Information warfare, assurance and security in the energy sectors

INFORMATION WARFARE, ASSURANCE AND SECURITY:

THE ENERGY SECTOR PERSPECTIVES

Adedayo O.S

CSO EIS Department

Information Warfare, Assurance and Security 1

A paper delivered during the Energy Information System (EIS) departmental Seminar, March, 2013 at Computer Training room, ECN Abuja


1. Introduction

2. Definitions

3. Types of Information Warfare

4. Security Measures

5. Impact of Information Warfare

6. Vulnerability Scanners/Tools

7. Conclusion

1.0 IntroductionComputers now control the

electric power, telecommunication systems, aviation systems and the financial sector. Medical, business, criminal and other vita records are now stored on the computer systems (National Research Council, 1991).

Information Technology has brought a lot changes to the way warfare are being wage today, a great number of the national infrastructures in the developed nation greatly depend on IT.

The economic, social, political, educational, power and other activities depend on Information Technology .


Electric Power Grid System


Internet

1.0 Introduction (cont’d)Internet is now a very

powerful tool for trade, national and financial development, it is the largest computer network in the world comprising of smaller networks, forming the backbone for data transmission across the whole world because of the level of its great redundancy. (SecurityFocus, 2008).


Information Warfare in Energy Sectors Examples In June 2007, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leaked a video

that showed how researchers launched a simulated attack that brought down a diesel electrical generator, leaving it coughing in a cloud of smoke, through a remote hack that was dubbed the Aurora vulnerability.

In January 2008, a CIA analyst revealed that a number of cyber attacks had cut power to several cities outside the U.S.

In May 2008, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a scathing report on the number of security vulnerabilities at the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public power company.

In April 2009, The Wall Street Journal reported, according to unnamed current and former national security officials, that Russian and Chinese attackers penetrated the U.S. power grid, installing malware that could potentially be used to disrupt delivery.

In July 2009, NERC CSO Michael Assante told the House subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cyber security, and Science and Technology, “Cyber threats to control systems are


1.0 Introduction (cont’d)Today, information war and

cyber-war cover wide area of conflict types ranging from economic, social, political, and civilian to military scopes. Cyber warfare is generally referred to as the use of information technology devices to wedge war in a communication medium.


1.0 Introduction (cont’d)Cyber criminals now targets

national infrastructures, such as public electricity system, transportation, energy, oil and gas system, finance and banking system, mass media, and military command and control (Wik, 2000).


The impact of the information warfare and its associated risk is very high based on the incident reports to Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center (CERT/CC) (CERT Statistics, 2009).

1.0 Introduction (cont’d)Computers now controls most of the civilian and

military infrastructure, including communication, power systems, and over two million computers are being used by the military (Melnick, 2007).

Libicki (1995) stated, information warfare is a military word which can be categorized into; Psychological warfare, intelligence-based warfare,Electronic warfare, cyber-warfare, hacker warfare,Command and control warfare, and economic information warfare


1.1 Characteristics of Cyber warTarget exist in Cyberspace with real impact

TelecommunicationComputer NetworkControl Network

WeaponsMalicious SoftwareElectromagnetic pulse (EMP) WeaponsData manipulation and destruction

TechniquesVirtual destruction of target in the cyberspaceDisabling of system softwareOverwhelming of control system


1.1 Characteristics of Cyber war (cont’d)Capital required is small for large impactPhysical risk associated is Low for the cyber criminalRole of media is moderateLegal factor are ill-definedPhysical presence not required for successful attack

(boundary less)Attack can have any effects focused or diffusedTreat created are in the virtual and physical


2.0 Definitions of Information Warfare

Haeni (1997) define IW as; “Actions taken to achieve information superiority by affecting adversary information, information-based processes, information systems, and computer-based networks while defending one's own information, information-based processes, information systems, and computer-based networks”. Other definition used include, “Cyberwar refers to conducting, and preparing to conduct, military operations according to information-related principles.” (Arquilla & Ronfeldt, 1997)The word Netwar was used by refers to information-related conflict at a grand level between nations or societies” (Arquilla & Ronfeldt, 1997)


