Running head: Logical Security Architecture 1
SABSA-Based Logical Security Architecture
G. Logan Gombar
University of San Diego
Ms. Michelle Moore
Security Architecture Development Process 2
SABSA-Based Logical Security Architecture
Atlassian is a company that provides a number of software-as-a-service (SaaS) tools,
such as Jira and Trello (Atlassian, n.d.). These services are typically used to enable rapid
software development. This implies that many software engineers and computer savvy personnel
will be interacting with the software on a regular basis, therefore auditing and monitoring efforts
are a critical endeavor. This will make sure all actions are logged and can be retrieved as needed.
Monitoring provides active and real-time insight into network activity, providing the potential
opportunity to stop an attack prior to damage taking place, and security audits provide assurance
of the security stance of the enterprise before an attack takes place. These are best practice
defensive assurance strategy security per Sherwood in his enterprise security book (2005).
Assurance Security Strategy
Audit Trails
Every action in a computer can be written to a file, and this is the premise of an audit log.
This concept enables trailing and tracking actions, providing a play-by-play walkthrough of the
events. Taking on this concept to its obvious next logical step, auditing can clearly be used in a
security sense, and should be used for such purposes. Auditing actions on all computers enables
the mitigation of most nefarious actions, and greatly increases the ability to prevent the rate of
any future similar events by giving fantastic access to the step-by-step actions of adversaries and
how they did what they did. Therefore, auditing will help mitigate future attacks. Additionally,
auditing every action taken can show where problematic actions are being taken that aren’t
explicitly attacks, but are rather abuses of the systems – audit trails mitigate this.
This concept is obviously a benefit to business efforts, and so implementing this security
service will clearly be a help to business endeavors. This can be seen in the reduced and avoided
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costs when attacks are stopped or avoided, the cost of which is no longer spent. This is obviously
a benefit because business focus is all financially-driven.
Security Audit
Security audits intended to test the strength of a network and an enterprise. Taking stock
of the sensitive data on the network and controls in place to protect said data, and the
implementation accuracy, is the first step in the process of a security audit. Further audits can
include penetration testing, known as “red teaming”, of the network. This is a more active
approach to security auditing by searching for vulnerabilities in the network that could include
technical failures, software vulnerabilities, and configuration errors. Since these teams are hired
or assigned to do this testing, they will utilize the same tactics used by adversaries but without
the negative motivations and goals, instead producing a report of the vulnerabilities at the end.
The business benefit of security audits is exceptionally clear. Increased security audits
improve security through assurance of a given set of controls. Increased security results in more
secure data, less likelihood of theft of said data, and decreased chances of lawsuits due to stolen
data. All of this combines to increased revenue and profit.
Security Monitoring
Security monitoring has explicit and palpable benefits to the business. Actively
determining the safety and security of the network in real-time, with the added bonus of being
able to stop an attack in its tracks, has very clear benefits to a business – stopping an attack
before damage is done is the ideal response to any attack. While monitoring doesn’t guarantee
the ability to stop an attack, it provides the opportunity.
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References
Atlassian. (n.d.). Atlassian. [Link]
Sherwood, N. A. (2005). Enterprise security architecture: A business-driven approach. CRC Press.
