1 1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:00,990 In this lesson, 2 2 00:00:00,990 --> 00:00:02,010 we're going to dig into the world 3 3 00:00:02,010 --> 00:00:04,680 of APIs, webhooks, and plugins. 4 4 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:06,930 First, let's cover APIs. 5 5 00:00:06,930 --> 00:00:09,660 An API, or application programming interface, 6 6 00:00:09,660 --> 00:00:11,460 is a set of protocols and routines 7 7 00:00:11,460 --> 00:00:14,370 for building and interacting with software applications. 8 8 00:00:14,370 --> 00:00:15,210 Essentially, 9 9 00:00:15,210 --> 00:00:17,910 it serves as an intermediary between different systems, 10 10 00:00:17,910 --> 00:00:19,200 allowing them to communicate 11 11 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:20,970 and exchange data with each other. 12 12 00:00:20,970 --> 00:00:22,260 This is a key concept 13 13 00:00:22,260 --> 00:00:24,990 when discussing the use of service-oriented architectures 14 14 00:00:24,990 --> 00:00:26,610 to be able to include different systems 15 15 00:00:26,610 --> 00:00:28,530 and piece them all together. 16 16 00:00:28,530 --> 00:00:31,440 APIs allow for automated administration, management, 17 17 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:32,910 and monitoring of cloud services, 18 18 00:00:32,910 --> 00:00:36,000 as well as many other different types of applications. 19 19 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:36,900 They are typically built 20 20 00:00:36,900 --> 00:00:39,300 using either the representational state transfer, 21 21 00:00:39,300 --> 00:00:40,230 known as REST, 22 22 00:00:40,230 --> 00:00:42,360 or the Simple Object Access Protocol, 23 23 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:43,650 known as SOAP. 24 24 00:00:43,650 --> 00:00:45,210 When considering APIs, 25 25 00:00:45,210 --> 00:00:46,890 it's always important to think about their role 26 26 00:00:46,890 --> 00:00:48,630 in the integration that you're going to create 27 27 00:00:48,630 --> 00:00:50,760 because APIs allow for direct integration 28 28 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:52,620 of different third-party applications 29 29 00:00:52,620 --> 00:00:54,360 into your own web applications, 30 30 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:55,680 and they provide a means 31 31 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:57,480 for integrating different cloud services 32 32 00:00:57,480 --> 00:00:59,850 by configuring, provisioning, and automating 33 33 00:00:59,850 --> 00:01:02,340 a bunch of different business functions for us. 34 34 00:01:02,340 --> 00:01:05,070 For example, in my own company, Dion Training, 35 35 00:01:05,070 --> 00:01:07,410 we utilize a centralized service management tool 36 36 00:01:07,410 --> 00:01:08,940 known as Freshdesk. 37 37 00:01:08,940 --> 00:01:11,610 This is a commercially available and proprietary product 38 38 00:01:11,610 --> 00:01:13,050 that we use to track and answer 39 39 00:01:13,050 --> 00:01:14,310 questions and trouble tickets 40 40 00:01:14,310 --> 00:01:15,510 from our students. 41 41 00:01:15,510 --> 00:01:18,780 So, if you email support@diontraining.com, 42 42 00:01:18,780 --> 00:01:21,000 it's actually going to go into our Freshdesk system 43 43 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:22,230 that receives your email. 44 44 00:01:22,230 --> 00:01:24,720 It parses it, creates a support ticket for you, 45 45 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:26,670 and sends you an automatic reply 46 46 00:01:26,670 --> 00:01:28,710 to let you know we received your email. 47 47 00:01:28,710 --> 00:01:30,630 Then our student support analysts 48 48 00:01:30,630 --> 00:01:32,280 are going to work on answering your questions 49 49 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:33,540 and supporting your needs 50 50 00:01:33,540 --> 00:01:35,670 by using our Freshdesk system. 51 51 00:01:35,670 --> 00:01:37,200 But we have a lot of students 52 52 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:39,870 who take our courses on other sites like Udemy. 53 53 00:01:39,870 --> 00:01:41,400 And if you post a question on Udemy 54 54 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:43,230 in their Q&A section of the course, 55 55 00:01:43,230 --> 00:01:44,820 they actually don't even send us an email 56 56 00:01:44,820 --> 00:01:46,590 to tell us you posted a question. 