security : Java Glossary

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security
Relative Danger Books
Java Security Learning More
Digital Signing And Encryption Schemes Links
Security Holes

Relative Danger

The most dangerous things are at the top:

  1. Opening a file attached to an email, even if at first glance it does not appear to be an executable exe, msi, scr, bat
  2. Installing a program from a lesser known source, usually a zip or exe. Even if a PADSite like CNet verifies it is virus free, it can still do damage.
  3. Running anything in your browser from a disreputable/porn site. Don’t accept improved drivers etc.
  4. Running an self-signed Applet.
  5. Running a signed Applet
  6. Installing an program directly from an established company such as O&O.
  7. Installing an program directly from a well-known company such as Adobe. Getting it from a third party pirate is suicide.
  8. Installing an open source program directly from the authors.
  9. Running JavaScript
  10. Running an unsigned Applet.

Because installing apps is so common, most people think it is the safest. Not so. An installer or installed app can do anything it wants to any file on your computer. Because of rumours and misunderstanding, people are most afraid of unsigned Java Applets, which are actually the safest form of code. They are much safer than signed Applets. Signed Applet because the identity of the author is assured, are trusted to do almost anything an exe file can do. Unsigned Applets are severely restricted by the sandbox they run in. The restrictions are so onerous that many programmers complained they were too strict. Conversely they think installed exe file must be the safest, simply because they are so common. The industry should have a rating system easy for consumers to understand.

Java Security

Java has features to prevent Applets downloaded off the web from doing any deliberate damage. It also has features to prevent ordinary applications from inadvertently doing damage. One other aspect of security are digital signatures so that you can ensure an Applet came unmodified from a reputable source.

Digital Signing And Encryption Schemes

There are many digital signing and encryption protocols. Here is a summary based on a table on page 218 of Web Security & Commerce.

System What is it? Algorithms Provides
DNSSEC Secure Domain Name System RSA (Rivest, Shamir and Adelman), MD5 (Message Digest algorithm 5) Authentication, integrity
IPsec and IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6) Low-level protocol for encrypting IP (Internet Protocol) packets Diffie-Hellman and others Confidentiality (optional), authentication, integrity
JCE (Java Cryptography Extension) API (Application Programming Interface) from Sun RSA (signature and encryption), RC2, RC5, SHA-0, SHA-1 (Secure Hash Algorithm 1), MD5, DES (Data Encryption Standard) , ECB (Electronic Codebook mode), CBC (Cipher Block Chaining mode), IDEA, Blowfish, Twofish. Allows Java to encrypt and sign files
Kerberos Network security service for securing higher-level applications DES Email passwords, Telnet logins, Confidentiality, authentication
PCT (Private Communication Technology) Protocol for encrypting TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) , IP transmissions. RSA, MD5, RCZ, RC4 and others Confidentiality, authentication, integrity, nonrepudiation
PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) Application program for encrypting electronic mail IDEA, RSA, MD5 Email signing and encryption, File encryption, Confidentiality, authentication, integrity, nonrepudiation
S-HTTP Protocol for encrypting HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) requests and responses RSA, DES and others Confidentiality, authentication, integrity, nonrepudiation; however, it’s obsolete
S/MIME (Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Exchange) Format for encrypting electronic mail User-specified E-mail signing and encryption, Confidentiality, authentication, integrity, nonrepudiation
SET and CyberCash Protocols for sending secure payment instructions over the Internet RSA, MD5, RC2 Confidentiality of credit card numbers, but nothing else; integrity of entire message; authentication of buyer and seller; nonrepudiation of transactions
SSH (Secure Shell) Encrypted remote terminal RSA, Diffie-Hellman, DES , Triple-DES, Blowfish and others Telnet encryption and login, Confidentiality, authentication
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) v3 Protocol for encrypting TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) transmissions RSA, RCZ, RC4, MD5 , and others Website commerce, compression, Confidentiality, authentication, integrity, nonrepudiation
TLS (Transport Layer Security) 1 Protocol for encrypting TCP/IP transmissions a 128-bit improvement on SSL v3. Handles all the SSL v3 protocols including RSA, RCZ, RC4 and MD5. Opera browser, Website commerce, compression, Confidentiality, authentication, integrity, nonrepudiation
Asymmetric Key Uses private and public keys for encryption and signing RSA, DSA (Digital Signature Algorithm) and Diffie Hellman Code signing, encryption, authentication. DSA is the DSA, not used for encryption.
Symmetric Key Uses only secret keys for encryption. DES, Blowfish, TripleDES encryption, authentication. Same key used for encryption must be used for decryption.

Security Holes

Most of the panic news items about the latest security holes do not concern you. The usual simple preventive measures still apply:

You can browser for security at Symantec Find out for example if your browser is secretly blabbing your email address to every website it visits.

Your Java security is only as good as the OS security backing it up. These two websites will probe your OS for security holes and report them back to you. www.DSLREPORTS.com (pay) and grc.com (free). When I ran the GRC (Gibson Research Corporation) ’s report my hair stood on end about all the information NT was blabbing to the universe without my permission.

Windows NT/2000 has over 1000 known security holes. There are ways of plugging some of them. Stat is a tool for managing this giant piece of Swiss cheese.

Books

book cover recommend book⇒The CERT Oracle Secure Coding Standard for Javato book home
by Fred Long, Dhruv Mohindra, Robert C. Seacord, Dean F. Sutherland, David Svoboda 978-0-321-80395-5 paperback
publisher Addison-Wesley Professional 978-0-13-288284-2 WebBook
published 2011-09-18 B005LVNX5W kindle
(SEI Series in Software Engineering) The CERT Oracle Secure Coding Standard for Java provides rules designed to eliminate insecure coding practices that can lead to exploitable vulnerabilities. Application of the standard’s guidelines will lead to higher-quality systems — robust systems that are more resistant to attack. Such guidelines are required for the wide range of products coded in Java — for devices such as PCs, game players, mobile phones, home appliances and automotive electronics.
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German flag amazon.de Chapters Indigo Canadian flag
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Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock. Try looking for it with a bookfinder.
book cover recommend book⇒Web Security, Privacy and Commerce, second editionto book home
by Simson Garfinkel 978-0-596-00045-5 paperback
publisher O’Reilly recommended 978-1-4493-0524-6 eBook
published 2002-01-15 B004V9MQZS kindle
Good for overview, not practical detail. The shark book.
Australian flag abe books anz abe books.ca Canadian flag
German flag abe books.de amazon.ca Canadian flag
German flag amazon.de Chapters Indigo Canadian flag
Spanish flag amazon.es Chapters Indigo eBooks Canadian flag
Spanish flag iberlibro.com abe books.com American flag
French flag abe books.fr amazon.com American flag
French flag amazon.fr Barnes & Noble American flag
Italian flag abe books.it Nook at Barnes & Noble American flag
Italian flag amazon.it Kobo American flag
India flag junglee.com Google play American flag
UK flag abe books.co.uk O’Reilly Safari American flag
UK flag amazon.co.uk Powells American flag
UN flag other stores
Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock. Try looking for it with a bookfinder.

Learning More



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