DISC InfoSec blogInformation Security Management System Archives

Aug 26 2021

What is ISMS

Category: Information Security,ISO 27k — DISC @ 10:25 pm

Implementing an ISMS

There are numerous ways of approaching the implementation of an ISMS. The most common method to follow is a ‘Plan Do Check Act’ process.

ISO 27001 is the international security standard that details the requirements of an ISMS.

ISO 27001, along with the best-practice guidelines contained in ISO 27002, serve as two excellent guides to get you started with implementing an ISMS.

A certified ISMS, independently audited by an approved certification body, can serve as the necessary reassurance to customers and potential clients that the organization has taken the steps required to protect their information assets from a range of identified risks.

The strength of an ISMS is based on the robustness of the information security risk assessment, which is key to any implementation.

The ability to recognize the full range of risks that the organization and its data may face in the foreseeable future is a precursor to implementing the necessary mitigating measures (known as ‘controls’).

ISO 27001 provides a list of recommended controls that can serve as a checklist to assess whether you have taken into consideration all the controls necessary for legislative, business, contractual, or regulatory purposes.

ISO 27001 Risk Assessment and Gap Assessment

Tags: Information Security Management System, isms

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Oct 19 2015

New York Stock Exchange cybersecurity guide recommends ISO 27001

Category: ISO 27k — DISC @ 11:11 am

by Neil Ford

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has released a 355-page guide to cybersecurity (Navigating the Digital Age: The Definitive Cybersecurity Guide for Directors and Officers), written by more than 80 individual contributors representing organizations including Booz Allen Hamilton, Dell SecureWorks, Georgia Institute of Technology, the Internet Security Alliance, Rackspace Inc., the US Department of Justice Cybersecurity Unit, Visa, Wells Fargo, and the World Economic Forum.

This ‘definitive guide’ collects “the expertise and experience of CEOs, CIOs, lawyers, forensic experts, consultants, academia, and current and former government officials”, and “contains practical and expert advice on a range of cybersecurity issues including compliance and breach avoidance, prevention and response.”

“No issue today has created more concern within corporate C-suites and boardrooms than cybersecurity risk.”

Tom Farley, President, New York Stock Exchange

Among the report’s many opinions is one that we at IT Governance have maintained for a long time: the recommendation that organizations align their cybersecurity program with “at least one standard… so progress and maturity can be measured. In determining which standard to use as a corporate guidepost, organizations should consider the comprehensiveness of the standard. […] ISO/IEC 27001… is a comprehensive standard and a good choice for any size of organization because it is respected globally and is the one most commonly mapped against other standards.”

All NYSE-listed company board members will receive a copy of the guide; if you are yet to receive your copy, it can be downloaded here >>

For more information on ISO 27001 and how it can help your organization with a best-practice cybersecurity posture, click here >>

“This is not simply an IT issue. It is a business problem of the highest level.”

Charles W. Scharf, CEO, Visa Inc.

ISO 27001 information security management

An information security management system (ISMS), as described by ISO 27001, provides a risk-based approach to information security that enables organizations of all sizes, sectors, and locations to mitigate the risks they face with appropriate controls. An ISMS addresses people, processes, and technology, providing an enterprise-wide approach to protecting information – in whatever form it is held – based on the specific threats the organization actually faces, thereby limiting the inadvertent threats posed by untrained staff, inadequate procedures, out-of-date software solutions, and more.

Priced from only $659, IT Governance’s ISO 27001 Packaged Solutions provide unique information security implementation resources for all organizations, whatever their size, budget, or preferred project approach. Combining standards, tools, books, training, and online consultancy and support, they allow all organizations to implement an ISMS with the minimum of disruption and difficulty.

Tags: Information Security Management System, ISO/IEC 27001, NYSE

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Aug 21 2015

Five ISO 27001 books you should read

Category: ISO 27k — DISC @ 9:14 am

Take a plunge into the world of ISO 27001 with these recommended reads

by Desislava Aleksandrova

As a professional embarking on your first journey implementing ISO 27001, you are probably hungry for knowledge and eager to make progress. While starting a new project may be exciting, it can also be daunting if you lack relevant experience and cannot rely on internal support and guidance.

Many ISO 27001 practitioners attend ISO 27001 Lead Implementer courses to gain practical knowledge and skills to develop an information security management system (ISMS). Some go even further by securing a budget to call in an experienced ISO 27001 consultant to guide them through the process and help them with the more complex aspects of the project. But most information security professionals start the journey by simply reading a lot on the subject and doing initial preparation on their own – a method that is not only cost effective, but also gives them a good foundation to understand what is needed for successful ISO 27001 delivery.

