Information Security Risk Assessment Toolkit

In order to protect company’s information assets such as sensitive customer records, health care records, etc., the security practitioner first needs to find out: what needs protected, what risks those assets are exposed to, what controls are in place to offset those risks, and where to focus attention for risk treatment. This is the true value and purpose of information security risk assessments. Effective risk assessments are meant to provide a defendable analysis of residual risk associated with your key assets so that risk treatment options can be explored. Information Security Risk Assessment Toolkit gives you the tools and skills to get a quick, reliable, and thorough risk assessment for key stakeholders.

• Based on authors’ experiences of real-world assessments, reports, and presentations
• Focuses on implementing a process, rather than theory, that allows you to derive a quick and valuable assessment
• Includes a companion web site with spreadsheets you can utilize to create and maintain the risk assessment

Information Security Officers, IT Auditors, IT Professionals, Chief Information Officers, Privacy Officers, Risk Officers, IT Enterprise Architects

Dedication

Acknowledgements

About the Technical Editor

About the Authors

Introduction

Chapter 1. Information Security Risk Assessments

Introduction

What is Risk?

What is an Information Security Risk Assessment?

Drivers, Laws, and Regulations

Summary

References

Chapter 2. Information Security Risk Assessment: A Practical Approach

Introduction

A Primer on Information Security Risk Assessment Frameworks

Summary

Chapter 3. Information Security Risk Assessment: Data Collection

Introduction

The Sponsor

The Project Team

Data Collection Mechanisms

Executive Interviews

Document Requests

IT Asset Inventories

Asset Scoping

The Asset Profile Survey

The Control Survey

Survey Support Activities and Wrap-Up

Consolidation

Chapter 4. Information Security Risk Assessment: Data Analysis

Introduction

Compiling Observations from Organizational Risk Documents

Preparation of Threat and Vulnerability Catalogs

Overview of the System Risk Computation

Designing the Impact Analysis Scheme

Designing the Control Analysis Scheme

Designing the Likelihood Analysis Scheme

Putting it Together and the Final Risk Score

Chapter 5. Information Security Risk Assessment: Risk Assessment

Introduction

System Risk Analysis

Chapter 6. Information Security Risk Assessment: Risk Prioritization and Treatment

Introduction

Organizational Risk Prioritization and Treatment

System Specific Risk Prioritization and Treatment

Issues Register

Chapter 7. Information Security Risk Assessment: Reporting

Introduction

Outline

Risk Analysis Executive Summary

Methodology

Results

Risk Register

Conclusion

Appendices

Chapter 8. Information Security Risk Assessment: Maintenance and Wrap Up

Introduction

Process Summary

Key Deliverables

Post Mortem

Index