57 57 00:01:46,590 --> 00:01:48,330 And this is a really big problem for us 58 58 00:01:48,330 --> 00:01:50,700 because we have about a million students on Udemy, 59 59 00:01:50,700 --> 00:01:52,170 and trying to answer all those questions 60 60 00:01:52,170 --> 00:01:54,090 directly in the Udemy Q&A system 61 61 00:01:54,090 --> 00:01:56,100 would be really inefficient for our team, 62 62 00:01:56,100 --> 00:01:57,210 and we don't even know 63 63 00:01:57,210 --> 00:01:58,350 when one of those happens 64 64 00:01:58,350 --> 00:02:00,270 because they don't tell us by email. 65 65 00:02:00,270 --> 00:02:03,360 So, instead, we use Udemy's API 66 66 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:05,790 to be able to ask and check for any new questions 67 67 00:02:05,790 --> 00:02:07,410 about every four hours. 68 68 00:02:07,410 --> 00:02:08,520 If we find one, 69 69 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:09,870 then we parse that information, 70 70 00:02:09,870 --> 00:02:12,030 create a ticket inside of our Freshdesk system, 71 71 00:02:12,030 --> 00:02:13,260 and our student support analysts 72 72 00:02:13,260 --> 00:02:16,080 can see it and answer it directly within Freshdesk. 73 73 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:17,610 Now, once they answer it, 74 74 00:02:17,610 --> 00:02:19,350 Freshdesk is actually going to send a response 75 75 00:02:19,350 --> 00:02:20,970 back to our automation code 76 76 00:02:20,970 --> 00:02:22,200 that uses a webhook. 77 77 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:23,970 And then this allows us to send that response 78 78 00:02:23,970 --> 00:02:25,890 all the way back to Udemy's API 79 79 00:02:25,890 --> 00:02:27,330 as the response to your question, 80 80 00:02:27,330 --> 00:02:29,837 and then it gets posted inside Udemy's Q&A 81 81 00:02:29,837 --> 00:02:31,500 inside of their website. 82 82 00:02:31,500 --> 00:02:34,020 For you, it looks like I went into the Udemy website 83 83 00:02:34,020 --> 00:02:35,730 and answered it directly on Udemy, 84 84 00:02:35,730 --> 00:02:36,563 but for us, 85 85 00:02:36,563 --> 00:02:38,040 it's much easier and quicker 86 86 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:40,890 and allows us to manage all these questions at scale 87 87 00:02:40,890 --> 00:02:43,440 to help all of our students much more quickly. 88 88 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:44,940 Now, in order to do all of this, 89 89 00:02:44,940 --> 00:02:46,560 we have to have a syncing function 90 90 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:48,360 that occurs every four hours or so 91 91 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:50,340 to check for new questions from our students, 92 92 00:02:50,340 --> 00:02:52,410 and then we check the answers from our team 93 93 00:02:52,410 --> 00:02:55,350 and post them back as responses to those questions. 94 94 00:02:55,350 --> 00:02:57,690 All of this was done by writing a small program 95 95 00:02:57,690 --> 00:03:00,270 of about 50 to 100 lines of Python code. 96 96 00:03:00,270 --> 00:03:02,460 And we actually connect to both APIs, 97 97 00:03:02,460 --> 00:03:04,770 one for Freshdesk to create those tickets, 98 98 00:03:04,770 --> 00:03:07,020 and one for Udemy to get those questions. 99 99 00:03:07,020 --> 00:03:08,550 And then in the reverse order, 100 100 00:03:08,550 --> 00:03:09,870 getting the answer from Freshdesk 101 101 00:03:09,870 --> 00:03:13,050 and pushing it back to the Udemy question as an answer. 102 102 00:03:13,050 --> 00:03:14,040 This allows us to manage 103 103 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,410 both of these two different cloud systems directly 104 104 00:03:16,410 --> 00:03:18,330 because everything is just an API call, 105 105 00:03:18,330 --> 00:03:20,100 either to Freshdesk or Udemy 106 106 00:03:20,100 --> 00:03:22,770 depending on the direction of that information flow. 107 107 00:03:22,770 --> 00:03:25,500 Now, this is just one example of how APIs can be used 108 108 00:03:25,500 --> 00:03:26,550 to improve efficiency 109 109 00:03:26,550 --> 00:03:29,130 and aid in the integration of different systems. 