Yes, a reliable system security plan is vital due to the increasing threat landscape in today’s digital world. This blueprint serves as a fortress, protecting our sensitive data and network infrastructure from potential breaches. Implementing such a plan not only ensures cyber resilience but it also upholds the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of critical information resources.
System security plan is essential to ensure organization’s compliance with relevant industry regulations and standards, such as FISMA . It provides a structured framework to adhere to.
Hi Ikenna, I think the SSP document needs to be updated as technology is always changing more features and functionality can e added to different platform, therefore the document will need to be update to reflect the current changes
I completely agree with you Mariam. As time passes, more and more assets will be added to an organization and more data, personnel, etc. need to be accounted for. To prevent undocumented assets and to make sure proper controls are in place for newly added assets, regular updates like yearly or bi-yearly should be done unless a major renovation requiring a completely new security plan is done.
So despite the static nature of many security protocols, a strategic update to the SSP is absolutely essential and serves to strengthen and align the system with evolving security challenges, ensuring maximum protection and resilience against potential cybersecurity threats?
Hi Erskine, good question .I think users still fall for social engineering because these attacks are evolving and hackers up their game. Once people become aware of their tactic they get creative and create new ones
That would depend on what industry is requesting the plan. If it is a financial institution then maybe it’s any PII info, if it is healthcare then maybe it is HIPPA info. If you are a restaurant chain, maybe it is your recipes. After meeting and assessing you can tell what the client priority is them and it is our job to tell them maybe they should prioritize elsewhere.
Determining the prioritization of information when devising a system security plan is a critical task. Factors to consider include the sensitivity of the data, regulatory compliance requirements, and potential impact of a security breach. A risk-based approach, highlighting vulnerabilities and possible threat consequences, will guide us towards optimum information prioritization.
Hi Andrew,
When creating a system security plan, the prioritization of information becomes a crucial task. The criteria for information prioritization should directly correspond to the risk it poses to the organization. Firstly, high-value information with the potential for significant harm when breached must be prioritized. Secondly, information critical to the operations, reputation, or legal responsibilities of an organization, like personal data, should be ascribed a high priority. We must also consider assessing the vulnerability of the information to identify potential weaknesses in our security measures. Thus, striking a balance such aspects is key in establishing a robust system security plan, effectively safeguarding the valued assets of the organization against potential threats.
In an ideal world, eliminating all risks would create perfect solutions with no problems. However, fixing some risks might come with other risks because of the solutions implemented. Another issue is that in large-scale organizations, solving all risks is not possible since there is a very large amount of assets that need to be maintained. It’s important to have a system in place that allows high/critical issues to be fixed as soon as possible and for medium/low level issues to gradually become more important to be fixed as time passes or to have some automation in place that can change the criticality of issues as public exploits become available or if a new wave of exploits based on an existing issue starts.
System categorization is important for effective security planning because it helps organizations to prepare appropriately based on specific risks. Multiple factors should be considered when categorizing systems. The sensitivity of data, access level of users, criticality of systems, and impacts of compromise should all be considered.
Choosing the appropriate guideline for an organization’s mission is a meticulous process, given the variety of available frameworks. The delineation of an apt guideline pivots on the specific goals, resources, and culture of an organization. Parameters like a guideline’s adaptability, complexity, and comprehensiveness are scrutinized. A well-structured guideline complementing the organization’s mission often manifests via streamlined operations, improved efficiency, and amplified innovation. The tone of voice in a guideline also significantly impacts its suitability, conveying its ethos and objectives clearly to the concerned stakeholders. Therefore, the most suitable guideline echoes the organization’s mission, principles, and operational architecture efficaciously
You will carefully consider the risk that your company is facing by taking an inventory of your sensitive data, sorting the information into categories (using impact levels) and performing a risk assessment to analyze your existing cybersecurity posture.
First I would analyze what type of company i’m dealing with, as every company has different goals and objectives, and because of that, they may store information differently than other companies. After seeing the type of company it is, I would see which areas would cause the biggest loss to the company should those areas be compromised.
System Security Plans (SSPs) play a crucial role in addressing the challenges associated with third-party security. When dealing with third-party security, organizations need to ensure that external entities (vendors, partners, contractors) follow security practices that align with their own security requirements.
By systematically assessing the security posture of third-party vendors and the potential risks they introduce to your system. This includes evaluating their data security practices, access controls, incident response plans, patch management procedures, and regulatory compliance.
According to the Guide for Developing Security Plans for Federal Information Systems, security controls are classified into three categories: management, operational, and technical. Which class of controls do you believe is most important to organizations?
As someone who has zero experience in cyber security, what happens when a company faces a breach? do they get mad at their cybersecurity employees or is it more of a meeting to discuss what went wrong?
To correct this for the prompt, are system security plans included within the meeting? are they changed? are they examined to see if anything was done incorrectly?
Michael Obiukwu says
Why do we need a system security plan?
Ikenna Alajemba says
Yes, a reliable system security plan is vital due to the increasing threat landscape in today’s digital world. This blueprint serves as a fortress, protecting our sensitive data and network infrastructure from potential breaches. Implementing such a plan not only ensures cyber resilience but it also upholds the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of critical information resources.
Mariam Hazali says
System security plan is essential to ensure organization’s compliance with relevant industry regulations and standards, such as FISMA . It provides a structured framework to adhere to.
Ikenna Alajemba says
Does a System Security Plan(SSP) need to be updated? If yes, when? If no, why?
