Asset Identification Flashcards

1
Q

What must organisations consider when sharing information?

A
  • Laws
  • Regulatory frameworks
  • Codes of practice
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2
Q

What are the consequences of failing to comply with laws and regulations when sharing information?

A
  • Disciplinary action
  • Financial penalties
  • Legal actions (against individuals and/or organisation)
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3
Q

What do new digital forms of communication and storage of assets lead to?

A

New threats

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4
Q

What responsibility do directors and managers have regarding information sharing?

A

They must be cautious and vigilant to avoid non-compliance.

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5
Q

How can information contribute to an organisation in the e-business age?

A
  • Competitive advantage
  • Adding to organisational value
  • Helping meet the organisation’s mission and/or objectives
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6
Q

What threats arise with new forms of communication and commerce?

A
  • Exposure of vital information assets
  • Increased risk from external access to internal networks
  • Vulnerability through cloud services
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7
Q

What is a risk associated with using cloud services for information sharing?

A

They can inadvertently provide global access to an organisation’s most valued information.

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8
Q

What is the first step in information security?

A

Identifying which information assets need protecting.

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9
Q

What is an Information Asset Register (IAR)?

A

A document of record listing the information assets within an organisation that need protecting.

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10
Q

Why is the IAR considered a foundation document for information security?

A
  • It supports risk assessments.
  • Errors or omissions can affect the quality of risk assessments.
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11
Q

What other purposes does an IAR serve?

A
  • Supporting business cases for outsourcing.
  • Justifying moves to cloud-based services.
  • Justifying costs for improving information security.
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12
Q

How does the size of an IAR vary by organisation?

A

A small business may only have a handful of assets, while large organisations may have many thousands.

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13
Q

What is a challenge in creating an IAR for large organisations?

A

Managing the complexity of hundreds or thousands of information assets.

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14
Q

What is metadata?

A

Data about data that describes it but is not part of it, although it can be stored with it.

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15
Q

What is an example of metadata outside of information security?

A

Metadata in digital photos includes location, aperture, and focal length (EXIF metadata)

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16
Q

Why is metadata in organisational data inconsistent?

A

There is no universal standard for metadata in organisational data; each organisation has its own format.

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17
Q

What does the Asset Identifier of an information asset represent in the IAR?

Give an example.

A

A unique identifier, which may include location, associated systems, or a unique alphanumeric reference.

IA1, or O365-HR

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18
Q

What does the Name of an information asset represent in the IAR?

Give an example.

A

The name of the asset in plain terms.

Sales Data, or Email

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19
Q

What does the Type of an information asset represent in the IAR?

Give an example.

A

The type of structure of the asset.

Database, Sales software system, Email system

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20
Q

What does the Purpose of an information asset represent in the IAR?

Give an example.

A

Describes how the data is used in practical terms. Sometimes ommitted if purpose is clear.

Databse of all sales purchases, Email mailboxes for all users and shared mailboxes

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21
Q

What does the Notes of an information asset represent in the IAR?

Give an example.

A

Any additional information that is relevant.

Will be depreciated in 20XX, In migration to Microsoft 365

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22
Q

What does the Media of an information asset represent in the IAR?

Give an example.

A

The type of media the asset is stored on.

Hard disk, hard copy, cloud datacentre

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23
Q

What does the Supporting Systems of an information asset represent in the IAR?

Give an example.

A

The container of the media the asset is stored in.

SRV-Finance, Archive container, Internet

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24
Q

What does the Owner of an information asset represent in the IAR?

Give an example.

A

The person accountable for the asset, by job title for redundancy.

Sales Director, IT Manager

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25
Q

What does the Authorised Users of an information asset represent in the IAR?

Give an example.

A

The people who are permitted access to the asset, by job title for redundancy.

Sales Team, All staff

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26
Q

What does the Location of an information asset represent in the IAR?

Give an example.

A

The physical location of the asset.

Server room, Microsoft cloud, HR office

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27
Q

What does the Building/Site of an information asset represent in the IAR?

Give an example.

A

There the location of the asset can be found, in a broader sense.

Head Office, Building A, EU datacentre

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28
Q

What does the Dependencies of an information asset represent in the IAR?

Give an example.

A

Typically dependencies for support of the asset, such as third party providers and support companies.

Sales Software Ltd., Database supplier support

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29
Q

What does the Security Requirements of an information asset represent in the IAR?

Give an example.

A

The CIA Triad of Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability, typically each ranked by the requirements of the asset.

C 5, I 5, A 3, or C Low, I High, A High

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30
Q

What does the Value of an information asset represent in the IAR?

Give an example.

A

The associated importance of the asset and its value to the company. Does not have to be monetary.

Low, High, £10,000

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31
Q

Historically, how were organisations and their assets protected?

A

By securing the building they were contained in from physical threats like fire and theft.

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32
Q

What determines organisational boundaries today?

A

Who the organisation shares information with and with who they keep it secret.

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33
Q

What are Grant’s two key observations about assets?