110 110 00:03:29,130 --> 00:03:30,810 Using an API will give you the ability 111 111 00:03:30,810 --> 00:03:32,520 to call on somebody else's function 112 112 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:34,500 and let them do all the hard work for you 113 113 00:03:34,500 --> 00:03:37,350 rather than having to build out the entire service yourself. 114 114 00:03:37,350 --> 00:03:38,550 And this, at essence, 115 115 00:03:38,550 --> 00:03:39,570 is what we're talking about 116 116 00:03:39,570 --> 00:03:41,820 with a service-oriented architecture. 117 117 00:03:41,820 --> 00:03:43,770 Now, this isn't the only example of an API 118 118 00:03:43,770 --> 00:03:45,510 that we use inside of our company. 119 119 00:03:45,510 --> 00:03:46,650 Another great example 120 120 00:03:46,650 --> 00:03:47,760 is the API we use 121 121 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:50,520 to access our online cloud-based services 122 122 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,490 with the integration of our hands-on cloud-based labs 123 123 00:03:53,490 --> 00:03:56,160 for all of our courses at diontraining.com. 124 124 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:58,410 When you take a course at diontraining.com, 125 125 00:03:58,410 --> 00:03:59,460 we actually have labs 126 126 00:03:59,460 --> 00:04:01,260 that are directly built into our course, 127 127 00:04:01,260 --> 00:04:03,060 but we didn't build those labs. 128 128 00:04:03,060 --> 00:04:05,280 So, if you're taking a CompTIA course 129 129 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:06,840 at diontraining.com, 130 130 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:08,250 you're going to get all the video lessons, 131 131 00:04:08,250 --> 00:04:10,680 the study guide, the quizzes, and the practice exams 132 132 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:12,960 that Dion Training created for our courses. 133 133 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,000 But it also comes with labs, 134 134 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:16,710 and we don't build those labs ourself. 135 135 00:04:16,710 --> 00:04:18,240 Instead, we're integrating 136 136 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:20,100 the CompTIA CertMaster lab product 137 137 00:04:20,100 --> 00:04:22,410 directly into your course experience. 138 138 00:04:22,410 --> 00:04:23,370 Now, as a student, 139 139 00:04:23,370 --> 00:04:25,110 when you're going through our course on our website, 140 140 00:04:25,110 --> 00:04:27,510 it looks like it's all one big product to you. 141 141 00:04:27,510 --> 00:04:28,650 You're going through the videos, 142 142 00:04:28,650 --> 00:04:29,760 you're going through the articles, 143 143 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:30,690 you're going through the quizzes, 144 144 00:04:30,690 --> 00:04:32,640 and eventually you'll hit the different labs 145 145 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:33,900 in the right places. 146 146 00:04:33,900 --> 00:04:35,070 When you reach a lab, 147 147 00:04:35,070 --> 00:04:36,540 you'll have a short description of the lab 148 148 00:04:36,540 --> 00:04:38,820 and a link that you'll click to open up that lab. 149 149 00:04:38,820 --> 00:04:40,260 When you click on that link, 150 150 00:04:40,260 --> 00:04:43,230 it's actually going to send the information over an API 151 151 00:04:43,230 --> 00:04:44,610 with which lab to start up, 152 152 00:04:44,610 --> 00:04:46,200 which student is requesting the lab, 153 153 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:47,250 which course it's for, 154 154 00:04:47,250 --> 00:04:49,800 and which lesson it's actually associated with. 155 155 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:52,380 And all that gets sent to our lab partner system. 156 156 00:04:52,380 --> 00:04:55,170 They then respond back with the right lab for you 157 157 00:04:55,170 --> 00:04:57,270 and allow you to be able to actually use it. 158 158 00:04:57,270 --> 00:04:59,070 Now, when you're working with APIs, 159 159 00:04:59,070 --> 00:05:00,690 there are lots of different tools you can use 160 160 00:05:00,690 --> 00:05:03,240 to test these out as a cybersecurity analyst. 