Key Challenges and Context
Data breaches and leaks present significant risks to organizations entrusted with safeguarding sensitive information. In this case study, we dive into how our proactive team managed a critical data leak incident for our client.
Through the implementation of effective countermeasures and the establishment of a robust permanent solution, we not only rectified the breach but also fortified our client’s data protection strategies for the future.
Our Approach
Recognizing the importance of our mission, we seamlessly applied Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) principles to navigate the intricate realm of data privacy. With our client at the heart of this incident, we strategically segmented the resolution process into a series of steps and started implementing immediate countermeasures. Leveraging the powerful capabilities of Datadog, we offered a comprehensive approach, that we will dive into.
1. Immediate Countermeasures
- Restricting access to queries: Swiftly responding to the data security issue, we immediately restricted access to the specific query involved. By ensuring only authorized administrators could access logs linked to the affected service, we mitigated potential risks swiftly. This quick action acted as an initial line of defense, curtailing unauthorized access while our comprehensive solution took shape.
- Revoking unnecessary admin access: Our understanding of privilege minimization as a defense mechanism led us to revoke unnecessary admin access. This proactive step significantly reduced the likelihood of unauthorized access, effectively diminishing the threat of breaches originating from elevated accounts.
- Engaging Datadog support: Recognizing the urgency and intricacy of the situation, we initiated a support ticket with Datadog. This collaborative approach ensured that Datadog’s experts were well-informed about the incident, enabling a thorough investigation. This collaboration strengthened our access controls, identified vulnerabilities, and streamlined the efficiency of our response.
2. Permanent Solution at Datadog Side
- Implementing a sensitive scanner: To reinforce data protection, we introduced a Sensitive Scanner encompassing 40 distinct categories. This automated tool detected and highlighted sensitive information within logs, spanning personally identifiable information (PII) and financial data. This proactive shield provided robust defense against potential data leaks.
- Redaction mechanisms for sensitive data: Building on our commitment to data security, we implemented redaction mechanisms as a lasting solution. This entailed replacing sensitive data with masked values, rendering it indecipherable to unauthorized users. This approach guaranteed that even if data were to be accessed, it remained unintelligible, preventing inadvertent exposure.
- Dashboard for sensitive info listing: A comprehensive dashboard was developed to list all types of sensitive information leaked based on the services involved. This provided the team with a clear overview of the extent and nature of the data leak.
- Evolving sensitivity scanning: Acknowledging the evolving nature of data leaks, we consistently refined our sensitivity scanning process. By enhancing the regular expressions (REGEX) applied to scan multiple fields, we expedited the detection of new types of sensitive information. This dynamic approach bolstered our comprehensive data protection strategy.
3. Additional Security Measures
- Masking archived logs in S3: To further secure archived logs in S3, the team implemented a masking mechanism. Even if someone attempted to rehydrate the logs, the sensitive data would remain redacted and masked. We ended up cleaning the data for the entire month to ensure that all the information in the archives were compliant.
- Notifying app teams via dashboard: The team took the initiative to inform all relevant app teams based on the dashboard’s insights. This empowered the respective teams to review and fix their code, ensuring no sensitive information was inadvertently logged.
- Linking services to monitors: To enhance incident response capabilities, the team is working on linking services to monitors. Whenever an application is identified in the sensitive scanner, Datadog would trigger alerts as incidents, enabling a swift response to any potential data leak.
- Restricted rehydration for specific service: To provide an extra layer of security, rehydration for the specific service involved in the data leak was restricted. This ensured that even if the data was somehow accessed again, sensitive information would remain hidden.
Conclusion
By leveraging Datadog‘s capabilities, the team successfully tackled the data leak by implementing immediate countermeasures and a permanent solution.
With ongoing efforts to improve data security and educate app teams on best practices, the team demonstrated its commitment to safeguarding valuable data from potential threats.
