to career priorities and workplace dynamics. The first portion of the conversation can be read here. The following is the second installment of the two-part conversation – edited for length and clarity – between Ashley Spangler, CISA, CISM, CRISC, SunTrust Banks, Inc., AVP Information Security; Leigh Ann Montgomery, CISA, Solutions Architect, and Mick Gomm, CISA, GWEB, PMP, Sr. Information Security Engineer and Board Member, ISACA Utah Chapter.

ISACA Now: Are there any perceptions or stigmas of millennials in the workforce that you think are unfair?
AS: I don’t think I’ve had anything in a negative light, but it’s almost like I can see the difference of how some other individuals who might be a peer to me are treated if they have certifications versus individuals who don’t have certifications. And it’s not necessarily negative, but I think it is solidifying the value that you’re bringing to the table. I think Mick used the word ‘clout.’ I had an instance where I had a manager who I think technically is a Gen Xer but a borderline Baby Boomer in age, and when we were having a 1-on-1 conversation about my career and my next promotion, the question was ‘Well, you’ve only been in your role about a year and a half or two years, why don’t you just stay in that role longer and really get to know what you’re doing?’ I don’t mean this in a bragging way, but I think there’s still some old-school thought that you have to put a certain amount of years into a job to master that position, or the monotonous day-to-day that you do in that position should be acceptable. I think one thing that I’ve experienced is there’s a little bit of a struggle when you challenge that generation’s way of thinking.

MG: I’ve definitely had that experience, too. One stigma is that millennials are impatient – we want to get to that next step, whatever that is, if it’s on a technical or management track. That’s because I think we have a better understanding of technology in general, especially in this space, and there’s a belief that we’re maybe a bit impatient about our career progression.

LAM: I think within the [Dallas-Ft. Worth] area, our local chapter has really great penetration into universities and colleges, and really makes a point to get out there and even go through different classes on manners and etiquette over the business table and stuff like that. We’ve learned how to do business in the business world but also how to impart our own values in ways that we think as millennials onto whatever topic that we’re covering. And I think that’s been really interesting to know how to embrace those challenges and not necessarily have to change your ways to match a previous generation. It’s just like Ashley said, we like to go about things at kind of a quicker pace, and I think lots of research has shown we want to change careers even a few times, whereas before that might not have been the natural pace of what people normally do. I think it’s neat to fit into the work environment that is already established and to try to make our mark on it as well.

ISACA Now: What are some other types of professional development opportunities that are important to you?
AS: Being a part of two different [ISACA chapter] boards of directors, I think it’s so interesting. I mean, I network all the time, and it’s not necessarily looking for that next person who might help me get another job. I’m more interested in everyone’s journey and how they get to where they are because there’s truly not a one-way path. Everyone’s path is different, which is intriguing to me and provides me insight on how I can potentially maneuver through my career personally. I think I take a passion in that because I really fell into information security. Both of my degrees are in accounting and information systems, and I had actually applied for a financial auditor position, but I was the fourth person in line, and they were only hiring three people, so they liked that I had an information systems degree, and they were like ‘Hey, why don’t you come join our team?’ I was like ‘I don’t know anything about what you’re doing.’ So, similar to what Leigh Ann had mentioned, I know the Nashville chapter, we had six local universities, and I was a part of building that ISACA local chapter academic program, and I made it a point when I would present to those universities to explain that it’s not just about being a developer or a programmer or a help-desk analyst. I tried to broaden their horizons on the different career options we have in our industry because truthfully curriculum is not up to speed to explain all of these different avenues and facets of our industry. I felt like even when I was in school, and that was only six years ago, there were only a few options, and the reality is that is not true. I mean, who knew about information security architect positions. I didn’t learn about that in college.

LAM: To tack onto that thought, it’s amazing being part of that ISACA community and seeing all the different career types – even just through CISA, all of the different ways people can use it. I think that’s probably why I was drawn to that CISA in the first place over the CISM or any of the others – you could really see security professionals, audit professionals, governance and risk and compliance professionals, a whole bunch of different facets with ultimately the same baseline. I think that’s why the networking events that we do, the college events, are really important, because you get to see all the different ways it can be used in all of these different areas. It’s really neat.

ISACA Now: There’s a notion out there that young people are especially resistant to the idea of the rat race, showing up at an office day in and day out. Obviously you all are committed, serious professionals, but how do you feel about incorporating your career into your overall lifestyles?
MG: At least for me in information security, I think the work-life balance is fantastic. I get a ton of autonomy of how I balance my workload and where I do it and everything. I’ll tell you, Leigh Ann, I actually grew up in the [Dallas-Ft. Worth] area, my parents live in Mansfield, so I am headed home in a couple weeks, and my company actually has an office in Arlington. I’m just going to work there for about a month while I’m down there, so I can avoid taking a lot of PTO by getting work done remotely. It’s an increasing trend that you’re able to work from home or another site. That’s something I try to tell people who are trying to get into information security or are wondering about career planning and work-life balance.