161 161 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:05,160 One such tool is known as curl, 162 162 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:08,190 and curl is used to transfer data from one server to another 163 163 00:05:08,190 --> 00:05:09,870 using any supported protocol, 164 164 00:05:09,870 --> 00:05:12,690 including HTTP, HTTPS, 165 165 00:05:12,690 --> 00:05:14,820 FTP, FTPS, 166 166 00:05:14,820 --> 00:05:16,950 SCP, SFTP, 167 167 00:05:16,950 --> 00:05:19,457 TFTP, DICT, 168 168 00:05:19,457 --> 00:05:22,290 TELNET, LDAP, or FILE. 169 169 00:05:22,290 --> 00:05:23,610 As a cybersecurity analyst, 170 170 00:05:23,610 --> 00:05:25,260 if you want to test an API, 171 171 00:05:25,260 --> 00:05:28,380 you're going to use a command like curl --data 172 172 00:05:28,380 --> 00:05:30,660 in order to send data like your first name and last name 173 173 00:05:30,660 --> 00:05:31,770 over to a server. 174 174 00:05:31,770 --> 00:05:32,603 And then the server 175 175 00:05:32,603 --> 00:05:34,350 can return a list of arguments and fields 176 176 00:05:34,350 --> 00:05:36,450 that come back from that API. 177 177 00:05:36,450 --> 00:05:37,350 This allows you to ensure 178 178 00:05:37,350 --> 00:05:39,600 that the API calls are being programmed correctly 179 179 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:41,820 and that you're getting the expected responses. 180 180 00:05:41,820 --> 00:05:42,690 In this case, 181 181 00:05:42,690 --> 00:05:44,910 I'm sending first name equals Boolean 182 182 00:05:44,910 --> 00:05:46,800 and last name equals world. 183 183 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:48,450 And where I'm sending it in this case 184 184 00:05:48,450 --> 00:05:53,450 is https://httpbin.org/post. 185 185 00:05:53,910 --> 00:05:55,230 When I send that information, 186 186 00:05:55,230 --> 00:05:56,610 what am I going to get back? 187 187 00:05:56,610 --> 00:05:58,260 Well, I'm going to get back the list 188 188 00:05:58,260 --> 00:05:59,670 that you see here on the screen, 189 189 00:05:59,670 --> 00:06:01,470 which includes a list of arguments and fields 190 190 00:06:01,470 --> 00:06:03,960 that come back from that particular API. 191 191 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:05,430 This allows you to send data over 192 192 00:06:05,430 --> 00:06:07,260 and then see what comes back. 193 193 00:06:07,260 --> 00:06:09,900 Next, we need to discuss the use of webhooks. 194 194 00:06:09,900 --> 00:06:12,300 Now, webhooks and APIs are both commonly used 195 195 00:06:12,300 --> 00:06:14,160 in the development of software applications, 196 196 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:16,110 but they are fundamentally different 197 197 00:06:16,110 --> 00:06:18,630 in terms of their purpose and functionality. 198 198 00:06:18,630 --> 00:06:22,020 Remember, an API, or application programming interface, 199 199 00:06:22,020 --> 00:06:23,550 is a set of protocols and routines 200 200 00:06:23,550 --> 00:06:26,160 for building and interacting with software applications. 201 201 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:28,680 And essentially it serves as this intermediary 202 202 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:29,970 between different systems 203 203 00:06:29,970 --> 00:06:31,140 and allows them to communicate 204 204 00:06:31,140 --> 00:06:33,150 and exchange data with each other. 205 205 00:06:33,150 --> 00:06:33,983 On the other hand, 206 206 00:06:33,983 --> 00:06:35,970 a webhook is a way for one application 207 207 00:06:35,970 --> 00:06:37,320 to provide other applications 208 208 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:39,180 with real-time information. 209 209 00:06:39,180 --> 00:06:40,013 Instead of the client 210 210 00:06:40,013 --> 00:06:41,880 having to repeatedly check for updates, 211 211 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:43,980 the server sends a message, or payload, 212 212 00:06:43,980 --> 00:06:44,813 over to the client 213 213 00:06:44,813 --> 00:06:46,800 when an event of interest occurs. 214 214 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:50,400 Webhooks can use the HTTP or HTTPS protocols 215 215 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:51,810 just like an API does. 216 216 00:06:51,810 --> 00:06:54,450 But rather than the client pulling the data, 217 217 00:06:54,450 --> 00:06:57,240 the server is actually pushing the data to the client. 