Keys Left in the Open
Researchers found more than half a million passwords and keys sitting in public GitHub code, and most had never been cancelled by their owners.
Key terms
AP Cybersecurity alignment
- 5.1.C.1Data security risks can involve a compromise of confidentiality when unauthorized persons can access sensitive data, integrity when data can be manipulated or altered from its intended state, and availability when data can be…Learning objective: Assess and document risks from application and data vulnerabilities.
- 5.4.A.3Once the receiver generates the key pair, the private key must be stored securely. If the private key is exposed, shared, stolen, corrupted, or compromised the key pair must be deleted and a new key pair must be generated,…Learning objective: Determine the appropriate asymmetric key to use when sending or receiving encrypted data.
- 5.5.A.3Secure by design includes the concept of secure by default, which is the idea that security features for software and devices should be enabled by default. Devices and software should be secure to use out of the box, with…Learning objective: Identify the application security principles of secure by design and security by default.
AP Networking alignment
- 1.3.A.2Information gathered from compromised accounts or exposed credentials can be used to commit fraud, make purchases, or apply for loans. Victims may experience credit score damage, financial debt, or long-term identity misuse.Learning objective: Identify the impacts of digital and physical attacks on individual devices.
- 4.5.A.1Unauthorized access, data exposure, or disruption of services can result from accidental or intentional misuse of systems by users. These impacts may occur when individuals access resources beyond their role, mishandle data,…Learning objective: Identify the impacts of common threats and vulnerabilities in a managed network.
- 4.5.B.2Security policies and procedures help reduce user-related vulnerabilities by defining acceptable behaviors and standardizing how systems and data are used. These controls can reduce misconfiguration, mishandling, or improper…Learning objective: Determine appropriate security controls to limit the impacts of common threats and vulnerabilities in a managed network.