Test your basic knowledge |

CSSLP: Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional

Subjects : certifications, csslp, it-skills

Instructions:

Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
Match each statement with the correct term.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

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. Annual Loss Expectancy (ALE)
Supporting Controls: Identification - crptographic key management - security administration - system protections - Preventive Controls: authentication - authorization - access control enforcement - non repudiation - Detection and recovering controls:
Indicator of magnitude risk in a year ALE = SLE * ARO
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
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

2. Phsychological acceptability
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
Security functionality is easy to use and transparent
Dependability - Trustworthiness : MInimum number or no vulnerabilities - Resilience : Resistant or tolerant of attacks and able to recover quickly with as little harm as possible
Specifies the requirements for establishing - implementing - operating - monitoring - reviewing - maintaining and improving a documented ISMS

3. Single point failure
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
Support for accreditation and certification bodies that audit and certify ISMS
Uses comprehensive penetration testing to test the strength of the security software in order to predict and analyze vulnerabilities
Design to mitigate any single source of complete compromise

4. OWASP testing guide
Provides Common Criteria to evaluate IT security product
Specifies the requirements for establishing - implementing - operating - monitoring - reviewing - maintaining and improving a documented ISMS
Covers the necessary procedures and tools to validate software assurance
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

5. Least common mechanism
Disallow the sharing of mechaniss that are common to more than one user or process with different levels of privilege
Support for accreditation and certification bodies that audit and certify ISMS
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 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

6. ISO /IEC 27000:2009
Microsoft Methodologies of Risk Management and it comprised the following steps: Assessment of assets - security risks
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
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

7. Risk management process
Dependability - Trustworthiness : MInimum number or no vulnerabilities - Resilience : Resistant or tolerant of attacks and able to recover quickly with as little harm as possible
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
Use directed graph to specify the rights that a subject can transfer to an object or that a subject can take from another subject
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

8. Confidentiality
Secure applicatios running on secure hosts (systems) in a secure network
Specifies an approved cryptographic algorithm to ensure the confidentiality of electronic data
Protection against unauthorized information disclosure. It helps maintaining privacy
Microsoft SRMD (Security Risk Management Discipline) - Vulnerability oriented risk management - Charles Le Grand - Morana Risk Management Activities - Cigital Risk Management Methods

9. Benefits of coding standards
Periodic publication by OWASP for top 10 Web application security vulnerabilites
SSE - CMM De-facto standard metric for evaluating security engineering practices for the organization or customer
Provides Common Criteria to evaluate IT security product
Consistency in style - Maintainability - Less prone to error and exposure when security is taken into consideration in the standards

10. FIPS140-2 (Security requirement for cryptographic modules)
Comprehensive guides for degining - developing and deploying secure Web applications and Web Services - Intended audiences are architects - developers - consultant - and auditors
Support policies at a granular and specific level - Can be characterized as internal and external
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
Specified requirements for a cryptographic module for 4 increasing qualitative level (1-4) intended to cover a wide range of potential application and environment

11. Non Repudiation
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
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
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
Secure applicatios running on secure hosts (systems) in a secure network

12. NIST standards related to software security
Ability to determine the actions and behaviors of a single individual within a system and to identify that particular individual
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
Is recommended for validating access to system containing sensitive or critical information (FFIEC guidance on authentication)
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

13. Annual Rate of Occurence (ARO)
Specified requirements for a cryptographic module for 4 increasing qualitative level (1-4) intended to cover a wide range of potential application and environment
Number of incidents that can be expected in a year
Uses comprehensive penetration testing to test the strength of the security software in order to predict and analyze vulnerabilities
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

14. DREAD
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
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
Secure applicatios running on secure hosts (systems) in a secure network
Risk calculation and rating methodology that are often used with STRIDE - Rating performed accross 5 dimensions: Damage potential - Reproducibility - Exploitability - Affected users - Discoverability

15. Information Security Models
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
Disallow the sharing of mechaniss that are common to more than one user or process with different levels of privilege
Is recommended for validating access to system containing sensitive or critical information (FFIEC guidance on authentication)

16. Auditing
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
Performance impact - Information Overload - Capacity impact - Configuration Interfaces protection - Audit log protection
Comprehensive guides for degining - developing and deploying secure Web applications and Web Services - Intended audiences are architects - developers - consultant - and auditors
Design to mitigate any single source of complete compromise

17. Common best practices significant to Sofware Security
OWASP - ITIL
Manual that provides understanding on how to detect Web application vulnerabilities in code review and what safeguards can be taken to address them
Support for accreditation and certification bodies that audit and certify ISMS
Authentication

18. Vulnerability
Requires the incorporation of security concept in the requirements - design - code - release - and disposal phases of the SDLC
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
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
Confidentiality - Integrity - Availability

19. Authorization
Successful completion of a critical task is dependent on 2 or more conditions that need to be met
Performance impact - Information Overload - Capacity impact - Configuration Interfaces protection - Audit log protection
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.

