Content Disarm & Reconstruction

Last updated

Content Disarm & Reconstruction (CDR) is a computer security technology for removing potentially malicious code from files. Unlike malware analysis, CDR technology does not determine or detect malware's functionality but removes all file components that are not approved within the system's definitions and policies. [1]

Contents

It is used to prevent cyber security threats from entering a corporate network perimeter. Channels that CDR can be used to protect include email and website traffic. Advanced solutions can also provide similar protection on computer endpoints, or cloud email and file sharing services.

There are three levels of CDR; 1) flattening and converting the original file to a PDF, 2) stripping active content while keeping the original file type, and 3) eliminating all file-borne risk while maintaining file type, integrity and active content. Beyond these three levels, there are also more advanced forms of CDR that is able to perform "soft conversion" and "hard conversion", based on the user's preference in balancing usability and security. [2]

Applications

CDR works by processing all incoming files of an enterprise network, deconstructing them, and removing the elements that do not match the file type's standards or set policies. [3] CDR technology then rebuilds the files into clean versions that can be sent on to end users as intended. [4]

Because CDR removes all potentially malicious code, it can be effective against zero-day vulnerabilities that rely on being an unknown threat that other security technologies would need to patch against to maintain protection.

CDR can be used to prevent cyber threats from variety of sources:

CDR can be applied to a variety of file formats including:

Open Source Implementations

See also

Related Research Articles

Malware is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption to a computer, server, client, or computer network, leak private information, gain unauthorized access to information or systems, deprive access to information, or which unknowingly interferes with the user's computer security and privacy. Researchers tend to classify malware into one or more sub-types.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antivirus software</span> Computer software to defend against malicious computer viruses

Antivirus software, also known as anti-malware, is a computer program used to prevent, detect, and remove malware.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ESET</span> Slovak internet security company

ESET, s.r.o., is a software company specializing in cybersecurity. ESET's security products are made in Europe and provide security software in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. Its software is localized into more than 30 languages.

Internet security is a branch of computer security. It encompasses the Internet, browser security, web site security, and network security as it applies to other applications or operating systems as a whole. Its objective is to establish rules and measures to use against attacks over the Internet. The Internet is an inherently insecure channel for information exchange, with high risk of intrusion or fraud, such as phishing, online viruses, trojans, ransomware and worms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microsoft Defender Antivirus</span> Anti-malware software

Microsoft Defender Antivirus is an antivirus software component of Microsoft Windows. It was first released as a downloadable free anti-spyware program for Windows XP and was shipped with Windows Vista and Windows 7. It has evolved into a full antivirus program, replacing Microsoft Security Essentials in Windows 8 or later versions.

Webroot Inc. is an American privately-held cybersecurity software company that provides Internet security for consumers and businesses. The company was founded in Boulder, Colorado, US, and is now headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, and has US operations in San Mateo and San Diego, and globally in Australia, Austria, Ireland, Japan and the United Kingdom.

Data loss prevention (DLP) software detects potential data breaches/data exfiltration transmissions and prevents them by monitoring, detecting and blocking sensitive data while in use, in motion, and at rest.

Ceedo is a cybersecurity company based in Netanya, Israel. Ceedo uses software virtualization technologies to create application containers, claiming to eliminate or reduce endpoint security threats like viruses or ransomware.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symantec Endpoint Protection</span> Computer security software

Symantec Endpoint Protection, developed by Broadcom Inc., is a security software suite that consists of anti-malware, intrusion prevention and firewall features for server and desktop computers. It has the largest market-share of any product for endpoint security.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proofpoint, Inc.</span> American cybersecurity company

Proofpoint, Inc. is an American enterprise cybersecurity company based in Sunnyvale, California that provides software as a service and products for email security, identity threat defense, data loss prevention, electronic discovery, and email archiving.