Here are five books from IT Governance’s own ISO 27001 library that we believe can help ISO 27001 practitioners prepare for ISO 27001 implementation.

The Case for ISO 27001

As the title says, this book explains the business case for implementing ISO 27001 within an organisation. It highlights the importance and outlines the many benefits of the Standard, making it an ideal supporting document for developing an ISO 27001 project proposal.

The Case for ISO 27001 can be ordered from the IT Governance website.

IT Governance – An International Guide to Data Security and ISO27001/ISO27002

Now in its sixth edition, the bestselling IT Governance: An International Guide to Data Security and ISO27001/ISO27002 is the perfect manual for designing, documenting and implementing an ISO 27001-compliant ISMS, and seeking certification. Selected as the textbook for the Open University’s postgraduate information security course, this comprehensive book offers a systematic process and covers the main topics in depth.

Jointly written by renowned ISO 27001 experts Alan Calder and Steve Watkins, IT Governance: An International Guide to Data Security and ISO27001/ISO27002, sixth edition is due to be released 3 September 2015, and is now available for pre-order.

Nine Steps to Success

If you are looking for a concise, practical guide to implementing an ISMS and achieving ISO 27001 certification, consider obtaining a copy of Nine Steps to Success. Written from first-hand experience, it guides you through an ISO 27001 implementation project step-by-step, covering the most essentials aspects including gaining management support, scoping, planning, communication, risk assessment and documentation.

ISO 27001 Assessments Without Tears

With ISO 27001 certification being the final goal for most organisations implementing the Standard, the pressure is usually on the ISO 27001 practitioners to ensure that staff are prepared to answer tricky auditor questions. ISO 27001 Assessments Without Tears is a succinctly written pocket guide that explains what an ISO 27001 assessment is, why it matters for the organisation, and what individual staff should and should not do if an auditor chooses to question them.

ISO 27001 in a Windows Environment

Most ISO 27001 implementations will involve a Windows^® environment at some level. Unfortunately, there is often a knowledge gap between those trying to implement ISO 27001 and the IT specialists trying to put the necessary best-practice controls in place using Microsoft^®’s technical controls. Written by information security expert Brian Honan, ISO27001 in a Windows Environment bridges that gap and gives essential guidance to everyone involved in a Windows-based ISO27001 project.

Tags: Chief Information Security Officer, Computer security, Data center, Information Security Management System, ISO/IEC 27001

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Aug 22 2014

Do it yourself solution for ISO27001 implementation

Category: ISO 27k — DISC @ 3:16 pm

ISO 27001 Do It Yourself Package

This is the do-it-yourself solution for ISO27001 implementation

Cyber crime is increasing exponentially, and this trend will continue as more business activities move online and more consumers connect to the Internet. ISO/IEC 27001 is the only international information security management Standard that can help your organization protect its critical data assets, comply with legislation and regulations, and thrive as customer confidence in its data security practices increases.

This package is aimed at organisations that have substantial management system expertise (with ISO9001, or ISO20000, for instance) and an understanding of information security management, as well as the necessary available internal resources and a corporate culture of keeping overall external costs down by following a do-it-yourself approach to project management.

This package does not include certification fees which are paid directly to the certification body.

The ISO 27001 do-it-yourself package contains:

The ISO 27001:2013 Standard, which details the requirements against which you will be audited.
The ISO 27002:2013 Standard, which is the code of practice that provides supports for the implementation of information security controls for ISO27001.
The ISO 27000:2014 Standard, which contains the terms and definitions referenced in ISO27001.
IT Governance – An International Guide to Data Security and ISO27001/ISO27002, which details how to design, implement and deliver an Information Security Management System (ISMS) that complies with ISO27001.
Nine Steps to Success – An ISO 27001 Implementation Overview, which outlines the nine critical steps that mean the difference between ISO27001 project success and failure.

The standards set out the requirements for best-practice information security management. The implementation manuals provide you with detailed implementation advice based on practical experience, which you can access in your own time and at your own pace.

Based on your needs, you may also need: ISO27001-2013 Gap Analysis Tool

Tags: Corporate governance of information technology, data security, Information Security, Information Security Management System, International Organization for Standardization, isms, ISO/IEC 27001, Risk Assessment

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Jun 20 2014

ISO27001 2013 ISMS Gap Analysis Tool

Category: ISO 27k — DISC @ 12:09 pm

To transition from ISO27001:2005 to ISO27001:2013 you may need a Gap Assessment Tool to prioritize your implementation plan.

ISO27001 2013 ISMS Gap Analysis Tool, which quickly and clearly identify the controls and control areas in which an organization does not conform to the requirements of the standard.

Available for immediate dispatch/download from IT Governance, this tool will further your understanding of ISO27001 and identify where you are and why you are not meeting the requirements of ISO27001.

