Would FIM Catch It? — TechKnowSurge

About this interactive

An attacker who compromises a web application often changes files: the code, which lives in files, or the settings, which live in files. In the lesson's scenario the attacker replaces files on a hosted application server, so every user who connects gets malicious code. File integrity monitoring (FIM) watches the critical files on each system. A FIM server sends clients to every machine; when a watched file is changed, replaced or added where it should not be, FIM flags it. It is a common feature of SIEMs, which collect the FIM logs alongside everything else. Security+ lists file integrity monitoring among the capabilities that strengthen security. FIM only sees files. Password guessing, data leaving over the network, a flood of traffic, or malware that lives only in memory change no watched file, so other tools have to catch them. (The shared term list names FIM "file integrity management"; the lesson, Security+ and this set use file integrity monitoring.)

What you'll learn

Decide whether file integrity monitoring would flag an event, because a watched file on a system was changed, added or replaced, or whether the event needs a different tool
Explain why attackers who compromise a server often change its code or settings files, and how FIM logs reach the SIEM for analysis

Aligned to

CompTIA Security+

4.5 Given a scenario, modify enterprise capabilities to enhance security.

4.4 Explain security alerting and monitoring concepts and tools.

NIST 800-53

SI-7 Software, Firmware, and Information Integrity

NIST CSF

DE.AE-03 Information is correlated from multiple sources.

CompTIA CySA+

1.3 Given a scenario, use appropriate tools or techniques to determine malicious activity.

ISC2 CISSP

7.2 Conduct logging and monitoring activities

Key terms

Security Information and Event Management: A system that aggregates and analyzes security event data from across an organization to detect and respond to threats.
Integrity: The assurance that data has not been tampered with and remains accurate and complete.
Baseline: A documented set of minimum security standards or performance metrics used as a reference point.

Topics

File Integrity Monitoring Monitoring Interactive Streak Sort

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