Chapter 1: Security Governance Through Principles And Polici

Chapter 1 security Governance Through Principles And Policiesunderstan

Chapter 1 Security Governance Through Principles and Policies Understand and Apply Concepts of Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability CIA Triad AAA Services Protection Mechanisms overview CIA Triad Confidentiality Integrity Availability Confidentiality Sensitivity Discretion Criticality Concealment Secrecy Privacy Seclusion Isolation Integrity 1/3 Preventing unauthorized subjects from making modifications Preventing authorized subjects from making unauthorized modifications Maintaining the internal and external consistency of objects Integrity 2/3 Accuracy: Being correct and precise Truthfulness: Being a true reflection of reality Authenticity: Being authentic or genuine Validity: Being factually or logically sound Nonrepudiation: Not being able to deny having performed an action or activity or being able to verify the origin of a communication or event Integrity 3/3 Accountability: Being responsible or obligated for actions and results Responsibility: Being in charge or having control over something or someone Completeness: Having all needed and necessary components or parts Comprehensiveness: Being complete in scope; the full inclusion of all needed elements Availability Usability: The state of being easy to use or learn or being able to be understood and controlled by a subject Accessibility: The assurance that the widest range of subjects can interact with a resource regardless of their capabilities or limitations Timeliness: Being prompt, on time, within a reasonable time frame, or providing low latency response AAA Services Identification Authentication Authorization Auditing Accounting/ Accountability Protection Mechanisms Layering/Defense in Depth Abstraction Data Hiding Security through obscurity Encryption Evaluate and Apply Security Governance Principles Alignment of Security Function Security Management Plans Organizational Processes Change Control/Management Data Classification Organizational Roles and Responsibilities Security Control Frameworks Due Care and Due Diligence overview Alignment of Security Function Alignment to Strategy, Goals, Mission, and Objectives Security Policy Based on business case Top-Down Approach Senior Management Approval Security Management: InfoSec team, CISO, CSP, ISO Security Management Plans Strategic Tactical Operational Organizational Processes Security governance Acquisitions and divestitures risks: Inappropriate information disclosure Data loss Downtime Failure to achieve sufficient return on investment (ROI) Change Control/ Management 1/2 Implement changes in a monitored and orderly manner.

Changes are always controlled. A formalized testing process is included to verify that a change produces expected results. All changes can be reversed (also known as backout or rollback plans/procedures). Users are informed of changes before they occur to prevent loss of productivity. Change Control/ Management 2/2 The effects of changes are systematically analyzed to determine whether security or business processes are negatively affected.

The negative impact of changes on capabilities, functionality, and performance is minimized. Changes are reviewed and approved by a change approval board (CAB). Data Classification 1/2 Determines: effort, money, and resources Government/military vs. commercial/private sector Declassification Data Classification 2/2 1. Identify the custodian, define responsibilities. 2.

Specify the evaluation criteria. 3. Classify and label each resource. 4. Document any exceptions.

5. Select the security controls for each level. 6. Specify declassification and external transfer. 7.

Create an enterprise-wide awareness program. Organizational Roles and Responsibilities Senior Manager Security Professional Data Owner Data Custodian User Auditor Security Control Frameworks COBIT (see next slide) Used to plan the IT security of an organization and as a guideline for auditors Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM) ISO/IEC 27001 and 27002 Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies (COBIT) Principle 1: Meeting Stakeholder Needs Principle 2: Covering the Enterprise End-to-End Principle 3: Applying a Single, Integrated Framework Principle 4: Enabling a Holistic Approach Principle 5: Separating Governance From Management Due Care and Due Diligence Due care is using reasonable care to protect the interests of an organization.

