Policies & Risk Analysis

CS461/ECE422Fall 2011

Readings

• Chapters 14 and 15 of Computer Security• Information Security Policies and Procedures, Thomas

Peltier• Information Security Risk Analysis, by Thomas R. Peltier– On reserve at the library– Chapters 1 and 2 Google Books– Identifies basic elements of risk analysis and reviews several

variants of qualitative approaches• SANS policy project– http://www.sans.org/resources/policies/

Security Policy

• A security policy is a formal statement of the rules by which people who are given access to an organization’s technology and information assets must apply. (RFC 2196)

• Defines what it means for the organization to be in a secure state.– Otherwise people can claim ignorance.

Mechanisms or Controls or Countermeasures

• Entity or procedure that enforces some part of the security policy– Access controls (like bits to prevent someone from

reading a homework file)– Disallowing people from bringing CDs and floppy

disks into a computer facility to control what is placed on systems

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Types of Policies that Affect Information Security

• Data protection• Privacy• Email• Hiring• Numerous others types of organizational

policies with varying impact on information security

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Natural Language Security Policies

• Targeting Humans– Written at different levels

• To inform end users• To inform lawyers• To inform technicians• Users, owners, beneficiaries (customers)

• As with all policies, should define purpose not mechanism– May have additional documents that define how policy maps to

mechanism• Should be enduring

– Don't want to update with each change to technology• Shows due diligence on part of the organization

Key Parts of Organizational Policy

1. What is being protected? Why?2. Generally how should it be protected?3. Who is responsible for ensuring policy is

applied?4. How are conflicts and discrepancies to be

interpreted and resolved?

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How to Write a Policy• Understand your environment

– Risk Analysis (see next lecture)• Understand your industry

– Look for “standards” from similar companies– Leverage others wisdom– Already proven with auditors/regulators

• Standards• ISO 17799 – Code of Practice for Information Security Management• COBIT – Control Objectives for Information and Related Technolgy• SANS, CERT have policy guidelines

• Gather the right set of people– Technical experts, person ultimately responsible, person who can

make it happen– Not just the security policy “expert”

Security Policy Life Cycle

Risk Analysis

Policy Development

Reassessment

Policy Implementation

Raising Awareness

Policy Approval

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Security Policy Contents

• Purpose – Why are we trying to secure things

• Identify protected resources• Who is responsible for protecting

– What kind of protection? Degree but probably not precise mechanism.

• Cover all cases• Realistic

More Specific Policy Content Ideas

• Principles of Security• Organizational Reporting

Structure• Physical Security• Hiring, management, firing• Data protection• Communication security• Hardware• Software• Operating systems

• Technical support• Privacy• Access• Accountability• Authentication• Availability• Maintenance• Violations reporting• Business continuity• Supporting information

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University of Illinois Information Security Policies

• University of Illinois Information Security Policies– System wide policy; Identifies what, not how– http://www.obfs.uillinois.edu/cms/one.aspx?pageId=91

4038• CITES UIUC standards and guidelines

– DNS - http://www.cites.uiuc.edu/dns/standards.html– FERPA -

http://www.cites.uiuc.edu/edtech/development_aids/ferpa/index.html

• CS Department policies• https://wiki.engr.illinois.edu/display/tsg/Policies

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Example Privacy policies

• Busey Bank• https://www.busey.com/home/fiFiles/static/

documents/privacy.pdf– Financial Privacy Policy

• Targets handling of personal non-public data• Clarifies what data is protected• Who the data is shared with

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Poorly Written Policies

• Cars.gov – Had following in click-through policy for dealers

• This application provides access to the [Department of Transportation] DoT CARS system. When logged on to the CARS system, your computer is considered a Federal computer system and is the property of the U.S. Government. Any or all uses of this system and all files on this system may be intercepted, monitored, recorded, copied, audited, inspected, and disclosed... to authorized CARS, DoT, and law enforcement personnel, as well as authorized officials of other agencies, both domestic and foreign.