218 218 00:06:57,240 --> 00:06:58,110 In this way, 219 219 00:06:58,110 --> 00:06:59,880 webhooks are more like notifications 220 220 00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:01,200 than a traditional API call 221 221 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:03,450 where you have to request the information. 222 222 00:07:03,450 --> 00:07:04,800 Now, webhooks are usually set up 223 223 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:06,990 to listen for specific events to occur, 224 224 00:07:06,990 --> 00:07:09,210 such as an item being added to a shopping cart, 225 225 00:07:09,210 --> 00:07:10,470 a payment being processed, 226 226 00:07:10,470 --> 00:07:13,260 or a message being sent in a chat application. 227 227 00:07:13,260 --> 00:07:15,450 Once that event has been detected as happening, 228 228 00:07:15,450 --> 00:07:16,860 the webhook will then send a message 229 229 00:07:16,860 --> 00:07:18,930 containing information about that event 230 230 00:07:18,930 --> 00:07:21,000 over to a specific URL. 231 231 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,070 This URL can be a server or an endpoint 232 232 00:07:23,070 --> 00:07:24,330 that belongs to the client, 233 233 00:07:24,330 --> 00:07:26,010 or it can be a third-party service 234 234 00:07:26,010 --> 00:07:27,180 that can handle the payload 235 235 00:07:27,180 --> 00:07:29,160 and take the appropriate action. 236 236 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:30,630 Webhooks are particularly useful 237 237 00:07:30,630 --> 00:07:33,420 in situations where real-time information is critical 238 238 00:07:33,420 --> 00:07:35,970 and where low latency is necessary. 239 239 00:07:35,970 --> 00:07:36,840 For example, 240 240 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:39,330 if you go over to diontraining.com/vouchers 241 241 00:07:39,330 --> 00:07:41,580 to purchase a certification exam voucher, 242 242 00:07:41,580 --> 00:07:43,020 when your credit card is validated 243 243 00:07:43,020 --> 00:07:44,370 and the payment is received, 244 244 00:07:44,370 --> 00:07:46,680 our credit card processor sends a webhook 245 245 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:48,390 to our voucher-issuing system 246 246 00:07:48,390 --> 00:07:50,100 so we know your payment was made 247 247 00:07:50,100 --> 00:07:52,350 and we can now issue your exam voucher. 248 248 00:07:52,350 --> 00:07:54,420 Instead of simply waiting to request the information 249 249 00:07:54,420 --> 00:07:56,400 using an API to our credit card processor 250 250 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:57,660 like once an hour, 251 251 00:07:57,660 --> 00:07:59,310 we instead can use the webhook 252 252 00:07:59,310 --> 00:08:01,200 so we get notified in real time, 253 253 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:02,730 and we can then issue that voucher to you 254 254 00:08:02,730 --> 00:08:04,260 as soon as possible. 255 255 00:08:04,260 --> 00:08:06,390 By using webhooks instead of an API, 256 256 00:08:06,390 --> 00:08:08,310 our vouchers are usually issued to our students 257 257 00:08:08,310 --> 00:08:09,450 within a few minutes, 258 258 00:08:09,450 --> 00:08:11,340 instead of a few hours or a few days 259 259 00:08:11,340 --> 00:08:13,320 like some other companies out there. 260 260 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:14,550 Now, in terms of usage, 261 261 00:08:14,550 --> 00:08:16,770 webhooks are generally easier to set up and use 262 262 00:08:16,770 --> 00:08:18,360 than a traditional API. 263 263 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:20,820 These webhooks rely on the server pushing data 264 264 00:08:20,820 --> 00:08:22,410 instead of a client pulling data, 265 265 00:08:22,410 --> 00:08:24,240 and therefore they don't require the client 266 266 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:26,250 to repeatedly check for updates. 267 267 00:08:26,250 --> 00:08:27,210 This means that the client 268 268 00:08:27,210 --> 00:08:29,280 can focus on handling data it receives 269 269 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:30,510 instead of spending resources 270 270 00:08:30,510 --> 00:08:31,567 on constantly asking, 271 271 00:08:31,567 --> 00:08:32,407 "Is there a new update? 272 272 00:08:32,407 --> 00:08:33,960 "Has something changed?" 