SECURING FIBRE CHANNEL FABRICS - Brocade

Types of ThreatsOne significant threat is the widespread availability of open sourcesoftware that has hidden malware built into the application. Peer-topeer(P2P) sites used for sharing software, music, and video files arerenowned for installing spyware (malware that captures informationand relays it back to another computer) on the unsuspecting downloader'scomputer. Some spyware may contain key-logging software tocapture key strokes from the remote user for the purpose of obtainingpasswords, account numbers, and other sensitive private information.In the case of a SAN, it is possible that a computer used to manage aSAN is infected with spyware. The information collected by the spywarecould be used later to compromise the entire SAN and its data.Threats from the Human ElementBy far, the greatest threat to an IT system is the human element. Ultimately,people create the technology used to attack IT systems.Individuals that attack systems fall into two basic categories: insiders(employees or persons authorized to have access to facilities or systems)and outsiders. There are two subcategories for each based onintent: malicious and non-malicious. Table 7 lists the common threatsfound in each category.Table 1. Classification of human threatsMaliciousInternal• Disgruntled employees• Contract workers• Third-party providers/vendors• Opportunity•Coercion• Financial gainExternal•Hackers•Industrial espionage• Cyber-terrorists•Criminals•Curious individuals• Script kiddies (a pejorativeterm used byhackers to describethose who use technologydeveloped by othersto attack computer systemsand networks)Securing Fibre Channel Fabrics 53