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What if we had multiple sandboxes instead? Then we could make the rogue malware 'think' it has escaped by using a decoy environment, and then it has to break an

What if we had multiple sandboxes instead? Then we could make the rogue malware 'think' it has escaped by using a decoy environment, and then it has to break another sandbox. Having just one sandbox is a SPOF and once that's breached, it's fair game. (Good) security has always been about /layers/ of security.

klabb3 5y ago
Is layering always more secure? Layering may create more complexity in the system overall (usually bad for security) and spreads efforts thinner if you are maintaining both sandboxes. What's the difference between good and bad layering?
- spansoa 5y ago
  > Layering may create more complexity in the system overall Have you ever heard of the `swiss cheese method of security`, where each slice of cheese has a hole in it? The idea being: each slice may have a hole, but when sandwiched together, the route of entry is blocked. I've heard the adage: 'complexity enlarges the attack surface' before, but not in all cases especially. Sometimes security 'maxims' get in the way of security.
saagarjha 5y ago
This wouldn't help, because malware developers have access to iOS and can see the implementation of multiple sandboxes.
- d110af5ccf 5y ago
  Also it's fencepost security. Doing the exact same thing because "more is better" without a concrete reason why the additional copies would change the outcome. If the outer sandbox is the same as the inner one, why wouldn't the malware break through immediately? If it's different in some way, why not apply those additional mitigations to the inner one?
  - spansoa 5y ago
    Have you ever heard of the `swiss cheese method of security`, where each slice of cheese has a hole in it? The idea being: each slice may have a hole, but when sandwiched together, the route of entry is blocked. I've heard the adage: 'complexity enlarges the attack surface' before, but not in all cases especially. Sometimes security 'maxims' get in the way of security.

klabb3 5y ago

Is layering always more secure? Layering may create more complexity in the system overall (usually bad for security) and spreads efforts thinner if you are maintaining both sandboxes. What's the difference between good and bad layering?

spansoa 5y ago
> Layering may create more complexity in the system overall Have you ever heard of the `swiss cheese method of security`, where each slice of cheese has a hole in it? The idea being: each slice may have a hole, but when sandwiched together, the route of entry is blocked. I've heard the adage: 'complexity enlarges the attack surface' before, but not in all cases especially. Sometimes security 'maxims' get in the way of security.

saagarjha 5y ago

This wouldn't help, because malware developers have access to iOS and can see the implementation of multiple sandboxes.

d110af5ccf 5y ago
Also it's fencepost security. Doing the exact same thing because "more is better" without a concrete reason why the additional copies would change the outcome. If the outer sandbox is the same as the inner one, why wouldn't the malware break through immediately? If it's different in some way, why not apply those additional mitigations to the inner one?
- spansoa 5y ago
  Have you ever heard of the `swiss cheese method of security`, where each slice of cheese has a hole in it? The idea being: each slice may have a hole, but when sandwiched together, the route of entry is blocked. I've heard the adage: 'complexity enlarges the attack surface' before, but not in all cases especially. Sometimes security 'maxims' get in the way of security.