Blueprint for Security Chapter 6

Information Security Policy, Standards, and Practices

Management from all communities of interest must consider policies as the basis for all information security efforts Policies direct how issues should be addressed and technologies used Security policies are the least expensive control to execute, but the most difficult to implement Shaping policy is difficult because:
Never conflict with laws Stand up in court, if challenged Be properly administered
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Definitions
A policy is A plan or course of action, as of a government, political party, or business, intended to influence and determine decisions, actions, and other matters Policies are organizational laws Standards, on the other hand, are more detailed statements of what must be done to comply with policy Practices, procedures, and guidelines effectively explain how to comply with policy For a policy to be effective it must be properly disseminated, read, understood and agreed to by all members of the organization
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Types of Policy
Management defines three types of security policy:
General or security program policy Issue-specific security policies Systems-specific security policies

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Figure 6-1 Policies Standards & Practices

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Security Program Policy

A security program policy (SPP) is also known as
A general security policy IT security policy Information security policy

Sets the strategic direction, scope, and tone for all security efforts within the organization An executive-level document, usually drafted by or with, the CIO of the organization and is usually 2 to 10 pages long

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Issue-Specific Security Policy (ISSP)

As various technologies and processes are implemented, certain guidelines are needed to use them properly The ISSP:
addresses specific areas of technology requires frequent updates contains an issue statement on the organizations position on an issue

Three approaches:
Create a number of independent ISSP documents Create a single comprehensive ISSP document Create a modular ISSP document
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Example ISSP Structure

Statement of Policy Authorized Access and Usage of Equipment Prohibited Usage of Equipment Systems Management Violations of Policy Policy Review and Modification Limitations of Liability
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Systems-Specific Policy (SysSP)

While issue-specific policies are formalized as written documents, distributed to users, and agreed to in writing, SysSPs are frequently codified as standards and procedures used when configuring or maintaining systems Systems-specific policies fall into two groups:
Access control lists (ACLs) consist of the access control lists, matrices, and capability tables governing the rights and privileges of a particular user to a particular system Configuration rules comprise the specific configuration codes entered into security systems to guide the execution of the system
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ACL Policies
Both Microsoft Windows NT/2000 and Novell Netware 5.x/6.x families of systems translate ACLs into sets of configurations that administrators use to control access to their respective systems ACLs allow configuration to restrict access from anyone and anywhere ACLs regulate:
Who can use the system What authorized users can access When authorized users can access the system Where authorized users can access the system from How authorized users can access the system
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Rule Policies
Rule policies are more specific to the operation of a system than ACLs Many security systems require specific configuration scripts telling the systems what actions to perform on each set of information they process

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Policy Management
Policies are living documents that must be managed and nurtured, and are constantly changing and growing Documents must be properly managed Special considerations should be made for organizations undergoing mergers, takeovers, and partnerships In order to remain viable, policies must have:
an individual responsible for reviews a schedule of reviews a method for making recommendations for reviews a specific effective and revision date
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Information Classification
The classification of information is an important aspect of policy The same protection scheme created to prevent production data from accidental release to the wrong party should be applied to policies in order to keep them freely available, but only within the organization In todays open office environments, it may be beneficial to implement a clean desk policy A clean desk policy stipulates that at the end of the business day, all classified information must be properly stored and secured
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Systems Design
At this point in the Security SDLC, the analysis phase is complete and the design phase begins many work products have been created Designing a plan for security begins by creating or validating a security blueprint Then use the blueprint to plan the tasks to be accomplished and the order in which to proceed Setting priorities can follow the recommendations of published sources, or from published standards provided by government agencies, or private consultants
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Information Security Blueprints

One approach is to adapt or adopt a published model or framework for information security A framework is the basic skeletal structure within which additional detailed planning of the blueprint can be placed as it is developed of refined Experience teaches us that what works well for one organization may not precisely fit another
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ISO 17799/BS 7799

One of the most widely referenced and often discussed security models is the Information Technology Code of Practice for Information Security Management, which was originally published as British Standard BS 7799 This Code of Practice was adopted as an international standard by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) as ISO/IEC 17799 in 2000 as a framework for information security
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ISO 17799 / BS 7799

Several countries have not adopted 17799 claiming there are fundamental problems:
The global information security community has not defined any justification for a code of practice as identified in the ISO/IEC 17799 17799 lacks the necessary measurement precision of a technical standard There is no reason to believe that 17799 is more useful than any other approach currently available 17799 is not as complete as other frameworks available 17799 is perceived to have been hurriedly prepared given the tremendous impact its adoption could have on industry information security controls
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ISO/IEC 17799
Organizational Security Policy is needed to provide management direction and support Objectives:
Operational Security Policy Organizational Security Infrastructure Asset Classification and Control Personnel Security Physical and Environmental Security Communications and Operations Management System Access Control System Development and Maintenance Business Continuity Planning Compliance
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NIST Security Models

Another approach available is described in the many documents available from the Computer Security Resource Center of the National Institute for Standards and Technology (csrc.nist.gov) Including:
NIST SP 800-12 - The Computer Security Handbook NIST SP 800-14 - Generally Accepted Principles and Practices for Securing IT Systems NIST SP 800-18 - The Guide for Developing Security Plans for IT Systems

