ETSI GS ISI 003 V1.1.1 (2014-05)

Information Security Indicators (ISI); Key Performance Security Indicators (KPSI) for the evaluation of maturity detection of security events

DGS/ISI-003

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 12-May-2014
• Technical Committee: ISI - Information Security Indicators
• Current Stage: 12 - Completion
• Due Date: 20-May-2014
• Completion Date: 13-May-2014

Standards Content (Sample)

ETSI GS ISI 003 V1.1.1 (2014-05)






Group Specification
Information Security Indicators (ISI);
Key Performance Security Indicators (KPSI) for the evaluation
of maturity detection of security events

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2 ETSI GS ISI 003 V1.1.1 (2014-05)



Reference
DGS/ISI-003
Keywords
ICT, security
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3 ETSI GS ISI 003 V1.1.1 (2014-05)
Contents
Intellectual Property Rights . 4
Foreword . 4
Introduction . 5
1 Scope . 6
2 References . 6
2.1 Normative references . 6
2.2 Informative references . 7
3 Definitions, symbols and abbreviations . 7
3.1 Definitions . 7
3.2 Symbols . 7
3.3 Abbreviations . 7
4 Background . 7
4.1 Key Performance Indicators . 7
4.2 Key Performance Security Indicators . 7
4.3 SANS CAG . 8
5 Key Performance Security Indicators . 9
5.1 How to use KPSIs to assess the organisation's overall maturity level in security event detection and
response posture . 9
5.2 How to use KPSIs as a first step to evaluate the detection levels of security events . 9
5.3 KPSIs description table . 10
5.4 Description of the relevant KPSIs . 10
Annex A (normative): Recap of available KPSIs . 15
Annex B (informative): Authors & contributors . 17
History . 18

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Intellectual Property Rights
IPRs essential or potentially essential to the present document may have been declared to ETSI. The information
pertaining to these essential IPRs, if any, is publicly available for ETSI members and non-members, and can be found
in ETSI SR 000 314: "Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs); Essential, or potentially Essential, IPRs notified to ETSI in
respect of ETSI standards", which is available from the ETSI Secretariat. Latest updates are available on the ETSI Web
server (http://ipr.etsi.org).
Pursuant to the ETSI IPR Policy, no investigation, including IPR searches, has been carried out by ETSI. No guarantee
can be given as to the existence of other IPRs not referenced in ETSI SR 000 314 (or the updates on the ETSI Web
server) which are, or may be, or may become, essential to the present document.
Foreword
This Group Specification (GS) has been produced by ETSI Industry Specification Group (ISG) Information Security
Indicators (ISI).
The present document is included in a series of 6 ISI specifications. These 6 specifications are the following (see
figure 1 summarizing the various concepts involved in event detection and interactions between all specifications):
GS ISI 001-1 [1]: addressing (together with its associated guide GS ISI 001-2 [2]) information security indicators,
meant to measure application and effectiveness of preventative measures.
GS ISI 002 [3]: addressing the underlying event classification model and the associated taxonomy.
GS ISI 003: addressing the key issue of assessing an organisation's maturity level regarding overall event
detection (technology/process/ people) and to evaluate event detection results.
GS ISI 004 [4]: addressing demonstration through examples how to produce indicators and how to detect the
related events with various means and methods (with a classification of the main categories of use
cases/symptoms).
GS ISI 005 [i.1]: addressing ways to produce security events and to test the effectiveness of existing detection
means within an organisation. More detailed and more a case by case approach than the present
document and therefore complementary.
Figure 1 summarizes the various concepts involved in event detection and the interactions between the specifications.

GS ISG ISI Series Summary Definition
Event
reaction
measures
Fake events
(Simulation)
Security
Event
Real Detected
prevention
detection
events
events
measures measures
Residual risk
(event model-
centric vision)

