ISO/IEC 27005 Risk Manager

Scenario 3: Printary is an American company that offers digital printing services. Creating cost-effective and creative products, the company has been part of the printing industry for more than 30 years. Three years ago, the company started to operate online, providing greater flexibility for its clients. Through the website, clients could find information about all services offered by Printary and order personalized products. However, operating online increased the risk of cyber threats, consequently, impacting thebusiness functions of the company. Thus, along with the decision of creating an online business, the company focused on managing information security risks. Their risk management program was established based on ISO/IEC 27005 guidelines and industry best practices.

Last year, the company considered the integration of an online payment system on its website in order to provide more flexibility and transparency to customers. Printary analyzed various available solutions and selected Pay0, a payment processing solution that allows any company to easily collect payments on their website. Before making the decision, Printary conducted a risk assessment to identify and analyze information security risks associated with the software. The risk assessment process involved three phases: identification, analysis, and evaluation. During risk identification, the company inspected assets, threats, and vulnerabilities. In addition, to identify the information security risks, Printary used a list of the identified events that could negatively affect the achievement of information security objectives. The risk identification phase highlighted two main threats associated with the online payment system: error in use and data corruption After conducting a gap analysis, the company concluded that the existing security controls were sufficient to mitigate the threat of data corruption. However, the user interface of the payment solution was complicated, which could increase the risk associated with user errors, and, as a result, impact data integrity and confidentiality.

Subsequently, the risk identification results were analyzed. The company conducted risk analysis in order to understand the nature of the identified risks. They decided to use a quantitative risk analysis methodology because it would provide more detailed information. The selected risk analysis methodology was consistent with the risk evaluation criteria. Firstly, they used a list of potential incident scenarios to assess their potential impact. In addition, the likelihood of incident scenarios was defined and assessed. Finally, the level of risk was defined as low.

In the end, the level of risk was compared to the risk evaluation and acceptance criteria and was prioritized accordingly.

Which of the following situations indicates that Printary identified consequences of risk scenarios? Refer to scenario 3.

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 themaware 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, which risk treatment option did Detika select to treat the risk of a potential ransomware attack?

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.

Based on scenario 6, Alex reviewed the controls of Annex A of ISO/IEC 27001 to determine the necessary controls for treating the risk described in the third risk scenario.
According to the guidelines of ISO/IEC 27005, 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 scenario above, answer the following question:

Which risk assessment methodology does Biotide use?

Under MEHARI, the organization has analyzed its business stakes and assessed the quality of existing security services. Which activity should follow before security improvements are planned?

Email filtering is operating, but users can still reach a fake sign-in page and remote access lacks multifactor authentication. Which statement correctly describes the risk factors?

Which statement regarding risks and opportunities is correct?

What type of process is risk management?

Reliable incident-frequency data are unavailable, and management needs a prompt comparison of risks using agreed severity bands. Which analysis approach best fits this decision?

Scenario 4: In 2017, seeing that millions of people turned to online shopping, Ed and James Cordon founded the online marketplace for footwear called Poshoe. In the past, purchasing pre-owned designer shoes online was not a pleasant experience because of unattractive pictures and an inability to ascertain the products' authenticity. However, after Poshoe's establishment, each product was well advertised and certified as authentic before being offered to clients. This increased the customers' confidence and trust in Poshoe's products and services. Poshoe has approximately four million users and its mission is to dominate the second-hand sneaker market and become a multi-billion dollar company.

Due to the significant increase of daily online buyers, Poshoe's top management decided to adopt a big data analytics tool that could help the company effectively handle, store, and analyze data. Before initiating the implementation process, they decided to conduct a risk assessment. Initially, the company identified its assets, threats, and vulnerabilities associated with its information systems. In terms of assets, the company identified the information that was vital to the achievement of the organization's mission and objectives. During this phase, the company also detected a rootkit in their software, through which an attacker could remotely access Poshoe's systems and acquire sensitive data.

The company discovered that the rootkit had been installed by an attacker who had gained administrator access. As a result, the attacker was able to obtain the customers' personal data after they purchased a product from Poshoe. Luckily, the company was able to execute some scans from the target device and gain greater visibility into their software's settings in order to identify the vulnerability of the system.

The company initially used the qualitative risk analysis technique to assess the consequences and the likelihood and to determine the level of risk. The company defined the likelihood of risk as "a few times in two years with the probability of 1 to 3 times per year." Later, it was decided that they would use a quantitative risk analysis methodology since it would provide additional information on this major risk. Lastly, the top management decided to treat the risk immediately as it could expose the company to other issues. In addition, it was communicated to their employees that they should update, secure, and back up Poshoe's software in order to protect customers' personal information and prevent unauthorized access from attackers.

According to scenario 4, which type of assets was identified during the risk identification process?