ISO 17799

InfoSec: Can you dig it?

Agenda

1. Introduction and Purpose2. Risk Assessment, Controls and Guiding Principles3. Success Factors4. Examples of it in terms of InfoSec Policy and Organizational

Security5. Implementing an Information Security Management Systems

Environment6. Gaining ISO17799 Certification: A Blue Print7. Using the SANS auditing template8. A risk assessment with ISO17799 Pitfalls9. Conclusion and Questions

Is it ISO or just BS?

International Standard ISO/IEC 17799 was prepared by the British Standards Institution (as BS 7799) and was adopted, under a special “fast-track procedure”, by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology, in parallel with its approval by national bodies of ISO and IEC.

Provides common approaches to manage risks Not applicable to every system and not always

practical in smaller organizations

ISO17799 BS17799

ISO 17799:2000 Code of Practice For

Information Security Management

Best practices framework From 7.2.1, Equipment

siting and protection: Equipment should be sited or protected to reduce the risks from environmental threats….

BS 7799-2:2002 Information Security

Management Systems Specification With Guidance For Use

Auditing specification From 7.2.1, Equipment

shall be sited or protected….

ISO has begun the study period of BS 7799-2:2002 towards adoption

10 Areas: To have and to hold Security policy: Adopting a security process that outlines an organization's

expectations for security, which can then demonstrate management's support and commitment to security.

Security organization: Having a management structure for security, including appointing security coordinators, delegating security management responsibilities and establishing a security incident response process.

Asset classification and control: Conducting a detailed assessment and inventory of an organization's information infrastructure and information assets to determine an appropriate level of security.

Personnel security: Making security a key component of the human resources and business operations. This includes writing security expectations in job responsibilities (IT admins and end users), screening new personnel for criminal histories, using confidentiality agreements when dealing with sensitive information and having a reporting process for security incidents.

Physical and environmental security: Establishing a policy that protects the IT infrastructure, physical plant and employees. This includes controlling building access, having backup power supplies, performing routine equipment maintenance and securing off-site equipment.

10 Areas: To have and to hold

Communications and operations management: Preventing security incidents by implementing preventive measures, such as using antivirus protection, maintaining and monitoring logs, securing remote connections and having incident response procedures.

Access control: Protecting against internal abuses and external intrusions by controlling access to network and application resources through such measures as password management, authentication and event logging.

Systems development and maintenance: Ensuring that security is an integral part of any network deployment or expansion, and that existing systems are properly maintained.

Business continuity management: Planning for disasters--natural and man-made--and recovering from them.

Compliance: Complying with any applicable regulatory and legal requirements, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and cryptography export controls.

Need for Security

Establishing Security RequirementsThree main sources

Risk Assessment – identified, evaluated and estimated

Legal, Statutory, Regulatory – contractual requirements the organization must fill

Principle and Objectives – requirements to support operations

Assessing Risks

Risk Assessment Considered on a systematic basis

Business impact to CIA Likelihood of impact – threat vs controls

Guides and determines actions and priorities Process of selecting controls is iterative per business unit and

system Reviews based on

Changing business requirements New threats and vulnerabilities Confirmation that current controls are effective

Assessments performed at a high level and then more specifically for detailed risk.

Selecting Controls

Should be selected based on a cost benefit analysis.Ex. $1000.00 fence around a $50.00 asset.

Reputation should also be a factor in that decision.

InfoSec Guiding Principles

Two Points of View Legislative InfoSec Best Practice

Legislativea) Data protection and privacy of personal

information

b) Safeguarding of organizational records

c) Intellectual property rights

InfoSec Guiding Principles

InfoSec Best Practicesa) Information security policy document b) Allocation of information security

responsibilitiesc) Information security education and training d) Reporting security incidentse) Business continuity management

*Note: These are suggestions and should only be implemented based upon the risk assessment.

Code of Practice

71 Pages of Security Management Goodness

Similar to CISSP and derived partially from TCSEC, Common Criteria. Its apparent in the requirements

Some of it is infeasible and is a utopian organization, politics acceptance changing culture.

Critical Success Factors

The following is a list of factors which are found to be essential to the implementation of InfoSec at an organization

1. Security policy, objectives and activities that reflect business objectives2. An approach to implementing security that is consistent with the

organizational culture*3. Visible support and commitment from management*4. A good understanding of the security requirements, risk assessment and

risk management5. Effective marketing of security to all managers and employees6. Distribution of guidance on information security policy and standards to all

employees and contractors7. Providing appropriate training and education*8. A comprehensive and balanced system of measurement which is used to

evaluate performance in information security management and feedback suggestions for improvement.

