INFOSECFORCE
“ The Invisible Person ….
The Security Architect “
INFOSECFORCE
Application Security
BILL ROSS
15 Sept 2008
“ Balancing security controls to business requirements “
BILL ROSS
0
INFOSECFORCE
Critical Reason for ISA Excellence
Undeclared global cyber war
“ We are in a CYBER War and corporations and governments are being clobbered by
an invisible enemy that, at times, seems to own numerous private networks.
Information Security Teams across the globe are fighting the good fight and win and
lose in this battle. Every year thousands of articles and conferences across the
globe address this challenge and when one reads the literature and attends the
meetings, one gleans that a core weapon is missing in the discussion:
 Cohesive risk and business based information security architecture
 Systematically and strategically planned and executed
 An Information Security Architect with a “Ninja war fighting spirit”
“ Will the real Information Security Architect step out of the shadows and
reveal him/her self so we all know who and what we are? “
INFOSECFORCE 2012
INFOSECFORCE
Searching for YETI ?
The Invisible Person
The Security
Architect
INFOSECFORCE
The ISA brief objectives
Background:
 Invisible person thought piece written 8/12/2012 … posted on ONLY two blogs
… almost 600 global requests.
Purpose:

Discuss definition and roles of an information security architect (ISA)?

Is there a problem ?

Examine possible industry ISA interpretations ?

Review information security models ?

System Security Architecture Implementation Models ?
Not the “ Big Bang Theory “
Expected outcome:

Enhanced awareness of the an ISA roles and responsibilities

More writings and better certifications and definitions

More securely built applications and infrastructure
INFOSECFORCE
Acronyms glossary
 ISA. Information Security Architect or Information Security Architecture
 ISC. Information Security Community
 SABSA. Sherwood Applied Business Security Architecture
 OSA. Open Security Architecture
 TAFIM. Technical Architecture Framework for Information Management
 TRM. Technical Reference Model
 EA. Enterprise Architecture
 GISAA. Global Information Security Architecture Association
 JD. Job description
 ISSAP. Information Security Systems Architect Professional
 ISO. International Standards Organization
 IEEE. Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
 OPERA. Open Protocol Enabling Risk Aggregation
 NIST. National Institute of Standards and Technology
INFOSECFORCE
Personal ISA experiences
Have built Security Architectures/plans/road maps, designed
strategies, hired Security Architects and mentored them BUT I am
not a true architect …. Just like to cobble things together.
 Enthralled by TAFIM in the 1990’s
 Built the Tactical Collection Framework for Central American Wars
 Integrated the Air Force SOF and regular USAF Intelligence architectures
 Base lined the technical architecture for the global Army Material Command
 For CSC, managed deploying JP Morgan’s first global security architecture
 Built the security technical road map for the Federal Reserve IT
 Appointed someone as the Federal Reserve’s first security architect
 Hired the security architect for the Northrop VITA contract
 Hired by AXA Tech as the Security Architect
 Defined strategy for the Information Risk Architecture Framework (IRAF)
 Security Architect for AIG at United Guaranty Corporation
 Wrote “ The Invisible Person …. the Security Architect “
 Sherwood Applied Business Security Architecture Trained
 SAIC Information Assurance Architect
 Self appointed INFOSECFORCE llc Security Process Architect
INFOSECFORCE
The Origins of Architecture
Man’s primordial need to scream build
 Architecture has its origins in the building of towns and cities, and everyone
understands this sense of the word, so it makes sense to begin by examining the
meaning of ‘architecture’ in this traditional context.
 Architecture is a set of rules and conventions by which we create buildings that
serve the purposes for which we intend them, both functionally and
aesthetically. ‘
 Architecture is founded upon an understanding of the requirements that it must fulfil.
 These needs are expressed in terms of function, aesthetics, culture, government
policies and civil priorities.
 Architecture is also both driven and constrained by a number of specific factors.
IT Enterprise Architecture Evolution
IT Architect
INFOSECFORCE
Background analyses
Why over 600 global requests for the paper in two years ?
Two Possible Reasons Why
INFOSECFORCE
Egregious data breaches this year
Which should not be on this list?
Source http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/worlds-biggest-data-breaches-hacks/
INFOSECFORCE
Will anything stop them ?
“ Defense in Depth Cyber = Security’s Maginot Line ? “
“Sample : 1216 organizations, 63 countries, 20 industries, 67 Billion spent on security”
Did the Security Architecture Fail ?
Source: http://www2.fireeye.com/rs/fireye/images/fireeye-real-world-assessment.pdf
INFOSECFORCE
ISA Operational report
Current indicators
Information Security Architect and Information Security Architecture
 The Information Security Community (ISC) does not yet have a consistent and
recognized universal definition defining what an ISA is BUT we are possibly gaining on
it.
 Now being integrated sometimes in IT standard frameworks for what an ISA should
accomplish. (EA, TOGAF, DoDAF, Zackman)
 Security community standards and certifications ISA (SABSA, OSA, ISC2, Huxham )
 As such, wide ranging ISA job descriptions
 Given the lack of an ISA standard, the Security
Architect sometimes struggles in his role as what he/she
thinks he/she should do is not what the company thinks
they hired him for.
SOURCE: http://securityarchitecture.com/docs/Security_Management_Frameworks.pdf
Note about Enterprise Architecture
INFOSECFORCE
ISA challenge ?
Working on to good ……………
 Relentless attacks hurting INFOSEC reputation
 Focus on frameworks like NIST and PCI versus architecting and engineering
 Enterprise Architecture, TOGAF and ISO 27001 just now integrating SABSA
 Multiple IT and then Security Architecture frameworks …. Overwhelming
 Various interpretations of what an Information Security Architect is
 Scant references in the trades of the importance of integrating security
 SABSA and ISC2 certs but need Engineering equivalents
 SABSA the closest thing to ISA champion (like early ITIL mostly offshore)
 No true professional organization like “ The Global Information Security Architect
Association (GISAA) “
 Forthcoming and relentless Cyber Attacks
INFOSECFORCE
Various ISA job descriptions
JDs exemplify organizational ISA Soul Searching
1. Extremely technical in one or two security technologies such as Firewalls or
intrusion detection devices.
2. Extremely technical on all aspects of security but cannot connect the
architecture to business requirements and the overall strategy. Could install a HIDS
or even a firewall but the person did not design a strategy on how these systems
could operationally and tactically integrate as part of the intrusion detection
framework.
3. Extremely technical engineer and strategists who also has a holistic view of the
business objectives and the requirements definition process.
4. Highly technical and can combine all aspects of risk management and
business requirements into a cohesive strategy and technical plan.
5. Calling the security director or security manager the security architect
INFOSECFORCE
Likelihood of succeeding as an ISA
Great High Medium
X
Extremely technical in one or two technologies like firewalls
X
Extremely technical in all things security technology but no
business acumen
Extremely technical engineer and strategists who also has a
holistic view of the business objectives and the requirements
definition process.
Low
X
X
Highly technical and can combine all aspects of risk management
and business requirements into a cohesive strategy
and technical plan.
Calling the security director or security manager the security
architect
X
10 years experience in information security
X
X
X
X
SABSA, TOGAF, OSA, Brackman trained and certified
X
X
Highly experienced in one of these frameworks NIST, SANS, ISO