• According to EFF– http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/08/cars-gov-te

rms-service

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Example Acceptable Use Policy

• IEEE Email Acceptable Use Policy – http://eleccomm.ieee.org/email-aup.shtml– Inform user of what he can do with IEEE email– Inform user of what IEEE will provide

• Does not accept responsibility of actions resulting from user email

• Does not guarantee privacy of IEEE computers and networks

– Examples of acceptable and unacceptable use

Slide #19

What is Risk?

• The probability that a particular threat will exploit a particular vulnerability– Not a certainty. – Risk impact – loss associated with exploit

• Need to systematically understand risks to a system and decide how to control them.

Slide #20

What is Risk Analysis?

• The process of identifying, assessing, and reducing risks to an acceptable level– Defines and controls threats and vulnerabilities– Implements risk reduction measures

• An analytic discipline with three parts:– Risk assessment: determine what the risks are– Risk management: evaluating alternatives for

mitigating the risk– Risk communication: presenting this material in an

understandable way to decision makers and/or the public

Slide #21

Risk Management Cycle

From GAO/AIMD-99-139

Slide #22

Basic Risk Analysis Structure

• Evaluate– Value of computing and information assets– Vulnerabilities of the system– Threats from inside and outside– Risk priorities

• Examine– Availability of security countermeasures– Effectiveness of countermeasures– Costs (installation, operation, etc.) of countermeasures

• Implement and Monitor

Slide #23

Who should be Involved?

• Security Experts• Internal domain experts

– Knows best how things really work• Managers responsible for implementing

controls

Slide #24

Identify Assets

• Asset – Anything of value– Physical Assets

• Buildings, computers– Logical Assets

• Intellectual property, reputation

Slide #25

Example Critical Assets

• People and skills• Goodwill• Hardware/Software• Data• Documentation• Supplies• Physical plant• Money

Slide #26

Vulnerabilities

• Flaw or weakness in system that can be exploited to violate system integrity.

Slide #27

Example Vulnerabilities•Physical•V01 Susceptible to

unauthorized building access

•V02 Computer Room susceptible to unauthorized

access•V03 Media Library susceptible

to unauthorizedaccess•V04 Inadequate visitor control

procedures•(and 36 more)•Administrative•V41 Lack of management

support for security•V42 No separation of duties

policy•V43 Inadequate/no computer

security plan policy

•V47 Inadequate/no emergency action plan•(and 7 more)•Personnel•V56 Inadequate personnel screening•V57 Personnel not adequately trained in job•...•Software•V62 Inadequate/missing audit trail capability•V63 Audit trail log not reviewed weekly•V64 Inadequate control over application/programchanges

Communications•V87 Inadequate communications system•V88 Lack of encryption•V89 Potential for disruptions•...•Hardware•V92 Lack of hardware inventory•V93 Inadequate monitoring of maintenancepersonnel•V94 No preventive maintenance program•…•V100 Susceptible to electronic emanations

Slide #28

Threats

• Set of circumstances that has the potential to cause loss or harm

• Attacks against key security services– Confidentiality, integrity, availability

• Threats trigger vulnerabilities– Accidental– Malicious

Slide #29

Example Threat List•T01 Access (Unauthorized to

System - logical)•T02 Access (Unauthorized to Area

- physical)•T03 Airborne Particles (Dust)•T04 Air Conditioning Failure•T05 Application Program Change(Unauthorized)•T06 Bomb Threat•T07 Chemical Spill•T08 Civil Disturbance•T09 Communications Failure•T10 Data Alteration (Error)•T11 Data Alteration (Deliberate)•T12 Data Destruction (Error)•T13 Data Destruction (Deliberate)•T14 Data Disclosure

(Unauthorized)•T15 Disgruntled Employee•T16 Earthquakes

•T17 Errors (All Types)•T18 Electro-Magnetic

Interference•T19 Emanations Detection•T20 Explosion (Internal)•T21 Fire, Catastrophic•T22 Fire, Major•T23 Fire, Minor•T24 Floods/Water Damage•T25 Fraud/Embezzlement•T26 Hardware

