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Cyberdefense students using PKI
From: InfoSec News <isn () C4I ORG>
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 03:39:05 -0600
http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2001/0219/web-pki-02-21-01.asp BY Bill Murray 02/21/2001 Students and alumni of the Defense Departments school to train investigators in computer crime techniques are using public-key infrastructure technology to communicate via a private Web site. The Defense Computer Investigations Training Program in Linthicum, Md., started handing out digital certificates to its students two weeks ago, said Greg Redfern, the programs executive director. Students receive Common Access Cards, which they use to access the Web site by placing them into a PC card reader, Redfern said. Such "smart cards" feature a bar code, a magnetic strip and an embedded chip. Once they access the site, users can chat with fellow students and graduates of the program, find out about course updates and engage in threaded discussions. All data on the site is sensitive but at the unclassified level or below, Redfern said. Because the Web site has a .gov address rather than a .mil one, users can access the site through any domain. Access was a key issue because some state and local law enforcement officials are involved in DCITP, and some users will want to access the site from their home PCs via a commercial Internet service provider. "Were ahead of DOD" in using PKI technology, Redfern said. "They sent training and reviewed our network topology. They scrubbed us" for security vulnerabilities. A "black hat" team of hackers from Computer Sciences Corp. battled DCITPs "white hat" protectors of the Web site to find any systems vulnerabilities. Symantec Corp.s Raptor Firewalls protect the system, which also features 128-bit encryption, said Darren Keil, a network security administrator at DCITP. A Secure Sockets Layer link encrypts the Web sites transmissions. More than 1,300 DOD, federal, state and local law enforcement officials took DCITPs course during the past 18 months. The programs basic course enables students to conduct forensic investigations on computers by taking them apart and putting them back together. ISN is hosted by SecurityFocus.com --- To unsubscribe email LISTSERV () SecurityFocus com with a message body of "SIGNOFF ISN".
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