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Scenario 2: Travivve is a travel agency that operates in more than 100 countries. Headquartered in San Francisco, the US, the agency is known for its personalized vacation packages and travel services. Travivve aims to deliver reliable services that meet its clients’ needs. Considering the impact of information security in its reputation, Travivve decided to implement an information security management system (ISMS) based on ISO/IEC 27001. In addition, they decided to establish and implement an information security risk management program. Based on the priority of specific departments in Travivve, the top management decided to initially apply the risk management process only in the Sales Management Department. The process would be applicable for other departments only when introducing new technology.
Travivve’s top management wanted to make sure that the risk management program is established based on the industry best practices. Therefore, they created a team of three members that would be responsible for establishing and implementing it. One of the team members was Travivve’s risk manager who was responsible for supervising the team and planning all risk management activities. In addition, the risk manager was responsible for monitoring the program and reporting the monitoring results to the top management.
Initially, the team decided to analyze the internal and external context of Travivve. As part of the process of understanding the organization and its context, the team identified key processes and activities. Then, the team identified the interested parties and their basic requirements and determinedthe status of compliance with these requirements. In addition, the team identified all the reference documents that applied to the defined scope of the risk management process, which mainly included the Annex A of ISO/IEC 27001 and the internal security rules established by Travivve. Lastly, the team analyzed both reference documents and justified a few noncompliances with those requirements.
The risk manager selected the information security risk management method which was aligned with other approaches used by the company to manage other risks. The team also communicated the risk management process to all interested parties through previously established communication mechanisms. In addition, they made sure to inform all interested parties about their roles and responsibilities regarding risk management. Travivve also decided to involve interested parties in its risk management activities since, according to the top management, this process required their active participation.
Lastly, Travivve’s risk management team decided to conduct the initial information security risk assessment process. As such, the team established the criteria for performing the information security risk assessment which included the consequence criteria and likelihood criteria.
Did Travivve’s risk management team identify the basic requirements of interested parties in accordance with the guidelines of ISO/IEC 27005? Refer to scenario 2.
After creating a plan for outsourcing to a cloud service provider to store their confidential information in cloud, OrgX decided to not pursue this business strategy since the risk of doing so was high. Which risk treatment option did OrgX use?
Scenario 5: Detika is a private cardiology clinic in Pennsylvania, the US. Detika has one of the most advanced healthcare systems for treating heart diseases. The clinic uses sophisticated apparatus that detects heart diseases in early stages. Since 2010, medical information of Detika’s patients is stored on the organization’s digital systems. Electronic health records (EHR), among others, include patients’ diagnosis, treatment plan, and laboratory results.
Storing and accessing patient and other medical data digitally was a huge and a risky step for Detika. Considering the sensitivity of information stored in their systems, Detika conducts regular risk assessments to ensure that all information security risks are identified and managed. Last month, Detika conducted a risk assessment which was focused on the EHR system. During risk identification, the IT team found out that some employees were not updating the operating systems regularly. This could cause major problems such as a data breach or loss of software compatibility. In addition, the IT team tested the software and detected a flaw in one of the software modules used. Both issues were reported to the top management and they decided to implement appropriate controls for treating the identified risks. They decided to organize training sessions for all employees in order to make them aware of the importance of the system updates. In addition, the manager of the IT Department was appointed as the person responsible for ensuring that the software is regularly tested.
Another risk identified during the risk assessment was the risk of a potential ransomware attack. This risk was defined as low because all their data was backed up daily. The IT team decided to accept the actual risk of ransomware attacks and concluded that additional measures were not required. This decision was documented in the risk treatment plan and communicated to the risk owner. The risk owner approved the risk treatment plan and documented the risk assessment results.
Following that, Detika initiated the implementation of new controls. In addition, one of the employees of the IT Department was assigned the responsibility for monitoring the implementation process and ensure the effectiveness of the security controls. The IT team, on the other hand, was responsible for allocating the resources needed to effectively implement the new controls.
Based on scenario 5, the IT team was responsible for allocating the necessary resources to ensure that the new controls are implemented effectively. Is this acceptable?
Scenario 8: Biotide is a pharmaceutical company that produces medication for treating different kinds of diseases. The company was founded in 1997, and since then it has contributed in solving some of the most challenging healthcare issues.
