ISACA And SecurityScorecard Define Critical Questions To Implement Continuous Assurance For Data

ISACA and SecurityScorecard announce a joint research paper, “Continuous Assurance Using Data Threat Modeling,” to provide enterprises guidance in adopting an attacker’s point of view to help account for data. With a step-by-step guide to apply application threat modeling principles to data, enterprises can now establish a baseline for monitoring ongoing data risk over time.

Enterprises are challenged to move the process of accounting for data in a structured, systematic way higher on the list of priorities. One option to accomplish this challenge is by applying application threat modeling principles to data (data threat modeling). Application threat modeling provides value by allowing application security specialists to systematically evaluate an application from an attacker’s point of view. By doing this, an analyst can methodically analyze an application to identify and map threats that the application is likely to encounter in post-deployment conditions.

“To support a continuous view of anything, there are two things needed: something to measure and a way to perform that measurement frequently or in an ongoing way,” said Fouad Khalil, Head of Compliance, SecurityScorecard. “By implementing this continuous assurance process, an enterprise can be notified as changes happen that impact its understanding of the threats to their applications and, ultimately, their data.”

The ISACA and SecurityScorecard paper provides 11 key questions to ask to implement continuous assurance related to threat understanding, including these five:

1. What are the specific indicators the enterprise will use to measure changes to the threat environment?
2. How will the enterprise account for entities in the supply chain?
3. What instruments are in place to evaluate control performance at third parties?
4. Who is responsible for maintaining and monitoring the view that is put together?
5. What is the amount the enterprise is willing to invest in this?

“Organizations often struggle with data protection that feels out of control—and this guidance helps bring clarity to the chaos,” said Karen Heslop, Director of Content Strategy at ISACA.

“Continuous Assurance Using Data Threat Modeling” is available as a complimentary download and can be found at www.isaca.org/continuous-assurance-using-data-threat-modeling. For additional ISACA resources, please visit www.isaca.org/Knowledge-Center.