ISO27001 2013 high level review for making the transition

Tags: Gap assessment tool, Information Security Management System, ISO/IEC 27001, Risk Assessment

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May 10 2014

Information Security and ISO 27001-2013

Category: ISO 27k — DISC @ 9:38 pm

The perfect introduction to the principles of information security management and ISO27001:2013

Most organizations implementing an information security management regime opt for systems based on the international standard, ISO/IEC 27001. This approach ensures that the systems they put in place are effective, reliable and auditable.

Up to date with the latest version of the Standard (ISO27001:2013), An Introduction to information security and ISO27001:2013 is the perfect solution for anyone wanting an accurate, fast, easy-to-read primer on information security from an acknowledged expert on ISO27001.

This pocket guide will help you to:

Make informed decisions

By providing a clear, concise overview of the subject this guide enables the key people in your organization to make better decisions before embarking on an information security project.

Ensure everyone is up to speed

Once you have decided to implement an information security project, you can use this guide to give the non-specialists on the project board and in the project team a clearer understanding of what the project involves.

Raise awareness among staff

An Information Security Management System (ISMS) will make demands of the overall corporate culture within your organization. You need to make sure your people know what is at stake with regard to information security, so that they understand what is expected of them.

Enhance your competitiveness

Your customers need to know that the information you hold about them is managed and protected appropriately. And to retain your competitive edge, you will want the identity of your suppliers and the products you are currently developing to stay under wraps. With an effective knowledge management strategy, you can preserve smooth customer relations and protect your trade secrets.

Download this pocket guide and learn how you can keep your information assets secure.

Tags: Information Security, Information Security Management System, isms, ISO/IEC 27001, Policy

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Apr 03 2014

Is privacy a dependency of information security

Category: Information Privacy,ISO 27k — DISC @ 10:59 am

Privacy (Photo credit: g4ll4is)

Is privacy a dependency of information security?

by Jamie Titchener

If you read the news on a regular basis, you will find that most of the cyber security or data protection articles play heavily on the fear of an individual’s privacy being compromised.

But what many people don’t seem to realize is that privacy is in fact a dependency of information or cyber security. Only by having in place adequate information or cyber security policies and procedures can an organization ensure the privacy of their stakeholders, including customers, staff, suppliers, etc.

Whilst there are some unique challenges faced in the area of privacy relating to governmental legislation such as the UK Data Protection Act, organizations can start to effectively address many of the privacy concerns that their stakeholders have by adopting an approach such as implementing an ISMS that complies with ISO/IEC 27001/2.

By combining the right mix of people, process and technology in an ISMS, organizations can effectively manage many of the privacy risks that people are concerned about.

Find out more about ISO/IEC 27001 in An Introduction to ISO/IEC 27001 2013.

Tags: Corporate governance of information technology, Information Security Management System, iso 27001, privacy

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Mar 30 2014

The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI) in South Africa – Benefits and Challenges

Category: data security,Security and privacy Law,Security Breach — DISC @ 10:14 pm

by Ilenia Vidili

In South Africa the Protection of Personal information Act (POPI) aims to regulate how companies secure the integrity and confidentiality of their data assets by taking technical and organisational measures to prevent the loss of, and damage and unauthorised access to, personal information. POPI was signed into law on 26^th November 2013 but the commencement date is yet to be announced; companies have been given a year to achieve compliance with the Act. Penalties for failing to comply with the Act include prosecution, with possible prison terms of up to 12 months, and fines of up to R10 million. I believe that POPI will make life easier for IT organisations in South Africa.

Why is it so important for organizations to keep personal information safe?

Data breaches, and the resultant loss of information assets, can lead to huge financial losses for companies as well as the reputational damage and a loss of customer trust. The lack of robust Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) can leave organisations of any size and sector open to data breaches. POPI’s objective is to regulate the way personal information is collected and stored by organizations, which will in turn increase customer confidence in the organizations. The Act will apply to all organizations, regardless of size or sector, whether public or private, including the Government. As a reminder of the importance of data security, the City of Johannesburg suffered a massive data breach in August 2013 which allowed anyone to read citizens’ personal billing information on the Council’s website, including full names, account numbers, addresses, and contact details. Anything could have happened to that information, including targeted phishing attacks, and the production of fake ID books and proof of residence, which could have been used for terrorist purposes.

POPI’s challenges

The major challenge of POPI is that companies will have to change the way they collect and store customer information as soon as possible: organizations have been given only a year to be compliant before the Act is enforced. Given the extent of changing business processes and employees’ attitudes it will be a serious challenge to reach compliance in only a year.

PwC’s “journey of implementation” report found that the majority of organizations in South Africa believe it will take several years to achieve compliance with POPI.