Mariam Hazali says
Hi Ikenna, I think the SSP document needs to be updated as technology is always changing more features and functionality can e added to different platform, therefore the document will need to be update to reflect the current changes
Kenneth Saltisky says
I completely agree with you Mariam. As time passes, more and more assets will be added to an organization and more data, personnel, etc. need to be accounted for. To prevent undocumented assets and to make sure proper controls are in place for newly added assets, regular updates like yearly or bi-yearly should be done unless a major renovation requiring a completely new security plan is done.
Ikenna Alajemba says
So despite the static nature of many security protocols, a strategic update to the SSP is absolutely essential and serves to strengthen and align the system with evolving security challenges, ensuring maximum protection and resilience against potential cybersecurity threats?
Erskine Payton says
With all the technology, information, and training, why do end users still get duped by social engineering hackers?
Mariam Hazali says
Hi Erskine, good question .I think users still fall for social engineering because these attacks are evolving and hackers up their game. Once people become aware of their tactic they get creative and create new ones
Andrew Young says
How do we or how should we choose what information to prioritize when creating a system security plan?
Erskine Payton says
That would depend on what industry is requesting the plan. If it is a financial institution then maybe it’s any PII info, if it is healthcare then maybe it is HIPPA info. If you are a restaurant chain, maybe it is your recipes. After meeting and assessing you can tell what the client priority is them and it is our job to tell them maybe they should prioritize elsewhere.
Ikenna Alajemba says
Determining the prioritization of information when devising a system security plan is a critical task. Factors to consider include the sensitivity of the data, regulatory compliance requirements, and potential impact of a security breach. A risk-based approach, highlighting vulnerabilities and possible threat consequences, will guide us towards optimum information prioritization.
Michael Obiukwu says
Hi Andrew,
When creating a system security plan, the prioritization of information becomes a crucial task. The criteria for information prioritization should directly correspond to the risk it poses to the organization. Firstly, high-value information with the potential for significant harm when breached must be prioritized. Secondly, information critical to the operations, reputation, or legal responsibilities of an organization, like personal data, should be ascribed a high priority. We must also consider assessing the vulnerability of the information to identify potential weaknesses in our security measures. Thus, striking a balance such aspects is key in establishing a robust system security plan, effectively safeguarding the valued assets of the organization against potential threats.
Mariam Hazali says
Why is it impractical to eliminate all risks?
Kenneth Saltisky says
Hi Mariam,
In an ideal world, eliminating all risks would create perfect solutions with no problems. However, fixing some risks might come with other risks because of the solutions implemented. Another issue is that in large-scale organizations, solving all risks is not possible since there is a very large amount of assets that need to be maintained. It’s important to have a system in place that allows high/critical issues to be fixed as soon as possible and for medium/low level issues to gradually become more important to be fixed as time passes or to have some automation in place that can change the criticality of issues as public exploits become available or if a new wave of exploits based on an existing issue starts.
Jeffrey Sullivan says
Security controls, what keeps them updated to keep your security analysis accurate?
Kenneth Saltisky says
Once security plans are in place, what can general employees/users do to facilitate better security in an organization?
Nicholas Nirenberg says
Why is it important to categorize systems accurately when making a security plan? How do you decide how to categorize systems?
Akintunde Akinmusire says
System categorization is important for effective security planning because it helps organizations to prepare appropriately based on specific risks. Multiple factors should be considered when categorizing systems. The sensitivity of data, access level of users, criticality of systems, and impacts of compromise should all be considered.
Alex Ruiz says
Who all should be involved with creating your System Security Plan for your organization/business?
Chidiebere Okafor says
With a plethora of frameworks and guidelines accessible, how does an organization determine which guideline will be most suitable for their mission?
Michael Obiukwu says
Hi Chidi,
Choosing the appropriate guideline for an organization’s mission is a meticulous process, given the variety of available frameworks. The delineation of an apt guideline pivots on the specific goals, resources, and culture of an organization. Parameters like a guideline’s adaptability, complexity, and comprehensiveness are scrutinized. A well-structured guideline complementing the organization’s mission often manifests via streamlined operations, improved efficiency, and amplified innovation. The tone of voice in a guideline also significantly impacts its suitability, conveying its ethos and objectives clearly to the concerned stakeholders. Therefore, the most suitable guideline echoes the organization’s mission, principles, and operational architecture efficaciously
Kelly Conger says
How would you decide which controls were most important for your company’s security plan?
Chidiebere Okafor says
You will carefully consider the risk that your company is facing by taking an inventory of your sensitive data, sorting the information into categories (using impact levels) and performing a risk assessment to analyze your existing cybersecurity posture.
Hashem Alsharif says
First I would analyze what type of company i’m dealing with, as every company has different goals and objectives, and because of that, they may store information differently than other companies. After seeing the type of company it is, I would see which areas would cause the biggest loss to the company should those areas be compromised.
Akintunde Akinmusire says
How do system security plans address the challenges associated with third-party security?
Ikenna Alajemba says
System Security Plans (SSPs) play a crucial role in addressing the challenges associated with third-party security. When dealing with third-party security, organizations need to ensure that external entities (vendors, partners, contractors) follow security practices that align with their own security requirements.
Kelly Conger says
By systematically assessing the security posture of third-party vendors and the potential risks they introduce to your system. This includes evaluating their data security practices, access controls, incident response plans, patch management procedures, and regulatory compliance.
Samuel Omotosho says
According to the Guide for Developing Security Plans for Federal Information Systems, security controls are classified into three categories: management, operational, and technical. Which class of controls do you believe is most important to organizations?
Hashem Alsharif says
As someone who has zero experience in cyber security, what happens when a company faces a breach? do they get mad at their cybersecurity employees or is it more of a meeting to discuss what went wrong?
Hashem Alsharif says
To correct this for the prompt, are system security plans included within the meeting? are they changed? are they examined to see if anything was done incorrectly?