LAM: I actually work from home 100 percent of the time other than the travel expectations. It’s really great, I think, given that the work-life separation is the threshold of my office door. I know that like many millennials I really throw myself at work. I probably spend more time than necessary, but I know my company definitely backs me up and gives me a lot of options and time off. I feel like we’re really flexible where I work, and I really appreciate that. It really helps me get my work done in a comfortable way.

AS: It also depends on your industry. Working in consulting, they really had to sell you on what their version of work-life balance is. We had a lot of fun. We had a lot of parties and big events, and we got to travel to some really cool places. There are a lot of benefits they really had to tack on above and beyond what you probably get at a typical 8 to 5 kind of organization or industry, like financial services. So, I think it’s a difference in the roles that I’ve been in, and in consulting it was ‘We’re not here to count your eyeballs,’ you can work from wherever you want, just give us quality deliverables, which being fresh out of college, that was very nice. I really took a lot of pride in having that opportunity because I knew a lot of people I went to college don’t get to work from home, so I really appreciated if I had a doctor’s appointment at 9 a.m., I would just work an extra hour in the evening or make it up on the weekend. In the role that I’m in currently, we get certain days of the week that we can work remotely, so it’s not as free as the last job that I had but we still have freedom to work remotely. Kind of like what Leigh Ann and Mick said, it’s nice to be able to have those options so you can plan for things that don’t necessarily fit in an 8 to 5 time slot.

ISACA Now: Anything else that any of you would like to add?
LAM: I’ve probably said it a million times, but I’m very serious about it, is getting young people involved in local ISACA chapters. It’s important. I think all three of us probably benefited from that experience. It’s a neat way to give back to a larger organization that helped you get certified, helped you to network to find jobs and meet other individuals that you might lean on for one-off conversations or one-off problems in your normal day-to-day work. Beyond the certification, it’s really a community that we’ve all gained together.

[ISACA Now Blog]

Editor’s note: ISACA Now recently moderated a conversation among a trio of millennials to discuss topics including professional development, networking, certification and how their generation differs from others when it comes to career priorities and workplace dynamics. The following is the first installment of the two-part conversation – edited for length and clarity – between Ashley Spangler, CISA, CISM, CRISC, SunTrust Banks, Inc., AVP Information Security; Leigh Ann Montgomery, CISA, Solutions Architect, and Mick Gomm, CISA, GWEB, PMP, Sr. Information Security Engineer and Board Member, ISACA Utah Chapter.

ISACA Now: Why did you decide to pursue certification at a relatively young age?
AS: Both of my degrees are in accounting and information systems. The firm I started to work for was creating this information security and assurance services group. I originally applied for a financial audit position and was not picked. However, they liked my background in information systems so they were like ‘Hey, why don’t you come join our team?’ Of course, I was completely green and didn’t really know what I was getting into. When I first got there, they said ‘You need to start working on certifications.’ I met an individual through ISACA, which is how I got intertwined with being a volunteer board member for the Nashville location, and I just started to learn more about the different certifications which were available in the information security industry. … I didn’t like being the only person that didn’t have a certification and especially when my name and bio would be listed on a statement of qualifications for bidding on work. CISA was most prominent in the information security assurance world that I was in at that point, so I made that my target for my first certification. So, I really looked at it, one, as validation for myself and what I was doing, and secondly for helping our group’s chances of winning engagements.

LAM: I was mentored by the president at the time of the North Texas ISACA chapter … He invited me to a meeting and talked about the different certifications, and mentored me through taking the CISA certification. Through that process, I really got to know my internal audit team of my company at the time. I took the test both to grow my knowledge of that type of audit and really understand what the terms were, and how to best get the information and pull evidence. It helped me in my day-to-day job and definitely added an acronym after my name, and got me exposed to a lot of really great people and networking in the process.

MG: I started out in audit consulting, and kind of the baseline or the bar to working in that space is an audit certification, and CISA is the most recognizable and known. I think the IT audit and information security industries really just look for that, especially in the past few years. Having multiple certifications is almost a barrier to entry. That’s why I got my third certification, the CISA, because starting in consulting, they were like ‘Alright, the first thing you need to work on is getting your CISA.’ Certifications like CISA are important, but I also think the industry is headed toward requiring additional specialization in specific technologies and spaces.

