The PECB Certified ISO/IEC 27005 Risk Manager (ISO-IEC-27005-Risk-Manager)

Scenario 1

The risk assessment process was led by Henry, Bontton’s risk manager. The first step that Henry took was identifying the company’s assets. Afterward, Henry created various potential incident scenarios. One of the main concerns regarding the use of the application was the possibility of being targeted by cyber attackers, as a great number of organizations were experiencing cyberattacks during that time. After analyzing the identified risks, Henry evaluated them and concluded that new controls must be implemented if the company wants to use the application. Among others, he stated that training should be provided to personnel regarding the use of the application and that awareness sessions should be conducted regarding the importance of protecting customers’ personal data.

Lastly, Henry communicated the risk assessment results to the top management. They decided that the application will be used only after treating the identified risks.

Henry concluded that one of the main concerns regarding the use of the application for online ordering was cyberattacks. What did Henry identify in this case? Refer to scenario 1.\

An organization has installed security cameras and alarm systems. What type of information security control has been implemented in this case?

Scenario 8: Biotide is a pharmaceutical company that produces medication for treating different kinds of diseases. The company was founded in 1997, and since then it has contributed in solving some of the most challenging healthcare issues.

As a pharmaceutical company, Biotide operates in an environment associated with complex risks. As such, the company focuses on risk management strategies that ensure the effective management of risks to develop high-quality medication. With the large amount of sensitive information generated from the company, managing information security risks is certainly an important part of the overall risk management process. Biotide utilizes a publicly available methodology for conducting risk assessment related to information assets. This methodology helps Biotide to perform risk assessment by taking into account its objectives and mission. Following this method, the risk management process is organized into four activity areas, each of them involving a set of activities, as provided below.

1. Activity area 1: The organization determines the criteria against which the effects of a risk occurring can be evaluated. In addition, the impacts of risks are also defined.

2. Activity area 2: The purpose of the second activity area is to create information asset profiles. The organization identifies critical information assets, their owners, as well as the security requirements for those assets. After determining the security requirements, the organization prioritizes them. In addition, the organization identifies the systems that store, transmit, or process information.

3. Activity area 3: The organization identifies the areas of concern which initiates the risk identification process. In addition, the organization analyzes and determines the probability of the occurrence of possible threat scenarios.

4. Activity area 4: The organization identifies and evaluates the risks. In addition, the criteria specified in activity area 1 is reviewed and the consequences of the areas of concerns are evaluated. Lastly, the level of identified risks is determined.

The table below provides an example of how Biotide assesses the risks related to its information assets following this methodology:

Based on the scenario above, answer the following question:

Which risk assessment methodology does Biotide use?

Scenario 8: Biotide is a pharmaceutical company that produces medication for treating different kinds of diseases. The company was founded in 1997, and since then it has contributed in solving some of the most challenging healthcare issues.

As a pharmaceutical company, Biotide operates in an environment associated with complex risks. As such, the company focuses on risk management strategies that ensure the effective management of risks to develop high-quality medication. With the large amount of sensitive information generated from the company, managing information security risks is certainly an important part of the overall risk management process. Biotide utilizes a publicly available methodology for conducting risk assessment related to information assets. This methodology helps Biotide to perform risk assessment by taking into account its objectives and mission. Following this method, the risk management process is organized into four activity areas, each of them involving a set of activities, as provided below.

1. Activity area 1: The organization determines the criteria against which the effects of a risk occurring can be evaluated. In addition, the impacts of risks are also defined.

2. Activity area 2: The purpose of the second activity area is to create information asset profiles. The organization identifies critical information assets, their owners, as well as the security requirements for those assets. After determining the security requirements, the organization prioritizes them. In addition, the organization identifies the systems that store, transmit, or process information.

3. Activity area 3: The organization identifies the areas of concern which initiates the risk identification process. In addition, the organization analyzes and determines the probability of the occurrence of possible threat scenarios.

4. Activity area 4: The organization identifies and evaluates the risks. In addition, the criteria specified in activity area 1 is reviewed and the consequences of the areas of concerns are evaluated. Lastly, the level of identified risks is determined.

The table below provides an example of how Biotide assesses the risks related to its information assets following this methodology:

Based on the table provided in scenario 8, did Biotide follow all the steps of the risk assessment methodology regarding the identification of assets?

Based on the EBIOS RM method, which of the following is one of the four attack sequence phases?

Scenario 5: Detika is a private cardiology clinic in Pennsylvania, the US. Detika has one of the most advanced healthcare systems for treating heart diseases. The clinic uses sophisticated apparatus that detects heart diseases in early stages. Since 2010, medical information of Detika’s patients is stored on the organization’s digital systems. Electronic health records (EHR), among others, include patients’ diagnosis, treatment plan, and laboratory results.