273 273 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,240 Additionally, because webhooks are event-driven, 274 274 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:37,200 they're usually less likely 275 275 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:39,990 to suffer from problems of over-fetching or under-fetching 276 276 00:08:39,990 --> 00:08:42,210 that can plague traditional APIs. 277 277 00:08:42,210 --> 00:08:43,050 Now, remember, 278 278 00:08:43,050 --> 00:08:45,360 APIs and webhooks are two different ways 279 279 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:47,790 of allowing systems to communicate with each other. 280 280 00:08:47,790 --> 00:08:49,020 While APIs provide a way 281 281 00:08:49,020 --> 00:08:51,480 for a client to request information from a server, 282 282 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:52,950 webhooks provide a way for the server 283 283 00:08:52,950 --> 00:08:54,600 to proactively push information 284 284 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:56,880 over to the the client in real time. 285 285 00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:59,400 Finally, we need to discuss plugins. 286 286 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:02,130 Now, plugins are also known as connectors or add-ons, 287 287 00:09:02,130 --> 00:09:04,110 and they're usually used to extend the functionality 288 288 00:09:04,110 --> 00:09:06,150 of some kind of software program. 289 289 00:09:06,150 --> 00:09:07,560 These plugins will allow users 290 290 00:09:07,560 --> 00:09:08,700 to customize and enhance 291 291 00:09:08,700 --> 00:09:10,290 the capabilities of their software 292 292 00:09:10,290 --> 00:09:12,810 to meet their specific needs and requirements. 293 293 00:09:12,810 --> 00:09:13,920 Plugins are commonly used 294 294 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:15,390 with many of the tools you're going to use 295 295 00:09:15,390 --> 00:09:16,920 as a cybersecurity analyst, 296 296 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:20,040 including things like SIEMs and vulnerability scanners. 297 297 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:20,873 For example, 298 298 00:09:20,873 --> 00:09:21,930 if you're using a SIEM, 299 299 00:09:21,930 --> 00:09:23,220 a plugin can be used to integrate 300 300 00:09:23,220 --> 00:09:25,350 with other security tools and technologies, 301 301 00:09:25,350 --> 00:09:26,730 such as your firewall logs, 302 302 00:09:26,730 --> 00:09:28,290 your intrusion detection systems, 303 303 00:09:28,290 --> 00:09:30,300 and your endpoint security solutions. 304 304 00:09:30,300 --> 00:09:31,260 This allows the SIEM 305 305 00:09:31,260 --> 00:09:32,460 to collect and analyze data 306 306 00:09:32,460 --> 00:09:33,930 from a variety of sources 307 307 00:09:33,930 --> 00:09:35,490 and provides a more comprehensive view 308 308 00:09:35,490 --> 00:09:37,890 of your organization's security posture. 309 309 00:09:37,890 --> 00:09:39,630 Another example would be a plugin 310 310 00:09:39,630 --> 00:09:41,430 that's used to collect logs from a firewall 311 311 00:09:41,430 --> 00:09:43,800 and then forwards them to the SIEM for analysis. 312 312 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:44,633 This allows the SIEM 313 313 00:09:44,633 --> 00:09:46,080 to then correlate events from the firewall 314 314 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:47,460 with other security events, 315 315 00:09:47,460 --> 00:09:48,690 such as intrusion attempts, 316 316 00:09:48,690 --> 00:09:51,420 to detect and respond to those potential threats. 317 317 00:09:51,420 --> 00:09:53,220 Vulnerability scanners, on the other hand, 318 318 00:09:53,220 --> 00:09:54,330 also use plugins, 319 319 00:09:54,330 --> 00:09:56,190 but they use 'em a little bit differently. 320 320 00:09:56,190 --> 00:09:58,080 A vulnerability scanner will use plugins 321 321 00:09:58,080 --> 00:09:59,520 to add support for specific types 322 322 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:01,230 of devices and applications. 323 323 00:10:01,230 --> 00:10:02,130 For example, 324 324 00:10:02,130 --> 00:10:03,870 a vulnerability scanner may have a plugin 325 325 00:10:03,870 --> 00:10:05,400 for all of your Windows tools, 326 326 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:06,870 another one for your Linux tools, 327 327 00:10:06,870 --> 00:10:08,940 and yet another one for mobile devices. 