Source: PwC “The journey to implementation”

One way for South African organizations to make compliance with POPI easier would be to implement the international information security standard ISO27001, which sets out the requirements against which an organization’s information security management system can be independently audited and certified. Implementing the standard will help South African businesses fulfil the compliance requirements of any related legislation (including the Protection of Personal Information Act). Moreover, by implementing ISO27001, businesses ensure that they have effective controls in place to manage risk and protect personal information.

How to prepare for POPI

IT Governance SA has developed a wide range of ISO27001 books, training and tools to help organisations with weak information security management system, and recommends that companies look at the useful information about ISO27001 available on the company’s website.

Tags: Information Security Management System, isms, POPI, Protection of Personal information Act, South Africa

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Jan 21 2014

Why Two Thirds of Personal Banking Apps Have Vulnerabilities

Category: App Security,Mobile Security — DISC @ 11:12 pm

Image representing iPhone as depicted in Crunc...

Image via CrunchBase

Personal Banking Apps study has been out, a security researcher spent about 40 hours testing iPhone and iPad banking applications from the top 60 most influential banks in the world and his findings were totally shocking.

40 of those 60 applications were found to have major mobile security vulnerabilities, which is not something you’d expect to find in an application which authenticate you to your bank.

The conducted tests were split amongst six separate areas: transport security, compiler protection, UIWebViews, data storage, logs and binary analysis. Serious weaknesses were found in all of these areas.
40% of the applications can’t validate to the authenticity of SSL certificates, meaning that they’re vulnerable to monkey/man in the middle (MiTM) attacks

A full 90% of the apps contain non-SSL links, potentially allowing “an attacker to intercept the traffic and inject arbitrary JavaScript/HTML code in an attempt to create a fake login prompt or similar scam.”

50% “are vulnerable to JavaScript injections via insecure UIWebView implementations… allowing actions such as sending SMS or emails from the victim’s device.”

70% have no facility for any “alternative authentication solutions, such as multi-factor authentication, which could help to mitigate the risk of impersonation attacks.”

The incredibly troubling study brings to light a very serious problem for the banking industry — and for consumers, of course — that will only become more severe over time as mobile banking app usage grows. Sanchez notes in his report that the various security vulnerabilities he identified could allow malicious hackers to intercept sensitive data, install malware or even seize control of a victim’s device.

When Banks are using their mobile applications as a competitive advantage, you may think that they’d thoroughly test these applications for any existing security flaws with vulnerability assessment or mobile Penetration test, to reduce the vulnerabilities from two third to an acceptable level. Major security flaws shows that applications have not been tested for security vulnerabilities at every phase of the development. Above all it shows Banks have a weak Information Security Management System (ISMS) in place. This can be especially a worrisome trend for smaller Banks due to lack of existing information security resources and expertise.

Mobile Information Security and Privacy Books

Mobile Malware Protection from from phishing sites and malicious URLs

Tags: Banking Apps, Information Security Management System, SSL, Vulnerability (computing)

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Jan 06 2014

IT Governance Top 5 Bestsellers of 2013

Category: Information Security,ISO 27k — DISC @ 11:24 am

With 2013 coming to a close, ITG is reflecting on what a year it’s been for the IT governance, risk management and compliance (IT-GRC) industry. In 2013 we’ve seen the highly-awaited release of ISO 27001:2013, the requirements for PCI DSS v3.0 and the Adobe breach which affected at least 38 million users.
Throughout it all, IT Governance has been there to serve IT professionals in America and assist them in implementing management systems, protecting their organizations and making their IT departments run more efficiently by implementing IT-GRC frameworks.
Below we have listed the top 5 IT Governance USA bestsellers from 2013:

ISO IEC 27001 2013 and ISO IEC 27002 2013

Cyber Risks for Business Professionals: A Management Guide

No 3 Comprehensive ISO27001 2005 ISMS Toolkit

The True Cost of Information Security Breaches and Cyber Crime

ITIL Foundation Handbook (Little ITIL) – 2011 Edition

Tags: Corporate governance of information technology, Information Security Management System, Information Technology Infrastructure Library, ISO 27001 2013

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Dec 04 2013

ISO27001 2013 high level review for making the transition

Category: ISO 27k — DISC @ 3:06 pm

ISO 27001 2013 high level review for making the transition from ISO 27001 2005

The Case for ISO 27001 (2013) Second Edition (Download the latest book in Adobe)

It’s been several months now that highly anticipated release of the latest information security standard ISO 27001 2013 for the organization who have vested interest due to previous compliance or certification in ISO 27001 2005. ISO 27001 2013 has 114 controls defined within 14 security control clauses (domains) collectively containing a total of 35 main security categories and introductory clauses including introduction, scope, normative references.

