Security Metrics A Beginner S Guide

Security Smarts for the Self-Guided IT Professional “An extraordinarily thorough and sophisticated explanation of why you need to measure the effectiveness of your security program and how to do it. A must-have for any quality security program!” —Dave Cullinane, CISSP, CISO & VP, Global Fraud, Risk & Security, eBay Learn how to communicate the value of an information security program, enable investment planning and decision making, and drive necessary change to improve the security of your organization. Security Metrics: A Beginner's Guide explains, step by step, how to develop and implement a successful security metrics program. This practical resource covers project management, communication, analytics tools, identifying targets, defining objectives, obtaining stakeholder buy-in, metrics automation, data quality, and resourcing. You'll also get details on cloud-based security metrics and process improvement. Templates, checklists, and examples give you the hands-on help you need to get started right away. Security Metrics: A Beginner's Guide features: Lingo--Common security terms defined so that you're in the know on the job IMHO--Frank and relevant opinions based on the author's years of industry experience Budget Note--Tips for getting security technologies and processes into your organization's budget In Actual Practice--Exceptions to the rules of security explained in real-world contexts Your Plan--Customizable checklists you can use on the job now Into Action--Tips on how, why, and when to apply new skills and techniques at work Caroline Wong, CISSP, was formerly the Chief of Staff for the Global Information Security Team at eBay, where she built the security metrics program from the ground up. She has been a featured speaker at RSA, ITWeb Summit, Metricon, the Executive Women's Forum, ISC2, and the Information Security Forum.

The Definitive Guide to Quantifying, Classifying, and Measuring Enterprise IT Security Operations Security Metrics is the first comprehensive best-practice guide to defining, creating, and utilizing security metrics in the enterprise. Using sample charts, graphics, case studies, and war stories, Yankee Group Security Expert Andrew Jaquith demonstrates exactly how to establish effective metrics based on your organization’s unique requirements. You’ll discover how to quantify hard-to-measure security activities, compile and analyze all relevant data, identify strengths and weaknesses, set cost-effective priorities for improvement, and craft compelling messages for senior management. Security Metrics successfully bridges management’s quantitative viewpoint with the nuts-and-bolts approach typically taken by security professionals. It brings together expert solutions drawn from Jaquith’s extensive consulting work in the software, aerospace, and financial services industries, including new metrics presented nowhere else. You’ll learn how to: • Replace nonstop crisis response with a systematic approach to security improvement • Understand the differences between “good” and “bad” metrics • Measure coverage and control, vulnerability management, password quality, patch latency, benchmark scoring, and business-adjusted risk • Quantify the effectiveness of security acquisition, implementation, and other program activities • Organize, aggregate, and analyze your data to bring out key insights • Use visualization to understand and communicate security issues more clearly • Capture valuable data from firewalls and antivirus logs, third-party auditor reports, and other resources • Implement balanced scorecards that present compact, holistic views of organizational security effectiveness

Other books on information security metrics discuss number theory and statistics in academic terms. Light on mathematics and heavy on utility, PRAGMATIC Security Metrics: Applying Metametrics to Information Security breaks the mold. This is the ultimate how-to-do-it guide for security metrics. Packed with time-saving tips, the book offers easy-to-follow guidance for those struggling with security metrics. Step by step, it clearly explains how to specify, develop, use, and maintain an information security measurement system (a comprehensive suite of metrics) to help: Security professionals systematically improve information security, demonstrate the value they are adding, and gain management support for the things that need to be done Management address previously unsolvable problems rationally, making critical decisions such as resource allocation and prioritization of security relative to other business activities Stakeholders, both within and outside the organization, be assured that information security is being competently managed The PRAGMATIC approach lets you hone in on your problem areas and identify the few metrics that will generate real business value. The book: Helps you figure out exactly what needs to be measured, how to measure it, and most importantly, why it needs to be measured Scores and ranks more than 150 candidate security metrics to demonstrate the value of the PRAGMATIC method Highlights security metrics that are widely used and recommended, yet turn out to be rather poor in practice Describes innovative and flexible measurement approaches such as capability maturity metrics with continuous scales Explains how to minimize both measurement and security risks using complementary metrics for greater assurance in critical areas such as governance and compliance In addition to its obvious utility in the information security realm, the PRAGMATIC approach, introduced for the first time in this book, has broader application across diverse fields of management including finance, human resources, engineering, and production—in fact any area that suffers a surplus of data but a deficit of useful information. Visit Security Metametrics. Security Metametrics supports the global community of professionals adopting the innovative techniques laid out in PRAGMATIC Security Metrics. If you, too, are struggling to make much sense of security metrics, or searching for better metrics to manage and improve information security, Security Metametrics is the place. http://securitymetametrics.com/

Get complete coverage of all the material on the Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) exam inside this comprehensive resource. Written by a leading IT security certification and training expert, this authoritative guide addresses all seven SSCP domains as developed by the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2, including updated objectives effective February 1, 2012. You'll find lists of topics covered at the beginning of each chapter, exam tips, practice exam questions, and in-depth explanations. Designed to help you pass the exam with ease, SSCP Systems Security Certified Practitioner All-in-One Exam Guide also serves as an essential on-the-job reference. Covers all exam domains, including: Access controls Networking and communications Attacks Malicious code and activity Risk, response, and recovery Monitoring and analysis Controls and countermeasures Auditing Security operations Security administration and planning Legal issues Cryptography CD-ROM features: TWO PRACTICE EXAMS PDF COPY OF THE BOOK

While it has become increasingly apparent that individuals and organizations need a security metrics program, it has been exceedingly difficult to define exactly what that means in a given situation. There are hundreds of metrics to choose from and an organization's mission, industry, and size will affect the nature and scope of the task as well as

This book is for cybersecurity leaders across all industries and organizations. It is intended to bridge the gap between the data center and the board room. This book examines the multitude of communication challenges that CISOs are faced with every day and provides practical tools to identify your audience, tailor your message and master the art of communicating. Poor communication is one of the top reasons that CISOs fail in their roles. By taking the step to work on your communication and soft skills (the two go hand-in-hand), you will hopefully never join their ranks. This is not a “communication theory” book. It provides just enough practical skills and techniques for security leaders to get the job done. Learn fundamental communication skills and how to apply them to day-to-day challenges like communicating with your peers, your team, business leaders and the board of directors. Learn how to produce meaningful metrics and communicate before, during and after an incident. Regardless of your role in Tech, you will find something of value somewhere along the way in this book.

Security Smarts for the Self-Guided IT Professional “Get to know the hackers—or plan on getting hacked. Sullivan and Liu have created a savvy, essentials-based approach to web app security packed with immediately applicable tools for any information security practitioner sharpening his or her tools or just starting out.” —Ryan McGeehan, Security Manager, Facebook, Inc. Secure web applications from today's most devious hackers. Web Application Security: A Beginner's Guide helps you stock your security toolkit, prevent common hacks, and defend quickly against malicious attacks. This practical resource includes chapters on authentication, authorization, and session management, along with browser, database, and file security--all supported by true stories from industry. You'll also get best practices for vulnerability detection and secure development, as well as a chapter that covers essential security fundamentals. This book's templates, checklists, and examples are designed to help you get started right away. Web Application Security: A Beginner's Guide features: Lingo--Common security terms defined so that you're in the know on the job IMHO--Frank and relevant opinions based on the authors' years of industry experience Budget Note--Tips for getting security technologies and processes into your organization's budget In Actual Practice--Exceptions to the rules of security explained in real-world contexts Your Plan--Customizable checklists you can use on the job now Into Action--Tips on how, why, and when to apply new skills and techniques at work