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CSSLP: Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional

Subjects : certifications, csslp, it-skills

Instructions:

Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
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Match each statement with the correct term.
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This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.

1. Security profile of a software
Number of incidents that can be expected in a year
The incorporation of security concept in the requirements - design - code - release - and disposal phases of the SDLC - include: - Confidentiality - integrity - availability - authentication - authorization - auditing - Session management - Error/exc
Software or data it processed must be accessible by only those who are authorized - It must be accessible only at the time that it is required.
Security controls applied to mitigate a threat before it materializes

2. Flaw Hypothesis Method (FHM)
Indicator of magnitude risk in a year ALE = SLE * ARO
Security concept aims at: identity of an entity (person or resource) is specified in the format that the software is expecting it - Validates or verifies the identity information that has been supplied
Uses comprehensive penetration testing to test the strength of the security software in order to predict and analyze vulnerabilities
Guidelines for quality software products - Six external quality characteristics to measure quality of software: functionality - reliability - usability - efficiency - maintainability - portability

3. Vulnerabilities repositories
Provides Common Criteria to evaluate IT security product
US-CERT Vulnerability Notes - Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) - Open Source Vulnerability Database - Common Vulnerabilities and exposure (CVE) - Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE)
Threat modeling methodology performed in the design phase of software development - Categories of threats: Spoofing - Tampering - Repudiation - Information Disclosure - Denial of Service - Elevation of privileges
Specifies the architecture and technical requirements for a common identified standard for federal employee and contractors

4. Properties of secure software
Security controls applied to mitigate a threat before it materializes
Covers the necessary procedures and tools to validate software assurance
Specifies the architecture and technical requirements for a common identified standard for federal employee and contractors
Dependability - Trustworthiness : MInimum number or no vulnerabilities - Resilience : Resistant or tolerant of attacks and able to recover quickly with as little harm as possible

5. Software security risk management methodologies
Preventive Controls: Detection Controls: e.g background checks - periodic review of security controls - Recovery controls:
Keep it simple principle to reduce the attack surface. Number of vulnerabilites increase with the complexity of the software design and code
Support DAC - Subject's capabilities are defined by the triple (object - rights and random numbers) - Random number in the triple is used to prevent a replay or spoofing of the triple's source - Column of the access matrix are called ACLs - Rows are
Microsoft SRMD (Security Risk Management Discipline) - Vulnerability oriented risk management - Charles Le Grand - Morana Risk Management Activities - Cigital Risk Management Methods

6. Annual Loss Expectancy (ALE)
SSE - CMM De-facto standard metric for evaluating security engineering practices for the organization or customer
Predetermined number of user error allowed before recording it as a security violation
Indicator of magnitude risk in a year ALE = SLE * ARO
OWASP - ITIL

7. Security Risk Management Discipline
Still under development - aimsto address ISMS implementation guidance
Microsoft SRMD (Security Risk Management Discipline) - Vulnerability oriented risk management - Charles Le Grand - Morana Risk Management Activities - Cigital Risk Management Methods
Software or data it processed must be accessible by only those who are authorized - It must be accessible only at the time that it is required.
Microsoft Methodologies of Risk Management and it comprised the following steps: Assessment of assets - security risks

8. Challenges in implementing auditing/logging
Performance impact - Information Overload - Capacity impact - Configuration Interfaces protection - Audit log protection
Design to mitigate any single source of complete compromise
Number of incidents that can be expected in a year
Opportunity for a threat to cause loss. It plays an important role in the computation of risk.

9. Session Management
Preventive Controls: control of media access and disposal - securing wiring closets etx. - Detection Controls: cameras and motion detectors
Aims at mitigating session hijacking (MITM attack). Requires that session token is unique and that user session is tracked to detect and prevent session hijacking
Support policies at a granular and specific level - Can be characterized as internal and external
Addresses the deniability of actions taken by either a user or the software on behalf of the user - Can be accomplished by auditing access information

10. Non Repudiation
Number of incidents that can be expected in a year
estimate potential loss of a single incident: SLE = Asset value * EF(%)
Balancing act between the protection of IT assets and the cost of implementing software security controls so that the risk is handled approprietely. It includes: Preliminary assessement for the need of security controls - Identification of security c
Addresses the deniability of actions taken by either a user or the software on behalf of the user - Can be accomplished by auditing access information

11. Exposure factor (EF)
Uses comprehensive penetration testing to test the strength of the security software in order to predict and analyze vulnerabilities
Microsoft Methodologies of Risk Management and it comprised the following steps: Assessment of assets - security risks
Functionally tested - Structurally tested - Methodically tested and checked - Methodically designed - tested and reviewed - Semiformally designed - and tested - Semiformally verified design and tested - Formally verified designed and tested
Opportunity for a threat to cause loss. It plays an important role in the computation of risk.