0. Introduction
1. Scope
2. Normative references
3. Terms and definitions
4. Context of the organisation
5. Leadership
6. Planning
7. Support
8. Operation
9. Performance evaluation
10. Improvement

The new standard no longer require organizations to adopt the Plan-Do-Check-Act (P-D-C-A) model to develop and introduce the ISMS, but leave it to each organization to determine and adopt a continual improvement model (corrective action) that works for them.

The scope in new standard requires every organization to make sure the external and internal issues, (vendor assessment) and information security requirements of these parties are addressed in the contract. This clause will ensure that an ISMS is relevant to the organization’s activity which include external partners and provides an assurance that appropriate controls are in place for external parties as well. In risk assessment area, risks are treated and residual risk accepted by risk owners rather than asset owners, which may require organizations to build a risk register, which will ultimately become an auditable document.

There is another important requirements relating to the setting of information security objectives (strategy), which include the evaluation of the information security performance and measuring the effectiveness of the ISMS.

Annex A has also been restructured into fewer controls (114) and three new domains
A.5. Information security policies
A.6. Organisation of information security
A.7. Human resources security
A.8. Asset management
A.9. Access control
A.10. Cryptography – new
A.11. Physical and environmental security
A.12. Operations security – new
A.13. Communications security
A.14. System acquisition, development and maintenance
A.15. Supplier relationships – new
A.16. Information security incident management
A.17. Information security aspects of business continuity management

The Standard now covers what was previously referred to as ‘control of documents’ and ‘control of records’ under the description of ‘documented information’.

There is no longer a summary of the mandated documents required by the Standard in this section, relying on the organization to identify the requirements for what is now referred to as ‘documented information’ for itself. They are listed below

The scope (4.3)
The information security policy (5.2 e)
The information security risk assessment process (6.1.2)
The information security risk treatment process (6.1.3)
Statement of Applicability (6.1.3 d)
The information security objectives (6.2)
Evidence of competence (7.2)
That documentation ‘determined by the organisation as being necessary for the effectiveness of the information security management system’ (7.5.1 b)
The documentation necessary to have confidence that the processes required for operational planning and control have been carried out as planned (8.1)
The results of information security risk assessments (8.2)
The results of information security risk treatment (8.3)
Evidence of the information security performance monitoring and measurement results (9.1)
Internal audit programme(s) and the audit results (9.2 g)
Evidence of the results of management reviews (9.3)
Evidence of the nature of the non-conformities and any subsequent actions taken, and the results of any corrective actions (10.1)

Summary of new controls in ISO 27001 2013 Annex A

A.6.1.5 – Information security in project management
All projects will address information security, regardless of the nature of the project. This ensures that information security is dealt with from the bottom up.
A.14.2.1 – Secure development policy
Rules for development of software and systems are established and applied to developments. This acts as a sort of precursor control to 14.1.1 and 14.1.3, which relate to controlling the data and applications developed under this control.
14.2.6 – Secure development environment
The organisation ensures an appropriately secure development environment for system development and integration, across the whole development lifecycle. This is deliberately broad to allow input from the earliest stages of the ISMS (identifying the nature of the organisation), rather than restrictively demanding measures that may not be relevant.
14.2.8 – System security testing
The organisation establishes acceptance testing programs and related criteria for new information systems, upgrades and new versions.
15.1.3 – Information and communication technology supply chain
This control requires agreements with suppliers to address information security risks associated with information and communications technology services and products supply chain.
16.1.4 – Assessment of and decision on information security events
Information security events are examined and assessed to determine whether they qualify as information security incidents. This control applies an additional step in the incident management process.

Contact DISC for a Free Gap Assessment for any domain of your choice based on location

Start your ISMS project with ISO27001 2013 Documentation Toolkit

Mapping of ISO/IEC 27001:2013 to ISO/IEC 27001:2005 for $6.99

Download ISO27000 family of information security standards!
• ISO 27001 2013 ISMS Requirement (Download now)
• ISO 27002 2013 Code of Practice for ISM (Download now)

Tags: Information Security Management System, isms, ISO 27001 2013, ISO 27001 2013 Gap Assessment, ISO 27001 2013 Toolkit, iso 27001 certification, ISO 27001 Lead Implementer

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Nov 05 2013

When can we become certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2013?

Category: ISO 27k — DISC @ 8:39 pm

ISO27001:2013

ISO27001: 2013 – order your copy today >>>

When can we become certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2013?

by Lewis Morgan @ ITG

At this moment in time, we can only provide an estimate which is based on the insight provided by Chair of the UK ISO/IEC 27001 User Group and Director of consultancy at IT Governance Ltd, Steve Watkins. Considering Steve’s position, we believe his estimates to be the best guidelines an organization can follow.

