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pww.comCisco Systems, Inc. - Special Call - NasdaqGS:CSCO

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Rob Gresham [Executives] 💬

Rob Gresham contributes significantly to the discussion with his insights on threat response strategies and the role of various tools and methodologies in effective cybersecurity defense. Below is a detailed summary of his contributions:

Initial Remarks

  • Welcome and Role: Rob expresses gratitude for being brought onto the team at Happy Puppies, noting his role in leading and building response plans and improving efficiency in the use of available security products.

Discussion on Cyber Defense Philosophy

  • Alignment with Carlos' Philosophy: Rob agrees with Carlos' perspective on the importance of understanding threat intelligence and aligning it with the Pyramid of Pain concept, focusing on tactics and techniques rather than just indicators of compromise (IoCs).

Tools and Methodologies

  • Use of Methodologies: Rob mentions his enthusiasm for using established methodologies and thought processes, such as Winn Schwartau's work on defense architecture, which aligns with Carlos' approach.

Response vs. Prevention

  • Importance of Balance: Rob discusses the challenge of balancing response and prevention, suggesting that too much focus on response can hinder the development of effective detection and prevention strategies.

Active and Passive Countermeasures

  • Countermeasures in Play: Rob introduces the concept of active and passive countermeasures, emphasizing the need for the team to understand and implement countermeasures proactively as attacks occur.

Tools and Data Gaps

  • Bridging Data Gaps: Rob discusses the challenges of dealing with missing data and incomplete visibility, suggesting ways to bridge these gaps, including applying controls in key areas until the architecture can be improved.

Correlation, Aggregation, and Enrichment

  • Contextual Correlation: Rob explains the importance of correlation, aggregation, and enrichment in providing context and understanding the lifecycle of threats. He emphasizes the need for high-quality content and context to enable faster and more effective responses.

ABCs of Objects

  • Behavioral Characteristics: Rob introduces the concept of ABCs of objects (attributes, behaviors, characteristics), highlighting the importance of understanding these elements in enhancing detection and response capabilities.

Tool Demonstration

  • Tool Features: Rob demonstrates a tool that provides an investigation view of an incident, showcasing its capabilities in visualizing the attack timeline and identifying suspicious processes. He discusses the potential of integrating data into this tool to improve incident response.

Investigation and Response

  • Investigation Process: Rob discusses the importance of investigation as part of the response process, emphasizing the need for tools that can stitch together attack sequences and provide a clear understanding of the attack lifecycle.

Response Capabilities

  • Response Workflow: Rob outlines the key components of effective response, including understanding the who, what, and how of an attack to apply appropriate countermeasures. He also discusses the challenges of transitioning between different security tools and the need for standardized workflows.

Generative AI and Automation

  • AI Integration: Rob talks about the potential of generative AI in automating response actions and the importance of standardizing workflows to leverage AI effectively. He mentions the human-machine maturity model as a way to improve collaboration between humans and machines.

Takeaways and Next Steps

  • Takeaways: Rob summarizes the key takeaways from the discussion, including the importance of time-based security in prioritizing prevention, detection, and response actions.

Q&A Session

  • Cisco Product Portfolio: Rob provides examples of how different Cisco products contribute to degrading adversarial impacts, mentioning DNS Umbrella, Secure Cloud Workload, and the integration of Oort for identity management.
  • AI SOC Assistant: Rob discusses the AI SOC assistant and its role in supporting automation and guiding less experienced security professionals through incident response processes.

Closing Remarks

  • Conclusion: Rob concludes by reiterating the alignment of his and Carlos' approaches and expressing optimism about the potential of their collaboration.

These summaries capture the key points and insights shared by Rob Gresham during the discussion.

Mark Watts [Executives] 💬

Mark Watts, an executive at Cisco Systems, Inc., provided opening remarks and instructions for the webinar titled "The Art of Defending: How to Build a Comprehensive Threat Response Strategy." Below is a detailed summary of his statements:

Mark Watts' Statements

  1. Introduction

    • Purpose: Welcome attendees to the webinar.
    • Context: The webinar focuses on building a comprehensive threat response strategy.
    • Webinar Platform: Mentioned that the webinar is hosted on Webex.

