Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Proposal Calls for Quick Response to Flaw Discoveries

    Written by

    Dennis Fisher
    Published February 25, 2002
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      A proposal for a new process for disclosing security vulnerabilities has reignited the old debate over how flaws should be published and whether theres any way to actually regulate the process.

      The document, titled “Responsible Disclosure Process,” outlines a detailed, step-by-step process for everyone involved in the discovery and reporting of vulnerabilities—including researchers, vendors and third-party security experts.

      Written by Chris Wysopal, director of research and development at @stake Inc. in Cambridge, Mass., and Steve Christey, lead information security engineer at The Mitre Corp., based in Bedford, Mass., the document was forwarded to the Internet Engineering Task Force last week.

      Its release comes at a time when the security community is struggling to find a common policy for vulnerability disclosure that is acceptable to everyone involved. This is a goal that many acknowledge may be unrealistic, considering the vastly differing motivations of the various players.

      The Wysopal and Christey document, known as an Internet-Draft in IETF terminology, suggests that vendors work closely with the researchers who discover security flaws and to keep them updated as the company works on a patch or workaround for the vulnerability. Specifically, the proposal asks that vendors acknowledge receipt of the vulnerability report within seven days and provide a detailed response to the allegation within 10 days.

      The document also suggests that the vendor contact the person who found the flaw, called a “reporter” in the document, every seven days during the patch-research process and try to resolve the vulnerability within 30 days.

      The proposal also lays out specific behavior for the “reporters,” a group that includes legitimate security researchers in corporate labs, teenage hackers, researchers at security vendors looking for free publicity and any number of other participants.

      However, some critics say the proposal is too detailed and lacks a set of consequences for researchers and vendors who fail to adhere to it.

      “In general I think its too detailed and long, fails to define repercussions if its not adhered to, puts too much onus on vendors and fails to put enough responsibility on discoverers,” said Russ Cooper, surgeon general at TruSecure Corp., based in Herndon, Va. “In my mind you have to penalize those people who perpetrate attacks, and those people who dont adequately secure the systems and networks they own or run. You crack down at the ISPs and make them do more to limit the effects of globally disseminated information.”

      But, Wysopal says, this proposal wasnt the place to discuss those issues.

      “Thats not really an appropriate thing to do in a document like this,” Wysopal said. “Its just trying to document the best practices. Something thats a loose best practices document is the best were going to do right now.”

      The relationship and interaction—or lack thereof—between vendors and researchers is often the main reason why documents like Wysopal and Christies are needed. In a grab for publicity and/or business, researchers often release details of vulnerabilities before patches are available, infuriating vendors and endangering users whose systems are left open to attack.

      The Internet-Draft encourages reporters to work closely with vendors and grant them time extensions for producing patches if they feel the vendors are working in good faith to fix the problem.

      If the IETF approves the proposal, which expires in six months, it would move on to the RFC (request for comments) stage, a prelude to becoming a standard. Wysopal said he has gotten a lot of feedback on the draft, some from people who worry that it will stir government interest in regulating the security industry.

      “This is an effort to have a little more self-policing in the industry. I dont think its going to affect the governments interest one way or the other,” Wysopal said. “If it is used as the basis for government regulation, at least the security industry will have an inside track with that effort.”

      Dennis Fisher
      Dennis Fisher

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.