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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 Controls
Mechanisms by which threats to software and systems can be mitigated. These mechanisms may be technical - administrative or physical. Improper implementation of these mechanism may become a threat to the system
Is recommended for validating access to system containing sensitive or critical information (FFIEC guidance on authentication)
Replacement of ISO 17799 standards - Provide guidelines for effective security management practices - Outlines control objectives and controls in diverse areas of ISMS
OWASP - ITIL

2. OCTAVE
Development guide - Code Review Guide - Testing Guide
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
Iron triangle constraint (schedule - scope - budget) - Security as an afterthought - Security versus usability
Protection against unauthorized information disclosure. It helps maintaining privacy

3. NIST standards related to software security
A possibility that an unwanted - unintended - or harmful event may occur and resulted in an incident. The source can be a vulnerability.
The likelihood that a threat can result into an incident. This is the overall risk of a system
SP800-12 : Introduction to computer security handbook - SP800-14: Generally accepted principles and practices for securing IT systems - SP800-30: Risk Management Guide for IT - SP800-64: Security Considerations in the information systems development
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

4. Least common mechanism
Use directed graph to specify the rights that a subject can transfer to an object or that a subject can take from another subject
Disallow the sharing of mechaniss that are common to more than one user or process with different levels of privilege
Security controls applied after a threat has been materialized
Concept aims at ensuring that the appropriate levels of protection are provided to secure configurable parameters that are needed for the software to run

5. ISO/IEC 27003
Still under development - aimsto address ISMS implementation guidance
Uses comprehensive penetration testing to test the strength of the security software in order to predict and analyze vulnerabilities
Coding Standards (internal) - PCI DSS - NIST Standards - ISO Standards - Federal Information Processing Standards
Dependability - Trustworthiness : MInimum number or no vulnerabilities - Resilience : Resistant or tolerant of attacks and able to recover quickly with as little harm as possible

6. STRIDE
Disallow the sharing of mechaniss that are common to more than one user or process with different levels of privilege
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
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
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

7. Security profile of a software
Preventive Controls: control of media access and disposal - securing wiring closets etx. - Detection Controls: cameras and motion detectors
The likelihood that a threat can result into an incident. This is the overall risk of a system
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
Access request by a subject to an object is mediated each time and every time.

8. Categories of 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
Technical - Management - Operational
Iron triangle constraint (schedule - scope - budget) - Security as an afterthought - Security versus usability
Security Concepts that need to be considered when designing and architecting software: Least privilege - Compartmentalization (separation of duties) - Defense in depth - Fail Secure - Keep it simple - Complete mediation - Open Design - Least common m

9. Availability
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.
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
Security functionality is easy to use and transparent
Secure applicatios running on secure hosts (systems) in a secure network

10. OWASP Code Review Guide
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
Confidentiality - Integrity - Availability
Manual that provides understanding on how to detect Web application vulnerabilities in code review and what safeguards can be taken to address them
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.

11. Security design principles
Secure applicatios running on secure hosts (systems) in a secure network
Access Control Models - Access Matrix - Take-Grant - BLP (Bell La-Padula) - State machine - Integrity Models - Biba Model - Clark-Wilson Model - Information Flow Models - Non-Interference - Chinese Wall (Brewer and Nash) model
Security Concepts that need to be considered when designing and architecting software: Least privilege - Compartmentalization (separation of duties) - Defense in depth - Fail Secure - Keep it simple - Complete mediation - Open Design - Least common m
US-CERT Vulnerability Notes - Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) - Open Source Vulnerability Database - Common Vulnerabilities and exposure (CVE) - Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE)

12. Least privilege
Manual that provides understanding on how to detect Web application vulnerabilities in code review and what safeguards can be taken to address them
US-CERT Vulnerability Notes - Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) - Open Source Vulnerability Database - Common Vulnerabilities and exposure (CVE) - Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE)
Number of incidents that can be expected in a year
Entity should have the minimum access level access right to do the jo- The right is given for a minimum amount of time necessary to complete the job

13. ISO /IEC 27000:2009
Confidentiality - Integrity - Availability
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
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
Protection against unauthorized information disclosure. It helps maintaining privacy

14. Auditing
Security controls applied after a threat has been materialized
Security controls applied to mitigate a threat before it materializes
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
Still under development - aimsto address ISMS implementation guidance

15. Implementation challenges
Ability to determine the actions and behaviors of a single individual within a system and to identify that particular individual
Provides Common Criteria to evaluate IT security product
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
Iron triangle constraint (schedule - scope - budget) - Security as an afterthought - Security versus usability

16. Economy of mechanism
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
Keep it simple principle to reduce the attack surface. Number of vulnerabilites increase with the complexity of the software design and code
Confidentiality - Integrity - Availability
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