12. Risk management process
Specifies at a high level the 'what' and 'why' for security - Provides the framework and point of reference that can be used to measure an organization's posture - requires support of executive management to be effective and enforceable
Balancing act between the protection of IT assets and the cost of implementing software security controls so that the risk is handled approprietely. It includes: Preliminary assessement for the need of security controls - Identification of security c
Risk based information security strategy assessment methodology - developed by SEI in conjunction of US-CERT - Performed in 3 phases: Build asset based threat profile - Identify infrastructure vulnerabilities - develop security strategy and plans
Preventive Controls: control of media access and disposal - securing wiring closets etx. - Detection Controls: cameras and motion detectors

13. FIPS 197 (Advance Cryptographic standards - AES)
Specifies an approved cryptographic algorithm to ensure the confidentiality of electronic data
Preventive Controls: Detection Controls: e.g background checks - periodic review of security controls - Recovery controls:
A possibility that an unwanted - unintended - or harmful event may occur and resulted in an incident. The source can be a vulnerability.
Comprehensive guides for degining - developing and deploying secure Web applications and Web Services - Intended audiences are architects - developers - consultant - and auditors

14. Economy of mechanism
Likely to be replaced by ISO/IEC 30001 under development - Provides standards for IS risk Management
Opportunity for a threat to cause loss. It plays an important role in the computation of risk.
Security concept aims at: identity of an entity (person or resource) is specified in the format that the software is expecting it - Validates or verifies the identity information that has been supplied
Keep it simple principle to reduce the attack surface. Number of vulnerabilites increase with the complexity of the software design and code

15. Auditing
Risk calculation and rating methodology that are often used with STRIDE - Rating performed accross 5 dimensions: Damage potential - Reproducibility - Exploitability - Affected users - Discoverability
Software or data it processed must be accessible by only those who are authorized - It must be accessible only at the time that it is required.
Specifies at a high level the 'what' and 'why' for security - Provides the framework and point of reference that can be used to measure an organization's posture - requires support of executive management to be effective and enforceable
Passive detective control - security concepts in which critical and business transactions are logged to build a history of events to be used in troubleshooting and forensic evidence - At a minimum - audit fields should include who - where - when - a

16. Integrity
Likely to be replaced by ISO/IEC 30001 under development - Provides standards for IS risk Management
Provides Common Criteria to evaluate IT security product
Specified requirements for a cryptographic module for 4 increasing qualitative level (1-4) intended to cover a wide range of potential application and environment
Protection against improper data alteration. It is a measure of software resiliency and pertains to the modification of data and the reliable function of the software - Data is internally and externally consistent

17. Take-Grant Model
Threat modeling methodology performed in the design phase of software development - Categories of threats: Spoofing - Tampering - Repudiation - Information Disclosure - Denial of Service - Elevation of privileges
Specified requirements for a cryptographic module for 4 increasing qualitative level (1-4) intended to cover a wide range of potential application and environment
Use directed graph to specify the rights that a subject can transfer to an object or that a subject can take from another subject
Supporting Controls: Identification - crptographic key management - security administration - system protections - Preventive Controls: authentication - authorization - access control enforcement - non repudiation - Detection and recovering controls:

18. Examples of Security Standards
estimate potential loss of a single incident: SLE = Asset value * EF(%)
Use directed graph to specify the rights that a subject can transfer to an object or that a subject can take from another subject
US-CERT Vulnerability Notes - Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) - Open Source Vulnerability Database - Common Vulnerabilities and exposure (CVE) - Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE)
Coding Standards (internal) - PCI DSS - NIST Standards - ISO Standards - Federal Information Processing Standards

19. Accountability
Aims at controlling the access of a subject to an object based on rights and privileges granted to the requestor by the owner of the data or system - or according to a policy - Layered on top authentication and must not precede authentication unless
Opportunity for a threat to cause loss. It plays an important role in the computation of risk.
Ability to determine the actions and behaviors of a single individual within a system and to identify that particular individual
Iron triangle constraint (schedule - scope - budget) - Security as an afterthought - Security versus usability

20. ISO/IEC 21827:2008
Iron triangle constraint (schedule - scope - budget) - Security as an afterthought - Security versus usability
SSE - CMM De-facto standard metric for evaluating security engineering practices for the organization or customer
Development guide - Code Review Guide - Testing Guide
Periodic publication by OWASP for top 10 Web application security vulnerabilites

