Security Assessment 2

 

Summary of Services:

The objective of this service offering is to provide ACORP with an overall assessment of their ACF2 security environment.  The assessment is to be conducted by a skilled and qualified consultant familiar with ACF2 and OS/390 security. At the conclusion of this service, a formal report of findings and recommendations will be prepared and presented. 

Detailed objectives of this service offering include:

1.       Ensure the security software is properly installed and operating.

2.       Determine that ACF2 features and controls have been implemented to secure system and data access paths.

3.       Determine the extent to which the security implementation supports and complies with the ACORP’s objectives, policies, and standards (as described to the consultant).

4.       Evaluate the scope of existing access authorizations to determine if they are too global or restrictive.

5.       Review and identify potential problem areas, i.e., excessive or other inappropriate access authorizations or user attributes, apparent security exposures, and improper security configuration. This will include a review of the OS/390 Unix System Services (USS) component.

6.       Knowledge transfer.

7.       Prepare a document of security findings and recommendations. 

Detailed Description

1.       Security Software Installation/Maintenance review

The consultant will review and evaluate the installation and maintenance of the security software and its suitability for the current Operating System and Program Product environment.  This will include an audit of the vendors currently published high-impact (HYPER) security product fixes.

2.       Security Options review

q       Determine product features used and not used

q       Determine the default security controls that are in effect or disabled

q       Identify system-wide options or parameters that may create security exposure, administrative problems, or production issues

q       Evaluate the UID-String design and efficiency

3.       Policy / Standards review

The consultant will review security procedures and/or interview security administrations on security procedures, practices, service levels, and known problems.  This information will be correlated against all project findings and used to identify areas where the objectives of ACORP are being supported or where improvements can be made.

4.       Security authorization review

During this task, the consultant will evaluate existing dataset and resource rules to identify excessive or inappropriate levels of security, overly restrictive access authorizations, complex or inefficient rules, and conflicting or inconsistent rules.  A crosscheck of system catalog aliases against ACF2 dataset rule sets will be done. The consultant will also review the LOGONID database to identify obsolete or overlapping userids and excessive user privileges.

5.       Potential problem areas review

The consultant will review possible security problem areas including logging/auditing rates and frequency, OS/390 Unix System Services security, excessive sign on activity, Started-Task security, SDSF security.

6.       Knowledge transfer

Throughout the engagement, the consultant will transfer security product and related knowledge to ACORP staff.  While no formal training is foreseen, the consultant will explain and convey the basic security assessment requirements and methods.  The consultant will convey information about areas where items of concern are apparent.

7.       Report of findings and recommendations

At the conclusion of this service offering, a formal report of findings and recommendations will be prepared and submitted.  The report will be delivered within seven business days following the final day of onsite attendance by the consultant.