27001, COBIT, Cyber Security Framework, PCI, FTI, FISMA, DIACAP,
RMF
ITIL, CISSP, GIAC, EE, DISA
X
X
X
X
INFOSECFORCE
Who ya gonna call ?
Optimum ISA Job Description
” An information security architect should have at least 10 years experience in
information security and at one point in his/her career should have had hands on
technical experience in anything from help desk support to being a UNIX or data
base administrator. This person should have extensive knowledge of security
platforms, has managed acquisition efforts, identity access management, cyber
warfare, and governance as it is translated from security standards and policies
into an operational technical environment that is aligned with the core business
processes be they financial institutions like JP Morgan or e-commerce giants like
Amazon or Best Buy. This person should have served on the front lines of cyber
battles such as NIMDA, LUZ or APT. Optimally, the person is ITIL certified, has an
EE degree, is a visionary, and understands security support business objectives.
Ultimately, the Security Architect is a perfect blend of a highly skilled security
engineer, a governance and policy expert, an enterprise architect, and a business
savvy professional with a Ninja spirit. “
INFOSECFORCE
SAN think
“ Can you build a Defense in Depth architecture without an architect ? “
“ Of course, you are not going to get very far with an architectural approach to Defense in Depth
without an architect. Unfortunately, the industry is still unclear as to exactly what an
IT Security Architect is.
The concept is, however, starting to mature.
(ISC)2 organization has created an ISSAP (Information Systems Security Architecture
Professional) certification[2].
SABSA organization has three levels of certifications for Security Architects: Foundation,
Practitioner, and Master.
There are job opportunities for positions labeled as "Security Architects," although many times
they sound more like engineers than architects.
Though specific knowledge about systems and networks is important, an architect should have
the ability to assemble and disassemble pieces of knowledge to/from a whole. “
Stephen Northcutt, J. Michael Butler and the GIAC Advisory Board
Source: http://www.sans.edu/research/security-laboratory/article/security-architect
INFOSECFORCE
ISA Certification syllabuses
Two prime ISA Certifications
SABSA
SABSA cont,
ISC 2 ISSAP
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Define enterprise security
architecture, its role, objectives and
benefits
Describe the SABSA model,
architecture matrix, service
management matrix and terminology
Describe SABSA principles,
framework, approach and lifecycle
Use business goals and objectives
to engineer information security
requirements
Create a business attributes
taxonomy
Apply key architectural defence-indepth concepts
Explain security engineering
principles, methods and techniques
Use an architected approach to
design an integrated compliance
framework
Describe and design appropriate
policy architecture
Define security architecture value
proposition,
Use SABSA to create an holistic
framework to align and integrate
standards
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Describe roles, responsibilities,
decision-making and organisational
structure
Explain the integration of SABSA into
a service management environment
Define Security Services
Describe the placement of security
services within ICT Infrastructure
Create a SABSA Trust Model
Describe and model security
associations intra-domain and interdomain
Explain temporal factors in security
and sequence security services
Determine an appropriate start-up
approach for SABSA Architecture
Apply SABSA Foundation level
competencies to the benefit of your
organisation
•
•
•
•
•
Access Control Systems and
Methodology
Communications & Network
Security
Cryptography
Security Architecture Analysis
Technology Related Business
Continuity Planning (BCP) &
Disaster Recovery Planning
(DRP)
Physical Security
Considerations
NOTE: ISSAP capitalizes on
CISSP training
INFOSECFORCE
The GARTNER View is EA Focused
“Incorporating Security Into the Enterprise Architecture (EA)
Process”
Gartner Outline for “Incorporating Security Into the Enterprise Architecture (EA)
Process”
1.0 The Rationale for Incorporating Security With the EA Process Model
2.0 Security and the EA Process Model in Relation to EA Frameworks
3.0 Environmental Trends
4.0 Business Strategy
5.0 Organize Architecture Effort
6.0 Security in the Future-State Architecture
6.1 Develop Requirements
6.2 Develop Principles
6.3 Develop Models
7.0 Current-State Architecture — Documenting
8.0 Closing the Gap
9.0 Governing and Managing
9.1 Governing EA Artifact Creation
9.2 Governing EA Compliance and Project/Procurement Management
9.3 Managing
SOURCE: http://www.gartner.com/DisplayDocument?ref=g_search&id=488575
Possibly add technical engineering skills, risk-based ISA decisions, secure development life cycle
management, return on investment, metrics, operational tracking, software updating, security road
maps (N-1 plan) and role and responsibilities.
INFOSECFORCE
What’s will it take?
Being a Successful Information Security Architect
‘” Unless the security architecture can address a wide range of operational requirements and provide
real business support and business enablement, rather than just focusing upon ‘security’, then it is
likely that it will fail to deliver what the business expects and needs. “
 Common phenomenon throughout the information systems industry,
 Being a successful security architect means thinking in business terms at all times,
 You always need to have in mind the questions: Why are you doing this? What are you
trying to achieve in business terms here? Otherwise you will lose the thread and finish up
making all the classic mistakes.
 Do not understand strategic architecture, and who think that it is all to do with technology.
 Buy-in and sponsorship from senior management
 Enterprise architecture cannot be achieved unless the most senior decision-makers are
on your side.
 Creating this environment of acceptance and support is probably one of the most difficult
tasks that you will face in the early stages of your work.
Source SABSA
INFOSECFORCE
ISA challenge summary
ISA Situation
 Onslaught of cyber attacks costing millions in damages and loss of consumer
trust
 Numerous interpretations of ISA limit organizational success in ISA
 While improving, need more global awareness of the essential importance of
“Building Security In”
 SABSA and ISSAP good but not good enough
 Standards like NIST and PCI good but not nearly good enough
Action Plan