*Most important factors.

A brief peek inside

Information Security Policy Organizational Security

Information Security Policy

To provide management direction and support for information security.

A policy document should be approved by management, published and communicated, as appropriate, to all employees. It should state management commitment and set out the organization’s approach to managing information security.

Policy owner should periodically review the policy; on effectiveness, efficiency and controls.

Information Security Policy

Essential Requirements:Definition of InfoSec, objectives and scope.Management statement of support.Definition of responsibilities of management in

InfoSec.Brief explanation of policies, principles standards

and compliance. References to documents that support the policy

with details for specific systems.

Organizational Security

A management framework should be established to initiate and control the implementation of information security within the organization.

DetailsManagement Information Security Forum

Requires a Champion to lead it. Reviews, Monitors and Approves

Responsibilities, incidents, threats enhancements

Organizational Security

Information security co-ordinationCross functional forum of management reps

(geared at large company) Assigns roles and responsibilities Agrees on methodology and process Supports awareness programs Assures security a place in the SDLC and planning Evaluates implementations of controls Review incidents Give infoSec high visibility

Organizational Security

Allocation of information security responsibilities Assign responsibilities

Ex. Appoint an owner for each information asset and its day-to-day operations. It can then be further delegated, but owner takes responsibility.

Responsibility Clearly identify and define security processes for each system Responsibility should be documented and agreed in some kind

of SLA Clearly define authorization levels.

Organizational Security

Authorization process for information processing facilities A management authorization process for new

information processing facilities should be established. Controls to be considered

User management, hardware and software compatibility, personal information processing facilities

Specialist information security advice Consultation by internal or external security specialists

at the onset of an incident. He/she will coordinate in-house knowledge and experience to ensure consistency.

Organizational Security

Co-operation between organizations Appropriate contacts with law enforcement authorities,

regulatory bodies, information service providers and telecommunications operators should be maintained

Membership of security groups and industry forums should be considered.

Exchanges of security information should be restricted to ensure that confidential information of the organization is not passed to unauthorized persons.

Independent review of information security The Information Security Policy should receive independent

reviews from a third party. (Internal auditor, manager or specializing third party)

Organizational Security

Security of third party access To maintain the security of organizational information

processing facilities and information assets accessed by third parties.

Identification of risks from third party access Two Types

1. Physical access, e.g. to offices, computer rooms, filing cabinets;2. Logical access, e.g. to an organization’s databases, information

systems. Reasons for access

Provide services to an organization and are not located on-site but may be given physical and logical access

Organizational Security

Security requirements in third party contractsGeneral InfoSec policy, Procedures and controls

for asset protection, Integrity and Availability, NDA, liability etc.

OutsourcingTo maintain the security of information when the

responsibility for information processing has been outsourced to another organization.

Organizational Security

Asset classification and control Accountability for assets

To maintain appropriate protection of organizational assets. All major information assets should be accounted for and

have a nominated owner. Accountability ensures appropriate protection is maintained. Owners should be identified for all major assets and the

responsibility for the maintenance of appropriate controls should be assigned.

Responsibility for implementing controls may be delegated. Accountability should remain with the nominated owner of

the asset.

Information Security Management System (ISMS) Manage and maintain secure information system

environment A framework to facilitate a relationship between processes and

products. Implementation and maintenance or process and procedures; and

must address the following, ID InfoSec needs Strategy to meet those needs Measurement of results Improving strategies over time

Approach must be Hollistic Human Technology Process

PDCA Model Applied to ISMS

Plan (establish the ISMS) Establish security policy, objectives, targets, processes and procedures

relevant to managing risk and improving information security to deliver results in accordance with an organization’s overall policies and objectives.

Do (implement and operate the ISMS) Implement and operate the security policy, controls, processes and

procedures. Check (monitor and review the ISMS)

Assess and, where applicable, measure process performance against security policy, objectives and practical experience and report the results to management for review.

Act (maintain and improve the ISMS) Take corrective and preventive actions, based on the results of the

management review, to achieve continual improvement of the ISMS.

PDCA Model Applied to ISMS

ISMS

Defining Scope and Relationships

Identifying Intangible Assets

ISMS

Process ISMS – security policy forms the basis of the process Two phase approach

Planning Implementation – the controls or guidelines as provided by ISO17799.

