Scenario 3: Socket Inc is a telecommunications company offering mainly wireless products and services. It uses MongoDB. a document model database that offers high availability, scalability, and flexibility.
Last month, Socket Inc. reported an information security incident. A group of hackers compromised its MongoDB database, because the database administrators did not change its default settings, leaving it without a password and publicly accessible.
Fortunately. Socket Inc. performed regular information backups in their MongoDB database, so no information was lost during the incident. In addition, a syslog server allowed Socket Inc. to centralize all logs in one server. The company found out that no persistent backdoor was placed and that the attack was not initiated from an employee inside the company by reviewing the event logs that record user faults and exceptions.
To prevent similar incidents in the future, Socket Inc. decided to use an access control system that grants access to authorized personnel only. The company also implemented a control in order to define and implement rules for the effective use of cryptography, including cryptographic key management, to protect the database from unauthorized access The implementation was based on all relevant agreements, legislation, and regulations, and the information classification scheme. To improve security and reduce the administrative efforts, network segregation using VPNs was proposed.
Lastly, Socket Inc. implemented a new system to maintain, collect, and analyze information related to information security threats, and integrate information security into project management.
Can Socket Inc. find out that no persistent backdoor was placed and that the attack was initiated from an employee inside the company by reviewing event logs that record user faults and exceptions? Refer to scenario 3.
Event logs are records of events that occur in a system or network, such as user actions, faults, exceptions, errors, warnings, or security incidents. They can provide valuable information for monitoring, auditing, and troubleshooting purposes. Event logs can be categorized into different types, depending on the source and nature of the events. For example, user activity logs record the actions performed by users, such as login, logout, file access, or command execution. User fault and exception logs record the errors or anomalies that occur due to user input or behavior, such as invalid data entry, unauthorized access attempts, or system crashes. In scenario 3, Socket Inc. used a syslog server to centralize all logs in one server, which is a good practice for log management. However, to find out that no persistent backdoor was placed and that the attack was not initiated from an employee inside the company, Socket Inc. should have reviewed not only the user fault and exception logs, but also the user activity logs. The user activity logs could reveal any suspicious or malicious actions performed by the hackers or the employees, such as creating, modifying, or deleting files, executing commands, or installing software. By reviewing both types of logs, Socket Inc. could have a more complete picture of the incident and its root cause. Reviewing all the logs on the syslog server might not be necessary or feasible, as some logs might be irrelevant or too voluminous to analyze.
Which of the following represents an example of The Open Security Architecture (TOGAF) framework?
Scenario 2: Beauty is a cosmetics company that has recently switched to an e-commerce model, leaving the traditional retail. The top management has decided to build their own custom platform in-house and outsource the payment process to an external provider operating online payments systems that support online money transfers.
Due to this transformation of the business model, a number of security controls were implemented based on the identified threats and vulnerabilities associated to critical assets. To protect customers' information. Beauty's employees had to sign a confidentiality agreement. In addition, the company reviewed all user access rights so that only authorized personnel can have access to sensitive files and drafted a new segregation of duties chart.
However, the transition was difficult for the IT team, who had to deal with a security incident not long after transitioning to the e commerce model. After investigating the incident, the team concluded that due to the out-of-date anti-malware software, an attacker gamed access to their files and exposed customers' information, including their names and home addresses.
The IT team decided to stop using the old anti-malware software and install a new one which would automatically remove malicious code in case of similar incidents. The new software was installed in every workstation within the company. After installing the new software, the team updated it with the latest malware definitions and enabled the automatic update feature to keep it up to date at all times. Additionally, they established an authentication process that requires a user identification and password when accessing sensitive information.
In addition, Beauty conducted a number of information security awareness sessions for the IT team and other employees that have access to confidential information in order to raise awareness on the importance of system and network security.
According to scenario 2. Beauty has reviewed all user access rights. What type of control is this?
Preventive controls: These are controls that aim to prevent or deter the occurrence of a security incident or reduce its likelihood. Examples of preventive controls are encryption, firewalls, locks, policies, etc.
Detective controls: These are controls that aim to detect or discover the occurrence of a security incident or its symptoms. Examples of detective controls are logs, alarms, audits, etc.