328 328 00:10:08,940 --> 00:10:10,380 This allows the vulnerability scanner 329 329 00:10:10,380 --> 00:10:13,140 to assess those devices for specific vulnerabilities 330 330 00:10:13,140 --> 00:10:14,520 based on those plugins 331 331 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:16,350 and then provide you with actionable information 332 332 00:10:16,350 --> 00:10:18,120 on how to remediate them. 333 333 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:19,320 Now, plugins can also be used 334 334 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:21,270 to extend the capabilities of a scanner. 335 335 00:10:21,270 --> 00:10:23,220 For example, some scanners provide plugins 336 336 00:10:23,220 --> 00:10:24,900 that can check for misconfigurations 337 337 00:10:24,900 --> 00:10:27,000 or PCI DSS compliance issues 338 338 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:28,080 and things like that. 339 339 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:29,790 And this will ensure that a device is configured 340 340 00:10:29,790 --> 00:10:32,910 according to your industry standards or best practices. 341 341 00:10:32,910 --> 00:10:34,140 This can help your organization 342 342 00:10:34,140 --> 00:10:35,730 to ensure your systems are secure 343 343 00:10:35,730 --> 00:10:36,630 and that you're in compliance 344 344 00:10:36,630 --> 00:10:38,970 with relevant regulations and standards. 345 345 00:10:38,970 --> 00:10:40,500 When it comes to developing plugins, 346 346 00:10:40,500 --> 00:10:41,970 they can be developed by the vendor 347 347 00:10:41,970 --> 00:10:44,490 or by third-party software developers. 348 348 00:10:44,490 --> 00:10:46,350 In the case of open-source software, 349 349 00:10:46,350 --> 00:10:48,450 really anybody can develop a plugin for it. 350 350 00:10:48,450 --> 00:10:50,460 But when it comes to commercial software, 351 351 00:10:50,460 --> 00:10:52,560 the vendors or third-party developers 352 352 00:10:52,560 --> 00:10:53,393 will need to ensure 353 353 00:10:53,393 --> 00:10:54,450 that the plugin is compatible 354 354 00:10:54,450 --> 00:10:57,000 with the software it's going to be integrated with. 355 355 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:58,920 Remember, plugins are an important way 356 356 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:00,960 for organizations to customize and enhance 357 357 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:03,540 the capabilities of their cybersecurity software. 358 358 00:11:03,540 --> 00:11:04,680 They allow organizations 359 359 00:11:04,680 --> 00:11:06,660 to integrate with other tools and technologies, 360 360 00:11:06,660 --> 00:11:09,030 as well as extend the capabilities of their software 361 361 00:11:09,030 --> 00:11:11,250 to meet specific needs and requirements. 362 362 00:11:11,250 --> 00:11:13,770 This helps organizations improve their security posture 363 363 00:11:13,770 --> 00:11:15,060 to be able to detect and respond 364 364 00:11:15,060 --> 00:11:16,530 to potential threats much quicker 365 365 00:11:16,530 --> 00:11:17,940 and ensure compliance 366 366 00:11:17,940 --> 00:11:20,250 with relevant regulations and standards. 367 367 00:11:20,250 --> 00:11:22,110 However, it is important to realize 368 368 00:11:22,110 --> 00:11:24,300 that plugins are not without risk. 369 369 00:11:24,300 --> 00:11:25,440 Every plugin you add 370 370 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:27,960 is increasing the attack surface of your software, 371 371 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:29,370 and they could be introducing 372 372 00:11:29,370 --> 00:11:31,950 new vulnerabilities and weaknesses to it as well. 373 373 00:11:31,950 --> 00:11:34,380 Therefore, organizations need to carefully evaluate 374 374 00:11:34,380 --> 00:11:36,570 the security of the plugins that they want to use, 375 375 00:11:36,570 --> 00:11:37,860 ensure they're only using plugins 376 376 00:11:37,860 --> 00:11:39,990 that come from trusted and reputable sources 377 377 00:11:39,990 --> 00:11:40,890 to make sure they're maintaining 378 378 00:11:40,890 --> 00:11:43,340 the highest levels of security in their networks.