Apparatus and methods for assessing and maintaining security of a computerized system under development

• US 8,392,999 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2010
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: White Cyber Knight Limited
• Original Assignee: White Cyber Knight Limited
• Inventors: Adar, Eyal
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFFMAN, BRANDON S
• Application Number:
  US12/785,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20100306852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A security assessment method for assessing security of a computerized system under development, the system including assets and being managed in accordance with an organization policy, the method including providing an organizational computerized system development policy; classifying said assets in said system under development, thereby to generate asset classification information; and automated creation of at least one security requirement based on said asset classification information and said organization policy.

Claims

1. A security assessment method for assessing security of a computerized system under development and having at least one security requirement, the method comprising:

computing a control target level for at least one control existing in a computerized system under development; and

using said control target level to set a risk level for the at least one security requirement wherein said computing the target level includes;

combining a CIA vector characterizing an individual control for an individual asset with the asset'"'"'s CIA classification vector, thereby to generate a numerical value; and

using said numerical value in searching through the controls'"'"' different answers to select which answer will satisfy said individual control for said individual asset.

2. A security assessment method according to claim 1, the system including assets and being managed in accordance with an organization policy, the method also including:

providing an organizational computerized system development policy;

classifying the assets in the system under development, thereby to generate asset classification information; and

automated creation of at least one security requirement based on said asset classification information and said organization policy.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said policy includes a stipulation of at least one individual required encryption scheme for at least one individual class of assets.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said class of assets includes an asset whose importance from a viewpoint of asset confidentiality maintenance falls within a stipulated range.

5. A method according to claim 3 wherein said class of assets includes an asset whose importance from a viewpoint of asset integrity maintenance falls within a stipulated range.

6. A method according to claim 3 wherein said class of assets includes an asset whose importance from a viewpoint of asset availability maintenance falls within a stipulated range.

7. A method according to claim 3 wherein said automated creation includes generating a security requirement for said at least one required encryption scheme vis-a-vis each individual asset which, according to said asset classification information, belongs to said individual class of assets.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein said policy includes a stipulation of at least one of a server installation process, and an IT hardware configuration process.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein said asset classification information quantifies the asset'"'"'s importance from a viewpoint of at least one of asset confidentiality maintenance, asset integrity maintenance and asset availability maintenance.

10. A security assessment method according to claim 1, the method comprising:

providing at least one initial security requirement definition which applies while said system under development is in a first phase of development; and

translating said at least one initial security requirement that pertains to said first phase to a more detailed security requirement that pertains to a subsequent phase of development.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein said first phase comprises a design phase.

12. A method according to claim 10 wherein said subsequent phase comprises an implementation phase.

13. A method according to claim 10 wherein said first and subsequent phases comprise SDLC (Software Development Lifecycle) phases.

14. A method according to claim 10 wherein said initial security requirement stipulates a desired strength of encryption and said more detailed security requirement stipulates technology to implement said desired strength of encryption.

15. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a security assessment method according to claim 1 for assessing security of a computerized system under development, the system including assets and being managed in accordance with an organization policy, the method also including:

providing an organizational computerized system development policy;

classifying said assets in said system under development, thereby to generate asset classification information; and

automated creation of at least one security requirement based on said asset classification information and said organization policy.

16. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a security assessment method according to claim 1 for assessing security of a computerized system under development and having at least one security requirement.

17. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a security assessment method according to claim 1 for assessing security of a computerized system under development, the method also comprising:

providing at least one initial security requirement definition which applies while said system under development is in a first phase of development; and

translating said at least one initial security requirement that pertains to said first phase to a more detailed security requirement that pertains to a subsequent phase of development.

18. A security assessment device for assessing security of a computerized system under development and having at least one security requirement, the device comprising:

a control target level computer operative for Computing a control target level for at least one control existing in a computerized system under development; and

a security requirement risk level generator using said control target level to set a risk level for the at least one security requirement;

wherein said computing the target level by said control target level computer includes;

combining a CIA vector characterizing an individual control for an individual asset with the asset'"'"'s CIA classification vector, thereby to generate a numerical value; and

using said numerical value in searching through the controls'"'"' different answers to select which answer will satisfy said individual control for said individual asset.

19. A security assessment device according to claim 18, the system including assets and being managed in accordance with an organization policy, the device also including:

asset classification apparatus classifying said assets in said system under development, thereby to generate asset classification information; and

a requirement generator for automated creation of at least one security requirement based on said asset classification information and an organizational computerized system development policy.