A
  1. Assets should be sharable within the organisation.
  2. Assets should be scarce outside the organisation.
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34
Q

What is the basis of competitive advantage in for-profit organisations according to Grant?

A

The combination of shareability and scarcity of assets.

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35
Q

How do shareability and scarcity affect not-for-profit organisations?

A

Shareability supports the mission, scarcity is often required by law or codes.

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36
Q

What are the two regions associated with an information asset?

A
  1. Shareability region - Locations, systems, and people with access to the asset.
  2. Scarcity region - All other locations, systems and people.
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37
Q

What are the key conditions within an information asset’s shareability region?

A

Availability to ensure use and integrity to ensure correct decisions are made using the asset.

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38
Q

What must happen to an information asset outside its shareability region?

A

It must remain confidential to prevent deriving value from it.

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39
Q

What are the information security requirements of an asset?

A

The CIA Triad - Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability.

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40
Q

What happens when an information asset moves across its boundary into the scarcity region?

A

It’s value must be removed to maintain security.

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41
Q

What role does cryptography play in protecting information assets?

A

It reversibly conceals information value when moving across boundaries.

42
Q

What diagrams are needed to identify an information asset’s shareability boundary?

A
  • Organisation chart / organogram diagram (roles or employees)
  • Location diagram (physical locations)
  • Systems and network diagram (system interrelations)
43
Q

Why is the boundary between shareability and scarcity regions important?

A

It determines where the information asset’s value must be protected or restored.

44
Q

What challenge arises with disjoint shareability regions?

A

Value must be removed when crossing public networks or untrusted spaces.

45
Q

What does an organogram show in relation to an information asset?

A

The staff structure and relationships within an organisation, indicating who relates to the information asset.

46
Q

How can the boundary of an information asset’s shareability region be identified on an organogram?

A

By drawing a ring around people inside the region or listing them.

47
Q

What defines a department’s shareability region?

A

The information it uses in daily business, with areas outside generally considered a scarcity region.

48
Q

Who would typically have access to HR’s sensitive personal data?

A

Only HR staff.

49
Q

Who would typically have access to sensitive financial information?

A

Only finance staff.

50
Q

Why should access to information be restricted?

A

To ensure staff only access information necessary for their duties.

51
Q

How does access differ between senior and junior staff?

A

Senior staff typically perform more information lifecycle activities and need greater access to assets.

52
Q

What is the purpose of a geographical location diagram?

A

To assess physical locations within the scope and identify the shareability boundry from a geographical perspective.

53
Q

What locations should be included in a geographical location diagram?

A
  • Server rooms and offices, and their containing buildings or sites.
  • Homes, hotels, etc of remote workers (typically generically rather than specifically!)
  • Cloud service provider locations (typically generically by provider)
54
Q

What is the purpose of a systems and network diagram?

A

To illustrate the logical connectivity between information assets, users, and teams. Used to show information flows crossing scarcity and shareability boundaries.

55
Q

What additional aspect should a systems and network diagram reflect?

A

Network flows between organisation and physical regions of scarcity and shareability.

56
Q

Why is it important to identify where information flows cross network boundaries?

A

To determine where information assets need protection, especially in less secure locations.

57
Q

What do digital assets hosted in cloud environments require?

A

Special consideration for security, as they are hosted in a physical scarcity region.

58
Q

What does a systems and network diagram enable?

A

The identification of risks and protection needs as information assets traverse the network.

59
Q

When is an information asset considered secure?

A

When its confidentiality, integrity, and availability requirements are met.

60
Q

How are an information asset’s security needs related to its regions?

A

They are tied to the asset’s shareability and scarcity regions.

61
Q

What is the security requirement for an asset in its scarcity region?

A

It should be unavailable, or if impossible it should be damaged or disabled to reduce its value.

62
Q

What happens if an asset’s integrity is breached in its shareability region?

A

The asset may become less useful or entirely worthless. Incorrect data can lead to poor decisions, reducing its value.

63
Q

Why must an information asset be available in its shareability region?

A

To maximise its utility and value to the organisation.

64
Q

What happens when an asset is not available when needed?

A

The need goes unfulfilled and the asset’s value is reduced.

65
Q

What are examples of availability failures in daily life?

A
  • Unable to access your email or calendar when you need to.
  • Forgetting a password to a secure file and being unable to access it.
  • Not remembering your login details to an account and being unable to access a website.
66
Q

What could be the impact of a customer or product database breach of availability?

A

It may seriously hinder the organisation’s ability to carry out its mission.

67
Q

What are the 7 stages of an information asset’s lifecycle?

A
  1. Creation/receipt
  2. Storage
  3. Transmission and reception
  4. Access, use, change
  5. Maintenance
  6. Archival
  7. Destruction
68
Q

What happens during the Creation and Receipt phase of an information asset?

A

It is created or received from a third party.

69
Q

What happens during the Storage phase of an information asset?

A

It must be stored in a way that ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the assett.

70
Q

What happens during the Transmission and Reception phase of an informaion asset?