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NIST SP 800-14
Security Supports the Mission of the Organization Security is an Integral Element of Sound Management Security Should Be Cost-Effective Systems Owners Have Security Responsibilities Outside Their Own Organizations Security Responsibilities and Accountability Should Be Made Explicit Security Requires a Comprehensive and Integrated Approach Security Should Be Periodically Reassessed Security is Constrained by Societal Factors 33 Principles enumerated
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IETF Security Architecture

The Security Area Working Group acts as an advisory board for the protocols and areas developed and promoted through the Internet Society
No specific architecture is promoted through IETF

RFC 2196: Site Security Handbook provides an overview of five basic areas of security Topics include:
security policies security technical architecture security services security incident handling

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VISA Model
VISA International promotes strong security measures and has security guidelines Developed two important documents that improve and regulate its information systems
Security Assessment Process Agreed Upon Procedures

Using the two documents, a security team can develop a sound strategy for the design of good security architecture The only down side to this approach is the very specific focus on systems that can or do integrate with VISAs systems
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Baselining and Best Practices

Baselining and best practices are solid methods for collecting security practices, but they can have the drawback of providing less detail than would a complete methodology It is possible to gain information by baselining and using best practices and thus work backwards to an effective design The Federal Agency Security Practices Site (fasp.csrc.nist.gov) is designed to provide best practices for public agencies

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Professional Membership
It may be worth the information security professionals time and money to join professional societies with information on best practices for its members Many organizations have seminars and classes on best practices for implementing security Finding information on security design is the easy part, sorting through the collected mass of information, documents, and publications can take a substantial investment in time and human resources
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NIST SP 800-26
Management Controls
Risk Management Review of Security Controls Life Cycle Maintenance Authorization of Processing (Certification and Accreditation) System Security Plan Personnel Security Physical Security Production, Input/Output Controls Contingency Planning Hardware and Systems Software Data Integrity Documentation Security Awareness, Training, and Education Incident Response Capability

Operational Controls

Technical Controls
Identification and Authentication Logical Access Controls Audit Trails

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Figure 6-16 Spheres of Security

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Sphere of Use
Generally speaking, the concept of the sphere is to represent the 360 degrees of security necessary to protect information at all times The first component is the sphere of use Information, at the core of the sphere, is available for access by members of the organization and other computer-based systems:
To gain access to the computer systems, one must either directly access the computer systems or go through a network connection To gain access to the network, one must either directly access the network or go through an Internet connection
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Sphere of Protection
The sphere of protection overlays each of the levels of the sphere of use with a layer of security, protecting that layer from direct or indirect use through the next layer The people must become a layer of security, a human firewall that protects the information from unauthorized access and use Information security is therefore designed and implemented in three layers
policies people (education, training, and awareness programs) technology
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Controls
Management controls cover security processes that are designed by the strategic planners and performed by security administration of the organization Operational controls deal with the operational functionality of security in the organization Operational controls also address personnel security, physical security, and the protection of production inputs and outputs Technical controls address those tactical and technical issues related to designing and implementing security in the organization
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The Framework
Management Controls
Program Management System Security Plan Life Cycle Maintenance Risk Management Review of Security Controls Legal Compliance

Technical Controls
Logical Access Controls Identification, Authentication, Authorization, and Accountability Audit Trails Asset Classification and Control Cryptography

Operational Controls
Contingency Planning Security ETA Personnel Security Physical Security Production Inputs and Outputs Hardware & Software Systems Maintenance Data Integrity

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SETA
As soon as the policies exist, policies to implement security education, training, and awareness (SETA) should follow SETA is a control measure designed to reduce accidental security breaches Supplement the general education and training programs in place to educate staff on information security Security education and training builds on the general knowledge the employees must possess to do their jobs, familiarizing them with the way to do their jobs securely
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SETA Elements
The SETA program consists of three elements
security education security training security awareness

The organization may not be capable or willing to undertake all three of these elements but may outsource them The purpose of SETA is to enhance security by:
Improving awareness of the need to protect system resources Developing skills and knowledge so computer users can perform their jobs more securely Building in-depth knowledge, as needed, to design, implement, or operate security programs for organizations and systems

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Security Education
Everyone in an organization needs to be trained and aware of information security, but not every member of the organization needs a formal degree or certificate in information security When formal education for appropriate individuals in security is needed an employee can identify curriculum available from local institutions of higher learning or continuing education A number of universities have formal coursework in information security
(See for example http://infosec.kennesaw.edu)
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Security Training
Security training involves providing members of the organization with detailed information and hands-on instruction designed to prepare them to perform their duties securely Management of information security can develop customized in-house training or outsource the training program

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Security Awareness
One of the least frequently implemented, but the most beneficial programs is the security awareness program Designed to keep information security at the forefront of the users minds Need not be complicated or expensive If the program is not actively implemented, employees begin to tune out, and the risk of employee accidents and failures increases
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Design of security Architecture

Defense in Depth
One of the foundations of security architectures is the requirement to implement security in layers Defense in depth requires that the organization establish sufficient security controls and safeguards, so that an intruder faces multiple layers of controls

Security Perimeter
The point at which an organizations security protection ends, and the outside world begins Referred to as the security perimeter Unfortunately the perimeter does not apply to internal attacks from employee threats, or on-site physical threats
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Key Technology Components

Other key technology components
A firewall is a device that selectively discriminates against information flowing into or out of the organization The DMZ (demilitarized zone) is a no-mans land, between the inside and outside networks, where some organizations place Web servers In an effort to detect unauthorized activity within the inner network, or on individual machines, an organization may wish to implement Intrusion Detection Systems or IDS

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