  2. Housekeeping Notes

    • Microphone Muting: Informed participants that their microphones are automatically muted.
    • Q&A Panel: Advised attendees to use the Q&A panel for questions. To access it, click the three dots in the lower right corner of the Webex window.
    • Survey: Announced that a survey will automatically appear at the end of the session in the browser. Encouraged attendees to complete the survey for feedback.

  3. Session Handover

    • Speaker Introduction: Passed the session over to Gio Tan, another executive, after covering housekeeping notes.

  4. Conclusion

    • Gratitude: Expressed thanks to attendees for joining the webinar.
    • Survey Reminder: Reminded attendees to complete the confidential survey in the chat panel or the one that pops up in their browser upon exiting.
    • Closing: Wished everyone a great day.

Mark Watts' role primarily involved setting the stage for the webinar and ensuring that attendees were aware of how to engage and provide feedback.

Gio Tan [Cybersecurity Marketing Manager of APAC] 💬

Gio Tan provided the following statements during the transcript:

  1. Introduction and Agenda Setting

    • Introduction: Gio Tan introduced himself and welcomed the attendees to the webinar.
    • Purpose of the Webinar: He explained that the webinar has been recorded ahead of time to ensure a good playback experience for all participants.
    • Q&A Instructions: Gio Tan encouraged attendees to submit questions through the Q&A panel during the webinar.

  2. Overview of Speakers

    • Speakers: Gio Tan introduced Carlos Diaz, a Principal Engineer at Cisco, and Rob Gresham, the Principal Technical Marketing Engineer at Cisco, who would be speaking during the webinar.

  3. Webinar Playback Instructions

    • Playback Instructions: Gio Tan informed the audience that the webinar has been pre-recorded and instructed them to use the Q&A panel for any questions that arise during the playback.

  4. Handover to Playback

    • Playback Handover: Gio Tan handed over to Mark Watts to begin the playback of the recorded webinar.

Here’s a summary of Gio Tan’s statements:

  • Introduction and Welcome: Gio Tan welcomed the attendees and introduced himself.

  • Purpose of the Webinar: He explained the purpose of the webinar, which is to discuss how to build a comprehensive threat response strategy.

  • Pre-Recording Explanation: Gio Tan mentioned that the webinar has been pre-recorded to ensure a good playback experience.

  • Q&A Instructions: Attendees were encouraged to use the Q&A panel for any questions they have during the webinar.

  • Speaker Introduction: Gio Tan introduced Carlos Diaz and Rob Gresham, who would be the main speakers during the webinar.

  • Playback Handover: Gio Tan handed over to Mark Watts to begin the playback of the recorded webinar.

Emma Carpenter [Executives] 💬

Certainly! Here is a detailed summary of what Emma Carpenter, one of the executives at Cisco Systems, Inc., said during the special call on January 23, 2024:

  1. Introduction to the Webinar:

    • Emma Carpenter introduces the webinar, "The Art of Defending: How to Build a Comprehensive Threat Response Strategy."
    • She mentions that the webinar has been pre-recorded to ensure a good playback experience for all participants.

  2. Scenario Setup:

    • Emma sets up a scenario involving two SOC (Security Operations Center) leaders who are tasked by their CIO (Chief Information Officer) to develop a comprehensive threat response strategy.
    • She mentions that Carlos Diaz and Rob Gresham will be leading the discussion and that they are experts at Cisco.

  3. Background Context:

    • Emma explains that the SOC leaders need to present a comprehensive threat response strategy to the Board of Directors to gain approval for the next phase of their security budget.
    • She states that Carlos and Rob will be leading their respective teams in this endeavor.

  4. Question and Answer Session:

    • At the end of the presentation, Emma facilitates a question and answer session.
    • She presents a question regarding how other Cisco products and the whole portfolio help degrade adversarial impacts.
    • She asks Carlos and Rob to provide examples from across the portfolio or product lines.

  5. Final Remarks:

    • Emma thanks everyone for attending the webinar and encourages participants to complete the confidential survey that has been posted in the chat panel and will also pop up in their browser as they exit.