As a pharmaceutical company, Biotide operates in an environment associated with complex risks. As such, the company focuses on risk management strategies that ensure the effective management of risks to develop high-quality medication. With the large amount of sensitive information generated from the company, managing information security risks is certainly an important part of the overall risk management process. Biotide utilizes a publicly available methodology for conducting risk assessment related to information assets. This methodology helps Biotide to perform risk assessment by taking into account its objectives and mission. Following this method, the risk management process is organized into four activity areas, each of them involving a set of activities, as provided below.
1. Activity area 1: The organization determines the criteria against which the effects of a risk occurring can be evaluated. In addition, the impacts of risks are also defined.
2. Activity area 2: The purpose of the second activity area is to create information asset profiles. The organization identifies critical information assets, their owners, as well as the security requirements for those assets. After determining the security requirements, the organization prioritizes them. In addition, the organization identifies the systems that store, transmit, or process information.
3. Activity area 3: The organization identifies the areas of concern which initiates the risk identification process. In addition, the organization analyzes and determines the probability of the occurrence of possible threat scenarios.
4. Activity area 4: The organization identifies and evaluates the risks. In addition, the criteria specified in activity area 1 is reviewed and the consequences of the areas of concerns are evaluated. Lastly, the level of identified risks is determined.
The table below provides an example of how Biotide assesses the risks related to its information assets following this methodology:
Based on the table provided in scenario 8, did Biotide prioritize the security requirements for electronic health records?
According to ISO 31000, which of the following is a principle of risk management?
What are opportunities?
Scenario 6: Productscape is a market research company headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. It helps organizations understand the needs and expectations of their customers and identify new business opportunities. Productscape’s teams have extensive experience in marketing and business strategy and work with some of the best-known organizations in Europe. The industry in which Productscape operates requires effective risk management. Considering that Productscape has access to clients’ confidential information, it is responsible for ensuring its security. As such, the company conducts regular risk assessments. The top management appointed Alex as the risk manager, who is responsible for monitoring the risk management process and treating information security risks.
The last risk assessment conducted was focused on information assets. The purpose of this risk assessment was to identify information security risks, understand their level, and take appropriate action to treat them in order to ensure the security of their systems. Alex established a team of three members to perform the risk assessment activities. Each team member was responsible for specific departments included in the risk assessment scope. The risk assessment provided valuable information to identify, understand, and mitigate the risks that Productscape faces.
Initially, the team identified potential risks based on the risk identification results. Prior to analyzing the identified risks, the risk acceptance criteria were established. The criteria for accepting the risks were determined based on Productscape’s objectives, operations, and technology. The team created various risk scenarios and determined the likelihood of occurrence as “low,” “medium,” or “high.” They decided that if the likelihood of occurrence for a risk scenario is determined as “low,” no further action would be taken. On the other hand, if the likelihood of occurrence for a risk scenario is determined as “high” or“medium,” additional controls will be implemented. Some information security risk scenarios defined by Productscape’s team were as follows:
1. A cyber attacker exploits a security misconfiguration vulnerability of Productscape’s website to launch an attack, which, in turn, could make the website unavailable to users.
2. A cyber attacker gains access to confidential information of clients and may threaten to make the information publicly available unless a ransom is paid.
3. An internal employee clicks on a link embedded in an email that redirects them to an unsecured website, installing a malware on the device.
The likelihood of occurrence for the first risk scenario was determined as “medium.” One of the main reasons that such a risk could occur was the usage of default accounts and password. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability and launch a brute-force attack. Therefore, Productscape decided to start using an automated “build and deploy” process which would test the software on deploy and minimize the likelihood of such an incident from happening. However, the team made it clear that the implementation of this process would not eliminate the risk completely and that there was still a low possibility for this risk to occur. Productscape documented the remaining risk and decided to monitor it for changes.
The likelihood of occurrence for the second risk scenario was determined as “medium.” Productscape decided to contract an IT company that would provide technical assistance and monitor the company’s systems and networks in order to prevent such incidents from happening.