Corrective controls: These are controls that aim to correct or restore the normal state of an asset or a process after a security incident or mitigate its impact. Examples of corrective controls are backups, recovery plans, incident response teams, etc.
Administrative controls: These are controls that involve the management and governance of information security, such as policies, procedures, roles, responsibilities, awareness, training, etc.
Technical controls: These are controls that involve the use of technology or software to implement information security, such as encryption, firewalls, anti-malware, authentication, etc.
Physical controls: These are controls that involve the protection of physical assets or locations from unauthorized access, damage, or theft, such as locks, fences, cameras, guards, etc.
Legal controls: These are controls that involve the compliance with laws, regulations, contracts, or agreements related to information security, such as privacy laws, data protection laws, confidentiality agreements, etc.
In scenario 2, the action of Beauty reviewing all user access rights is best described as a 'Preventive and Administrative' control.
Preventive Control: The review of user access rights is a preventive measure. It is designed to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information by ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to specific files. By controlling access rights, the organization aims to prevent potential security breaches and protect sensitive data.
Administrative Control: This action also falls under administrative controls, sometimes referred to as managerial controls. These controls involve policies, procedures, and practices related to the management of the organization and its employees. In this case, the review of access rights is a part of the company's administrative procedures to manage the security of information systems.
Scenario 2: Beauty is a cosmetics company that has recently switched to an e-commerce model, leaving the traditional retail. The top management has decided to build their own custom platform in-house and outsource the payment process to an external provider operating online payments systems that support online money transfers.
Due to this transformation of the business model, a number of security controls were implemented based on the identified threats and vulnerabilities associated to critical assets. To protect customers' information. Beauty's employees had to sign a confidentiality agreement. In addition, the company reviewed all user access rights so that only authorized personnel can have access to sensitive files and drafted a new segregation of duties chart.
However, the transition was difficult for the IT team, who had to deal with a security incident not long after transitioning to the e commerce model. After investigating the incident, the team concluded that due to the out-of-date anti-malware software, an attacker gamed access to their files and exposed customers' information, including their names and home addresses.
The IT team decided to stop using the old anti-malware software and install a new one which would automatically remove malicious code in case of similar incidents. The new software was installed in every workstation within the company. After installing the new software, the team updated it with the latest malware definitions and enabled the automatic update feature to keep it up to date at all times. Additionally, they established an authentication process that requires a user identification and password when accessing sensitive information.
In addition, Beauty conducted a number of information security awareness sessions for the IT team and other employees that have access to confidential information in order to raise awareness on the importance of system and network security.
Based on scenario 2, which information security principle is the IT team aiming to ensure by establishing a user authentication process that requires user identification and password when accessing sensitive information?
Confidentiality is one of the three information security principles, along with integrity and availability, that form the CIA triad. Confidentiality means protecting information from unauthorized access or disclosure, and ensuring that only those who are authorized to view or use it can do so. Confidentiality is essential for preserving the privacy and trust of the information owners, such as customers, employees, or business partners.
The IT team of Beauty is aiming to ensure confidentiality by establishing a user authentication process that requires user identification and password when accessing sensitive information. User authentication is a security control that verifies the identity and credentials of the users who attempt to access a system or network, and grants or denies them access based on their authorization level. User authentication helps to prevent unauthorized users, such as hackers, competitors, or malicious insiders, from accessing confidential information that they are not supposed to see or use. User authentication also helps to create an audit trail that records who accessed what information and when, which can be useful for accountability and compliance purposes.
ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Lead Implementer Course Guide1
ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Lead Implementer Info Kit2
ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Information Security Management Systems - Requirements3
ISO/IEC 27002:2022 Code of Practice for Information Security Controls
What is Information Security | Policy, Principles & Threats | Imperva1
What is information security?Definition, principles, and jobs2
What is Information Security?Principles, Types - KnowledgeHut3
Upon the risk assessment outcomes. Socket Inc. decided to:
* Require the use of passwords with at least 12 characters containing uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers
* Require the change of passwords at least once every 60 days
* Keep backup copies of files on IT-provided network drives
* Assign users to a separate network when they have access to cloud storage files storing customers' personal data.
What is the most important asset to Socket Inc. associated with the use of cloud storage? Refer to scenario 5.
