Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition Chapter 1 Information Security: An Introduction Learning Objectives • Upon completion of this material, you should be able to: – Define information security – Recount the history of computer security and how it evolved into information security – Define key terms and critical concepts of information security – Enumerate the phases of the security systems development life cycle – Describe the information security roles of professionals within an organization Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 2 Do not figure on opponents not attacking; worry about your own lack of preparation. Book of Five Rings Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 3 What is Security? • “The quality or state of being secure—to be free from danger” • A successful organization should have multiple layers of security in place: – – – – – – Physical security Personal security Operations security Communications security Network security Information security Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 4 What is Security? (cont’d.) • What is Information security? • The protection of information and its critical elements, including systems and hardware that use, store, and transmit that information • Necessary tools(How?): policy, awareness, training, education, technology • C.I.A. triangle – Was standard based on confidentiality, integrity, and availability Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 5 What is Security? (cont’d.) Key Information Security Concepts • • • • Access Asset Attack Control, Safeguard, or Countermeasure • Exploit • Exposure • Loss Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition • Protection Profile or Security Posture • Risk • Subjects and Objects • Threat • Threat Agent • Vulnerability 7 Access - a subject or object’s ability to use, manipulate, modify, or affect another subject or object. Asset - the organizational resource that is being protected. Attack - an act that is an intentional or unintentional attempt to cause damage or compromise to the information and/or the systems that support it. . Principals of Information Security, Fourth Edition 8 Control, Safeguard, or Countermeasure - security mechanisms, policies, or procedures that can successfully counter attacks, reduce risk, resolve vulnerabilities, and otherwise improve the security within an organization Object - a passive entity in the information system that receives or contains information. Subject - an active entity that interacts with an information system and causes information to move through the system for a specific end purpose Principals of Information Security, Fourth Edition 9 Exploit - to take advantage of weaknesses or vulnerability in a system. Exposure - a single instance of being open to damage. Hack - Good: to use computers or systems for enjoyment; Bad: to illegally gain access to a computer or system. . Security Posture or Security Profile - a general label for the combination of all policies, procedures, technologies, and programs that make up the total security effort currently in place. Principals of Information Security, Fourth Edition 10 Risk - the possibility that something can happen. Security Blueprint - the plan for the implementation of new security measures in the organization. Security Model - a collection of specific security rules that represents the implementation of a security policy. Principals of Information Security, Fourth Edition 11 Threats - a category of objects, persons, or other entities that represents a potential danger to an asset. Threat Agent - a specific instance or component of a more general threat. Vulnerability - weaknesses or faults in a system or protection mechanism that expose information to attack or damage Principals of Information Security, Fourth Edition 12 Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 13 Figure 1-5 – Subject and Object of Attack Figure 1-5 Computer as the Subject and Object of an Attack Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 14 Critical Characteristics of Information • The value of information comes from the characteristics it possesses: – – – – – – – Availability Accuracy Authenticity Confidentiality Integrity Utility Possession Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 15 Availability – Enables users who need to access information to do so without interference or obstruction and in the required format. The information is said to be available to an authorized user when and where needed and in the correct format. Accuracy – Free from mistake or error and having the value that the end user expects. If information contains a value different from the user’s expectations due to the intentional or unintentional modification of its content, it is no longer accurate. . Principals of Information Security, Fourth Edition 16 Authenticity –The quality or state of being genuine or original, rather than a reproduction or fabrication. Information is authentic when it is the information that was originally created, placed, stored, or transferred Confidentiality – The quality or state of preventing disclosure or exposure to unauthorized individuals or systems. Principals of Information Security, Fourth Edition 17 Integrity – The quality or state of being whole, complete, and uncorrupted. The integrity of information is threatened when the information is exposed to corruption, damage, destruction, or other disruption of its authentic state. Utility – The quality or state of having value for some purpose or end. Information has value when it serves a particular purpose. This means that if information is available, but not in a format meaningful to the end user, it is not useful. Principals of Information Security, Fourth Edition 18 Possession – The quality or state of having ownership or control of some object or item. Information is said to be in possession if one obtains it, independent of format or other characteristic. While a breach of confidentiality always results in a breach of possession, a breach of possession does not always result in a breach of confidentiality. Principals of Information Security, Fourth Edition 19 CNSS Security Model Figure 1-6 The McCumber Cube Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 20 Components of an Information System • Information system (IS) is entire set of components necessary to use information as a resource in the organization – – – – – – Software Hardware Data People Procedures Networks Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 21 Balancing Information Security and Access • Impossible to obtain perfect security—it is a process, not an absolute • Security should be considered balance between protection and availability • To achieve balance, level of security must