17. ISO/IEC 27006:2007
Coding Standards (internal) - PCI DSS - NIST Standards - ISO Standards - Federal Information Processing Standards
Support for accreditation and certification bodies that audit and certify ISMS
estimate potential loss of a single incident: SLE = Asset value * EF(%)
Keep it simple principle to reduce the attack surface. Number of vulnerabilites increase with the complexity of the software design and code

18. Operation Controls
Coding Standards (internal) - PCI DSS - NIST Standards - ISO Standards - Federal Information Processing Standards
Requires the incorporation of security concept in the requirements - design - code - release - and disposal phases of the SDLC
Preventive Controls: control of media access and disposal - securing wiring closets etx. - Detection Controls: cameras and motion detectors
Preventive Controls: Detection Controls: e.g background checks - periodic review of security controls - Recovery controls:

19. Flaw Hypothesis Method (FHM)
Covers the necessary procedures and tools to validate software assurance
Security controls applied after a threat has been materialized
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
Uses comprehensive penetration testing to test the strength of the security software in order to predict and analyze vulnerabilities

20. Total Risk
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
Microsoft Methodologies of Risk Management and it comprised the following steps: Assessment of assets - security risks
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
The likelihood that a threat can result into an incident. This is the overall risk of a system

21. Benefits of coding standards
Concepts aim at mitigating disclosure - alteration - and destruction threats. These are supporting concepts to the core security objectives of CIA
Consistency in style - Maintainability - Less prone to error and exposure when security is taken into consideration in the standards
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
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

22. Vulnerabilities repositories
Disallow the sharing of mechaniss that are common to more than one user or process with different levels of privilege
Entity should have the minimum access level access right to do the jo- The right is given for a minimum amount of time necessary to complete the job
US-CERT Vulnerability Notes - Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) - Open Source Vulnerability Database - Common Vulnerabilities and exposure (CVE) - Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE)
SSE - CMM De-facto standard metric for evaluating security engineering practices for the organization or customer

23. Confidentiality
Protection against unauthorized information disclosure. It helps maintaining privacy
Successful completion of a critical task is dependent on 2 or more conditions that need to be met
Replacement of ISO 17799 standards - Provide guidelines for effective security management practices - Outlines control objectives and controls in diverse areas of ISMS
Access Control Models - Access Matrix - Take-Grant - BLP (Bell La-Padula) - State machine - Integrity Models - Biba Model - Clark-Wilson Model - Information Flow Models - Non-Interference - Chinese Wall (Brewer and Nash) model

24. 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
Successful completion of a critical task is dependent on 2 or more conditions that need to be met
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
Entity should have the minimum access level access right to do the jo- The right is given for a minimum amount of time necessary to complete the job

25. Properties of secure software
Periodic publication by OWASP for top 10 Web application security vulnerabilites
Dependability - Trustworthiness : MInimum number or no vulnerabilities - Resilience : Resistant or tolerant of attacks and able to recover quickly with as little harm as possible
Security Concepts that need to be considered when designing and architecting software: Least privilege - Compartmentalization (separation of duties) - Defense in depth - Fail Secure - Keep it simple - Complete mediation - Open Design - Least common m
Covers the necessary procedures and tools to validate software assurance

26. DREAD
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
Is recommended for validating access to system containing sensitive or critical information (FFIEC guidance on authentication)
Technical - Management - Operational

27. OWASP Top 10
Keep it simple principle to reduce the attack surface. Number of vulnerabilites increase with the complexity of the software design and code
Periodic publication by OWASP for top 10 Web application security vulnerabilites
estimate potential loss of a single incident: SLE = Asset value * EF(%)
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

28. Risk management process
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
Preventive Controls: Detection Controls: e.g background checks - periodic review of security controls - Recovery controls:
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
Entity should have the minimum access level access right to do the jo- The right is given for a minimum amount of time necessary to complete the job

29. FIPS140-2 (Security requirement for cryptographic modules)
Successful completion of a critical task is dependent on 2 or more conditions that need to be met
Specified requirements for a cryptographic module for 4 increasing qualitative level (1-4) intended to cover a wide range of potential application and environment
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
Preventive Controls: control of media access and disposal - securing wiring closets etx. - Detection Controls: cameras and motion detectors

30. Compartmentalization
Successful completion of a critical task is dependent on 2 or more conditions that need to be met
Iron triangle constraint (schedule - scope - budget) - Security as an afterthought - Security versus usability
Risk calculation and rating methodology that are often used with STRIDE - Rating performed accross 5 dimensions: Damage potential - Reproducibility - Exploitability - Affected users - Discoverability
Use directed graph to specify the rights that a subject can transfer to an object or that a subject can take from another subject

31. EALs levels
Ability to determine the actions and behaviors of a single individual within a system and to identify that particular individual
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
Access request by a subject to an object is mediated each time and every time.
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

32. PCI DSS
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
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
Disallow the sharing of mechaniss that are common to more than one user or process with different levels of privilege
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

33. Technical Controls
Development guide - Code Review Guide - Testing Guide
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
Supporting Controls: Identification - crptographic key management - security administration - system protections - Preventive Controls: authentication - authorization - access control enforcement - non repudiation - Detection and recovering controls:
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

