Past CyberCall 2024 (June)

Cybersecurity Challenge

2024 Statements

CS01: Trusted Collaboration Partner Assurance Platform

Challenge

Develop a platform/service that provides assurance of the security posture of the connected systems from partners/vendors. Some expected capabilities are automatically monitor and update of possible incidents in partners/vendors systems, provide secure channels for info exchange and collaboration, and facilitate the identification and remediation of the vulnerabilities of the systems to mitigate risks effectively. This platform/service should assure that all connected systems are at the same security posture that can mitigate the serious threats are prevalent/expected up to the near future.

Background

Today, organisations need collaboration and support of external parties to expand/reach their customers and stakeholders. Evidently, the organisations must connect to each other, which may result in the propagation of attacks to each other. The security posture of one’s organisation is intricately expanded/extended to the security posture of one’s partners/vendors connected systems as well. Assessing the security posture of a system internally usually requires cybersecurity expert to conduct security assessment scans, but some partners/vendors don’t have such in-house cybersecurity expertise to continually monitor and maintain the security posture of their systems. Even if they get attestation reports, these don’t give current/real-time status of the system security state.

Requirements

The solution should contain, but not be limited to the following:

It should have end-to-end coverage of every system connected in the collaboration/ support tasks to understand the threats and/or vulnerabilities as they appear and alert every participant to take necessary actions to minimise the risks. Some of the expected functions are:

It should collect the logs of the system and conduct vulnerability scan of the system.
It should have a backend platform, that allows uploads of the security data collected from the end-point solution.
The backend platform should consolidate the vendor security data and conduct a risk assessment to alert the potential risk/impact, produce a risk score based on an internationally recognised framework, and recommends remediation/mitigation.
The solution should provide an alert when there is a new vulnerability and conduct an assessment on systems to identify which might be affected and at risk.
It might also be extendable to integrate with state-of-the-art/ leading AI-enabled security suite in the market (for example, Microsoft’s Security Copilot, Google’s Cloud Security AI Workbench, etc), using API or other means, to enrich the vulnerability management capability of the platform.
It could be designed with Privacy Enhancing Technology with the option to wipe out the previous end-point results as needed as per user and/or vendor’s request.
The solution should be simple to configure and deploy without the need of cybersecurity professionals.
The solution should be cost effective that can be adopted by Small/Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Cybersecurity Challenge

2024 Statements

CS02: Cross Domain File Transfer to High Trust Network

Challenge

Traditionally, OT environment is standalone and manual processes using portable storage devices is used for data/file transfer to the OT environment. Much of these tasks require external parties to do and consistent and proper access control is necessary. The challenge is to establish a secure environment for cross domain file transfer of files to a high-trust network. This solution will allow the secure transfer of files from external networks to the high-trust network, that comes with access control, encryption, authentication, continuous monitoring and auditing mechanisms. It shall also prevent communications that is initiated from the high trust network to the external network and allow enforcement of policies and rules that govern data sharing between different domains.

Background

Critical Systems like CII needs to be secured by utilising advanced solutions for cross-domain file transfer to a high-trust network. This initiative is critical to protect sensitive government data and ensure that the integrity and confidentiality of information are maintained when files are transferred from external networks. The high-trust network is a critical asset that hosts sensitive information, and it is imperative that the transfer mechanism is robust, secure, and reliable. The solution must be designed to mitigate potential cyber threats and prevent unauthorized access or data breaches. One of the key use case is for sending patch files or malware definitions from an external network to the high trust network.

Requirements

1. Overview of Solution Requirements:

The solution must facilitate the secure transfer of files from external network to one or more high-trust networks.
It must include a comprehensive access control system to manage permissions and ensure that only authorized users can initiate transfers.
The solution must incorporate strong encryption standards to protect data during transit.
It should have a robust authentication mechanism to verify the identity of users and systems involved in the file transfer.
The system must be capable of continuous monitoring and have an auditing mechanism to track all file transfer activities.

2. Access Control:

Define the access control model and specify the granularity of permissions.
Include the ability to manage user roles and access rights.

3. Encryption:

Specify the encryption protocols and standards to be used for securing files during transfer.
Include requirements for end-to-end encryption to prevent data exposure.

4. Authentication:

Detail the authentication methods that will be supported (e.g., multi-factor authentication, public key infrastructure).

5. Continuous Monitoring and Auditing:

Provide specifications for real-time monitoring tools to detect and alert on suspicious activities.
Include requirements for comprehensive logging of all file transfer activities, including timestamps, user identities, file metadata, and transfer status.
Specify the retention period for audit logs and the format in which they should be stored.

6. Prevention of Outbound Communication:

The solution must prevent any initiation of file transfers from the high-trust network to external networks.
Include mechanisms to enforce this policy and detail how violations will be handled.

7. Policy and Rule Enforcement:

Define the framework for creating, managing, and enforcing policies and rules that govern data sharing between different domains.
Include the ability to update and modify policies as per evolving security needs.

8. Compliance and Standards:

To state its expected compliance with relevant International or Singapore security standards.

9. Scalability and Maintenance:

The solution should be scalable to accommodate future growth in data transfer needs.
Include provisions for regular updates, patches, and maintenance activities.

CyberCall 2024 June Edition

2024 June Edition Innovator to be announced

2024 June Edition Challenge Statements

CS01: Trusted Collaboration Partner Assurance Platform

CS02: Cross Domain File transfer to High Trust Network

CS03: Automated Cybersecurity Risk Management for Cloud Application Change Request

CSOC: Open Category

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