Novacoast Development
UCSB Capstone Project
Eron Howard, VP Development
David Parker, Research & Development
2007 Novacoast Inc
www.novacoast.com
Novacoast Overview
Focus Areas (Practices):
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2007 Novacoast Inc
Systems Integrity
Security, Identity Management
Data Center Solutions
Availability
Productivity Solutions
Resource Management, Training
Product Development
VoiceRD, Castor, Zorro
Product fulfillment
Software Acquisition
www.novacoast.com
Novacoast Overview
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Company Overview
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90+ employees.
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Spread across 16 states.
HQ in Santa Barbara..
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Offices in Portland, Cincinnati, Philadelphia.
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Opening New York.
Just celebrated 11 years anniversary.
Development Team
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18 developers.
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100% UCSB CS, CE, & CCS graduates.
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Santa Barbara based.
2007 Novacoast Inc
www.novacoast.com
Novacoast Development
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Types of Projects
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Web application Development.
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System Integration Programming.
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Programming support for Security practice.
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Product Development.
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VoiceRD Enterprise Open Source VOIP
Examples of Clients (http://www.novacoast.com/clients.php)
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Indigo Systems (Flir), Santa Barbara Bank & Trust
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Academy of Motion Pictures, Sony Pictures
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Walmart, Toyota USA, Cingular
2007 Novacoast Inc
www.novacoast.com
Novacoast Development
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Software
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100% Linux
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Open Source
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Best of Breed
Programming languages
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Anything non-Microsoft
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The best tool for the job
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(Python, PHP, XSLT...)
2007 Novacoast Inc
www.novacoast.com
CAPSTONE
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Capstone Projects
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1) VOIP Video Conferencing
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2) Distributed Security Auditor
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Tools for rapid security assessments on large networks.
3) Linux Time Machine
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Allows users to login, change system settings, transfer calls, check
voicemail.
Powerful backup technology completely hidden behind simple intuitive user
interfaces.
4) Present your own project.
2007 Novacoast Inc
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Software only.
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Potentially open sourced.
www.novacoast.com
VOIP Video Conferencing
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Conference User features:
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Users on a conference call can
enable video.
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Application displays all users on
the conference who have video
enabled.
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Whoever is talking is highlighted or
larger.
Conference Admin features:
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Caller ID for users.
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Mute/Unmute users.
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Kick users.
2007 Novacoast Inc
www.novacoast.com
VOIP Video Conferencing
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2007 Novacoast Inc
Technologies required:
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VoiceRD Open Source PBX
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Asterisk video conferencing API
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FLEX 3 gui design tools.
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PHP SOAP Interface.
Conference Admin features:
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Caller ID for users.
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Mute/Unmute users.
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Kick users.
www.novacoast.com
VOIP Video Conferencing
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Project details:
1) Build a GUI using Flex 3 designer
which generates MXML / actionscript.
2) Develop web services layer using
PHP with all functionality abstracted
out.
3) Use Asterisk Video API to implement
backend functionality.
2007 Novacoast Inc
www.novacoast.com
Distributed Security Auditor
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Security assessments: internal,
external, apps
Knowing no special information,
break into systems like a hacker
would
Obtain passwords, company
data, CC numbers...
Document holes and make
recommendations
2007 Novacoast Inc
www.novacoast.com
Distributed Security Auditor
2007 Novacoast Inc
www.novacoast.com
Distributed Security Auditor
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Used to quickly assess the
security of hosts on a network
(and the network itself)
Automates common
information gathering and
scripted attacks
Communication: P2P with
other hosts and client/server
with the management console
2007 Novacoast Inc
www.novacoast.com
DSA Architecture
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Lightweight agent
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Installs and runs silently, cross platform and self contained
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Talks to management console and other agents
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Can download files, execute commands, and send back results
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Extended with plugins that are downloaded on the fly, each of which performs a
specific task or attack
Rule-based attack engine
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Aggregates data coming back from the agents
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Constructs a big picture of the network's security
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Decides how, when, and where to attack
Management console GUI
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Python? Web-based with PHP and Flex? Java?
2007 Novacoast Inc
www.novacoast.com
DSA Functionality
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Tasks that the attack engine can “push” to agents:
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List users and groups, security policies
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Create new user
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Dump password hashes
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List shared folders, running services, open ports
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Sniff network traffic
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Dump SQL databases or LDAP queries
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Take screenshots and log keystrokes of the active user
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Read bookmarks and saved browser passwords for web admin tools
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Set up ad-hoc VPN tunnel from the internal network to a management console on
the Internet
2007 Novacoast Inc
www.novacoast.com
Linux Time Machine
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Powerful backup technology
has been around for ages but
nobody uses it
Make backups completely selfmaintaining, painless, and easy
Cross platform backup tool
under the hood, web-based
configuration tool visible to
users
2007 Novacoast Inc
www.novacoast.com
Linux Time Machine
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Backups can be stored to a locally plugged in USB disk or across the
network to a file server
Snapshots are taken efficiently, storing the changes of files instead of
the entire files themselves
Restoring to a previous point in time is possible because snapshots
are independent
Open source tools to do all of the above are already available and just
need a good UI to tie them together
We can extend the idea to a network-aware Time Machine for both
desktops and servers, managing backups for multiple systems
2007 Novacoast Inc
www.novacoast.com
Linux Time Machine
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Web based framework
for building a backup &
restore UI that is easy to
use
Automatically pops up
when a backup drive is
hotplugged with USB
In a network
environment, admins can
manage backups for
everyone
2007 Novacoast Inc
www.novacoast.com
CAPSTONE
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What we will provide for you:
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VOIP Project – VOIP phones and cameras.
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Security Auditor – help with tools and techniques used during real world security
assessments
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Linux Time Machine – access to a graphics designer for designing the UI
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Development servers and QA lab.
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Our years of experience with running and managing open source projects.
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Access to our entire development team's technical expertise for questions and
design advice.
2007 Novacoast Inc
www.novacoast.com