Bring the ISA out of the Shadows or redefine what an ISA is
Industry and government ISA punctuation greatly needed
Need to create an ISO or IEEE level standard
Make it an engineering science as is an EE degree
Trades like SC, CISO, Information Week and companies like RSA, Symantec,
Verizon, need to champion ISA
 Somehow, someway create GISAA
ISA
INFOSECFORCE
The eloquent designs
The IT and Security “Architecture” Designs …… thinking and planning
Source: http://antifan-real.deviantart.com/art/Grand-Universe-17189369
INFOSECFORCE
SABSA Eloquent design
INFOSECFORCE
SABSA Eloquent design matrix
INFOSECFORCE
Source:
ISA Landscape by OSA
http://www.opensecurityarchitecture.org
INFOSECFORCE
Source:
PCI OSA Pattern
http://www.opensecurityarchitecture.org/cms/library/patternlandscape/315-sp-026-pci-full
INFOSECFORCE
Server OSA Pattern
INFOSECFORCE
TOGAF development process
Source: http://www.opengroup.org/subjectareas/enterprise/togaf
INFOSECFORCE
Huxham Security Framework
INFOSECFORCE
INFOSECFORCE baseline
INFOSECFORCE
MAKING IT REAL ….yikes
Implementing a framework or
enterprise improvements
INFOSECFORCE
NIST RMF
SANS
Top 20
COBIT
NIST CSF
Security
Engineering
&
Architecture
PCI
HIPPA
OPERA
ISO 27001
UCF
SOX
INFOSECFORCE
Fundamental Enterprise Security
Architecture Planning Issue
Enterprise Security Architecture Asynchronous Planning
 Information security solutions are often designed, acquired and installed on a
tactical basis.
 “ A requirement is identified, a specification is developed and a solution is
sought to meet that situation.
 Strategic dimension Not considered
 Mixture of technical solutions on an ad hoc basis, each independently
designed and specified and with no guarantee that they will be compatible and
inter-operable.
 No analysis of the long-term costs, especially the operational costs which
make up a large proportion of the total cost of ownership, no strategy that can
be identifiably said to support the goals of the business.
Source: SABSA
INFOSECFORCE
Enterprise Security Architecture
Planning Solution
Security Architecture Planning is the missing piece of the puzzle
 Development of an enterprise security architecture which is business-driven
 A structured inter-relationship between the technical and procedural solutions to
support the long-term needs of the business.
 Must provide a rational framework within which decisions can be made based on
an understanding of the business requirements, including:








Source: SABSA
The need for cost reduction
Modularity
Scalability
Ease of component re-use
Operability
Usability
Inter-operability both internally and externally
Integration with the enterprise IT architecture and its legacy systems.
INFOSECFORCE
Security Architecture Approach
Holistic Approach
Mistake = believing that building security into information systems is simply a matter of
referring to a checklist of technical and procedural controls and applying the appropriate
security measures on the list.
Car example
A car is a good example of a complex system. It has many sub-systems, which in turn have
sub-systems, and eventually a very large number components. Designing and building a
car needs a ‘systems-engineering’ approach.
Architecture system approach










Do you understand the requirements?
Do you have a design philosophy?
Do you have all of the components?
Do these components work together?
Do they form an integrated system?
Does the system run smoothly
Are you assured that it is properly assembled?
Is the system properly tuned?
Do you operate the system correctly
Do you maintain the system?
Are PCI, NIST,
SANS Top 20,
DIACAP
architectures
?
INFOSECFORCE
Implementation tool and designs
Keeping it simple
 System security plan that defines risk, architecture and controls
 Control framework of your choosing such as NIST CSF, PCI and etc
 Plan, Build, Deploy, and Operate Project Plan
 Risk management analysis (process and technology gaps)
 SABSA framework sheet establishing overall situational awareness
 OSA patterns
 High level engineering design
 Detailed engineering design
 Excruciating detailed test plans
 Implementation plan
 Policy, process and procedures
 Certification and accreditation
 Continuous control monitoring plan
 Production security
INFOSECFORCE
Architect/Engineer/Implement?
Implementing a framework or a system
BUILD
PLAN
Define:
- Feasibility
- Business case
- Initial risk
assessment
- Requirements
- Security CIA
- Charter
- System type
- System security
plan
- Baseline
DEPLOY
Define:
Define:
- EA Architecture
plan
- System risk level
- Applicable security
control requirements
- High level design
- Detailed design
- Functional design
- Test, test, test
- Acceptance
- Procedure
- Process
- CONOPS
- Certify and attest
OPERATE
Define:
- Vulnerability mgt
- Pent Test mgt
- Continuous
logging and
monitoring
- Compliance plan
PCI/SOX
- Patch mgt
- Security CIA
- Change mgt
- Incident response
SLCMP and the SDLC …“The Dance”
INFOSECFORCE
BUILD
PLAN
Statement of need
for new business
process,
application or
technology
INFOSEC participation
in feasibility analyses,
no documentation
required
Functional
requirements
document
designed
Design and
technical
architecture
developed
Code
development
Deploy
1 st phase 2 nd phase
prod testing prod testing
OPERATE
QA
INFOSEC architecture
document created based
on data security
categorization, policy,
application functionality
and risk and vulnerability
assessments
Build the System Security Plan
based on NIST 800-53 control
guidelines. Preliminary risk and
vulnerability assessment done.
Measures requirements against
policy and provides functional
adjustments. Security
requirements stated based on
preliminary risk and
vulnerability assessments. If
necessary, requirements
document adjusted
Integrate controls
and create detailed
application security
test plan defining
testing tools,
timelines, remedial
action processes and
testers. Gain
approval from project
manager.
Pre prod
Prod
Post Prod
Create final
risk
acceptance
document
Ongoing pen
tests,
vulnerability
assessments,
risk
management
Application and
infrastructure
penetration testing
Server cert
First phase
application security
testing. Once code
begins solidifying,
use soft tools such as
AppScan or Spi
Dynamics for high
level testing.
Feedback findings to
developers for code
correction
Second phase app security
testing using formalized
process to decompile code
as much as possible to
determine if code has
organic exposures violating
policy, security design, and
the security architecture.
Correct findings and provide
to developers to fix or define
mitigating controls. Aspect
security has expertise in
this area
Third phase app
security test which
follows phase one
testing process.
Used as final
verification that
code is stable from
INFOSEC
perspective
**
Security certification
and accreditation should
be finalized
INFOSECFORCE
The ISA does not exist after all
Paradigm shift (ed)
ISA
 ISA Not an architect after all
 Engineer defining and implementing security requirements
 Implementing the security components of an enterprise architect
solution
 Integrated and symbiotic with the enterprise architecture
 Security processes that run on the infrastructure and something the
business enterprise can not do without
 It is a senior engineer that guides the construction and implementation of the
security components
INFOSECFORCE
Invisible person conclusion
We are at war
 A Security Architect can define strategies to defeat the aggressors.
 The IT industry governance boards (ISO …. IEEE) needs to standardize its
doctrine and strategy to define the ISA
 Organizations need to hire the right people for ISA jobs
 Reduce confusing the Senior Security Engineers with the roles and
responsibilities of an Information Security Architect.
 While they are complimentary in nature, the roles are different.
 Ultimately though …. is the discussion over …. Incorporate ISA into the EA
solution for consistent and seamless IT architecture and operational builds?
INFOSECFORCE
Contact information
INFOSECFORCE
Application
Security
15 Sept 2008
“ Balancing security controls to business requirements “
BILL ROSS
Marion Ross, INFOSECFORCE llc, President
Phone:804-387-9253
Bill Ross, INFOSECFORCE llc, Security Process Architect
Phone: 804-855-4988
Email: INFOSECFORCE@YAHOO.com
INFOSECFORCE
Enterprise Security Architecture
Ad hoc, not integrated not planned and costly
•
Information security solutions often designed, acquired and installed on a tactical basis.
•
No strategic dimension
•
Organization builds up a mixture of technical solutions on an ad hoc basis ‘
•
No guarantee that they will be compatible and inter-operable.
•
Solution is to base decisions on business requirements, including:








The need for cost reduction
Modularity
Scalability
Ease of component re-use
Operability
Usability
Security is business
Inter-operability both internally and externally
Integration with the enterprise IT architecture and its legacy systems.
Source: http://www.intigrow.com/enterprise-security-architecture-design.html