The following is directly taken from the ISO27001:2013 Transition Webinar by Steve Watkins

“It’s likely that as of 1^st January 2014, certification bodies will be able to start the transition to the 2013 version of ISO27001 standard. If that is indeed the case, it’s likely to be that as of 30^thSeptember, no new ISO27001:2005 certificates can be issued. This means that by the end of September 2016 all ISO27001:2005 certificates should have transitioned to the 2013 version of the standard”

The image below further illustrates what Steve discussed on the webinar, including his suggestions in terms of what organizations should do next.

Tags: Information Security Management System, ISO, ISO/IEC 27001

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Aug 07 2013

vsRisk – The Cyber Security Risk Assessment Tool

Category: ISO 27k,Security Risk Assessment — DISC @ 9:09 am

vsRisk – The Cyber Security Risk Assessment Tool

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8acvay4FmU

It is extremely difficult to carry out a risk assessment that will meet the requirements of ISO27001 without using a specialist information security risk assessment tool. While there are a wide range of products on the market that claim to meet these requirements, the reality is that there are very few.

There’s just one risk assessment tool that IT Governance recommends; the vsRisk™ v1.7 – the Cybersecurity Risk Assessment Tool.

It’s so straightforward, and so quick to use, it can save you a significant amount of the budget you might otherwise spend on consultancy advice at this stage of the project.

5 reasons why vsRisk is the definitive risk assessment tool:

This tool automates and delivers an ISO/IEC 27001-compliant risk assessment
Can uniquely assess confidentiality, integrity & availability (CIA) for each of business, legal and contractual aspects of information assets – as required by ISO27001
Gives comprehensive best-practice alignment
It’s easy and straight-forward to use
Cost-effective route to assessing risks within your business

Download the definite risk assessment tool >>

Tags: Information Security, Information Security Management System, ISO/IEC 27001, Policy, Risk Assessment, Risk management, Security, Standards

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May 20 2013

A Guide to Data Security and ISO27001/ISO27002

Category: ISO 27k — DISC @ 1:39 pm

IT Governance 5: An International Guide to Data Security and ISO27001/ISO27002

This manual provides clear, unique guidance for both technical and non-technical managers. It details how to design, implement and deliver an ISMS that complies with ISO 27001.

Now in its fifth edition, this title has been fully updated to take account of the latest regulatory and technological developments, and the International Board for IT Governance Qualifications

Tags: Corporate governance of information technology, Information Security, Information Security Management System, ISO, ISO/IEC 27001, Risk Assessment

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Apr 23 2013

Cyber Security and Risk Assessment

Category: cyber security,Security Risk Assessment — DISC @ 9:19 am

Cyber security is the protection of systems, networks and data in cyber space.

If your system is connected on the internet, you should know and uderstand the risks of cyber space to take appropriate countermeasures.

To understand the risks of cyber security,The first place is to begin with is a risk assessment. By completing a risk assessment you can understand what the risks, threats and vulnerabilities of your networks, systems and data really are and begin to comprehend how to reduce and handle them. The authors of The Information Security Risk Assessment Toolkit provides handy step-by-step guidance on how to undertake a risk assessment. As we said Security Risk Assessment is an important first to assess risks but the second step of mitigating those risks in timely manner is crucial to protect your information assets.

Once you understand what the risks of your business are, you can then decide on how to mitigate those risks based on your organization risk acceptance.

Tools and techniques which work in mitigating cyber risks

The UK’s Cyber-security Framework for Business (published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) is a 10-step framework to stop around 80% of today’s cyber-attacks
1. Board-led Information Risk Management Regime
2. Secure Home and Mobile Working
3. User Education and Awareness
4. User privilege management
5. Removable media controls
6. Activity monitoring
7. Secure Configurations
8. Malware protection
9. Network security
10. Incident Management

Build the resilience in your information security management system (ISMS) to cope with the other 20% of the risk.

The authors of Hacking 7 Exposed cover the latest methods used by third-parties to (logical/physical) access to information assets. They then detail how you can protect your systems, networks and data from unauthorised access.

Cybersecurity standards are an important element in building a strong, resilient information and communications infrastructure. ISO/IEC 27001 is the most significant international best practice standard available to any organisation that wants an intelligently organised and structured framework for tackling its cyber risks

Tags: Computer security, cyberwarfare, Information Security, Information Security Management System, Risk Assessment, Risk management

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Feb 25 2013

PENETRATION TESTING & ISO27001

Category: ISO 27k,Pen Test — DISC @ 10:38 pm

Penetration testing (often called “pen testing” or “security testing”) establishes whether or not the security in place to protect a network or application against external threats is adequate and functioning correctly. It is an essential component of most ISO27001 and UK public sector contracts.

