Method and an apparatus for assessing a security of a component and a corresponding system

• US 20100115601A1
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Rosenbaum, Ute, Brandstetter, Thomas, Knorr, Konstantin
• Application Number:
  US12/413,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20100115601A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security

Abstract

In a method and an apparatus for assessing of security of components, in particular, of components involved in safety-critical infrastructures, the assessment of security of the safety-critical component has an assessing of risks of the respective component and deriving of security measures for the component. Further, an assessing of a level of implementation for each standardized security measure is performed defined by a standard and/or requirement document for the component as well as evaluating of a resilience of the component against attacks directed to the component by performing test attacks against the component which are arranged by use of test cases defined by use of risk assessing results, and by use of implementation level assessing results for each standardized security measure. Thus, improved assessing of the security of components is enabled which can be used, e.g., for insurance of the security of safety-critical components and infrastructures.

Claims

1. A method for assessing a security of a component, said method comprising the steps of:

assessing risks of said component and deriving security measures for said component;

assessing a level of implementation for each security measure, which is defined by at least one of a standard and a requirement document for said component; and

evaluating a resilience of said component against attacks directed to said component by performing test attacks against said component, said test attacks being arranged by use of test cases and by use of implementation level assessing results.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein said test cases are based on risk assessing results.

3. The method according to claim 1,

wherein said implementation level assessing results are obtained by assessing a level of implementation for each security measure.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said assessing of risks comprises an identification of threats which arise with regard to said component, and evaluating of said threats, wherein for each threat a likelihood and an impact of the corresponding threat is determined.

5. The method according to claim 4,

wherein said assessing of risks comprises a calculating of said risks by use of said threats identified and evaluated in said identification and evaluating step.

6. The method according to claim 1,

wherein said level of implementation is assessed by use of requirements defined in said standard and/or requirement document for implementation of corresponding security measure, for which said level of implementation is assessed.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of assessing of a level of implementation comprises:

generating of a questionnaire comprising at least one question for each of said requirements;

evaluating of replies provided to said at least one question by mapping said replies to a value within a predefined range; and

calculating of said level of implementation by use of said mapped value.

8. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the step of evaluating the resilience of said component against attacks comprises:

collecting and categorizing of said test cases by use of risk assessing results, obtained by assessing of risks, and by use of implementation level assessing results, obtained by assessing a level of implementation for each standardized security measure;

retrieving information on targets of said test cases;

analyzing of threats arising with regard to said targets of said test cases and determining of risks of said threats; and

performing of said test cases, wherein with each of said test cases targets of said test cases are accessed.

9. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium storing computer executable program code which when executed on a computer performs the steps of:

assessing risks of said component and deriving security measures for said component;

assessing a level of implementation for each security measure, which is defined by at least one of a standard and a requirement document for said component; and

evaluating a resilience of said component against attacks directed to said component by performing test attacks against said component, said test attacks being arranged by use of test cases and by use of implementation level assessing results.

10. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the computer readable medium is a data carrier.

11. A system operable to assess a security of a component, comprising:

a risk assessment module, said risk assessment module being configured for assessing of risks of said component and deriving of security measures for said component;

a first assessment module, said first assessment module being configured for assessing a level of implementation for each security measure, which is defined by at least one of a standard and a requirement document for said component; and

a second assessment module, said second assessment module being configured for evaluating a resilience of said component against attacks directed to said component by performing test attacks against said component, said test attacks being arranged by use of test cases and by use of implementation level assessing results.

12. The system according to claim 11,

wherein said test cases are based on risk assessing results.

13. The system according to claim 11,

wherein results of assessing the level of implementation are obtained by assessing a level of implementation for each security measure.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein said risk assessment module is operable to identify threats which arise with regard to said component, and to evaluate said threats, wherein for each threat a likelihood and an impact of the corresponding threat is determined.

15. The system according to claim 14,

wherein said risk assessment module is operable to calculate said risks by use of said identified and evaluated threats.

16. The system according to claim 11,

wherein said first assessment module is operable to use requirements defined in at least one of the standard and the requirement document for implementation of corresponding security measure, for which said level of implementation is assessed.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the the first assessment module is operable to:

generate a questionnaire comprising at least one question for each of said requirements;

evaluate replies provided to said at least one question by mapping said replies to a value within a predefined range; and

calculate said level of implementation by use of said mapped value.

18. The system according to claim 11,

wherein the second assessment module is operable to:

collect and categorize said test cases by use of risk assessing results, obtained by assessing of risks, and by use of implementation level assessing results, obtained by assessing a level of implementation for each standardized security measure;

retrieve information on targets of said test cases;

analyze threats arising with regard to said targets of said test cases and determine risks of said threats; and

to

perform said test cases, wherein with each of said test cases targets of said test cases are accessed.

19. An apparatus for assessing a security of a component within an infrastructure,

said apparatus comprising:

means for assessing risks of said component and deriving security measures for said component;

means for assessing of a level of implementation for each security measure, which is defined by a standard and/or requirement document for said component; and

means for evaluating a resilience of said component against attacks directed to said component by performing test attacks against said component, said test attacks being arranged by use of test cases and by use of implementation level assessing results.