20. A security assessment device according to claim 18, the device also comprising:

a requirement database including at least one initial security requirement definition which applies while said system under development is in a first phase of development; and

a requirement translator operative for translating said at least one initial security requirement that pertains to said first phase to a more detailed security requirement that pertains to a subsequent phase of development.

21. A security assessment method for assessing security of a computerized system under development and having at least one security requirement, the method comprising:

computing a control target level for at least one control existing in a computerized system under development; and

using said control target level to set a risk level for the at least one security requirement,

wherein said using includes selecting a control target, setting the security requirement risk level as the CIA vector of the answer whose control'"'"'s MaxAssetClassification value is greater than or equal to the difference between the already-computed requirement risk level and the CIA vector value of the first (less good) answer for said control.

22. A security assessment method according to claim 21, the method comprising:

providing at least one initial security requirement definition which applies while said system under development is in a first phase of development; and

translating said at least one initial security requirement that pertains to said first phase to a more detailed security requirement that pertains to a subsequent phase of development.

23. A method according to claim 22 wherein said first phase comprises a design phase.

24. A method according to claim 22 wherein said subsequent phase comprises an implementation phase.

25. A method according to claim 22 wherein said first and subsequent phases comprise SDLC (Software Development Lifecycle) phases.

26. A method according to claim 22 wherein said initial security requirement stipulates a desired strength of encryption and said more detailed security requirement stipulates technology to implement said desired strength of encryption.

27. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a security assessment method according to claim 21 for assessing security of a computerized system under development, the system including assets and being managed in accordance with an organization policy, the method also including:

providing an organizational computerized system development policy;

classifying said assets in said system under development, thereby to generate asset classification information; and

automated creation of at least one security requirement based on said asset classification information and said organization policy.

28. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a security assessment method according to claim 21 for assessing security of a computerized system under development and having at least one security requirement.

29. A security assessment method according to claim 21:

the system including assets and being managed in accordance with an organization policy,

the method also including;

providing an organizational computerized system development policy;

classifying the assets in the system under development, thereby to generate asset classification information;

automated creation of at least one security requirement based on said asset classification information and said organization policy.

30. A method according to claim 29 wherein said policy includes a stipulation of at least one individual required encryption scheme for at least one individual class of assets.

31. A method according to claim 30 wherein said class of assets includes an asset whose importance from a viewpoint of asset confidentiality maintenance falls within a stipulated range.

32. A method according to claim 30 wherein said class of assets includes an asset whose importance from a viewpoint of asset integrity maintenance falls within a stipulated range.

33. A method according to claim 30 wherein said class of assets includes an asset whose importance from a viewpoint of asset availability maintenance falls within a stipulated range.

34. A method according to claim 30 wherein said automated creation includes generating a security requirement for said at least one required encryption scheme vis-a-vis each individual asset which, according to said asset classification information, belongs to said individual class of assets.

35. A method according to claim 29 wherein said policy includes a stipulation of at least one of a server installation process, and an IT hardware configuration process.

36. A method according to claim 29 wherein said asset classification information quantifies the asset'"'"'s importance from a viewpoint of at least one of asset confidentiality maintenance, asset integrity maintenance and asset availability maintenance.

37. A security assessment device for assessing security of a computerized system under development and having at least one security requirement, the device comprising:

a control target level computer operative for computing a control target level for at least one control existing in a computerized system under development; and

a security requirement risk level generator using said control target level to set a risk level for the at least one security requirement;

wherein said using by said security requirement risk level generator includes selecting a control target, setting the security requirement risk level as the CIA vector of the answer whose control'"'"'s MaxAssetClassification value is greater than or equal to the difference between the already-computed requirement risk level and the CIA vector value of the first (less good) answer for said control.

38. A security assessment device according to claim 37, the device also comprising:

a requirement database including at least one initial security requirement definition which applies while said system under development is in a first phase of development; and

a requirement translator operative for translating said at least one initial security requirement that pertains to said first phase to a more detailed security requirement that pertains to a subsequent phase of development.

39. A security assessment device according to claim 37, the system including assets and being managed in accordance with an organization policy, the device also including:

asset classification apparatus classifying said assets in said system under development, thereby to generate asset classification information; and

a requirement generator for automated creation of at least one security requirement based on said asset classification information and an organizational computerized system development policy.