Steal This Data

ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, is the world’s leading developer of International Standards, ensuring product and information interoperability. One of their most widely adopted standards is ISO/IEC 17799:2005, which establishes guidelines and general principles for initiating, implementing, maintaining, and improving information security management in an organization. This is especially important in the increasingly interconnected business environment, where information is now exposed to a growing number and a wider variety of threats and vulnerabilities.

Information security is the protection of information from a wide range of threats in order to ensure business continuity, minimize business risk, and maximize return on investments and business opportunities. It is achieved by implementing a suitable set of controls, including policies, processes, procedures, organizational structures and software and hardware functions. These controls need to be established, implemented, monitored, reviewed and improved, where necessary, to ensure that the specific security and business objectives of the organization are met. This should be done in conjunction with other business management processes.

The objectives outlined in ISO/IEC 17799:2005 provide general guidance on the commonly accepted goals of information security management and contain best practices controls in the following areas of information security management:

• information security policy
• asset management
• human resources security
• physical and environmental security
• communications and operations management
• access control
• information systems acquisition, development and maintenance
• information security incident management
• business continuity management
• compliance

The control objectives and controls in ISO/IEC 17799:2005 can be used by an organization to assess the risk of doing business with partners, customers and suppliers and are a good indicator or an another organization’s IT and business process maturity. 

CompTIA stands for Computing Technology Industry Association. CompTia serves the IT industry as the world’s largest developer of vendor-neutral IT certification exams. Since establishing the certification program in 1993, more than one million CompTIA certifications have been earned worldwide.

CompTIA currently offers three security-related certifications that can be used to satisfy the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) established Directive 8570.1: Information Assurance Training, Certification and Workforce Management.

A+ Certification

The A+ certification is intended for computer service technicians and validates a their ability to perform tasks such as installation, configuration, diagnosing, preventive maintenance and basic networking. The exams also cover domains such as security, safety and environmental issues and communication and professionalism. With more than 700,000 technicians certified worldwide, CompTIA A+ is seen by the technology community as a solid baseline credential for entry into an IT career.

Network+ Certification

The Network+ certification builds upon the A+ certification as the computer technician or IT networking professional acquires more work experince. This certification tests a technician’s ability to describe the features and functions of networking components and to install, configure and troubleshoot basic networking hardware, protocols and services. Although not a prerequisite, it is recommended that CompTIA Network+ candidates have at least nine months of experience in network support or administration or adequate academic training, along with a CompTIA A+ certification.

Security+ Certification

The Security+ certification builds upon the Network+ certification and tests the individual’s knowledge of systems security, network infrastructure, access control, assessments and audits, cryptography and organizational security. Although not a prerequisite, it is recommended that CompTIA Security+ candidates have at least two years of on-the-job technical networking experience, with an emphasis on security. The CompTIA Network+ certification is also recommended.

Whether you’re interested in becoming an information security professional or in hiring one, it’s helpful to know what the blizzard of infosec certifications out there are and what they mean. There are several organizations that issue reputable infosec certifications for IT professionals. In this post, I cover the certifications that can be obtained from the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, also known as the ISC-squared.

CISSP

CISSP stands for Certified Information Systems Security Professional. Considered by many to be the gold standard in infosec certifications, the CISSP measures an individual’s knowledge as well as their experience, requiring at least 5 years of experience working in information security in two or more of the following areas:

• Access Control
• Application Security
• Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning
• Cryptography, Information Security and Risk Management
• Legal, Regulations, Compliance and Investigations
• Operations Security
• Physical (Environmental) Security
• Security Architecture and Design
• Telecommunications and Network Security

To obtain a CISSP certification, individuals must go through a four step process that includes passing a CISSP certification exam, pass the exam with a score of 700 or more, and the submit an endorsement by another member of the ISC-squared that can attest to the candidates professional experience. Recertification is required every 3 years.

