An organization has adopted a new authentication method to ensure secure access to sensitive areas and facilities of the company. It requires every employee to use a two-factor authentication (password and QR code). This control has been documented, standardized, and communicated to all employees, however its use has been "left to individual initiative, and it is likely that failures can be detected. Which level of maturity does this control refer to?
Scenario 1:
HealthGenic is a leading multi-specialty healthcare organization providing patients with comprehensive medical services in Toronto, Canada. The organization relies heavily on a web-based medical software platform to monitor patient health, schedule appointments, generate customized medical reports, securely store patient data, and facilitate seamless communication among various stakeholders, including patients, physicians, and medical laboratory staff.
As the organization expanded its services and demand grew, frequent and prolonged service interruptions became more common, causing significant disruptions to patient care and administrative processes. As such, HealthGenic initiated a comprehensive risk analysis to assess the severity of risks it faced.
When comparing the risk analysis results with its risk criteria to determine whether the risk and its significance were acceptable or tolerable, HealthGenic noticed a critical gap in its capacity planning and infrastructure resilience. Recognizing the urgency of this issue, HealthGenic reached out to the software development company responsible for its platform. Utilizing its expertise in healthcare technology, data management, and compliance regulations, the software development company successfully resolved the service interruptions.
However, HealthGenic also uncovered unauthorized changes to user access controls. Consequently, some medical reports were altered, resulting in incomplete and inaccurate medical records. The company swiftly acknowledged and corrected the unintentional changes to user access controls. When analyzing the root cause of these changes, HealthGenic identified a vulnerability related to the segregation of duties within the IT department, which allowed individuals with system administration access also to manage user access controls. Therefore, HealthGenic decided to prioritize controls related to organizational structure, including segregation of duties, job rotations, job descriptions, and approval processes.
In response to the consequences of the service interruptions, the software development company revamped its infrastructure by adopting a scalable architecture hosted on a cloud platform, enabling dynamic resource allocation based on demand. Rigorous load testing and performance optimization were conducted to identify and address potential bottlenecks, ensuring the system could handle increased user loads seamlessly. Additionally, the company promptly assessed the unauthorized access and data alterations.
To ensure that all employees, including interns, are aware of the importance of data security and the proper handling of patient information, HealthGenic included controls tailored to specifically address employee training, management reviews, and internal audits. Additionally, given the sensitivity of patient data, HealthGenic implemented strict confidentiality measures, including robust authentication methods, such as multi-factor authentication.
In response to the challenges faced by HealthGenic, the organization recognized the vital importance of ensuring a secure cloud computing environment. It initiated a comprehensive self-assessment specifically tailored to evaluate and enhance the security of its cloud infrastructure and practices.
According to scenario 1, what is the possible threat associated with the vulnerability discovered by HealthGenic when analyzing the root cause of unauthorized changes?
Scenario 3: Socket Inc. is a dynamic telecommunications company specializing in wireless products and services, committed to delivering high-quality and secure communication solutions. Socket Inc. leverages innovative technology, including the MongoDB database, renowned for its high availability, scalability, and flexibility, to provide reliable, accessible, efficient, and well-organized services to its customers. Recently, the company faced a security breach where external hackers exploited the default settings of its MongoDB database due to an oversight in the configuration settings, which had not been properly addressed. Fortunately, diligent data backups and centralized logging through a server ensured no loss of information. In response to this incident, Socket Inc. undertook a thorough evaluation of its security measures. The company recognized the urgent need to improve its information security and decided to implement an information security management system (ISMS) based on ISO/IEC 27001.
To improve its data security and protect its resources, Socket Inc. implemented entry controls and secure access points. These measures were designed to prevent unauthorized access to critical areas housing sensitive data and essential assets. In compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and ethical standards, Socket Inc. implemented pre-employment background checks tailored to business needs, information classification, and associated risks. A formalized disciplinary procedure was also established to address policy violations. Additionally, security measures were implemented for personnel working remotely to safeguard information accessed, processed, or stored outside the organization's premises.
Socket Inc. safeguarded its information processing facilities against power failures and other disruptions. Unauthorized access to critical records from external sources led to the implementation of data flow control services to prevent unauthorized access between departments and external networks. In addition, Socket Inc. used data masking based on the organization’s topic-level general policy on access control and other related topic-level general policies and business requirements, considering applicable legislation. It also updated and documented all operating procedures for information processing facilities and ensured that they were accessible to top management exclusively.
The company also implemented a control to define and implement rules for the effective use of cryptography, including cryptographic key management, to protect the database from unauthorized access. The implementation was based on all relevant agreements, legislation, regulations, and the information classification scheme. Network segregation using VPNs was proposed to improve security and reduce administrative efforts.
