por Do you want to learn what osquery is and what it is used for? software in cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity defense is usually divided into layers, which correspond to each of the elements that, broadly speaking, make up a system.. Now, it is worth clarifying that each of these layers can be divided into several subcomponents. However, when talking about protection measures, they focus on the following parts of a computer system:
Cloud. Network. The device. The application. The data.
For each of these layers there are special security measures. For the cloud, for example, there is the hardening; For devices, there are antivirus and EDR; for applications, there are updates and security patches; For data, there are cryptographic algorithms that protect it from threats.
Now, when talking about network security, there is a great diversity of tools that can be used together to offer a higher level of security. In these cases, in particular, are used software or safety devices, such as firewalls and IDS/IPS.
The firewalls They are network devices that allow you to monitor all traffic and filter some threats. The IDS/IPS (Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems) They analyze network behavior based on programmable rules, which serves to automate the response to known threats.
In this post, we will talk about a software which is used, especially, for network security, but which is not classified as a firewall or an IDS/IPS. On the contrary, it serves to complement these two. Next, we will explain What is osquery and what is it used for in cybersecurity?.
What is osquery?
Osquery it’s a software free code developed by Facebook (currently called Meta) that, as its name suggests, allows you to send requests to operating systems connected to a network, in order to obtain valuable information about them. That is, through these requests it is possible to detect and analyze all the devices that are connected to an internal network. Therefore, it is a software high capacity that allows finding vulnerabilities in said devices.
Osquery then allows you to perform a kind of scan on the technology and conditions of the devices that are connected (directly or remotely) to the network. Thus, cyber attackers can be detected, as well as security flaws present in these devices, which endanger others.. Some of these vulnerabilities may be related to outdated versions or the absence of existing security patches.
When learning what osquery is, you will find that its main disadvantage is that relies on pre-existing rules to detect anomalies in the analyzed devices. In other words, they only allow you to find known flaws, which do not represent the same level of risk as zero-day vulnerabilities.
Other cybersecurity measures
We have already seen what osquery is, why it is used in cybersecurity and, also, what its limitations are. As we said in the introduction, Network security depends on the application of various measures and techniques, which are articulated in an organized manner with each other.. Therefore, below, we will mention some of the most important measures:
HIDS: Host-based Intrusion Detection Systems allow users’ devices to be used as IDS, that is, as information collection systems about intruders and threats.
NIDS: Network-based Intrusion Detection Systems are installed at the network level and allow all traffic to be analyzed in search of anomalies to generate alerts and send them to a centralized location.
Artificial intelligence: All the tools we have seen previously need pre-established programmed rules, in order to detect pre-existing threats. Now, if you want to automatically treat zero-day threats, it is necessary to implement advanced measures. To do this, artificial intelligence is used, which learns from scratch what the normal state of a network is with the aim of diagnosing anomalies.
How to learn more?
After reading this article you already know what osquery is and what its function is in the world of computer security. Now, if you want to go a step further and learn more about Blue Team techniques and tactics, the Full Stack Cybersecurity Bootcamp is perfect for you. With the guidance of this intensive and comprehensive training you can become an expert in the world in just a few months. Do you want to boost your life and enhance your IT career? Enter now to request more information!