Figure 1: Positioning the 6 GS ISI against the 3 main security measures
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Introduction
The present document addresses the event detection aspects of the information security processes in an organization.
The maturity level assessed during event detection can be considered as a good approximation of the overall Cyber
Defence and SIEM maturity level of an organization.
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1 Scope
The present document defines and describes a set of Key Performance Security Indicators (KPSI) to be used for the
evaluation of the performance, the maturity levels of the detection tools and processes used within organizations for
security assurance. The response is not included in the scope of the present document.
In particular, the purpose of the present document is to enable organisations to:
• assess the overall maturity level of the security event detection;
• provide a reckoning formula to assess detection levels of major security events as summarized in
GS ISI 001-1 [1];
• evaluate the results of measurements.
This work is mainly based on the US SANS CAG [5].
The target groups of the present document are Head of detection, reaction teams, Cyber defence team and head of
security governance.
2 References
References are either specific (identified by date of publication and/or edition number or version number) or
non-specific. For specific references, only the cited version applies. For non-specific references, the latest version of the
referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
Referenced documents which are not found to be publicly available in the expected location might be found at
http://docbox.etsi.org/Reference.
NOTE: While any hyperlinks included in this clause were valid at the time of publication, ETSI cannot guarantee
their long term validity.
2.1 Normative references
[1] ETSI GS ISI 001-1: "Information Security Indicators (ISI); Indicators (INC); Part 1: A full set of
operational indicators for organizations to use to benchmark their security posture".
[2] ETSI GS ISI 001-2: "Information Security Indicators (ISI); Indicators (INC); Part 2: Guide to
select operational indicators based on the full set given in part 1".
[3] ETSI GS ISI 002: "Information Security Indicators (ISI); Event Model A security event
classification model and taxonomy".
[4] ETSI GS ISI 004: "Information Security Indicators (ISI); Guidelines for event detection
implementation".
[5] SANS Consensus Audit Guidelines V4.0: "20 Critical Security Controls for Effective Cyber
Defence".
[6] The Capability Maturity Model Integration (Software Engineering Institute, 2001).
[7] Portfolio, Programme and Project Management Maturity Model (OGC, 2008).
NOTE: See http://www.sans.org/critical-security-controls/ for an up-to-date version.
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2.2 Informative references
The following referenced documents are not necessary for the application of the present document but they assist the
user with regard to a particular subject area.
[i.1] ETSI GS ISI 005: "Information Security Indicators (ISI); Event Testing; Part 5: Event Testing".
3 Definitions, symbols and abbreviations
3.1 Definitions
For the purposes of the present document, the terms and definitions given in GS ISI 001-2 [2] apply.
3.2 Symbols
For the purposes of the present document, the symbols given in GS ISI 001-2 [2] apply.
3.3 Abbreviations
For the purposes of the present document, the abbreviations given in GS ISI 001-2 [2] and the following apply:
CAG Consensus Audit Guidelines
CC Critical Control
CMMI Capability Maturity Model Integration
CSIRT Computer Security Incident Response Team
KPI Key Performance Indicators
KPSI Key Performance Security Indicators
MSSP Managed security service provider
SOC Security Operation Centre
4 Background
4.1 Key Performance Indicators
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are quantifiable variables which can measure the performance of an organisation,
evaluate the success of specific activities and support decision making processes. KPIs are metrics that allow to
measure progress and deficiency. The metrics have to be well-defined and quantifiable to be useful.
KPIs can be used to assess the performance of IT services. Examples of IT KPIs are the availability of IT systems and
services, the Service Level Agreements (SLAs), the Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) and the Mean Time To
Recover (MTTR), and Mean-Time-Between-System-Incidents (MTBSI).
The usage of KPI in the field of Information Assurance is at its early stage. Defining KPIs for the Security Assurance
processes is difficult because of the complexity of regulations, certifications, technical and organizational issues, and
budget constraints. Hence it is a complex task to quantify clear Security Assurance objectives and performance in terms
of KPIs.
4.2 Key Performance Security Indicators
Key Performance Security Indicators (KPSIs) can measure the maturity level of the information security processes
(detection and detection-related processes).
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A Maturity Model to measure the performance in the Security Assurance field can be based on the five level maturity
framework adapted from The Capability Maturity Model Integration (Software Engineering Institute, 2001) [6] and
Portfolio, Programme and Project Management Maturity Model (OGC, 2008) [7]. Organizations using these models,
can assess the maturity level of their performance management practices in the five dimensions of the model:
1) Initial: Processes are managed ad hoc. No measure of the performance is requested.
2) Managed: Processes characterized for projects and are often reactive.
3) Defined: Processes are tailored for the organisation and are proactive.
4) Quantitatively Managed: Processes are measured and controlled.
5) Optimizing: Continuous Process Improvement.
To adapt these models to security event detection and detection-related reactions, a simplified 3-level scale is proposed:
• The present document, level 1 corresponding to CMMI levels 1 and 2;
• The present document, level 2 corresponding to CMMI levels 3 and 4;
• The present document, level 3 corresponding to CMMI level 5.
The three levels can be defined as follows:
3 maturity levels in Cyber
Defense and SIEM approaches
3 – Whole organisation’s IT security mobili-
zation with enterprise risks focus
- Critical apps security monitoring
- Users/managers/executives full
awareness
- Strong gouvernance (indicators
2 – Cyber Defense capabilities
& accurate benchmarking)
(against major known attacks)
- Link with business risks
- Full detection capabilities (all
kinds of sec events – int./ext.)
- Comprehensive list of use cases
1 – Regulatory compliance enfor-
- Detailed reaction processes
ced and forensics enabled
- Dedic. SOC (& possibly CSIRT)
Idem 2
- Infrastructure monitoring
- Technical focus (log collection
Idem 1
and retention)
- Plain incident response
- Merged operations (Security/IT)

Figure 2: 3 majority levels in Cyber Defence and SIEM approaches
4.3 SANS CAG
The SANS Consensus Audit Guidelines [5] is a compliance standard that specifies 20 "control points" that have been
identified through a consensus of security professionals from the federal and private industry. The aim is to begin the
process of establishing a prioritized baseline of information security measures and controls that can be applied across
organizations to help improving their defences.
The 20 Critical Controls subject to collection, measurement, and validation currently defined are:
1) Inventory of Authorized and Unauthorized Devices
2) Inventory of Authorized and Unauthorized Software
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3) Secure Configurations for Hardware and Software on Laptops, Workstations, and Servers
4) Continuous Vulnerability Assessment and Remediation
5) Malware Defenses
6) Application Software Security
7) Wireless Device Control
8) Data Recovery Capability (validated manually)
9) Security Skills Assessment and Appropriate Training to Fill Gaps (validated manually)
10)
...