Why would my company need penetration testing services?

In a world where attacks on networks and applications are growing in number at an exponential rate, and the penalties incurred by organisations for failing to defend against such attacks are becoming ever steeper, effective penetration testing is the only way of establishing that your networks and applications are truly secure. Penetration testing is also an essential component in any ISO27001 ISMS – from initial development through to on-going maintenance and continual improvement.

How does penetration testing fit into my ISO27001 ISMS project?

There are three specific points in your ISMS project at which penetration testing has a significant contribution to make:

1. As part of the risk assessment process: uncovering vulnerabilities in any Internet-facing IP addresses, web applications, or internal devices and applications, and linking them to identifiable threats.

2. As part of the Risk Treatment Plan ensuring controls that are implemented do actually work as designed.

3. As part of the on-going corrective action/preventive action (CAPA) and continual improvement processes; ensuring that controls continue to work as required and that new and emerging threats and vulnerabilities are identified and dealt with.

The Basics of Hacking and Penetration Testing
This guide will show you how to undertake a penetration test or as it is sometimes known an ethical hack. This book focuses on how to hack one particular target, this allows you to see how the tools and phases of the pen test relate. to get your copy of The Basics of Hacking and Penetration Testing
ITG | eBay | Amazon

Penetration Testing – Protecting Networks and Systems
An essential guide to penetration testing and vulnerability assessment, which can be used as a Certified Penetration Testing Engineer Exam Prep Guide. to get your copy of your Penetration Testing – Protecting Networks and Systems
ITG | eBay | Amazon

Tags: Information Security, Information Security Management System, ISO/IEC 27001, Penetration test

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Feb 12 2013

Why ISO 27001 certification should be a priority

Category: ISO 27k — DISC @ 10:34 pm

Why ISO 27001 certification is unavoidable

Now a days, the ISO27001 standard has become an almost unavoidable factor in the field of information security. Compliance is unavoidable because most industries are heavily regulated. Seems like more legislations are on our way to redefine our actions on the internet. Because ISO 27001 requirements are largely a superset of other major standars and regulations, achieving ISO 27001 certification positions most organizations to be well on their way to meeting the requirements of PCI, SOX, HIPAA and GLBA.

Six main benefits of Information Security Management System based on ISO 27001 specifications

1. Business managers of the organizations will make informed decisions regarding potential risk and should be able demonstrate compliance with standards and regulations such as SOX, GLBA, HIPAA, DPA to their critical information on regular basis.

2. An ISMS is a defensive mechanism to any APT (advanced persistent threat) to minimize the impact from these external threats of various cybercrime.

3. Informed information security decisions will be made based on risk assessment to implement technical, management, administrative and operational controls, which is the most cost effective way of reducing risk. Highest priority risks are tackled first to attain best ROI in information security.

4. Information security is not an IT responsibility; In general everybody in an organization is responsible for protecting information assets and more specifically business manager. The business manager may delegate their responsibility.

5. Organization will improve credibility and trust among internal stakeholder and external vendors. The credibility and trust are the key factors to win a business.

6. ISMS raises awareness throughout the business for information security risks, involve all employees throughout an organization and therefore lower the overall risk to the organization.

Related Books, Standards and Tools you may need to achieve ISO 27001 certification

Nine Steps to Success: an ISO 27001 Implementation Overview“It’s like having a $300/hr consultant at your elbow as you consider the aspects of gaining management support, planning, scoping, communication, etc…” Thomas F. Witwicki (amazon.com review)

IT Governance: An International Guide to Data Security and ISO27001/ISO27002
Covers simply everything you need to know about information security and ISO27001. It is also the UK’s Open University’s post-graduate information security textbook. All aspects of data protection / information security are covered including viruses, hackers, online fraud, privacy regulations, computer misuse, investigatory powers etc.

ISO27000 Standards
Official standards available in hardcopy and downloadable formats.

Standalone ISO 27001 ISMS Documentation Toolkit
This toolkit contains all the documents, procedures and templates you need to massively simplify your progress to certification. It will save you months of work, help you avoid costly trial-and-error dead-ends and ensure everything is covered to the current ISO 27001 standard.

Tags: Corporate governance of information technology, Information Security, Information Security Management System, ISO/IEC 27001, Risk Assessment

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Jan 31 2013

New Draft ISO27001 and ISO27002 Standards

Category: ISO 27k — DISC @ 2:26 pm

Industry Update

New Draft ISO27001 and ISO27002 Standards

It has been announced that new Drafts of the two international information security standards ISO27001 (ISMS Requirements) and ISO27002 (Code of Practice) have been published.