34. ISO/IEC 15408
Provides Common Criteria to evaluate IT security product
Uses comprehensive penetration testing to test the strength of the security software in order to predict and analyze vulnerabilities
Risk remains after the implementation of mitigating security controls
Replacement of ISO 17799 standards - Provide guidelines for effective security management practices - Outlines control objectives and controls in diverse areas of ISMS

35. Multifactor authentication
Mechanisms by which threats to software and systems can be mitigated. These mechanisms may be technical - administrative or physical. Improper implementation of these mechanism may become a threat to the system
OWASP - ITIL
Is recommended for validating access to system containing sensitive or critical information (FFIEC guidance on authentication)
Development guide - Code Review Guide - Testing Guide

36. Single Loss Expectancy (SLE)
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.
Preventive Controls: control of media access and disposal - securing wiring closets etx. - Detection Controls: cameras and motion detectors
Requires the incorporation of security concept in the requirements - design - code - release - and disposal phases of the SDLC
estimate potential loss of a single incident: SLE = Asset value * EF(%)

37. Session Management
Entity should have the minimum access level access right to do the jo- The right is given for a minimum amount of time necessary to complete the job
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
Ability to determine the actions and behaviors of a single individual within a system and to identify that particular individual
Opportunity for a threat to cause loss. It plays an important role in the computation of risk.

38. Phsychological acceptability
Security functionality is easy to use and transparent
Provides Common Criteria to evaluate IT security product
Guidelines for quality software products - Six external quality characteristics to measure quality of software: functionality - reliability - usability - efficiency - maintainability - portability
Risk remains after the implementation of mitigating security controls

39. Holistic Security in software
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
Secure applicatios running on secure hosts (systems) in a secure network
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
Ability to determine the actions and behaviors of a single individual within a system and to identify that particular individual

40. Management Controls
Successful completion of a critical task is dependent on 2 or more conditions that need to be met
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
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
Preventive Controls: Detection Controls: e.g background checks - periodic review of security controls - Recovery controls:

41. Challenges in implementing auditing/logging
Confidentiality - Integrity - Availability
Performance impact - Information Overload - Capacity impact - Configuration Interfaces protection - Audit log protection
Still under development - aimsto address ISMS implementation guidance
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.

42. Annual Loss Expectancy (ALE)
Authentication
Indicator of magnitude risk in a year ALE = SLE * ARO
Opportunity for a threat to cause loss. It plays an important role in the computation of risk.
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

43. Develop hack resilient software
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
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
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
Requires the incorporation of security concept in the requirements - design - code - release - and disposal phases of the SDLC

44. Access Matrix model

45. FIPS 201
Technical - Management - Operational
Access Control Models - Access Matrix - Take-Grant - BLP (Bell La-Padula) - State machine - Integrity Models - Biba Model - Clark-Wilson Model - Information Flow Models - Non-Interference - Chinese Wall (Brewer and Nash) model
Access request by a subject to an object is mediated each time and every time.
Specifies the architecture and technical requirements for a common identified standard for federal employee and contractors

46. ISO/IEC 9216
Guidelines for quality software products - Six external quality characteristics to measure quality of software: functionality - reliability - usability - efficiency - maintainability - portability
Provides Common Criteria to evaluate IT security product
Confidentiality - Integrity - Availability
Coding Standards (internal) - PCI DSS - NIST Standards - ISO Standards - Federal Information Processing Standards

47. Software security risk management methodologies
Ability to determine the actions and behaviors of a single individual within a system and to identify that particular individual
Microsoft SRMD (Security Risk Management Discipline) - Vulnerability oriented risk management - Charles Le Grand - Morana Risk Management Activities - Cigital Risk Management Methods
Consistency in style - Maintainability - Less prone to error and exposure when security is taken into consideration in the standards
Design to mitigate any single source of complete compromise

48. Annual Rate of Occurence (ARO)
Uses comprehensive penetration testing to test the strength of the security software in order to predict and analyze vulnerabilities
Number of incidents that can be expected in a year
Preventive Controls: Detection Controls: e.g background checks - periodic review of security controls - Recovery controls:
Guidelines for quality software products - Six external quality characteristics to measure quality of software: functionality - reliability - usability - efficiency - maintainability - portability

49. Counter measures
Security controls applied after a threat has been materialized
Microsoft Methodologies of Risk Management and it comprised the following steps: Assessment of assets - security risks
Concept aims at ensuring that the appropriate levels of protection are provided to secure configurable parameters that are needed for the software to run
Specifies the requirements for establishing - implementing - operating - monitoring - reviewing - maintaining and improving a documented ISMS

50. After identification step is...
Specifies an approved cryptographic algorithm to ensure the confidentiality of electronic data
Authentication
OWASP - ITIL
Ability to determine the actions and behaviors of a single individual within a system and to identify that particular individual