ISACA Now: How does your certification help you most on a daily basis?
LAM: On a day-to-day basis, part of my job is to build security programs and security awareness programs for other companies, and I always try to do that with audit principals in mind. Make a program metrics-driven, and seeing how we can improve year over year and clearly think about how, from an auditor’s perspective, how I can make my suggestions for other companies with those basic audit recommendation principles in mind. So, I go back to what I learned during my CISA certification studying. A lot of the language that I use for these types of recommendations are very similar to what I learned, so it definitely helps me communicate not only with security professionals, but audit professionals, and executives from both of those sides.

AS: It seems like there are so many moving pieces and parts within our enterprise, constantly dealing with different lines of business and their needs. I think having the CISA, CRISC and the CISM may have been most helpful in giving me those multi-faceted knowledge bases which I can leverage to solve problems for the various lines of business and segments of our bank. Overall, from a career perspective it helps solidify the knowledge that I use in solving those problems. I think people see my work in combination with the certifications as a justification of my value that I bring to the table, especially being a millennial.

ISACA Now: Can you elaborate on that?
AS: I don’t know if you’ve ever heard this, but the way I’ve heard it and thought about it is a lot of Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, they kind of have a strange feeling regarding millennials and how we impact the workforce. We’re essentially change agents and we’re ambitious and we want to impact our organizations in a positive way, and ultimately some of us want to be able to change the world. We don’t necessarily climb that ‘career leader’ that older employees or Gen Xers climb; we essentially just take the elevator. We don’t like the red tape. We don’t like the bureaucratic processes. We’re always looking for bigger and better ways to do things. In my situation, being as young as I am and having the certifications but not necessarily having extensive experience, it helps stabilize my footing when I’m interacting with more seasoned professionals.

LAM: I would absolutely agree with you, Ashley. Often I’m looked at as very young in the field and therefore very inexperienced. I think having the CISA and serving on my local ISACA board have really helped to get my name out there.

MG: I totally agree. When you meet face-to-face and people realize how young you are, they’re like ‘Oh, you’re not qualified.’ But when you have certifications, people pay attention more. You have more clout in those situations, especially when you’re interacting with other companies or vendors and you introduce yourself on a phone call, and somebody asks that question ‘What credentials do you have?’, it’s always nice to be able to respond that you have multiple certifications because people in the industry know what the certifications are and what they mean. I also think the industry is leaning toward the certifications being less book knowledge and more hands-on technical knowledge, which I think is really good.

AS: I can’t agree with you more about those times where, working in a larger organization, we have a little over 33,000 employees, and I speak with a lot of people on the phone, and when I meet them in person, they always say ‘Don’t take this wrong, but you sound so old’ or ‘I can’t believe how young you are.’ I’ve had that happen quite a bit.

LAM: My company works with many global organizations and currently we’re expanding into the Asia Pacific region. Especially with my age and length of experience, I find that when I speak to audit members or different security team members in that region about having CISA certification, they’re very impressed and willing to work with me when before they might not have been as willing. So, it definitely has helped me prove myself as a consultant trying to get into those types of deals. Despite any cultural differences, I have found that having a particular certification and serving on [an ISACA chapter board] has opened up a lot of communication with people who are very different from me. Being able to gain that common ground has been really interesting and has really opened a lot of doors.

[ISACA Now Blog]

Attackers are erasing database contents and replacing them with a note demanding Bitcoin ransom payment for restoration. It also appears that victims who pay are often not getting their data back, and that multiple attackers are overwriting each other’s ransom demands. Seriously, these databases are of course important to their owners, and these attacks are clearly a headache for them. Hopefully they have backups.

Let’s explore this situation a bit more, and then step back for some analysis.

Here’s What We Know

There is no indication of a vulnerability in MongoDB; rather these systems are allowing administrative access from any IP address, and are (mis)configured for either no authentication or default credentials. There are a large number of such systems – Internet service search engines show approximately 100,000 exposed instances, and several independent security researchers have identified over 27,000 instances that have been hijacked as of January 8, a number that’s growing daily.

Putting aside the mistaken configuration that enabled access with no/weak authentication, let’s look at this from a user access and network perspective. At the risk of being too obvious, these systems are Internet-facing either intentionally or unintentionally. If intentional, their admins clearly require remote access, and therefore these systems must expose some network service.

“People are not IP addresses!”
— Jason Garbis, Vice President of Products at Cryptzone

The problem comes down to how access is restricted – and a realization that relying solely on authentication is not enough. Too many systems are either misconfigured (as appears to be the case with these MongoDB) or are subject to vulnerabilities – enterprises need to limit access at a network level. The issue is that network security tools are built around controlling access by IP address, yet the problem we need to solve is how people (identities) access these systems. And people are not IP addresses!

