Gaps in Your Defense: Hacking the Mainframe

This document summarizes a presentation about hacking mainframe systems. The presentation discusses how mainframes are still critical systems but are often assumed to be inherently secure. However, hackers have developed tools to scan for and attack mainframes connected to the internet or enterprise networks. The presentation provides examples of how hackers can use tools like Nmap, TN3270 emulation, and CICSpwn to profile mainframe systems, enumerate users and transactions, and potentially gain remote command line access. It recommends organizations go beyond just compliance and implement additional security measures like logging, monitoring, vulnerability scanning and penetration testing to optimize mainframe security.