These Drafts have been published for the purpose of public consultation. As these are international standards, the consultation process operates internationally, via national standards bodies.

Anyone can comment on the proposed standard and all the comments will then be assembled and reviewed by the committee. The public consultation period closes on 23 March 2013.

To help you understand the proposed changes and implications of these new draft standards we have created an information page.

Click here to read in full about the ISO27001/ISO27002: 2013 Draft Standards

You can also purchase your own copies of the draft standards here:

We will keep you updated with the progress of these standards. Once the new standards are officially published, the existing standards will be withdrawn, however there will be a transition timetable that enables organisations to move from the existing standard to the new one.

Click here to read in full about the ISO27001/ISO27002: 2013 Draft Standards

Tags: Information Security Management System, International standard, ISO, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27002

Comments (1)

Jan 29 2013

Impact of an Effective Risk Assessment to ISO 27001

Category: Security Risk Assessment — DISC @ 11:08 pm

First to start with a definition of risk – Risk is a function of the probability that an identified threat will occur and then impact the mission or business objectives of an organization.

The kind of risks we deal with information assets are mostly those risks from which only loss can occur, which may be one of the reason why it’s hard for the security professionals to justify ROI for security controls. Comparatively business risks are attributed with either a profit or a loss. As we know, business folks make decision on risks on daily basis; it’s easier to make a decision for profit sake rather than on a loss. So increase risk to information asset will decrease the value of an asset or will harm the organization bottom line in some way.

To minimize the loss to an information asset, organization may decide to treat the higher risk assets which are above accepted risk threshold with following four ways:

1. Eliminate the risks
2. Reduce the risk to acceptable level
3. Accept the risk and live with it
4. Transfer by means of insurance

Risk Assessment Basic Steps for ISO 27001:

o Determine risk methodology and level of acceptable (residual) risk
o Identify assets and who owns them
o Identify the value of each asset
o Identify threats to each assets
o Identify vulnerabilities that each threat may exploit
o Estimate Likelihood of the threat exploiting vulnerability
o Finally determine risk the security of individual assets by combining impacts and likelihoods

Risk Assessment Titles from eBay | Risk Assessment Titles from DISC InfoSec Store

Tags: Corporate governance of information technology, Information Security Management System, ISO/IEC 27001, Risk Assessment, Risk management

Comments (2)

Jan 17 2013

Project Planning outline for (ISO 27001) ISMS

Category: ISO 27k — DISC @ 11:55 am

The project planning process includes steps to estimate the size of the project, estimate the scope of the effort and resources, assess project risks, and produce an acceptable schedule after negotiating with control owner.

Steps below provide a bullet list of project plan outline phases and action items of ISMS (ISO 27001). This is not the project plan, but rather a description of the project plan, so the detail is high level. However, this document defines the project and requires formal sign-off; therefore, be accurate as possible, any variations may require a formal project change, which adds to schedule and cost.

A generic ISO 27001 project outline includes the following:
Project Initiation, Scope of the Project,Risk Assessment Methodology, Asset Register, Risk Assessment, Risk Treatment Plan, Statement of Applicability relevant to risk, Management approval for the Project outline. These steps are outlined in the figure above.

When an individual is assigned as project manager for a project, their success is determined by the complexity of a given project. Due to lack of necessary skills, sometime project manager are changed during the middle of the project. So what are those necessary skills which will determine the success of the project manager? Below are some of the necessary skills to run a successful ISO 27001 project.

• To posse’s an outstanding communication skills for all the stakeholders involved
• Be highly organized and an effective team leader
• Know how to negotiate between cross functional teams
• Resource oriented, problem solver and understand the relevant infrastructure

Must Read Project Management Books
1. A guide to the Project Management body of Knowledge 5th edition

2. The Concise Prince2

3. 50 Top IT Project Management Challenges

4. Prince 2 2009 manual

Tags: Information Security Management System, ISO/IEC 27001, Project Management, Project manager, Project plan, Project planning, Risk Assessment, Scope (project management)

Comments (2)

Implementing an ISMS

“No issue today has created more concern within corporate C-suites and boardrooms than cybersecurity risk.”

“This is not simply an IT issue. It is a business problem of the highest level.”

ISO 27001 information security management

Take a plunge into the world of ISO 27001 with these recommended reads

The Case for ISO 27001

IT Governance – An International Guide to Data Security and ISO27001/ISO27002

Nine Steps to Success

ISO 27001 Assessments Without Tears

ISO 27001 in a Windows Environment

This is the do-it-yourself solution for ISO27001 implementation

This package does not include certification fees which are paid directly to the certification body.

The ISO 27001 do-it-yourself package contains:

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