20. Properties of secure software
A possibility that an unwanted - unintended - or harmful event may occur and resulted in an incident. The source can be a vulnerability.
Iron triangle constraint (schedule - scope - budget) - Security as an afterthought - Security versus usability
Access request by a subject to an object is mediated each time and every time.
Dependability - Trustworthiness : MInimum number or no vulnerabilities - Resilience : Resistant or tolerant of attacks and able to recover quickly with as little harm as possible

21. ISO/IEC 27006:2007
Access request by a subject to an object is mediated each time and every time.
Supporting Controls: Identification - crptographic key management - security administration - system protections - Preventive Controls: authentication - authorization - access control enforcement - non repudiation - Detection and recovering controls:
Support for accreditation and certification bodies that audit and certify ISMS
Microsoft SRMD (Security Risk Management Discipline) - Vulnerability oriented risk management - Charles Le Grand - Morana Risk Management Activities - Cigital Risk Management Methods

22. Economy of mechanism
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
Keep it simple principle to reduce the attack surface. Number of vulnerabilites increase with the complexity of the software design and code
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
Disallow the sharing of mechaniss that are common to more than one user or process with different levels of privilege

23. Examples of Security Standards
Coding Standards (internal) - PCI DSS - NIST Standards - ISO Standards - Federal Information Processing Standards
Still under development - aimsto address ISMS implementation guidance
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
Development guide - Code Review Guide - Testing Guide

24. Operation Controls
Preventive Controls: control of media access and disposal - securing wiring closets etx. - Detection Controls: cameras and motion detectors
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
Indicator of magnitude risk in a year ALE = SLE * ARO
Security controls applied to mitigate a threat before it materializes

25. Authentication
Security controls applied to mitigate a threat before it materializes
Successful completion of a critical task is dependent on 2 or more conditions that need to be met
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 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

26. Least privilege
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
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
Iron triangle constraint (schedule - scope - budget) - Security as an afterthought - Security versus usability

27. Configurations Parameters Management
Concept aims at ensuring that the appropriate levels of protection are provided to secure configurable parameters that are needed for the software to run
Predetermined number of user error allowed before recording it as a security violation
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
Confidentiality - Integrity - Availability

28. Error and exception management
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
Specifies an approved cryptographic algorithm to ensure the confidentiality of electronic data
Preventive Controls: control of media access and disposal - securing wiring closets etx. - Detection Controls: cameras and motion detectors
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

29. ISO/IEC 27005:2008
Use directed graph to specify the rights that a subject can transfer to an object or that a subject can take from another subject
Likely to be replaced by ISO/IEC 30001 under development - Provides standards for IS risk Management
Specifies an approved cryptographic algorithm to ensure the confidentiality of electronic data
Consistency in style - Maintainability - Less prone to error and exposure when security is taken into consideration in the standards

30. Implementation challenges
Coding Standards (internal) - PCI DSS - NIST Standards - ISO Standards - Federal Information Processing Standards
Iron triangle constraint (schedule - scope - budget) - Security as an afterthought - Security versus usability
Microsoft SRMD (Security Risk Management Discipline) - Vulnerability oriented risk management - Charles Le Grand - Morana Risk Management Activities - Cigital Risk Management Methods
Provides Common Criteria to evaluate IT security product

31. Management Controls
Comprehensive guides for degining - developing and deploying secure Web applications and Web Services - Intended audiences are architects - developers - consultant - and auditors
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
Concepts aim at mitigating disclosure - alteration - and destruction threats. These are supporting concepts to the core security objectives of CIA
Preventive Controls: Detection Controls: e.g background checks - periodic review of security controls - Recovery controls:

32. Take-Grant Model
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 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
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

33. Holistic Security in software
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
Likely to be replaced by ISO/IEC 30001 under development - Provides standards for IS risk Management
Secure applicatios running on secure hosts (systems) in a secure network
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

34. Security Risk Management Discipline
Microsoft Methodologies of Risk Management and it comprised the following steps: Assessment of assets - security risks
Microsoft SRMD (Security Risk Management Discipline) - Vulnerability oriented risk management - Charles Le Grand - Morana Risk Management Activities - Cigital Risk Management Methods
Risk remains after the implementation of mitigating security controls
Keep it simple principle to reduce the attack surface. Number of vulnerabilites increase with the complexity of the software design and code

35. EALs levels
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
Iron triangle constraint (schedule - scope - budget) - Security as an afterthought - Security versus usability
US-CERT Vulnerability Notes - Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) - Open Source Vulnerability Database - Common Vulnerabilities and exposure (CVE) - Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE)

