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Preparing your device for installation of CYSECA Home Edition

Follow the steps in this guide to avoid the most common installation issues when installing an CYSECA application on your Windows PC, and to get optimum performance from your new CYSECA application.

Refer to the relevant section below according to your CYSECA product:

CYSECA Endpoint Application - Home Edition

Why is Application whitelist?

Allow use of selected files based on certain criteria set as policy.

What do we use Application whitelist?

Traditional anti-malware solution that adopts Blacklist approach, are becoming inadequate in facing growing targeted cyber-attacks.
Critical systems are increasingly being targeted resulting in data leakage, locked folders with ransom note, loss of valuable data, use of compromised endpoints as launching pad for malicious activities and more.

What is its use?

Designed to prevent execution of unauthorized application, unknown application, and malware and zero-day malware. It is also to create awareness about cybersecurity to public

System requirements
  1. Check your PC to meet the below minimum specifications:

    Minimum systems requirement

    • Windows 7/8/10/11
    • Windows fully compatible to support.
    • 1GB RAM or above.
    • 1GB free space of storage.
    • Internet connection to download, activate, and maintain application updates and Antivirus database
    • Minimum resolution of 1366x768 pixels
  2. Check your PC is update to latest Windows update.
  3. Check your firewall if necessary.
Installation
  • Pre-Installation
    • Before beginning your installation process, make sure to download the application and locate the path. The installer can be found in Downloads folder. You are required to register before you can download.
    • If you have any existing antivirus software, please uninstall before starting the installation.
  • Installation Procedure

    Ensure that you are connected to the internet for license activation and updating the whitelisting rules.

    • Once everything has been set up, right-click the installer .msi and run as Administrator.
    • You shall see the installation dialogue. Tick the box to accept Terms and Conditions and continue by clicking Next.
    • Enter the license key with the format of "XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX" that has been sent to your registered email after registration.
    • Enter proxy address if necessary.
    • Tick the box to Enable tray on Windows startup. This setting will enable the application to be running in the tray icons. By default, it is enable.
    • Proceed to begin the installation process by clicking Install. Once finish, the CYSECA Home Edition dashboard will be shown and you can take a look around the application to be familiar.
    • When the installation has been completed, you will see the dashboard of the application as shown in the figure below.
    • Verify your license information by clicking the Settings and view your license.
Quick start
In this section, you will be guide through on how to use and get familiar with the application.
  1. Protection Mode

    There are three (3) types of protection mode which has different function and security.

    Audit Mode

    Monitor what the user executes, and the executed application will be listed. In this mode, all application will be allowed. The user can also add the executed application during audit mode into a new custom application.

    Manual Protection

    The user decide which application can be run on the pc. User will be redirected to the rules page if the option is selected. The application in the rules page is fetched from CYSECA Server.

    Auto Protection

    Automatically allow applications that has been deemed safe to run on user computer.

  2. Using Audit Mode

    • Audit mode enables user to execute all application. User can process the recorded application execution and store them in custom application. Note that execution logs will not be updated during audit mode.
    • When using this mode, note that execution logs will not be updated. .
    • Familiarize with Audit Mode using below steps explanation:
    Add an application to a new custom rules.
    • Select Audit Mode

      The highlighted text box above reminds user that in audit mode, execution of files will be recorded, and the user can manually decide whether to add or not the files recorded in custom application rules.

    Execution of application in Audit Mode
    • When the user execute any application installed in their PC, user can click the Process button in the dashboard to see the execution log of the file.

      For this scenario, TeraCopy was used as unknown file to be added into custom rule. When the user clicks on Process button on the right of the user interface, the above menu will appear.

    • User can set the rules name and ensure to click Save for the rules to be recorded by CYSECA.
    Saving and Editing of Custom rules in Audit Mode
    • Saving and editing custom rules can be accessed via App Control > Custom Rules in the menu.
    • In this menu, user can add files, folders and delete added folders which are whitelisted. User also able to export the rules in .csv format. Saved rules from audit mode will also appear here.
    Viewing file and certificate information
    • User can also view file and certificate information, and also check the file whether it is safe or not with VirusTotal.
    • VirusTotal is a webpage where user can search and upload file information to check whether the file is safe for use or not. VirusTotal is trusted by many parties and organization as one of the best place to identify safe and malicious files.
  3. Application Control Workaround

    On the application control menu, user can manage application rules, manage custom rules, and manage exclusion list.