Due diligence is practicing the activities that maintain the due care effort. Develop, Document, and Implement Security Policy, Standards, Procedures, and Guidelines Security Policies Security Standards, Baselines, and Guidelines Security Procedures overview Security Policies Defines the scope of security needed by the organization Organizational, issue-specific, system-specific Regulatory, advisory, informative Security Standards, Baselines, and Guidelines Standards define compulsory requirements Baselines define a minimum level of security Guidelines offer recommendations on how standards and baselines are implemented Security Procedures Standard operating procedure (SOP) A detailed, step-by-step how-to To ensure the integrity of business processes Understand and Apply Threat Modeling Concepts and Methodologies Threat Modeling Identifying Threats Threat Categorization Schemes Determining and Diagramming Potential Attacks Performing Reduction Analysis Prioritization and Response overview Threat Modeling Microsoft’s Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) “Secure by Design, Secure by Default, Secure in Deployment and Communication” (also known as SD3+C) Proactive vs. reactive approach Identifying Threats Focused on Assets Focused on Attackers Focused on Software Threat Categorization Schemes STRIDE Process for Attack Simulation and Threat Analysis (PASTA) Trike Visual, Agile, and Simple Threat (VAST) STRIDE Spoofing Tampering Repudiation Information disclosure Denial of service Elevation of privilege PASTA 1/2 Stage I: Definition of the Objectives (DO) for the Analysis of Risks Stage II: Definition of the Technical Scope (DTS) Stage III: Application Decomposition and Analysis (ADA) Stage IV: Threat Analysis (TA) Stage V: Weakness and Vulnerability Analysis (WVA) Stage VI: Attack Modeling and Simulation (AMS) Stage VII: Risk Analysis and Management (RAM) PASTA 2/2 Determining and Diagramming Potential Attacks Diagram the infrastructure Identify data flow Identify privilege boundaries Identify attacks for each diagrammed element Diagramming to Reveal Threat Concerns Performing Reduction Analysis Decomposing Trust boundaries Data flow paths Input points Privileged operations Details about security stance and approach Prioritization and Response Probability à— Damage Potential ranking High/medium/low rating DREAD system Damage potential Reproducibility Exploitability Affected users Discoverability Apply Risk-Based Management Concepts to the Supply Chain Resilient integrated security Cost of ownership Outsourcing Integrated security assessments Monitoring and management On-site assessment Document exchange and review Process/policy review Third-party audit (AICPA SOC1 and SOC2) Conclusion Read the Exam Essentials Review the Chapter Perform the Written Labs Answer the Review Questions CISSP Certified Information Systems Security Professional Used with permission.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

The foundational principles of information security—confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA triad)—are essential for establishing robust security governance within organizations. These principles guide policies, procedures, and controls designed to protect organizational assets and ensure operational resilience. Alongside these, concepts such as authentication, authorization, and auditing (AAA) services form the backbone of access control mechanisms. This paper explores the core concepts of security governance, focusing on the principles and policies that underpin effective security management, and examines risk management frameworks and threat modeling methodologies instrumental in maintaining security posture.

Understanding the CIA Triad and Its Application

The CIA triad provides a comprehensive model for securing information assets. Confidentiality involves safeguarding sensitive data against unauthorized access or disclosure, achieved through practices such as data encryption, access controls, and confidentiality agreements. Integrity ensures that data remains accurate, consistent, and authentic, preventing unauthorized modifications that could compromise trustworthiness. Maintaining data integrity involves mechanisms like checksums, digital signatures, and validation procedures. Availability guarantees that authorized users have timely access to information and resources, achievable through redundancy, failover strategies, and incident response planning (Pfleeger & Pfleeger, 2012).

Applying the CIA principles requires organizations to analyze their sensitivity, criticality, and privacy requirements. Such assessments guide the selection of appropriate protection mechanisms, including encryption, authentication, and access controls, tailored to the level of sensitivity of the data involved. For example, highly sensitive data may utilize strong encryption and strict access policies, whereas less sensitive information might rely on less restrictive measures. As data is a vital asset, these principles underpin a variety of security controls and are integral to developing a comprehensive security policy framework (Whitman & Mattord, 2018).