21. Configurations Parameters Management
Supporting Controls: Identification - crptographic key management - security administration - system protections - Preventive Controls: authentication - authorization - access control enforcement - non repudiation - Detection and recovering controls:
Concept aims at ensuring that the appropriate levels of protection are provided to secure configurable parameters that are needed for the software to run
Protection against improper data alteration. It is a measure of software resiliency and pertains to the modification of data and the reliable function of the software - Data is internally and externally consistent
Security controls applied to mitigate a threat before it materializes

22. Authorization
Aims at controlling the access of a subject to an object based on rights and privileges granted to the requestor by the owner of the data or system - or according to a policy - Layered on top authentication and must not precede authentication unless
Consistency in style - Maintainability - Less prone to error and exposure when security is taken into consideration in the standards
The incorporation of security concept in the requirements - design - code - release - and disposal phases of the SDLC - include: - Confidentiality - integrity - availability - authentication - authorization - auditing - Session management - Error/exc
Technical - Management - Operational

23. Core Security Concept
Implementation detail of the design is independent of the design itself. Reviewing the design itself will not result in the compromise of the sageguards of the software
Replacement of ISO 17799 standards - Provide guidelines for effective security management practices - Outlines control objectives and controls in diverse areas of ISMS
Specifies an approved cryptographic algorithm to ensure the confidentiality of electronic data
Confidentiality - Integrity - Availability

24. ISO/IEC 9216
Guidelines for quality software products - Six external quality characteristics to measure quality of software: functionality - reliability - usability - efficiency - maintainability - portability
Specifies at a high level the 'what' and 'why' for security - Provides the framework and point of reference that can be used to measure an organization's posture - requires support of executive management to be effective and enforceable
Development guide - Code Review Guide - Testing Guide
Aims at mitigating session hijacking (MITM attack). Requires that session token is unique and that user session is tracked to detect and prevent session hijacking

25. ISO/IEC 27002:2005
Coding Standards (internal) - PCI DSS - NIST Standards - ISO Standards - Federal Information Processing Standards
Replacement of ISO 17799 standards - Provide guidelines for effective security management practices - Outlines control objectives and controls in diverse areas of ISMS
Authentication
Access request by a subject to an object is mediated each time and every time.

26. Safeguards
Risk based information security strategy assessment methodology - developed by SEI in conjunction of US-CERT - Performed in 3 phases: Build asset based threat profile - Identify infrastructure vulnerabilities - develop security strategy and plans
Requires the incorporation of security concept in the requirements - design - code - release - and disposal phases of the SDLC
Uses comprehensive penetration testing to test the strength of the security software in order to predict and analyze vulnerabilities
Security controls applied to mitigate a threat before it materializes

27. Total Risk
The likelihood that a threat can result into an incident. This is the overall risk of a system
Consistency in style - Maintainability - Less prone to error and exposure when security is taken into consideration in the standards
Functionally tested - Structurally tested - Methodically tested and checked - Methodically designed - tested and reviewed - Semiformally designed - and tested - Semiformally verified design and tested - Formally verified designed and tested
A weakness or flaw that could be accidentally triggered or intentionally exploited by an attacker - resulting in the breach or breakdown of the security policy

28. Benefits of coding standards
Specifies at a high level the 'what' and 'why' for security - Provides the framework and point of reference that can be used to measure an organization's posture - requires support of executive management to be effective and enforceable
Supporting Controls: Identification - crptographic key management - security administration - system protections - Preventive Controls: authentication - authorization - access control enforcement - non repudiation - Detection and recovering controls:
Preventive Controls: Detection Controls: e.g background checks - periodic review of security controls - Recovery controls:
Consistency in style - Maintainability - Less prone to error and exposure when security is taken into consideration in the standards

29. Management Controls
Specifies the requirements for establishing - implementing - operating - monitoring - reviewing - maintaining and improving a documented ISMS
Preventive Controls: Detection Controls: e.g background checks - periodic review of security controls - Recovery controls:
Access request by a subject to an object is mediated each time and every time.
Provides a common glossary of terms and definitions - Overview and introduction to the ISMS family of standards that covered: Requirement definitions - Detailed guidance of PDCA process - Sector Specific guidelines and conformity assessement for ISMS