If you don’t have the required five years of professional experience, you can have one year waived if you possess another security certification recognized by the ISC-squared. Alternatively, you can take the CISSP certification exam early and obtain an associate of ISC-squared certification which will become a CISSP if you obtain the requisite professional experience in the following 6 years.  For more information, visit CISSP.

CAP

CAP stands for Certification and Accreditation Professional and measures measures the skill level of individuals responsible for defining processes used to assess risk and establish security requirements. The CAP credential is aimed at information assurance professionals who have a responsibility for adherence to NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) guidelines. It is recognized by civilian, state and local governments in the U.S., as well as commercial markets. It is designed for employees who perform  rights authorization, system owners, information owners, information system security officers, and senior system managers.

The CAP requires at least two years of professional experience in the following areas:

• Understanding the Purpose of Certification
• Initiation of the System Authorization Process
• Certification Phase
• Accreditation Phase
• Continuous Monitoring Phase

 Like the CISSP, CAP candidates need to pass an examination, obtain an endorsement to be certified, and remain in good standing by attending continuing professional education classes. For more information, visit CAP.

SSCP

SSCP stands for Systems Security Certified Practioner and only requires one year of professional infosec experience to apply for. It is designed for Network Security Engineers, Security Systems Analysts, and Security Administrators or other information technology and software development positions that require an understanding of security but do not have it as a primary part of their job description.

Although the SSCP is not as prestigious as the CISSP it is still a valuable certification to obtain if you are interested in an information security career. Organizations such as the US Department of Defense and the British Ministry of Defense require certifications for their information security personnel and the SSCP is an internationally recognized certification which can differentiate your resume.

For certification, your professional experience has to be in one of the following seven security domains: 

• Access Controls
• Analysis and Monitoring
• Cryptography 
• Malicious Code
• Networks and Telecommunications
• Risk, Response and Recovery
• Security Operations and Administration

Like the CISSP, SSCP candidates need to pass an examination, obtain an endorsement to be certified, and remain in good standing by attending continuing professional education classes. For more information, visit SSCP.

Effective data security starts with assessing what information you have and identifying who has access to it. Understanding how personal information moves into, through, and out of your business and who has — or could have — access to it is essential to assessing security vulnerabilities.

Whether you’re a industry giant or a lean-and-mean one-person shop, here are some tips on conducting a data security audit to determine who data flows through your organization and who has access to it.

Taking steps to protect personal information in your files and on your computer can go a long way toward preventing a security breach. Nevertheless, breaches can happen. That’s why it’s important for companies have an incident response plan in place to deal with to security incidents before they occur. Putting together a “What if?” action strategy now may help reduce the impact an information breach can have on your business, your employees, and your customers.

Here are some tips about customizing your company’s incident response plan.

• Senior management sets the tone for any organization’s commitment to data security. That’s why drafting, coordinating, and implementing your company’s response plan isn’t a job for a newcomer. Designate a well-respected senior executive to head up your response team. Select someone with a reputation for working well with every part of your operation — sales, financial, personnel, information technology.
• Once you’ve put together your response team, have them draft contingency plans for how your business will respond to different kinds of security incidents. Some threats may come out of left field; others — a lost laptop or a root kit attack, to name just two — are unfortunate, but foreseeable.
• Experience sharpens intuition. If your staff suspects a breach, investigate it immediately.
• If you suspect a computer breach, immediately sever the compromised computer’s access to the Internet and to your network. To assess the impact, ask your IT staff to preserve any available network logs, file transfer logs, system logs, and access reports. Investigate if intruders opened files or placed new programs on your computer. Did they release viruses or other malware? By diagnosing the damage and retracing the fraudsters’ steps, you can help your company shore up unanticipated vulnerabilities.
• Consider whom to inform in the event of an incident, both inside and outside your company. You may need to notify consumers, law enforcement agencies, customers, credit bureaus, and other businesses that may be affected by the breach. In addition, about 40 states have laws addressing data breaches. Have that information on file before you need it.