Regarding the design and description of its security controls, Socket Inc. has categorized them into groups, consolidating all controls within a single document. Lastly, Socket Inc. implemented a new system to maintain, collect, and analyze information about information security threats and integrate information security into project management.
Based on the scenario above, answer the following question:
Based on scenario 3, did Socket Inc. adhere to the requirements of ISO/IEC 27001 regarding ISMS documented information?
The incident management process of an organization enables them to prepare for and respond to information security incidents. In addition, the organization has procedures in place for assessing information security events. According to ISO/IEC 27001, what else must an incident management process include?
Scenario 2: Beauty is a cosmetics company that has recently switched to an e-commerce model, leaving the traditional retail. The top management has decided to build their own custom platform in-house and outsource the payment process to an external provider operating online payments systems that support online money transfers.
Due to this transformation of the business model, a number of security controls were implemented based on the identified threats and vulnerabilities associated to critical assets. To protect customers' information. Beauty's employees had to sign a confidentiality agreement. In addition, the company reviewed all user access rights so that only authorized personnel can have access to sensitive files and drafted a new segregation of duties chart.
However, the transition was difficult for the IT team, who had to deal with a security incident not long after transitioning to the e commerce model. After investigating the incident, the team concluded that due to the out-of-date anti-malware software, an attacker gamed access to their files and exposed customers' information, including their names and home addresses.
The IT team decided to stop using the old anti-malware software and install a new one which would automatically remove malicious code in case of similar incidents. The new software was installed in every workstation within the company. After installing the new software, the team updated it with the latest malware definitions and enabled the automatic update feature to keep it up to date at all times. Additionally, they established an authentication process that requires a user identification and password when accessing sensitive information.
In addition, Beauty conducted a number of information security awareness sessions for the IT team and other employees that have access to confidential information in order to raise awareness on the importance of system and network security.
Based on scenario 2, Beauty should have implemented (1)_____________________________ to detect (2)_________________________.
Invalid Electric, a manufacturer of electrical components, is preparing for its upcoming ISO 27001 certification audit. This is the first time the company has undergone such an audit, and many of itsemployees are not familiar with the process. The management team is concerned that employees may not be adequately prepared for interviews and the scrutiny of documentation during the audit.
To ensure that employees are ready for the audit, the management team is considering several options to help them understand what to expect and how to handle the auditor's questions confidently.
Based on scenario 10. did invalid Electric provide a valid reason for requesting the replacement of the audit learn leader?
Which of the following statements regarding information security risk is NOT correct?
Who should verily the effectiveness of the corrective actions taken by the auditee after an internal audit?
Scenario 9:
OpenTech, headquartered in San Francisco, specializes in information and communication technology (ICT) solutions. Its clientele primarily includes data communication enterprises and network operators. The company's core objective is to enable its clients to transition smoothly into multi-service providers, aligning their operations with the complex demands of the digital landscape.
Recently, Tim, the internal auditor of OpenTech, conducted an internal audit that uncovered nonconformities related to their monitoring procedures and system vulnerabilities. In response to these nonconformities, OpenTech decided to employ a comprehensive problem-solving approach to address the issues systematically. This method encompasses a team-oriented approach, aiming to identify, correct, and eliminate the root causes of the issues. The approach involves several steps: First, establish a group of experts with deep knowledge of processes and controls. Next, break down the nonconformity into measurable components and implement interim containment measures. Then, identify potential root causes and select and verify permanent corrective actions. Finally, put those actions into practice, validate them, take steps to prevent recurrence, and recognize and acknowledge the team's efforts.
Following the analysis of the root causes of the nonconformities, OpenTech's ISMS project manager, Julia, developed a list of potential actions to address the identified nonconformities. Julia carefully evaluated the list to ensure that each action would effectively eliminate the root cause of the respective nonconformity. While assessing potential corrective actions, Julia identified one issue as significant and assessed a high likelihood of its recurrence. Consequently, she chose to implement temporary corrective actions. Julia then combined all the nonconformities into a single action plan and sought approval from top management. The submitted action plan was written as follows:
"A new version of the access control policy will be established and new restrictions will be created to ensure that network access is effectively managed and monitored by the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department."
However, Julia's submitted action plan was not approved by top management. The reason cited was that a general action plan meant to address all nonconformities was deemed unacceptable. Consequently, Julia revised the action plan and submitted separate ones for approval. Unfortunately, Julia did not adhere to the organization's specified deadline for submission, resulting in a delay in the corrective action process. Additionally, the revised action plans lacked a defined schedule for execution.
Which method did OpenTech choose to use for addressing and preventing reoccurring problems after identifying the nonconformities?
TESTED 02 Apr 2025