Throughout the call, Emma Carpenter serves primarily as a facilitator, setting the stage for the discussion and providing context for the scenario. She also ensures that the audience has the opportunity to engage with the material through a Q&A session and solicits feedback through a survey.

Carlos Diaz [Executives] 💬

Certainly! Below is a detailed summary of the statements made by Carlos Diaz, a Principal Engineer at Cisco, during the special call:

  1. Introduction and Role at Happy Puppies:

    • Carlos thanked Emma for enlisting his expertise at Happy Puppies.
    • He mentioned that he has been with the company for a month and leads part of the Security Operations Center (SOC).
    • Carlos expressed excitement about working with Rob Gresham to complete an important task.

  2. Philosophy of Defending:

    • Carlos believes that driving security programs requires a unique persona, the cyber defender, who must make key decisions to defend effectively.
    • He emphasized the importance of three strategies: prevention, detection, and response.
    • Carlos stressed the need to be selective about controls applied to the most significant threats to scale the SOC effectively.

  3. Discussion on Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI):

    • Carlos discussed the role of CTI in the defense philosophy, stating that it should enable effective actions in the sequence of an attack.
    • He highlighted the importance of visibility, correlated detection, and the ability to make informed decisions to degrade the impact of attacks.

  4. Effective Security Architecture:

    • Carlos referenced the book "Time Based Security" by Winn Schwartau, which describes an effective security system as one that buys enough time to respond.
    • He shared his assessment of Happy Puppies' security posture, noting a lack of prevention and a reactive approach.
    • Carlos mentioned moving the company from System C (low prevention, high reactivity) to System B (more confident detection, less response).

  5. Attack Lifecycle Progression:

    • Carlos discussed the importance of understanding when to use specific defensive actions (block, restrict, observe) during different stages of the attack lifecycle.
    • He illustrated this concept using the example of Mimikatz, a tool that steals memory credentials, and explained how to dismantle its capabilities by selecting appropriate actions.

  6. Current Technology Assessment:

    • Carlos emphasized the need for flexible and granular access to technology to implement effective defensive playbooks.
    • He highlighted the importance of context in visibility and the use of threat intelligence to make sense of Indicators of Compromise (IOCs).

  7. Correlation Activities:

    • Carlos discussed his ability to perform correlation activities but acknowledged a need for guidance on what to correlate.
    • He expressed openness to Rob's input on how to improve the correlation of data.

  8. Understanding Correlated Context:

    • Carlos recognized the value of correlated context in providing a clear picture of cyber activity.
    • He appreciated the emphasis on behaviors and actions in describing alerts and the relevance of user identities in the context of identity.

  9. Integration with Rob’s Methodology:

    • Carlos agreed with Rob's methodology and its scalability across different domains (e.g., email, DNS, NDR).
    • He expressed confidence in his ability to contextualize telemetry with behaviors and characteristics to build effective defenses.

  10. Response Actions and Tools:

    • Carlos expressed enthusiasm about the correlated context provided by tools like Cisco XDR and the importance of correlation to spot blind spots.
    • He acknowledged the need for high-quality correlated alerts to allow Rob to pivot forward and spot other activities.

  11. Execution Plan:

    • Carlos suggested the need for an execution plan incorporating both philosophies and practical workshops to emulate adversaries.
    • He proposed testing Cisco XDR against emulations to validate its effectiveness.

  12. Takeaways:

    • Carlos summarized his takeaways, including the importance of having the right tools for scalable response actions and the need for correlated and contextualized alerts.

  13. Examples of Cisco Products:

    • Carlos provided examples of Cisco products that help degrade adversarial impacts, such as DNS Umbrella, Secure Cloud Workload, Cisco Secure Endpoint, and Identity Services Engine (ISE).

  14. AI SOC Assistant:

    • Carlos agreed with Rob's explanation of Cisco's AI SOC assistant and its potential to support automation in the SOC.

Throughout the call, Carlos demonstrated his expertise in detection and prevention strategies, emphasizing the importance of a proactive and scalable approach to security.