2.1 Information Warfare Conflicts


2.2 Classification Of Information Warfare


3.0 Types of Information WarfareOffensive

Information Warfare

Defensive Information Warfare

Passive Information Warfare


3.1 Offensive Information WarfareThis is define as taking full control of the enemy’s information, computer and control systems using information weapons. Offensive Weapons include: computer virus, logic bombs, worms, Trojan horses, back doors, trap doors, chipping, electronic jamming, HERF guns, Nano machines, and microbes (Haeni, 1997). The tools can be in form of software code or hardware device with ability to perform dangerous operation, which can cause partial or total breakdown of the enemy’s computer system, infrastructure or networks.

16Information Warfare, Assurance and Security

3.2 Defensive Information Warfare

The main security measures employed in defensive Information warfare are physical security, electronics countermeasure and encryption methods. Hence protecting system availability and data confidentiality are very important. (Kaomea, n.d). Countermeasures used in modern day Information warfare are intrusion detector systems, antivirus software, encryption, vulnerability scanners and security analysis software (Hrovat, 2001).


3.3 Passive Information Warfare Passive weapons are harmless, consisting of

surveillance equipment used in information warfare, an example is during the building of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow in the 1980s, when the Soviet workers buried thousands of electronic diodes into the concrete slabs for the purpose of secret surveillance. This weaponry does not leave any trace or harmful effect on the victims. (Schwartau, 1996)


3.4 Information WeaponriesA virus is a code fragment that copies itself into a

larger program, modifying that program. A virus executes only when its host program begins to run. The virus then replicates itself, infecting other programs as it reproduces. (Russell & Gangemi, 2006)

A worm is an independent program. It reproduces by copying itself in full-blown fashion from one computer to another, usually over a network. Unlike a virus, it usually doesn't modify other programs. (Russell & Gangemi, 2006)


3.4 Information WeaponriesA Trojan horse is a code fragment that hides inside a

program and performs a disguised function. It's a popular mechanism for disguising a virus or a worm (Russell & Gangemi, 2006)

A bomb is a type of Trojan horse, used to release a virus, a worm or some other system attack. It's either an independent program or a piece of code that's been planted by a system developer or programmer. (Russell & Gangemi, 2006)

Surveillance system, satellites systems, Signals and Human Intelligence(C4ISR and IW, n.d)


3.4 Information Weaponries (cont’d)A trap door, or a back door, is a mechanism that's

built into a system by its designer. The function of a trap door is to give the designer a way to sneak back into the system, circumventing normal system protection. (Russell & Gangemi, 2006)

Chipping is a process of implanting tiny electronics chip into hardware to perform an unexpected function by the manufacturer. The function include sending radio signal to a specific location, total breakdown and unexpected performance when remotely triggered by a specific frequency signal (Haeni, 1997).


3.4 Information Weaponries (cont’d)Nano machine and Microbes; this are special bred

of micro organism and tiny robots with ability to destroy integrated circuits, computer system , buildings or completely shutdown systems

Electronic jamming are used to destruct communication signals or overshadow signal with incorrect information to deceive the audience

High Energy Radio Frequency( HERF) gun and Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) bomb are used to shutdown electronic devices or completely destroy it (Haeni, 1997).


4.0 Information Security MeasuresProtective measure used by civilian security practitioners

are redundancy, alternative procedure and emergency plans (Wik, 2000).

Implementing security policy and guidelines, proper allocation of all resources and training (Wik, 2000).

Access control through the installation of intrusion detector , vulnerability scanners ,firewall systems and network security analyzer (Hrovat, 2001).

Information confidentiality, integrity and availability measure through user authentication, encryption, and installation of antivirus and Internet security software. (Uchida, Sugano, & Andou, 2006).


4.1 Encryption ProgramsCurrently, various types of encryption programs are

being design and used to transmit information securely on the information superhighways by the civilians.

