To disable user account passwords on an Amazon EC2 Linux instance, Simon should use the

command passwd -L . Here's the detailed explanation:

passwd Command: The passwd command is used to update a user's authentication tokens

(passwords).

-L Option: The -L option is used to lock the password of the specified user account, effectively

disabling the password without deleting the user account itself.

Security Measure: Disabling passwords ensures that the user cannot authenticate using a password,

thereby enhancing the security of the instance.

Reference:

AWS Documentation: Securing Access to Amazon EC2 Instances

Linux man-pages: passwd(1)

:

The Security Command Center (SCC) in Google Cloud provides various services to detect and manage

security risks. Among the options provided, Security Health Analytics is the built-in feature that

utilizes behavioral signals to detect security abnormalities.

Security Health Analytics: It is a service within SCC that performs automated security scans of Google

Cloud resources to detect misconfigurations and compliance violations with respect to established

security benchmarks1.

Detection Capabilities: Security Health Analytics can identify a range of security issues, including

misconfigured network settings, insufficient access controls, and potential data exfiltration activities.

It helps in detecting unusual activity that could indicate a security threat1.

Behavioral Signals: By analyzing behavioral signals, Security Health Analytics can detect anomalies

that may signify leaked credentials or other security risks in virtual machines or GCP projects1.

Why Not the Others?:

Anomaly Detector is not a specific feature within SCC.

Cloud Armor is primarily a network security service that provides protection against DDoS attacks

and other web-based threats, not specifically for detecting security abnormalities based on

behavioral signals.

Cloud Anomaly Detection is not listed as a built-in feature in the SCC documentation.

Reference:

Google Cloud Documentation: Security Command Center overview1.

Google Cloud Blog: Investigate threats surfaced in Google Cloud’s Security Command Center2.

Making Science Blog: Security Command Center: Strengthen your company’s security with Google

Cloud3.

When an IT company suspects that a VM called Ubuntu18 in the Production-group has been

compromised, it is essential to perform a forensic investigation. The process of taking a snapshot and

ensuring its integrity and accessibility involves several steps:

Snapshot Creation: First, create a snapshot of the OS disk of the suspect VM, named ubuntudisksnap.

This snapshot is a point-in-time copy of the VM's disk, ensuring that all data at that moment is

captured.

Snapshot Security: Next, to transfer this snapshot securely to a storage account under the Security-

group, a shared access signature (SAS) needs to be generated. A SAS provides delegated access to

Azure storage resources without exposing the storage account keys.

Data Transfer: With the SAS token, the snapshot can be securely copied to a storage account in the

Security-group. This method ensures that only authorized personnel can access the snapshot for

further investigation.

Further Analysis: After copying the snapshot, it can be mounted onto a forensic workstation for

detailed examination. This step involves examining the contents of the snapshot for any malicious

activity or artifacts left by the attacker.

Generating a shared access signature is a critical step in ensuring that the snapshot can be securely

accessed and transferred without compromising the integrity and security of the data.

Reference:

Microsoft Azure Documentation on Shared Access Signatures (SAS)

Azure Security Best Practices and Patterns

Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Security Guidance for Critical Areas of Focus in Cloud Computing

:

In a VMware virtualization environment, to connect a virtual machine (VM) directly to a Logical Unit

Number (LUN) and access it from a Storage Area Network (SAN), the appropriate storage option is

Raw Device Mapping (RDM), which is also referred to as Raw Storage.

Raw Device Mapping (RDM): RDM is a feature in VMware that allows a VM to directly access and

manage a storage device. It provides a mechanism for a VM to have direct access to a LUN on the

SAN1.

LUN Accessibility: By using RDM, Elaine can map a SAN LUN directly to a VM. This allows the VM to

access the LUN at a lower level than the file system, which is necessary for certain data-intensive

operations2.

Disaster Recovery Automation: RDM can be particularly useful in disaster recovery scenarios where

direct access to the storage device is required for replication or other automation workflows1.

VMware Compatibility: RDM is compatible with VMware vSphere and is commonly used in

environments where control over the storage is managed at the VM level1.

Reference:

Connecting a VM directly to a LUN using RDM is a common practice in VMware environments,

especially when there is a need for storage operations that require more control than what is

provided by file-level storage. It is a suitable option for organizations looking to extend their storage

capacity and automate disaster recovery workflows12.

In the Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) cloud computing service model, the cloud service provider is

responsible for managing the infrastructure, which includes the operating system, hypervisor,

physical infrastructure, and network security. At the same time, the customer is responsible for

managing user access, applications, and data security.

Cloud Service Provider Responsibilities: In IaaS, the provider is responsible for the physical hardware,

storage, and networking capabilities. They also ensure the virtualization layer or hypervisor is secure.

Customer Responsibilities: The customer, on the other hand, manages the operating system,

middleware, runtime, applications, and data. This includes securing user access and application-level

security measures.

Flexibility and Control: IaaS offers customers a high degree of flexibility and control over their

environments, allowing them to install any required platforms or applications.

Examples of IaaS: Services such as Amazon EC2, Google Compute Engine, and Microsoft Azure Virtual

Machines are examples of IaaS offerings.

Reference:

The shared responsibility model is a fundamental principle in cloud computing that outlines the

security obligations of the cloud service provider and the customer to ensure accountability and

security in the cloud. In the IaaS model, while the cloud provider ensures the infrastructure is secure,

the customer must secure the components they manage.

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Cloud Computing Standards: Cloud computing standards are essential for ensuring consistency and

interoperability among different cloud service providers1.

Homogeneity in Operations: Maintaining homogeneity in operations across various cloud platforms

requires a standard that provides frameworks and architectures specific to cloud computing1.

NIST’s Role: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a cloud

computing standards roadmap that includes frameworks and architectures for cloud computing. This

roadmap aims to promote cloud computing standards and ensure homogeneity in operations1.

CPU Speed Measurement: NIST’s standards can help organizations like AZS to have a consistent

approach to measuring CPU speed across different cloud providers, despite the different units of

measurement used by AWS, Google, and Microsoft1.

Exclusion of Other Options: While other organizations like DMTF and CSA contribute to cloud

standards, NIST is specifically recognized for its work in creating a comprehensive framework that

addresses the need for homogeneity in cloud operations1.

Reference:

NIST Cloud Computing Standards Roadmap1.

:

When Ray Nicholson, the senior cloud security engineer, identifies that an attacker has compromised

a particular virtual machine (VM) using an Intrusion Detection System (IDS), his priority is to limit the

scope of the incident and protect other resources in the cloud environment. Turning off the

compromised VM may seem like an immediate protective action, but it has significant implications:

Shutdown Impact: When a VM is turned off, its current state and all volatile data in the RAM are lost.

This includes any data that might be crucial for forensic analysis, such as the attacker's tools and

running processes.

Forensic Data Loss: Critical evidence needed for a thorough investigation, such as memory dumps,

active network connections, and ephemeral data, will no longer be accessible.

Data Persistence: While some data is stored in the Virtual Hard Disk (VHD), not all of the forensic data

can be retrieved from the disk image alone. Live analysis often provides insights that cannot be

captured from static data.

Thus, by turning off the VM, Ray risks losing essential forensic data that is necessary for a complete

investigation into the incident.

Reference:

NIST SP 800-86: Guide to Integrating Forensic Techniques into Incident Response

AWS Cloud Security Best Practices

Azure Security Documentation