    Application Rules
    • Application rules can be used if the user only select the Manual Protection Mode. Otherwise, this menu cannot be used. Figure below shows the menu.
    • User can search, allow, disallow and refresh the rules list. If the Manage Rules Automatically button is turned on, auto-protection mode will be selected, and these rules will all be allowed automatically. Figure below show how the menu of Application Rules looks like.
    • User is recommended to refresh the rules by clicking the Refresh button to automatically update the rules.
    • If the user made any changes to the rules and not clicking the Save button, user can revert the actions by clicking Revert button. This will undo any changes made.
    • Note that all changes made must be Save in order to run otherwise it will still be blocked. Figure below show allowed application that can be run.
    Custom Rules
    • In this part, user can manually add individual files to allow the application to be run if it is not listed in the rules provided.
    • If the files uploaded with certificates, the files will display as the certificate information.
    • User allowed to drag and drop the files into the box for upload.
    Exclusion
    • User can exclude application from being scanned by CYSECA. Note that CYSECA will totally ignore the files, so please do not exclude malicious application. Figure below shows exclusion page.
    • User can either exclude file or folder. To exclude folder, click on +DIR button and to exclude file, click on +File button.
    History (Execution Logs)
    • Execution log displays all the execution of PE in the agent. User can view, block and allow any file scanned by CYSECA.
    • User can also check file information from the log. Figure below shows the execution logs as well as file information.
    • To Allow or Block an application, simply click the dropdown and choose the options.
    • The file informations can also be checked as shown in figure below by just clicking on the app.
    History (Fileless Logs)
    • Fileless log will display all the execution of scripts/commands in the agent. Note that this will only display pure fileless script. Execution of .vbs, .py, and .ps1 will be shown in file execution logs.
    • What is known as fileless threat?

        Fileless threat is a type of threat that does not come in form of file, instead, it uses memory to store its command. Fileless can come in three (3) types, which are:

      • Type 1: No activity performed

        A fully fileless malware can be considered one that never requires writing a file on the disk. A compromised device may also have malicious code hiding in device firmware (such as a BIOS), a USB peripheral (like the BadUSB attack), or in the firmware of a network card. All these examples do not require a file on the disk to run and can theoretically live only in memory. The malicious code would survive reboots, disk reformats, and OS reinstalls. Infections of this type can be particularly difficult to detect because most antivirus products do not have the capability to inspect firmware. In cases where a product does have the ability to inspect and detect malicious firmware, there are still significant challenges associated with remediation of threats at this level. This type of fileless malware requires high levels of sophistication and often depends on hardware or software configuration. It is not an attack vector that can be exploited easily and reliably. While dangerous, threats of this type are uncommon and not practical for most attacks.

        Type 2: Indirect file activity

        There are other ways that malware can achieve fileless presence on a machine without requiring significant engineering effort. Fileless malware of this type does not directly write files on the file system, but they can end up using files indirectly. This can be considered as common attack type, which is the attacker uses legitimate command/scripts which were whitelisted by windows, such as Powershell, mshta, regsvr32 and wscript/script.

        Type 3: Files required to operate

        Some malwares can have a sort of fileless persistence, but not without using files to operate. This type of attack will set certain verb/keyword which will be invoked by the script to open malicious command through legitimate Windows Shell command, such as mshta or wscript.

    • Figure below show the example of fileless files being recorded in the logs.
  4. Settings function

    In this part, the functionality of the settings are being explained.

    Settings menu
    Real-time Protection
    • This function can be toggle to turn On or Off.
      • - On: Agent will scan and log execution of file.
      • - Off: Agent will not scan any execution of file.
    Fileless Protection
    • This function can be toggle to turn On or Off.
      • - On: Execution of fileless files will be scanned.
      • - Off: Agent will not scan any execution of fileless files.
    Scan Java (*.jar)
    • This function can be toggle to turn On or Off.
      • - On: Agent will scan Java file. If not whitelisted, it will be blocked.
      • - Off: Agent will ignore the Java files.
    USB Read Protection
    • This function can be toggle to turn On or Off.
      • - On: User PC will block any read attempt from the USB devices.
      • - Off: Allow read from the USB devices.
    USB Write Protection
    • This function can be toggle to turn On or Off.
      • - On: User PC will block any write attempt from the USB devices.
      • - Off: Allow write from the USB devices.
    Show Notification
    • This function can be toggle to turn On or Off.
      • - On: Agent will show notification tray when any unknown file is executed.
      • - Off: Disable the tray notification.
    Max. Scan File Size
    • User can set manually the maximum file size for CYSECA to scan. By setting this, CYSECA will only scan file which is less than the maximum size set.
    Auto Update
    • This function can be toggle to turn On, Notify or Off.
      • - On: Agent will automatically update to the latest version if available.
      • - Notify: User will be notify when new update is available and update manually.
      • - Off: The agent will not be automatically update when new version is available.
    Check Update
    • This function will check the version update manually.
    License
    • To show license details of the user.
    Clear cache
    • This will clean all recent files scanned by CYSECA from cache.
  5. Scan the files with CYSECA

    • User can scan file/folder manually by using CYSECA. To perform this action, right click on any file/folder and click on Scan with CYSECA.
    • Scan duration varies according to the size of the file being scanned and the results will be displayed afterward as shown in texample below.
    • User can check the file with VirusTotal. User can also Save/Discard the file. Saved file will be displayed in Custom Rules.
Troubleshooting

What if installation fails?

Please check your PC and ensure it meets the minimum requirements to install.

What if activation is unsuccessful?

Please check your license key sent to your registered email. If you accidentally delete the email, you can retrieve it by Login here.

If you are still unable to activate the license, contact CYSECA Support to further assistance.

For details explanation, you can download the guide here or you can directly contact our Support.

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