

Virus Aimed at Iran Infected Chevron Network - rosser
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424127887324894104578107223667421796-lMyQjAxMTAyMDAwODEwNDgyWj.html?mod=wsj_valettop_email

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alecdibble
One quote caught my eye:

    
    
        He said those employees need to understand malware and techniques for fighting it, such as deep-packet inspection, which involves a very detailed examination of traffic on a computer network.
    
        They must also have a deep knowledge of what network traffic should look like. "There are probably only 18 to 20 people in the [U.S.] who have those fundamental skills," Mr. Paller said.
    

His numbers seem WAY off to me. Can anyone support/refute this claim?

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eldondev
Well, the fact that he says "only 18 to 20 people in the [U.S.] who have those
fundamental skills" seems bizarre. If only 18-20 people have them, they're not
fundamental, they're exceptional. On the other hand, he's pretty vague about
those skills specifically. I know a fair number (>> 20, and I'm a recluse) of
people who I could imagine implementing some DPI, and knowing "what looks like
normal internet traffic" isn't that hard. On the other hand, there aren't that
many people doing automated analysis of targeted malware or 0day, in that
context his numbers make more sense (but I would stil call them low). It all
comes down to tradeoffs and skill levels. You can always set a bar of "having
a set of skills" where the skill level is so high that only 20 people have
them. But, most companies aren't doing the bare minimum, and security
professionals are wiley so it might seem to some like there are only 20
people, because they're all quietly employed or enjoyably semi-employed.

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dfc
The skills are "fundamental" because the skills are a necessary condition in
order to complete the project.

fundamental :

adj. a necessary base or core; of central importance: _the protection of
fundamental human rights; interpretation of evidence is fundamental to the
historian's craft._

<Special Usage>

affecting or relating to the essential nature of something or the crucial
point about an issue: _the fundamental problem remains that of the housing
shortage._

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eldondev
So I see from your profile that you're an admitted contrarian, but I'll bite
your troll-bait. I think if only 18-20 people have the skill, then it does not
qualify as a "base or core" skill. The fact that a skill is necessary to
complete a task does not, to me, imply that it is also "of central
importance". Feel free to continue trolling on the matter by yourself.