The likelihood of occurrence for the third risk scenario was determined as “high.” Thus, Productscape decided to include phishing as a topic on their information security training sessions. In addition, Alex reviewed the controls of Annex A of ISO/IEC 27001 in order to determine the necessary controls for treating this risk. Alex decided to implement control A.8.23 Web filtering which would help the company to reduce the risk of accessing unsecure websites. Although security controls were implemented to treat the risk, the level of the residual risk still did not meet the risk acceptance criteria defined in the beginning of the risk assessment process. Since the cost of implementing additional controls was too high for the company, Productscape decided to accept the residual risk. Therefore, risk owners were assigned the responsibility of managing the residual risk.
Which risk treatment option was used for the second risk scenario? Refer to scenario 6.
An organization has installed security cameras and alarm systems. What type of information security control has been implemented in this case?
Scenario 8: Biotide is a pharmaceutical company that produces medication for treating different kinds of diseases. The company was founded in 1997, and since then it has contributed in solving some of the most challenging healthcare issues.
As a pharmaceutical company, Biotide operates in an environment associated with complex risks. As such, the company focuses on risk management strategies that ensure the effective management of risks to develop high-quality medication. With the large amount of sensitive information generated from the company, managing information security risks is certainly an important part of the overall risk management process. Biotide utilizes a publicly available methodology for conducting risk assessment related to information assets. This methodology helps Biotide to perform risk assessment by taking into account its objectives and mission. Following this method, the risk management process is organized into four activity areas, each of them involving a set of activities, as provided below.
1. Activity area 1: The organization determines the criteria against which the effects of a risk occurring can be evaluated. In addition, the impacts of risks are also defined.
2. Activity area 2: The purpose of the second activity area is to create information asset profiles. The organization identifies critical information assets, their owners, as well as the security requirements for those assets. After determining the security requirements, the organization prioritizes them. In addition, the organization identifies the systems that store, transmit, or process information.
3. Activity area 3: The organization identifies the areas of concern which initiates the risk identification process. In addition, the organization analyzes and determines the probability of the occurrence of possible threat scenarios.
4. Activity area 4: The organization identifies and evaluates the risks. In addition, the criteria specified in activity area 1 is reviewed and the consequences of the areas of concerns are evaluated. Lastly, the level of identified risks is determined.
The table below provides an example of how Biotide assesses the risks related to its information assets following this methodology:
According to the risk assessment methodology used by Biotide, what else should be performed during activity area 4? Refer to scenario 8.
Scenario 2: Travivve is a travel agency that operates in more than 100 countries. Headquartered in San Francisco, the US, the agency is known for its personalized vacation packages and travel services. Travivve aims to deliver reliable services that meet its clients’ needs. Considering the impact of information security in its reputation, Travivve decided to implement an information security management system (ISMS) based on ISO/IEC 27001. In addition, they decided to establish and implement an information security risk management program. Based on the priority of specific departments in Travivve, the top management decided to initially apply the risk management process only in the Sales Management Department. The process would be applicable for other departments only when introducing new technology.
Travivve’s top management wanted to make sure that the risk management program is established based on the industry best practices. Therefore, they created a team of three members that would be responsible for establishing and implementing it. One of the team members was Travivve’s risk manager who was responsible for supervising the team and planning all risk management activities. In addition, the risk manager was responsible for monitoring the program and reporting the monitoring results to the top management.
Initially, the team decided to analyze the internal and external context of Travivve. As part of the process of understanding the organization and its context, the team identified key processes and activities. Then, the team identified the interested parties and their basic requirements and determined the status of compliance with these requirements. In addition, the team identified all the reference documents that applied to the defined scope of the risk management process, which mainly included the Annex A of ISO/IEC 27001 and the internal security rules established by Travivve. Lastly, the team analyzed both reference documents and justified a few noncompliances with those requirements.
The risk manager selected the information security risk management method which was aligned with other approaches used by the company to manage other risks. The team also communicated the risk management process to all interested parties through previously established communication mechanisms. In addition, they made sure to inform all interested parties about their roles and responsibilities regarding risk management. Travivve also decided to involve interested parties in its risk management activities since, according to the top management, this process required their active participation.
Lastly, Travivve’s risk management team decided to conduct the initial information security risk assessment process. As such, the team established the criteria for performing the information security risk assessment which included the consequence criteria and likelihood criteria.
Based on scenario 2, the team decided to involve interested parties in risk management activities. Is this a good practice?