30. Technical Controls
Specifies the requirements for establishing - implementing - operating - monitoring - reviewing - maintaining and improving a documented ISMS
Supporting Controls: Identification - crptographic key management - security administration - system protections - Preventive Controls: authentication - authorization - access control enforcement - non repudiation - Detection and recovering controls:
SSE - CMM De-facto standard metric for evaluating security engineering practices for the organization or customer
Is recommended for validating access to system containing sensitive or critical information (FFIEC guidance on authentication)

31. Implementation challenges
The incorporation of security concept in the requirements - design - code - release - and disposal phases of the SDLC - include: - Confidentiality - integrity - availability - authentication - authorization - auditing - Session management - Error/exc
Iron triangle constraint (schedule - scope - budget) - Security as an afterthought - Security versus usability
Development guide - Code Review Guide - Testing Guide
OWASP - ITIL

32. Single Loss Expectancy (SLE)
Provides Common Criteria to evaluate IT security product
estimate potential loss of a single incident: SLE = Asset value * EF(%)
Specifies the requirements for establishing - implementing - operating - monitoring - reviewing - maintaining and improving a documented ISMS
A weakness or flaw that could be accidentally triggered or intentionally exploited by an attacker - resulting in the breach or breakdown of the security policy

33. Common best practices significant to Sofware Security
Preventive Controls: Detection Controls: e.g background checks - periodic review of security controls - Recovery controls:
estimate potential loss of a single incident: SLE = Asset value * EF(%)
OWASP - ITIL
Functionally tested - Structurally tested - Methodically tested and checked - Methodically designed - tested and reviewed - Semiformally designed - and tested - Semiformally verified design and tested - Formally verified designed and tested

34. Open design
Preventive Controls: Detection Controls: e.g background checks - periodic review of security controls - Recovery controls:
Security functionality is easy to use and transparent
Implementation detail of the design is independent of the design itself. Reviewing the design itself will not result in the compromise of the sageguards of the software
Access request by a subject to an object is mediated each time and every time.

35. DREAD
Risk calculation and rating methodology that are often used with STRIDE - Rating performed accross 5 dimensions: Damage potential - Reproducibility - Exploitability - Affected users - Discoverability
Threat modeling methodology performed in the design phase of software development - Categories of threats: Spoofing - Tampering - Repudiation - Information Disclosure - Denial of Service - Elevation of privileges
A weakness or flaw that could be accidentally triggered or intentionally exploited by an attacker - resulting in the breach or breakdown of the security policy
Implementation detail of the design is independent of the design itself. Reviewing the design itself will not result in the compromise of the sageguards of the software

36. OWASP development guide
Risk calculation and rating methodology that are often used with STRIDE - Rating performed accross 5 dimensions: Damage potential - Reproducibility - Exploitability - Affected users - Discoverability
Preventive Controls: control of media access and disposal - securing wiring closets etx. - Detection Controls: cameras and motion detectors
Number of incidents that can be expected in a year
Comprehensive guides for degining - developing and deploying secure Web applications and Web Services - Intended audiences are architects - developers - consultant - and auditors

37. Clipping level
A set of comprehensive requirements aimed at protecting payment account data security - 12 foundational requirements mapped into 6 control objectives - Requirement 6 and its subrequirements are directly related to software security - develop and main
Concept aims at ensuring that the appropriate levels of protection are provided to secure configurable parameters that are needed for the software to run
Is recommended for validating access to system containing sensitive or critical information (FFIEC guidance on authentication)
Predetermined number of user error allowed before recording it as a security violation

38. FIPS140-2 (Security requirement for cryptographic modules)
Functionally tested - Structurally tested - Methodically tested and checked - Methodically designed - tested and reviewed - Semiformally designed - and tested - Semiformally verified design and tested - Formally verified designed and tested
Specified requirements for a cryptographic module for 4 increasing qualitative level (1-4) intended to cover a wide range of potential application and environment
Addresses the deniability of actions taken by either a user or the software on behalf of the user - Can be accomplished by auditing access information
Indicator of magnitude risk in a year ALE = SLE * ARO

39. Phsychological acceptability
Guidelines for quality software products - Six external quality characteristics to measure quality of software: functionality - reliability - usability - efficiency - maintainability - portability
Security functionality is easy to use and transparent
Addresses the deniability of actions taken by either a user or the software on behalf of the user - Can be accomplished by auditing access information
Microsoft Methodologies of Risk Management and it comprised the following steps: Assessment of assets - security risks

40. Holistic Security in software
Periodic publication by OWASP for top 10 Web application security vulnerabilites
Risk calculation and rating methodology that are often used with STRIDE - Rating performed accross 5 dimensions: Damage potential - Reproducibility - Exploitability - Affected users - Discoverability
Secure applicatios running on secure hosts (systems) in a secure network
Preventive Controls: Detection Controls: e.g background checks - periodic review of security controls - Recovery controls:

41. Compartmentalization
Successful completion of a critical task is dependent on 2 or more conditions that need to be met
Covers the necessary procedures and tools to validate software assurance
Likely to be replaced by ISO/IEC 30001 under development - Provides standards for IS risk Management
Support DAC - Subject's capabilities are defined by the triple (object - rights and random numbers) - Random number in the triple is used to prevent a replay or spoofing of the triple's source - Column of the access matrix are called ACLs - Rows are

42. OWASP Top 10
Periodic publication by OWASP for top 10 Web application security vulnerabilites
Support for accreditation and certification bodies that audit and certify ISMS
Specifies an approved cryptographic algorithm to ensure the confidentiality of electronic data
Security controls applied after a threat has been materialized

43. Confidentiality
Risk based information security strategy assessment methodology - developed by SEI in conjunction of US-CERT - Performed in 3 phases: Build asset based threat profile - Identify infrastructure vulnerabilities - develop security strategy and plans
Requires the incorporation of security concept in the requirements - design - code - release - and disposal phases of the SDLC
Protection against unauthorized information disclosure. It helps maintaining privacy
Specifies at a high level the 'what' and 'why' for security - Provides the framework and point of reference that can be used to measure an organization's posture - requires support of executive management to be effective and enforceable

44. OWASP testing guide
Specified requirements for a cryptographic module for 4 increasing qualitative level (1-4) intended to cover a wide range of potential application and environment
Protection against improper data alteration. It is a measure of software resiliency and pertains to the modification of data and the reliable function of the software - Data is internally and externally consistent
Covers the necessary procedures and tools to validate software assurance
Design to mitigate any single source of complete compromise

45. OCTAVE
A possibility that an unwanted - unintended - or harmful event may occur and resulted in an incident. The source can be a vulnerability.
Risk based information security strategy assessment methodology - developed by SEI in conjunction of US-CERT - Performed in 3 phases: Build asset based threat profile - Identify infrastructure vulnerabilities - develop security strategy and plans
Opportunity for a threat to cause loss. It plays an important role in the computation of risk.
Risk calculation and rating methodology that are often used with STRIDE - Rating performed accross 5 dimensions: Damage potential - Reproducibility - Exploitability - Affected users - Discoverability

46. Single point failure
Preventive Controls: control of media access and disposal - securing wiring closets etx. - Detection Controls: cameras and motion detectors
Successful completion of a critical task is dependent on 2 or more conditions that need to be met
Design to mitigate any single source of complete compromise
Security controls applied after a threat has been materialized

47. Error and exception management
Concept aims at ensuring that unintended and unreliable behavior of the software is explicitly handled - while maintaining a secure state and protection against CIA threats - Errors and exception messages should be non verbose and explicit - Software
Use directed graph to specify the rights that a subject can transfer to an object or that a subject can take from another subject
Balancing act between the protection of IT assets and the cost of implementing software security controls so that the risk is handled approprietely. It includes: Preliminary assessement for the need of security controls - Identification of security c
estimate potential loss of a single incident: SLE = Asset value * EF(%)

48. Popular guides developed by OWASP
Development guide - Code Review Guide - Testing Guide
Provides a common glossary of terms and definitions - Overview and introduction to the ISMS family of standards that covered: Requirement definitions - Detailed guidance of PDCA process - Sector Specific guidelines and conformity assessement for ISMS
Functionally tested - Structurally tested - Methodically tested and checked - Methodically designed - tested and reviewed - Semiformally designed - and tested - Semiformally verified design and tested - Formally verified designed and tested
Authentication

49. Least common mechanism
Passive detective control - security concepts in which critical and business transactions are logged to build a history of events to be used in troubleshooting and forensic evidence - At a minimum - audit fields should include who - where - when - a
The incorporation of security concept in the requirements - design - code - release - and disposal phases of the SDLC - include: - Confidentiality - integrity - availability - authentication - authorization - auditing - Session management - Error/exc
Microsoft Methodologies of Risk Management and it comprised the following steps: Assessment of assets - security risks
Disallow the sharing of mechaniss that are common to more than one user or process with different levels of privilege

50. After identification step is...
The likelihood that a threat can result into an incident. This is the overall risk of a system
Authentication
Aims at controlling the access of a subject to an object based on rights and privileges granted to the requestor by the owner of the data or system - or according to a policy - Layered on top authentication and must not precede authentication unless
Security controls applied after a threat has been materialized