Failure/Malfunction•T27 Hurricanes•T28 Injury/Illness (Personal)•T29 Lightning Storm•T30 Liquid Leaking (Any)•T31 Loss of Data/Software•T32 Marking of Data/Media

Improperly•T33 Misuse of

Computer/Resource•T34 Nuclear Mishap

•T35 Operating System Penetration/Alteration•T36 Operator Error•T37 Power Fluctuation (Brown/Transients)•T38 Power Loss•T39 Programming Error/Bug•T40 Sabotage•T41 Static Electricity•T42 Storms (Snow/Ice/Wind)•T43 System Software Alteration•T44 Terrorist Actions•T45 Theft (Data/Hardware/Software)•T46 Tornado•T47 Tsunami (Pacific area only)•T48 Vandalism•T49 Virus/Worm (Computer)•T50 Volcanic Eruption

Characterize Threat-SourcesThreat Source

Motivation Capability Resources Attack Probability

Deterrence

Script Kiddy

Challenge, ego, rebellion

Standard scripts Personal assets. Internet access

Certain Internet Firewall/IPS

Terrorist Ideological, destruction, fund raising

Can hire smart people

Internet access, substantial hardware, infiltration

Depends on organization

Internet Firewall/IPS, hiring policy

Insider Ego, revenge, money

Detailed knowledge of organization

Complete access from the inside

Probable for most organizations

Hiring policy, internal log monitoring

Slide #31

Controls

• Mechanisms or procedures for mitigating vulnerabilities– Prevent– Detect– Recover

• Understand cost and coverage of control• Controls follow vulnerability and threat

analysis

Slide #32

Example Controls•C01 Access control devices - physical•C02 Access control lists - physical•C03 Access control - software•C04 Assign ADP security and assistant in

writing•C05 Install-/review audit trails•C06 Conduct risk analysis•C07Develop backup plan•C08 Develop emergency action plan•C09 Develop disaster recovery plan•...•C21 Install walls from true floor to true

ceiling•C22 Develop visitor sip-in/escort

procedures•C23 Investigate backgrounds of new

employees•C24 Restrict numbers of privileged users•C25 Develop separation of duties policy•C26 Require use of unique passwords for

logon

•C27 Make password changes mandatory•C28 Encrypt password file•C29 Encrypt data/files•C30 Hardware/software training for personnel•C31Prohibit outside software on system•...•C47 Develop software life cycle developmentprogram•C48 Conduct hardware/software inventory•C49 Designate critical programs/files•C50 Lock PCs/terminals to desks•C51 Update communications system/hardware•C52 Monitor maintenance personnel•C53 Shield equipment from electromagneticinterference/emanations•C54Identify terminals

Slide #33

Types of Risk Analysis

• Quantitative– Assigns real numbers to costs of safeguards and damage– Annual loss exposure (ALE)– Probability of event occurring– Can be unreliable/inaccurate

• Qualitative– Judges an organization’s relative risk to threats– Based on judgment, intuition, and experience– Ranks the seriousness of the threats for the sensitivity of the

asserts– Subjective, lacks hard numbers to justify return on investment

Slide #34

Quantitative Analysis Outline

• Identify and value assets• Determine vulnerabilities and impact• Estimate likelihood of exploitation• Compute Annual Loss Exposure (ALE)• Survey applicable controls and their costs• Project annual savings from control

Slide #35

Quantitative

• Risk exposure = Risk-impact x Risk-Probability– Loss of car: risk-impact is cost to replace car,

e.g. $10,000– Probability of car loss: 0.10 – Risk exposure or expected loss =

10,000 x 0.10 = 1,000• General measured per year

– Annual Loss Exposure (ALE)

Slide #36

Quantitative

• Cost benefits analysis of controls• Risk Leverage to evaluate value of control

– ((risk exp. before control) – (risk exp. after))/(cost of control)