The rapid rate of development of encryption now support the use of strong, powerful encryption to protect private, public communications network and their data storage. There are now better products offering 128bit and 256 bit encryptions making the illegal and unauthorized decryption of transmitted information more difficult (Littleton, 1995).


4.2 Secure Digital CommunicationModern technology in digital communication

has brought a lot of improvement in information in terms encryption as a way of reducing security risk. The new communication utilized digital signatures, thereby preventing unauthorized interception, preserving the confidentiality and integrity of data (Littleton, 1995). Random encryption is used each time the phone is used making guessing the right key to decrypt the signal difficult (Littleton, 1995).


4.3 Redundant Management SystemsIn attempt to reduce security risk, the use of redundant

management systems is employed as way of quick recovery from information security attacks (Littleton, 1995).

Redundancy is defined as the ability of certain components of a system to assume functions of failed components without adversely affecting the performance of the system itself (Matalus & Fiering, 1977).

Building of redundancy in communication path and backing up of all information systems resources is being used by cooperate organization to mitigate risk of system failure since it is rare to attack all the systems at a time.


5.0 Impact of Information Warfare on Energy SectorOne the major responsibility is to “to win the

information war” stated, in the National Military strategy of the United States of February 1995 (DeVries, 1997).

Most Energy power systems and national economy depends greatly only the national information infrastructures due to its automated and network dependent nature. As a result, the national information infrastructures is the centre of all information warfare attack and it depends largely on electric power, computers and telecommunication (Wik, 2000).


National Information Infrastructures


ELECTRIC POWER

TELECOM

COMPUTERS

5.1 Impact of Information Warfare on Private SectorThe world today had moved from agrarian to

industrial and finally to information wave. The most industrial nation’s economy greatly depends on information technology (Knapp & Boulton, 2006).

Computers now control the electric power, telecommunication systems, aviation systems and the financial sector. Medical, business, criminal and other vital records are now stored on the computer systems (National Research Council, 1991).


5.1 Impact of Information Warfare on Private Sector cont’dSince 1994, when hackers attacks military, civilian and

government organizations through the Griffiss Air Force base computers. The major target of cyber terrorist have being on the civilian firms, commercial firms and infrastructures. (Strassmann, 2001).

Corporate espionage rate is rapidly increasing due to the current corporate competition, modern development in IT and miniaturization of digital devices and opening of internal network which make more information available for both the workers and vendors (Knapp & Boulton, 2006).


6.0 Vulnerability Scanners/Tools

Some of the information weaponries used by the military and civilian security practitioners to acquire knowledge about their organizational strategies and plans and security measures to reduce information risks are :

Network Visualisation, Monitors and Sniffers softwares. Like Visio, NetViz, NetPartitioner, NeoTrace, TraceRoute, Ethload, Net Xray, Etherpeak, TCPDump, Snoop, IPWatcher, T-sight and Scott/Tkined

Vulnerability Analysis software. Like ISS Internet Scanner, Kane Security Analyst, Trident IP Toolbox / L3 Expert, Security Profile Inspector (SPI), SNI Ballista and SATAN

Intrusion detection software. Like RealSecure, NetRanger, Stalker/CyberCop, Intruder Alert, Network Flight Recorder, SHADOW and NIDS

Exploitation software. Like NTSecurity, RootShell, Offline NT Password Utility, Lopht Heavy Industries, AntiOnline, Insecure/Fyodor , TCPwrappers, Tripwire, COPS, crack, LophtCrack and ScanNT


7.0 ConclusionThe increasing over dependency of our economy and

infrastructures on IT system created a high level of security risks resulting from inexpensive cost of cyber attacks is of great concerns to both the public, private and military sectors. Information warfare is a two edged sword, a country capable of waging IW is also very vulnerability. Currently, security treat are more then the solution we have and the cost of preventing information warfare is far beyond the cost of the attack. It is therefore necessary for the government and agency in the energy sector to be more committed and defensive.


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Information warfare, assurance and security in the energy sectors

Technology

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