A supply chain attack is a cyber-attack that seeks to damage an organization by targeting less secure elements in the supply chain. A supply chain attack can occur in any industry, from the financial sector, oil industry, to a government sector. A supply chain attack can happen in software or hardware. Cybercriminals typically tamper with the manufacturing or distribution of a product by installing malware or hardware-based spying components. Symantec's 2019 Internet Security Threat Report states that supply chain attacks increased by 78 percent in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malwarebytes</span> Internet security company

Malwarebytes Inc. is an American Internet security company that specializes in protecting home computers, smartphones, and companies from malware and other threats. It has offices in Santa Clara, California; Clearwater, Florida; Tallinn, Estonia; Bastia Umbra, Italy; and Cork, Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palo Alto Networks</span> American technology company

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. is an American multinational cybersecurity company with headquarters in Santa Clara, California. The core product is a platform that includes advanced firewalls and cloud-based offerings that extend those firewalls to cover other aspects of security. The company serves over 70,000 organizations in over 150 countries, including 85 of the Fortune 100. It is home to the Unit 42 threat research team and hosts the Ignite cybersecurity conference. It is a partner organization of the World Economic Forum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seculert</span> Israeli cloud-based cyber security technology

Seculert was a cloud-based cyber security technology company based in Petah Tikva, Israel. The company's technology was designed to detect breaches and advanced persistent threats (APTs), attacking networks. Seculert's business was based on malware research and the ability to uncover malware that has gone undetected by other traditional measures.

Endpoint security or endpoint protection is an approach to the protection of computer networks that are remotely bridged to client devices. The connection of endpoint devices such as laptops, tablets, mobile phones, Internet-of-things devices, and other wireless devices to corporate networks creates attack paths for security threats. Endpoint security attempts to ensure that such devices follow a definite level of compliance to standards.

Code Shikara is a computer worm, related to the Dorkbot family, that attacks through social engineering.

Browser isolation is a cybersecurity model which aims to physically isolate an internet user's browsing activity away from their local networks and infrastructure. Browser isolation technologies approach this model in different ways, but they all seek to achieve the same goal, effective isolation of the web browser and a user's browsing activity as a method of securing web browsers from browser-based security exploits, as well as web-borne threats such as ransomware and other malware. When a browser isolation technology is delivered to its customers as a cloud hosted service, this is known as remote browser isolation (RBI), a model which enables organizations to deploy a browser isolation solution to their users without managing the associated server infrastructure. There are also client side approaches to browser isolation, based on client-side hypervisors, which do not depend on servers in order to isolate their users browsing activity and the associated risks, instead the activity is virtually isolated on the local host machine. Client-side solutions break the security through physical isolation model, but they do allow the user to avoid the server overhead costs associated with remote browser isolation solutions.

Internet security awareness or Cyber security awareness refers to how much end-users know about the cyber security threats their networks face, the risks they introduce and mitigating security best practices to guide their behavior. End users are considered the weakest link and the primary vulnerability within a network. Since end-users are a major vulnerability, technical means to improve security are not enough. Organizations could also seek to reduce the risk of the human element. This could be accomplished by providing security best practice guidance for end users' awareness of cyber security. Employees could be taught about common threats and how to avoid or mitigate them.

A Highly Evasive Adaptive Threat (HEAT) is a cybersecurity attack type designed to bypass traditional network security defenses. HEAT attacks are designed to find ways around protections that have been in place for years. HEAT attacks are able to bypass typical cybersecurity controls, such as Secure Web Gateways (SWG) and anti-malware capabilities, through malicious links disguised as common URLs that victims assume are safe. HEAT attacks go beyond traditional phishing methods, which have historically been delivered by email, by inserting themselves into links that are not flagged by anti-phishing software. Similar to most cybersecurity threats, the drivers of HEAT attacks are primarily monetary and political. HEAT attacks focus on technical limitations of commonly deployed security tools with the primary target being web browsers. Nation-states and cybercriminals typically use HEAT attacks for phishing attempts or ransomware initial access.

References

  1. Santarcangelo, Michael (April 25, 2016). "Why better security prevention that doesn't rely on detection is possible". CSO Online. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  2. Zaw, Nyan Tun; Soh, Ken (2021-08-18). "Why is CDR / CDNR so important?" . Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  3. "Why Today's Phishing Attacks are Harder to Detect and How Proofpoint Can Help" (PDF). Proofpoint. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  4. Yeroslav, Yakov (2018-07-11). "File-Based Malware: Considering A Different And Specific Security Approach" . Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  5. "DocBleach". GitHub. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
  6. "ExeFilter". decalage.info. Retrieved 2019-05-30.