allow reasonable access, yet protect against threats Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 22 Figure 1-6 – Balancing Security and Access Figure 1-8 Balancing Information Security and Access Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 23 Approaches to Information Security Implementation • Bottom-Up : – – – – Establishing security policies that begins as a grassroots effort Administrators attempt to improve security Advantage: technical expertise of administrators Disadvantages: seldom works, lacks participant support, Organizations may not stay in power • Top-Down: – – – – – – Initiated by upper management Issue policy, procedures, and processes Dictate goals and expected outcomes of project Determine accountability for each required action The most successful Involves formal systems development life cycle 24 Figure 1-9 Approaches to Information Security Implementation Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 25 The Systems Development Life Cycle • Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC): methodology for design and implementation of information system within an organization • Methodology: formal approach to problem solving based on structured sequence of procedures • SecSDLC: Identifying threats and creating controls to counter them. • Using this methodology: – Ensures a rigorous process – Avoid missing steps – a coherent program rather than a series of random actions – Increases probability of success Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 26 Traditional SDLC consists of six general phases Figure 1-10 SDLC Waterfall Methodology Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 27 Investigation • What problem will the system solve? • Objectives, processes, outcomes, constraints, and scope of project are specified • Preliminary cost-benefit analysis is developed • Begins with Enterprise Information Security Policy • At the end, feasibility analysis is performed to assess economic, technical, and behavioural feasibilities of the process Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 28 Analysis • Consists of assessments of: – The organization analysis – Current systems analysis – Capability and resources to support proposed systems • Starts: analysts determine what new system is expected to do and how it will interact with existing systems. • Analysis of existing security policies or programs, current threats and associated controls • Includes analysis of relevant legal issues • Ends: its findings is used to update feasibility analysis Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 29 Logical Design • Main factor is business needs – Information gained from analysis phase to create solution. • Based on the business need, select applications capable of providing needed services. • Based on the applications needed, select data support and structures capable of providing the needed inputs. • Finally, based on above, we can determine solutions for physical security • Creates and develops blueprints for information security • Incident response actions planned: – Continuity planning – Incident response – Disaster recovery 30 • A final feasibility study: Will do the project or outsource it? Physical Design • Technologies to support the alternatives identified and evaluated in the logical design are selected • Alternatives evaluated on make-or-buy decision • Feasibility study determines readiness of organization for project • Entire solution presented to end-user for approval Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 31 Implementation • Any needed software is created or purchased. • Security solutions acquired, tested, implemented, and tested again. All system components tested individually, and then tested as a system. • Users are trained and supporting documentation is created. Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 32 Maintenance and Change • Longest, most important and most expensive phase • a new project and life cycle will begin if the old one is outdated • Improving the system, repairing damage and adopting with emerging threats and changing environment: • Upgrades, updates, and patches are managed. • When a current system can no longer support the mission of the organization, the project is terminated and a new project is implemented. Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 33 Security Professionals: Senior Management • Chief Information Officer (CIO) – Senior technology officer – Primarily responsible for advising senior executives on strategic planning • Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) – Primarily responsible for assessment, management, and implementation of IS in the organization – Usually reports directly to the CIO Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 34 Security Professionals: Project Team • A number of individuals who are experienced in one or more facets of required technical and nontechnical areas: – – – – – – – Champion Team leader Security policy developers Risk assessment specialists Security professionals Systems administrators End users Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 35 Data Responsibilities • Data owner: responsible for the security and use of a particular set of information • Data custodian: responsible for storage, maintenance, and protection of information • Data users: end users who work with information to perform their daily jobs supporting the mission of the organization Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 36 Nature of Security • Implementation of information security often described as combination of art, social, and science • Artful aspects: specialists have different perceptions about technology, no hard and fast rules, no single manual for implementation • Scientific aspects: faults, security hole, and malfunction are a result of specific hardware and software issues • Social aspects: Security begins and ends with the people that interact with the system. Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 37 Summary • Information security is a “well-informed sense of assurance that the information risks and controls are in balance” • Computer security began immediately after first mainframes were developed • Successful organizations have multiple layers of security in place: physical, personal, operations, communications, network, and information Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 38 Summary (cont’d.) • Security should be considered a balance between protection and availability • Information security must be managed similarly to any major system implemented in an organization using a methodology like SecSDLC • Implementation of information security often described as a combination of art and science Principles of Information Security, Fourth Edition 39