Access Control and AAA Services

The AAA services—Identification, Authentication, Authorization, and Auditing—are critical in enforcing security policies (Stallings, 2017). Identification involves recognizing users or systems attempting access, typically through username identifiers. Authentication verifies the claimed identity via mechanisms such as passwords, biometrics, or tokens. Authorization determines the level of access granted based on permissions and roles. Auditing records user activities, serving as both a deterrent and an investigative tool to detect and respond to security incidents.

These services are layered within security architectures—often termed defense in depth—to strengthen defense mechanisms against attacks (Anderson, 2020). Modern implementations may incorporate multi-factor authentication and continuous monitoring to adapt to evolving threats. Effective access control policies mitigate risks of insider threats, data breaches, and unauthorized modifications, ensuring accountability and compliance with regulatory requirements (Cappelli et al., 2019).

Protection Mechanisms and Security Policies

Protection mechanisms encompass a range of security controls, including data hiding, encryption, abstraction, and security through obscurity. Encryption is central to securing data at rest and in transit, ensuring confidentiality and integrity. Data hiding and abstraction serve to conceal implementation details and sensitive information from unauthorized views. Defense-in-depth strategies deploy layered controls—such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and access controls—to mitigate complex attack vectors.

Security policies establish the foundation for consistent security practices. They define the scope, identify security requirements, and set the organizational standards to protect assets. Standards and baselines specify mandatory configurations, while guidelines offer recommendations on security implementation (ISO/IEC 27001, 27002). Effective policies are aligned with organizational objectives and are supported by procedures that prescribe specific operational steps to enforce controls (Krause, 2013).

Threat Modeling and Risk Management Frameworks

Threat modeling involves identifying potential threats and attack vectors, categorizing risks, and implementing mitigation strategies (Shostack, 2014). Frameworks such as STRIDE and PASTA enable systematic analysis of vulnerabilities, focusing on threats like spoofing, tampering, repudiation, and information disclosure. These methodologies facilitate proactive risk identification, prioritization, and response planning.

STRIDE categorizes attacks into six types, aiding defenders in understanding threat vectors. PASTA provides a structured process for analyzing technical scope, vulnerabilities, and attack simulations to quantify risks. Techniques like diagramming data flows and trust boundaries reveal attack surfaces, guiding security controls (Toth et al., 2017). Integrating threat models into the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) ensures security is embedded from design through deployment, aligning with principles of “security by design” (Microsoft, 2020).

Risk management processes further validate security strategies by evaluating the likelihood and impact of threats within supply chains. Employing assessments such as third-party audits (e.g., SOC reports) and monitoring controls enhances resilience. Adopting a cost-of-ownership perspective ensures security investments deliver value while balancing operational and financial considerations (Ross et al., 2018).

Security Governance and Organizational Responsibilities

Effective security governance involves aligning security initiatives with organizational strategy, with senior management providing oversight and approval. Roles such as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), data owner, and security professionals collaborate within frameworks like COBIT and ISO/IEC 27001 to develop, implement, and enforce security policies, plans, and controls (Rashid & Nair, 2019). Clear delineation of responsibilities ensures accountability and facilitates compliance.

Change management processes help control modifications to systems and policies, minimizing adverse effects. These processes include formal testing, rollback plans, and stakeholder communication to prevent disruptions and maintain continuity (Gordon & Lo, 2018). Data classification assigns security controls based on resource sensitivity, aiding in targeted protection and compliance efforts.

Conclusion

Security governance hinges on a well-founded understanding of core principles—confidentiality, integrity, and availability—and the integration of comprehensive policies, risk frameworks, and threat modeling methodologies. Organizations must adopt layered defense mechanisms, enforce strict access controls, and embed security into organizational culture through strategic planning and operational procedures. As cyber threats evolve, continuous assessment, monitoring, and adaptation are essential to maintaining a resilient security posture aligned with organizational objectives. Implementing these principles ensures the confidentiality of sensitive data, maintains data integrity, and guarantees operational availability, thereby securing organizational assets in an increasingly complex digital landscape.

References

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