Assess whether the guidelines apply Third party audit

First step: pick a process Implement process ex. New employee screening Then check to see if all new employees are screened

Second step: check for compliance Plan-Do-Check-Act Iterative process that requires feedback Must be tailored to fit

ISMS

Product ISMSEvaluation of software products

Third party eval Software is subject to detailed series of tests Ex. TCSEC B2

For example, Class B2: ‘Structured Protection’ Trusted Oracle8i was evaluated EAL4 under the

Common Criteria (CC 2002)

ISMS Certified product categories – protection class/control area

ISMS – Protection Classes Implementation of the controls in each one of the ten

sections of ISO17799. You can define 4 classes of protection

Class 1: Inadequate protectionSections of a code-of-practice will be classified in this class if no effort was made by the organization to implement any of the recommended controls for their specific requirements. This is the lowest class. Certified products Do not have any influence on the classification of sections on this level.

Class 2: Minimal protectionIf minimal effort was put into implementing some of the recommended controls, it will be possible to classify some sections in this class. The same requirement as for Class 1 is applicable for the code-of-practice controls in some of the sections. Certified products do not have any influence on the classification of sections on this level either.

ISMS Class 3: Reasonable protection

The same requirement as for Class 2 is applicable for the code-of-practice controls in some of the sections. The majority of the sections must satisfy additional requirements based on implemented processes and procedures to prove that the recommended controls from the code-of-practice are implemented on a reasonable level. Some sections have an additional requirement for certified products to be used.

Class 4: Adequate protectionFor a section to be classified as adequately protected, it must be verifiable that considerable effort was made to implement the complete set of recommended controls for the section. This implies full compliance to a code-of practice for that specific section. Furthermore, the majority of sections have an additional requirement that certified products, in all the product categories, must be implemented to illustrate adequate protection. If there are no related product categories for an ISO17799 section, it is possible for that section to advance to this class in the absence of certified products.

ISMS Illustration of protection classes

ISO17799 A Blue Print

1. Client board decides to implement2. Senior Management must visually

commit to adopting the standard3. Decide InfoSec Policy4. InfoSec policy once adopted must

be furnished to all trained employees

5. Senior Mngmt then decides which business units will be offered up for certification

6. The orgs scope fo rthis project produces an SMS Scope Doc

7. The Risk Assessment (RA) is carried out for the Scope Doc(ID asset , threat , vuln.).= RA doc

8. Org decides risk approach and determines acceptable degree of risk

9. Org must decide to how to manage the id’d risk so that residual deg. of risk is within acceptable limits.

10. Once action, accountability and ownership are established, it is documented

11. Controls to required to reduce risk to acceptable levels are identified.

12. Controls selected from ISO17799 and documented

13. Selected controls must be traceable to the risk they address. This is documented in the Statement of Acceptibality (SoA)

Achieving ISO Compliance

ISO17799 A Blue Print

Sans Auditing Template

10 Areas of Audit1. Security Policy2. Organizational Security3. Asset Classification and Control4. Personnel Security5. Physical and Environmental Security6. Communications and Operations Management7. Access Control8. System Development and Maintenance9. Business Continuity Planning10. Compliance

36 Control Objectives 127 Controls

Sans Auditing Template

ISO17799: The world is not enough The standard's flexibility, however, is also its Achilles' heel. Critics

say ISO 17799 is too vague and too loosely structured to have any real value. In some cases, they charge, the standard could inadvertently give an organization a false sense of security.

Lawrence Walsh, Information Security Magazine Mile Wide and an Inch Deep

BSI says 7799 was never intended to be a technical standard. Unlike other security standards--such as the Commonly Accepted Security Practices and Regulations (CASPR) or ISO 15408/Common Criteria--ISO 17799 provides a broad, nontechnical framework for protecting information in any form.

No certification portion as in PII of BS17799 Meant for any organization: rarely is that possible Rarely attempts to provide guidance in evaluating or understanding

existing security measures. Doesn’t discuss pro’s and con’s of different controls No common sense advice (don’t enable all defaults) Expensive and short on methodology

Future of ISO17799

Most U.S. public companies will need to seriously manage the security of their information assets Tangible and intangible People, process, technology

ISO 17799 compliance will be necessary to play in many markets for U.S. information-intensive businesses

ISO 17799 certification will be a discriminator

Questions