Storing and accessing patient and other medical data digitally was a huge and a risky step for Detika. Considering the sensitivity of information stored in their systems, Detika conducts regular risk assessments to ensure that all information security risks are identified and managed. Last month, Detika conducted a risk assessment which was focused on the EHR system. During risk identification, the IT team found out that some employees were not updating the operating systems regularly. This could cause major problems such as a data breach or loss of software compatibility. In addition, the IT team tested the software and detected a flaw in one of the software modules used. Both issues were reported to the top management and they decided to implement appropriate controls for treating the identified risks. They decided to organize training sessions for all employees in order to make them aware of the importance of the system updates. In addition, the manager of the IT Department was appointed as the person responsible for ensuring that the software is regularly tested.

Another risk identified during the risk assessment was the risk of a potential ransomware attack. This risk was defined as low because all their data was backed up daily. The IT team decided to accept the actual risk of ransomware attacks and concluded that additional measures were not required. This decision was documented in the risk treatment plan and communicated to the risk owner. The risk owner approved the risk treatment plan and documented the risk assessment results.

Following that, Detika initiated the implementation of new controls. In addition, one of the employees of the IT Department was assigned the responsibility for monitoring the implementation process and ensure the effectiveness of the security controls. The IT team, on the other hand, was responsible for allocating the resources needed to effectively implement the new controls.

How should Detika define which of the identified risks should be treated first? Refer to scenario 5.

Which statement regarding information gathering techniques is correct?

Scenario 5: Detika is a private cardiology clinic in Pennsylvania, the US. Detika has one of the most advanced healthcare systems for treating heart diseases. The clinic uses sophisticated apparatus that detects heart diseases in early stages. Since 2010, medical information of Detika’s patients is stored on the organization’s digital systems. Electronic health records (EHR), among others, include patients’ diagnosis, treatment plan, and laboratory results.

Storing and accessing patient and other medical data digitally was a huge and a risky step for Detika. Considering the sensitivity of information stored in their systems, Detika conducts regular risk assessments to ensure that all information security risks are identified and managed. Last month, Detika conducted a risk assessment which was focused on the EHR system. During risk identification, the IT team found out that some employees were not updating the operating systems regularly. This could cause major problems such as a data breach or loss of software compatibility. In addition, the IT team tested the software and detected a flaw in one of the software modules used. Both issues were reported to the top management and they decided to implement appropriate controls for treating the identified risks. They decided to organize training sessions for all employees in order to make them aware of the importance of the system updates. In addition, the manager of the IT Department was appointed as the person responsible for ensuring that the software is regularly tested.

Another risk identified during the risk assessment was the risk of a potential ransomware attack. This risk was defined as low because all their data was backed up daily. The IT team decided to accept the actual risk of ransomware attacks and concluded that additional measures were not required. This decision was documented in the risk treatment plan and communicated to the risk owner. The risk owner approved the risk treatment plan and documented the risk assessment results.

Following that, Detika initiated the implementation of new controls. In addition, one of the employees of the IT Department was assigned the responsibility for monitoring the implementation process and ensure the effectiveness of the security controls. The IT team, on the other hand, was responsible for allocating the resources needed to effectively implement the new controls.

Based on scenario 5, which risk treatment option did Detika select to treat the risk of a potential ransomware attack?

Scenario 7: Adstry is a business growth agency that specializes in digital marketing strategies. Adstry helps organizations redefine the relationships with their customers through innovative solutions. Adstry is headquartered in San Francisco and recently opened two new offices in New York. The structure of the company is organized into teams which are led by project managers. The project manager has the full power in any decision related to projects. The team members, on the other hand, report the project’s progress to project managers.

Considering that data breaches and ad fraud are common threats in the current business environment, managing risks is essential for Adstry. When planning new projects, each project manager is responsible for ensuring that risks related to a particular project have been identified, assessed, and mitigated. This means that project managers have also the role of the risk manager in Adstry. Taking into account that Adstry heavily relies on technology to complete their projects, their risk assessment certainly involves identification of risks associated with the use of information technology. At the earliest stages of each project, the project manager communicates the risk assessment results to its team members.

Adstry uses a risk management software which helps the project team to detect new potential risks during each phase of the project. This way, team members are informed in a timely manner for the new potential risks and are able to respond to them accordingly. The project managers are responsible for ensuring that the information provided to the team members is communicated using an appropriate language so it can be understood by all of them.

In addition, the project manager may include external interested parties affected by the project in the risk communication. If the project manager decides to include interested parties, the risk communication is thoroughly prepared. The project manager firstly identifies the interested parties that should be informed and takes into account their concerns and possible conflicts that may arise due to risk communication. The risks are communicated to the identified interested parties while taking into consideration the confidentiality of Adstry’s information and determining the level of detail that should be included in the risk communication. The project managers use the same risk management software for risk communication with external interested parties since it provides a consistent view of risks. For each project, the project manager arranges regular meetings with relevant interested parties of the project, they discuss the detected risks, their prioritization, and determine appropriate treatment solutions. The information taken from the risk management software and the results of these meetings are documented and are used for decision-making processes. In addition, the company uses a computerized documented information management system for the acquisition, classification, storage, and archiving of its documents.

Based on scenario 7, the risk management software is used to help Adstry’s teams to detect new risks throughout all phases of the project. Is this necessary?