Article By Lon J. Berman, CISSP In the last issue of RMF Today and Tomorrow, we walked through the System Categorization process step-bystep. Now that we’ve categorized our system, let’s take a look at the steps for creating a Security Control Baseline. Step 1: Create Initial Control Set Your System Categorization defines the initial set of…
By Kathryn M. Farrish, CISSP Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) are published periodically by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). STIGs contain very detailed lists of security settings for commonly used IT system components, such as operating systems, database management systems, web servers, network devices, etc. Compliance with applicable STIGs is one of the key…
Article by Annette Leonard The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is responsible for developing security guidance for configuring DoD information systems. An extensive collection of Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) is published at http:// iase.disa.mil/stigs/Pages/index.aspx. STIGs contain detailed configuration guidance (settings) for commonly-used software products and other system components. Most of these documents are updated…
Article by Kathryn Farrish, CISSP Imagine this dialog between Edward, a System Owner, and Christine, his Information System Security Manager (ISSM): Edward (System Owner):“Now that we’ve completed our System Categorization, have you built the Security Control Baseline for our system?” Christine (ISSM): “Yes, sir, I have. Our system has been categorized as “Moderate -Moderate-Moderate (M-M-M)”.…
In this blog post Lon Berman, CISSP talks about the sub-steps of the first RMF step, System Categorization. Step 1: Identify Information Types The first and perhaps most important step in the system categorization process is the determination of the “information types” that are stored and processed by the system. So what exactly is an…
When it comes to getting your CISSP certification, I have one important word for you: STUDY. Study in the car (preferably not while driving), study at work (taking care to not get fired), study at home, study everywhere you get a free moment. Study before training, study after training. You really cannot study too much…
By Kathryn M. Farrish, CISSP Common Controls are security controls whose implementation results in a security capability that is inheritable by multiple information systems (IS). For example, the information systems hosted in a data center will typically inherit numerous security controls from the hosting provider, such as: Physical and environmental security controls Network boundary defense security controls Other inheritance scenarios include agency or departmental-level policies…
By Lon J. Berman, CISSP The story is told of an intern who is asked by his boss to pick up some items from the supply room in the basement. The young man is not sure how to get down there, but, seeing an open door, assumes it is the stairway and steps through. Unfortunately the door turns out to be an…
TrainPlus! POST TRAINING SUPPORT RMF education doesn’t just stop when the training class is over. That’s why we offer TrainPlus!, a RMF Q&A follow-up session. Designed specifically for students who’ve previously attended an IT Dojo RMF training class, TrainPlus! is delivered via a monthly, 60-minute, conference call at no charge. Whether the training experience has been online, onsite or…
You’ve earned your CISSP or your Security+ certification…now you need to maintain it. No one wants to have to take those beastly exams again! But how do you do that without spending a lot of money? Sure you could take other classes (and will need to to remain relevant, of course), but sometimes there isn’t…