If these databases were unintentionally exposed to the Internet, then no remote access is required – either admins have local system access, or they’re relying on another security mechanism such as being on a LAN or accessing the network through a VPN. Yet, these systems are exposed directly to the Internet, and therefore not likely on an internal corporate network. Looking at the discovered instances on Shodan, it appears that many of them have IP addresses associated with cloud or hosting providers!

This is an interesting pattern. Because cloud network access is managed by IP addresses, users may be simply setting their cloud network security groups to permit access from anyone on the internet – much to their detriment, as this attack shows.

Clearly, misconfiguring a database to not require authentication is a problem, but there are many exploits that exist even in properly secured and properly configured systems. It’s time to realize that the bigger problem is in allowing unauthorized users to have network access to these systems in the first place. Why are there 100,000 instances of MongoDB available for a public scan? I suggest that most of these were not intended for public access.

The ability to access a service on the network is a privilege, and it must be treated as such. The principle of least privilege demands that we prevent unauthorized users from scanning, connecting to, or accessing our services. Following this principle will dramatically reduce the ability of attackers to exploit misconfigurations or vulnerabilities.

But there’s a problem. There is a disconnect between how we need to model users – as people – and our network security systems, which are centered on IP addresses. And, to repeat myself, people are not IP addresses.

Let’s Bring This Together

Organizations need to secure network access in an identity-centric way, and in a way that’s driven by automated policies so that users – who are people – get appropriate access. Network security systems must be able to do this, and allow us to easily limit user access to the minimum necessary.

The good news is that this is achievable today. The Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP) – an open specification published by the Cloud Security Alliance – defines a model where network access is controlled in an identity-centric way. Every user obtains a dynamically adjusted network perimeter that’s individualized based on their specific requirements and entitlements. The Software-Defined Perimeter is well-suited to cloud environments; network services such as MongoDB can be easily protected by SDP network gateways.

With SDP, organizations can easily define policies that control which users get access to these database instances, and prevent all unauthorized users from scanning or accessing these services – even if they’re misconfigured and don’t require authentication. And, because this access is built around users, not IP addresses, authorized users can securely access these systems from anywhere, with strong authentication enforced at the network level.

We’ll never be completely safe in our hyper-connected world, but we’re unnecessarily making things harder for ourselves, as this latest attack shows. We need to take a new, identity-centric approach to network security, and the Software-Defined Perimeter model provides exactly this. Putting this in place will go a long way towards making our systems more secure while keeping our users productive.

Jason Garbis, Vice President of Products, Cryptzone

[Cloud Security Alliance Blog]

(ISC)² Board of Directors Elect 2017 Officers

International team of security professionals elected to lead governing body;
Wim Remes elected chair for third time in four years

Clearwater, FL, January 18, 2017 — (ISC)²^® today announced the newly elected officers for its board of directors. The 13-member board provides governance and oversight for the organization, grants certifications to qualifying candidates, and enforces adherence to the (ISC)² Code of Ethics.

Effective January 14, 2017, the following individuals assumed board officer positions:

• Chairperson:  Wim Remes, CISSP (Belgium)
• Vice Chairperson:  Jennifer Minella, CISSP (USA)
• Treasurer:  Allison Miller, CISSP (USA)
• Secretary:  Dr. Kevin Charest, CISSP, HCISPP (USA)

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the outgoing board officers for all of their efforts to strengthen (ISC)² and for their ongoing commitment to advancing the profession,” said (ISC)² CEO David Shearer. “I also thank Greg Mazzone, Richard Nealon, Howard Schmidt and Freddy Tan, whose board terms ended in December, for their many contributions. I look forward to working with the new officers over the next year as they help us advance the organization.”

Members of the (ISC)² Board of Directors are elected each year from among the organization’s global membership. The board is comprised of (ISC)²-certified volunteers who are industry leaders from around the globe representing business, government and academia. Visit (ISC)²’s website for a complete list of current board members.

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About (ISC)²

(ISC)²^® is an international nonprofit membership association focused on inspiring a safe and secure cyber world. Best known for the acclaimed Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP^®) certification, (ISC)² offers a portfolio of credentials that are part of a holistic, programmatic approach to security. Our membership, over 123,000 strong, is made up of certified cyber, information, software and infrastructure security professionals who are making a difference and helping to advance the industry. Our vision is supported by our commitment to educate and reach the public through our charitable foundation– The Center for Cyber Safety and Education^TM. For more information about (ISC)² visit www.isc2.org, follow us on Twitter or connect with us on Facebook.

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© 2017 (ISC)² Inc., (ISC)², CISSP, SSCP, CCSP, CAP, CSSLP, HCISPP, CCFP, ISSAP, ISSEP, ISSP and CBK are registered marks of (ISC)², Inc.

Media Contact

Maria Forrest
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
(ISC)²
mforrest@isc2.org

(727) 201-5759

[(ISC)² Press Release]