36. PCI DSS
Uses comprehensive penetration testing to test the strength of the security software in order to predict and analyze vulnerabilities
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
Preventive Controls: control of media access and disposal - securing wiring closets etx. - Detection Controls: cameras and motion detectors
Performance impact - Information Overload - Capacity impact - Configuration Interfaces protection - Audit log protection

37. ISO/IEC 15408
Provides Common Criteria to evaluate IT security product
Risk calculation and rating methodology that are often used with STRIDE - Rating performed accross 5 dimensions: Damage potential - Reproducibility - Exploitability - Affected users - Discoverability
Supporting Controls: Identification - crptographic key management - security administration - system protections - Preventive Controls: authentication - authorization - access control enforcement - non repudiation - Detection and recovering controls:
Guidelines for quality software products - Six external quality characteristics to measure quality of software: functionality - reliability - usability - efficiency - maintainability - portability

38. ISO/IEC 27003
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
Still under development - aimsto address ISMS implementation guidance
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
Predetermined number of user error allowed before recording it as a security violation

39. Counter measures
Design to mitigate any single source of complete compromise
Security controls applied after a threat has been materialized
Covers the necessary procedures and tools to validate software assurance
Performance impact - Information Overload - Capacity impact - Configuration Interfaces protection - Audit log protection

40. Security Standards
Risk remains after the implementation of mitigating security controls
Iron triangle constraint (schedule - scope - budget) - Security as an afterthought - Security versus usability
Support policies at a granular and specific level - Can be characterized as internal and external
Uses comprehensive penetration testing to test the strength of the security software in order to predict and analyze vulnerabilities

41. Single Loss Expectancy (SLE)
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
Design to mitigate any single source of complete compromise
estimate potential loss of a single incident: SLE = Asset value * EF(%)
Access request by a subject to an object is mediated each time and every time.

42. OWASP development guide
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
Coding Standards (internal) - PCI DSS - NIST Standards - ISO Standards - Federal Information Processing Standards
SSE - CMM De-facto standard metric for evaluating security engineering practices for the organization or customer
Comprehensive guides for degining - developing and deploying secure Web applications and Web Services - Intended audiences are architects - developers - consultant - and auditors

43. Flaw Hypothesis Method (FHM)
Technical - Management - Operational
Uses comprehensive penetration testing to test the strength of the security software in order to predict and analyze vulnerabilities
Preventive Controls: Detection Controls: e.g background checks - periodic review of security controls - Recovery controls:
Support for accreditation and certification bodies that audit and certify ISMS

44. Total Risk
Keep it simple principle to reduce the attack surface. Number of vulnerabilites increase with the complexity of the software design and code
Predetermined number of user error allowed before recording it as a security violation
Consistency in style - Maintainability - Less prone to error and exposure when security is taken into consideration in the standards
The likelihood that a threat can result into an incident. This is the overall risk of a system

45. Technical Controls
Microsoft Methodologies of Risk Management and it comprised the following steps: Assessment of assets - security risks
Supporting Controls: Identification - crptographic key management - security administration - system protections - Preventive Controls: authentication - authorization - access control enforcement - non repudiation - Detection and recovering controls:
Ability to determine the actions and behaviors of a single individual within a system and to identify that particular individual
Secure applicatios running on secure hosts (systems) in a secure network

46. Complete mediation
Microsoft SRMD (Security Risk Management Discipline) - Vulnerability oriented risk management - Charles Le Grand - Morana Risk Management Activities - Cigital Risk Management Methods
OWASP - ITIL
Opportunity for a threat to cause loss. It plays an important role in the computation of risk.
Access request by a subject to an object is mediated each time and every time.

47. Session Management
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
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
US-CERT Vulnerability Notes - Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) - Open Source Vulnerability Database - Common Vulnerabilities and exposure (CVE) - Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE)
Support for accreditation and certification bodies that audit and certify ISMS

48. Develop hack resilient software
Replacement of ISO 17799 standards - Provide guidelines for effective security management practices - Outlines control objectives and controls in diverse areas of ISMS
Development guide - Code Review Guide - Testing Guide
Consistency in style - Maintainability - Less prone to error and exposure when security is taken into consideration in the standards
Requires the incorporation of security concept in the requirements - design - code - release - and disposal phases of the SDLC

49. Safeguards
Security controls applied to mitigate a threat before it materializes
Risk remains after the implementation of mitigating security controls
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
Microsoft Methodologies of Risk Management and it comprised the following steps: Assessment of assets - security risks

50. After identification step is...
Support for accreditation and certification bodies that audit and certify ISMS
Specifies an approved cryptographic algorithm to ensure the confidentiality of electronic data
Development guide - Code Review Guide - Testing Guide
Authentication