• Example of trade offs between different deductibles and insurance premiums

Slide #37

Qualitative Risk Analysis

• Generally used in Information Security– Hard to make meaningful valuations and meaningful

probabilities– Relative ordering is faster and more important

• Many approaches to performing qualitative risk analysis

• Same basic steps as quantitative analysis– Still identifying asserts, threats, vulnerabilities, and

controls– Just evaluating importance differently

Approaches to Risk Analysis

• Baseline Approach– See if your organizing matches best practices– Low overhead for analysis, but best practices may not be

appropriate for your organization• Informal Approach

– Bring in expert to kick the tires, but not following a format process• Detailed Risk Analysis

– Follow formal process. Higher overhead, but less likely to miss things

– Is the focus of text• Combined or Hybrid Approach

– In practice a combination of the above approaches are used

Slide #39

Example Detailed Approach in Text

• Step 1: Establish context– How much risk is your organization willing to

absorb• Step 2: Identify assets• Step 3: Identify Threats/Risks/Vulnerabilities

– Pick from lists of known threats– Brainstorm new threats– Mixing threats and vulnerabilities here...

Step 4: Analyze Risks

• Analyze existing controls• Determine likelihood– Assign value from 1 to 5 where 1 is Rare and 5 is

almost certain• Determine consequence/impact– Assign value from 1 to 6 where 1 is insignificant

and 7 is doomsday

Step 5: Determine Resulting Level of Risk

Doomsday Catastrophic Major Moderate Minor Insignificant

Almost Certain

E E E E H H

Likely E E E H H M

Possible E E E H M L

Unlikely E E H M L L

Rare E H H M L L

Another way of calculating risk

• Could add the Risk Likelihood and the Risk Consequence– Likelihood is Likely (4) and Consequence is

Moderate (3) so Risk level is 7• Could perform some other function of

Likelihood and Consequence

Step 6: Document in Risk RegisterAsset Threat /

Vuln.Existing Control

Likelihood Consequence

Level of Risk

Risk Priority

Internet Router

Outside hacker attack

Admin password

Possible Moderate High 1

Destruction of data center

Accidental fire or flood

None Unlikely Major High 2

Slide #44

Dealing with Risk

• Avoid risk – Implement a control or change design

• Transfer risk– Change design to introduce different risk– Buy insurance

• Assume risk– Detect, recover– Plan for the fall out

– Reduce consequence– Controls to reduce the downside of risk occurrence

– Reduce likelihood– Controls to reduce the chance of risk occurring.

Slide #45

Risk/Control Trade Offs

• Only Safe Asset is a Dead Asset– Asset that is completely locked away is safe, but

useless– Trade-off between safety and availability

• Do not waste effort on efforts with low loss value– Don’t spend resources to protect garbage

• Control only has to be good enough, not absolute– Make it tough enough to discourage enemy

Security PlanRisk Level of

RiskRec. Controls Priority Selected

ControlsRequired resources

Resp. Persons

Start – end dates

Comment

Hacker attack on internet router

High Disable external telnet accessUse detailed auditing of privileged command useSet policy for strong admin policySet backup strategy for router configuration fileSet change control policy for the router configuration

High Strengthen access authenticationInstall IDS

3 days IT net admin1 day training

Lead network system admin, Corporate IT support team

2/1/06 – 2/4/06

Need periodic test and review of configuration policy and use

Implementation of Security Plan

• Implement• Training• Awareness• Maintenance• Change and config management• Monitoring and incident handling• Compliance checks

Communicate Results

• Write a good executive summary– It is likely that is all that is going to be read

• Conduct meetings and training sessions to communication what really needs to be known in the organization

• Still important to write the report– When something goes wrong, the Risk Analysis

report will be dredged up.

Slide #49

Key Points

• Security policy bridges between human expectations and implementation reality

• Key Elements of Risk Analysis– Assets, Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Controls

• Quantitative vs qualitative• Not a scientific process

– Companies will develop their own procedure– Still a good framework for better understanding

of system security