Speaker:
Russel Waymire
Sandia

Abstract:

The Information Design Assurance Red(IDART) methodology is optimized to evaluate system designs and identifyvulnerabilities by adopting, in detail, the varying perspectives of a system'smost likely adversaries. The results provide system owners with anattacker's-eye view of their system's strengths and weaknesses.

IDART can be applied to a diversityof complex networks, systems, and applications, including those that mix cybertechnology with industrial machinery or other equipment. The methodology can be used throughout asystem's lifecycle but the assessments are less expensive and more beneficialduring design and development, when weaknesses can be found and mitigated moreeasily.

Developed at Sandia NationalLaboratories in the mid-1990s and updated frequently, the IDART framework isNIST-recognized and designed for repeatability and measurable results. Atypical assessment includes the following high-level activities:Characterizing the target system and its architecture
Identifying nightmare consequences
Analyzing the system for security strengths and weaknesses
Identifying potential vulnerabilities that could lead to nightmare consequences
Documenting results and providing prioritized mitigation strategies

IDART assessors think likeadversaries. To do this, they first develop a range of categorical profiles or"models" of a system's most likely attackers. Factors include an adversary's specificcapabilities (i.e., domain knowledge, access, resources) as well as intangiblessuch as motivation and risk tolerance. The assessment team then uses this adversariallens to measure the risks posed by system weaknesses and to prioritizemitigations.

For efficiency and thoroughness, IDART relies on a free exchange ofinformation. System personnel sharedocumentation and participate in discussions that help assessors efficientlyfind as many attack paths as possible. In turn, the IDART team is transparent in conducting its assessmentactivities, giving system owners greater confidence in the work and theresulting analysis.

All of these traits combine to make IDART a highly flexible tool. The methodology helps system owners identifycritical vulnerabilities, understand adversary threats, and weigh appropriatestrategies for delivering components, systems, and plans that are botheffective and secure.

About:

Russel Waymire is a manager at Sandia National Laboratories in the area of Cyber-Physical Security. Mr. Waymire has over 25 years of experience in the design, implementation, testing, reverse engineering, and securing of software and hardware systems in IT and OT environments. Mr. Waymire began his career as a software developer at Honeywell Defense Avionic Systems in Albuquerque New Mexico, where he developed the requirements, design, implementation, and testing of software for a variety of platforms that included the F-15, C-27J, KC-10, C-130, and the C5 aircraft. He then went on to Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque New Mexico where he has had an opportunity to work on a wide range of projects including algorithms in combinatorial optimization, software development for mod-sim force-on-force interactions and cognition/AI development, satellite software for operational systems in orbit, cyber vulnerability assessments for various US government agencies, and cyber physical assessments for numerous foreign partners that included physical and cyber upgrades at nuclear power plants and research reactors worldwide. Russel currently uses his experience and insights to lead a team researching innovative ways to protect critical infrastructure, space systems, and other high-consequence operational technologies.

The weekly security seminar has been held every semester since spring of 1992. We invite personnel at Purdue and visitors from outside to present on topics of particular interest to them in the areas of computer and network security, computer crime investigation, information warfare, information ethics, public policy for computing and security, the computing "underground," and other related topics. More info