A

The asset is sent and received from where it is stored to where it is needed. It must be available for transmission, kept confidential during transit across private/public networks, and maintain its integrity at the destination.

71
Q

What happens during the Access, Use, and Change phase of an information asset?

A

The asset is used to create addtional value through business processes. This may create additional assets, with their own security requirements.

72
Q

What happens during the Maintenance phase of an information asset?

A

The asset is actively managed in order to preserve its value, such as updating the information it contains or declassifying it and reducing its security requirements.

73
Q

What happens during the Archival phase of an information asset?

A

The asset is moved into long-term storage, lowering its availability now that it has less value. Its confidentiality and integrity remain important.

74
Q

What happens during the Destruction phase of an information asset?

A

The asset is destroyed, to ensure it is no longer available. It’s confidentiality must remain high during the destruction process, as its availability and integrity are reduced to zero.

75
Q

What is the key purpose of the information lifecycle?

A

To manage how information assets are created, stored, used, and destroyed in line with their security requirements.

76
Q

What are confidentiality markings for information assets?

A

Labels such as confidential, secret, top secret, restricted, official, unclassified, etc.

77
Q

How is the concept of markings extended to integrity?

A

An asset might intentional have compromised integrity, such as demo version of a video game, or trial of a software package.

78
Q

How is the concept of markings extended to availability?

A

An asset might intentionally have its availability restricted, such as ‘need to know’ policies.

As an example, a HR employee might have the confidentiality requirements to access HR documents, but the availability shouldn’t allow them to access files when they have no legitimate need to do so.

79
Q

Why are markings important for information assets?

A

To manage confidentiality, integrity, and availability levels appropriately based on the asset’s purpose and audience.

80
Q

What is the first step after identifying an information asset?

A

Assessing its value to the organisation and beginning the process of protecting it.

81
Q

What are Showstopper information assetts?

Give an example.

A

Those whose loss would cause immediate disruption, reputational damage, or political embarrassment.

Financial records during an audit or a database containing customer details, passwords, and credit card information.

82
Q

What are Significant information assets?

Give an example.

A

Those whose loss would cause disruption to business operations, but not cause reputational or political damage.

Warehouse inventory, booking system for IT equipment

83
Q

What questions assess the Availability of an information asset?

A
  • Will it cost money to reacquire if lost?
  • Would legal, reputational, or financial repercussions occur if unavailable?
  • Would it affect operational efficiency?
  • Can work be done without it?
  • Would competitive advantage be lost?
84
Q

What question assess trhe Integrity of an information asset?

A
  • Would there be consequences if the information was incorrect?
85
Q

What questions assess the Confidentiality of an information asset?

A
  • Would there be consequences if revealed to a third party?
  • Would competitors gain an advantage?
  • Would regulations be broken?
86
Q

Why are Showstopped and Significant assets prioritised for protection?

A

Their loss or compromise would disrupt business operations or cause reputational, legal, or financial damage.

87
Q

What defines an information asset’s shareability and scarcity regions?

A

The collection of humans, systems (including media), and locations on which the asset depends during its lifecycle.

88
Q

What are the three main types of vulnerabilities for an information asset?

A
  • Physical vulnerabilities
  • Environmental vulnerabilities
  • Human vulnerabilities
89
Q

What are the three main dependencies of an information asset?

A
  • Humans
  • Systems (including medium)
  • Physical locations
90
Q

What role does a medium play in an information asset’s lifecycle?

Give some examples.

A

It allows the asset to both exist, and to be presented.

Paper, hard drive, SSD.

91
Q

What two types of hacking are systems vulnerable to?

A

Physical and remote hacking.

92
Q

How do humans support an information asset?

A

By interacting with it to create value.

93
Q

What three risk groups do physical locations suffer susceptibility to?

A
  1. Natural disasters (floods, fires)
  2. Environmental failures (air con failure, power supply isssues)
  3. Human error (coffee spills, accidental disconnection)
94
Q

What questions must be asked to track dependencies throughout an asset’s lifecycle?

A

Which dependencies are creates when the asset is:
- Created, stored, archived or destroyed?
- Used, copied, changed, or transformed?
- Transmitted and received?

These answers should consider human, system and location dependencies.

95
Q

What is the information security scope of an information asset?

A

The sum of all people, systems, and locations the asset touches during its lifecycle.

96
Q

How are an information asset’s weaknesses defined in terms of security?

A

By the vulnerabilities of the people, systems, and locations within its scope.

97
Q

What happens if all systems, people, and locations within the asset’s scope are protected?

A

The asset itself will be protected.

98
Q

What processes are used to protect an information asset’s scope?

A
  • Risk analysis to identify risks.
  • Risk control to mitigate or manage those risks.
99
Q

How can lesser information assets benefit from protecting significant assets?

A

They can share protections if they reside on the same systems, are accessed by the same people, or share the same locations.

100
Q

What does a shared system or server imply for the security scope?

A

Multiple assets share the same scope and require combined protections.