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Automating Enterprise IT Management by Leveraging Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP)

Automating Enterprise IT Management by Leveraging Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP). John M. Gilligan www.gilligangroupinc.com May , 2009. Problem. Today’s state—CIOs of large enterprises cannot: See their IT assets—they don’t know what they have

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Automating Enterprise IT Management by Leveraging Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP)

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  1. Automating Enterprise IT Managementby LeveragingSecurity Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) John M. Gilligan www.gilligangroupinc.com May, 2009

  2. Problem Today’s state—CIOs of large enterprises cannot: • See their IT assets—they don’t know what they have • Tell which systems comply with policy • Makes reporting, enforcement impossible • Change configurations quickly in reaction to changing threats or vendor updates IT organizations cannot effectively manage complex environments

  3. Root Cause Today’s enterprise IT capabilities are: • Complex • Dynamic • Vulnerable • Fragmented in use of automated management Processes and tools are immature

  4. CIOs are concerned about enterprise IT management • Cost of poorly managed IT is growing rapidly • Cyber attacks are exploiting weak enterprise management • Weakest link becomes enterprise “Achilles Heel” • Cyber exploitation now a National Security issue • High quality IT support requires effective enterprise management SCAP enables effective enterprise IT management and security

  5. Goal—Well-Managed Enterprise • Every device in an enterprise is known, actively managed, and configured as securely as necessary all the time, and the right people know this is so or not so • Integrated and automated enterprise management tools increase operational effectiveness and security without increased cost

  6. Solution Elements • Governance • Technology • Discipline

  7. Governance • Define management and security policies and properties to be implemented in enterprise IT environments • Accelerate evolution to a disciplined environment • Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC)--Establishes initial configuration discipline • 20 Critical Controls for Effective Cyber Defense: Consensus Audit Guidelines—Counter most significant threats with measurable controls • NIST Special Publication 800-53 (Information Security; Recommended Security Controls for Federal Information Systems)—Establish comprehensive disciplined management and security policies and controls

  8. Technology • Use tools that are Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP)-enabled • Automate management of configuration, asset management, and security properties • Continuously assess, report, enforce endpoint compliance • React quickly to changing situations (e.g., vendor patches, new configurations, revised policy) • Achieve cross-vendor integration, interoperability SCAP enables tool integration and interoperability for disciplined enterprise IT management

  9. Discipline Verify compliance with enterprise IT policies: • Continuously verify effectiveness of controls by leveraging automation and trend metrics • Also employ metrics for operational effectiveness and cost • Use Auditors and Red Teams to independently validate discipline • Ensure visible accountability for those who violate policies

  10. Leveraging SCAP for Enterprise IT Management

  11. Current SCAP Standards Software vulnerability management CVE CVSS OVAL Asset management Configuration management CPE CCE XCCDF Compliance management SCAP supports foundational IT management functions

  12. Specific SCAP Standards Software vulnerability management Identifies vulnerabilities CVE Scores vulnerability severity CVSS Criteria to check presence of vulnerabilities, configurations, assets OVAL Asset management Configuration management CPE CCE Identifies packages and platforms XCCDF Identifies configuration controls Language to express configuration guidance for both automatic and manual vetting Compliance management SCAP enables enterprise-wide, cross-vendor interoperability and aggregation of data produced by separate tools

  13. Mature Standards Illustrate Possibilities • Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE): industry standard for identifying vulnerabilities • 36,000+ vulnerabilities agreed upon over the last 10 years • 245 products, 138 organizations, 25 countries • Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS): Payment Card Industry (PCI) uses to judge compliance of organizations that process card payments Industry has adopted SCAP standards for individual needs

  14. SCAP Gaining Momentum • Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC/SCAP) • Ken Heitkamp (ex-Deputy CIO AF): “FDCC with SCAP not only establishes standard configurations for hardware suppliers, it also addresses security for those that develop software” • Open Vulnerability Assessment Language (OVAL) • McAfee: “The ability to…describe vulnerabilities on a system and exchange that information between tools is doing a great deal to improve [vendor] offerings” • NIST issues SCAP content for FISMA compliance • Steve Quinn (NIST): “[SCAP is] an automated approach to help agencies make the jump from security policies and mandates to secure systems.”

  15. Product Interoperability The Problem • Different vendor products give different answers • CIOs can’t integrate across vendors The Solution • SCAP standard ‘OVAL’ introduced to enable integration • Red Hat adopted OVAL; found it increased value of their advisories to customers • Other vendors have followed (e.g., Symantec) OVAL provides the “glue” for SCAP-compliant tools leading to interoperability

  16. Enterprise IT Management Using SCAP • DoD Computer Network Defense (CND) data sharing pilot demonstrating enterprise management using SCAP • SCAP shows which systems are vulnerable; enables rapid, prioritized response (e.g., rush patching); provides follow-up reporting • Tony Sager (NSA): “We do it all now with SCAP-compatible tools.” • Organizations beginning to see SCAP benefits for other enterprise applications

  17. Leadership is needed now Shape technology to serve the public interest

  18. Recommended Actions How Federal government can provide leadership: • Require SCAP-validated tools • Educate IT staff in how SCAP can be used for enterprise IT management • Deploy SCAP-validated tools; evolve to automated enterprise IT management • Share lessons learned with IT managers and vendors • More use cases—not just security • More transparent integration

  19. SCAP can transform individual tools into integrated parts of an Enterprise IT Management Capability

  20. Enterprise IT Management Roadmap Capability Cost

  21. Contact Information John M. Gilligan jgilligan@gilligangroupinc.com 703-503-3232 www.gilligangroupinc.com

  22. Strategic Roadmap More secure, more automated • Controlled configuration for Windows • Controlled configuration for major operating systems and applications • Standardized application white and black listing • Adaptive configurations based on threat • Faster vulnerability impact/patch level assessment • Standardized remediation, configuration control • Today • 2010 • 2010 • 2011 • OVAL adoption • 2012 Real-time management More secure, automated, real time

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