CSA Security Update

As organizations look to cloud services to process more sensitive and critical data, security and risk management teams require tools to quickly assess and understand the types and rigor of security controls applied by cloud service providers. CSA STAR Attestation is the first cloud-specific attestation program designed to meet this need. CSA STAR Attestation is a collaboration between CSA and the AICPA to provide guidelines for CPAs to conduct SOC 2 engagements using criteria from the AICPA (Trust Service Principles, AT 101) and the CSA Cloud Controls Matrix.

1. What is CSA STAR & SOC2? What is CSA STAR & SOC2? 

2. What are the prevalent business drivers which lead to the necessity of obtaining a CSA STAR & SOC2 attestation?

3. Why should my business plan for a CSA STAR & SOC2 rather than react to the demand for the attestation?

Join us as we interview Audrey Katcher; partner of RubinBrown’s Business Advisory Services Group, overseeing the group’s Information Technology Risk Services. She also serves as the Open Certification Framework Working group liaison for AICPA and made a significant contribution to the STAR Attestation guidelines.

Listen as Audrey answers these questions and more regarding STAR Attestation and the assessment process.

https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/star/

The Security Trust Assurance and Risk (STAR) Program encompasses key principles of transparency, rigorous auditing, and harmonization of standards. Companies who use STAR indicate best practices and validate the security posture of their cloud offerings.

The STAR registry documents the security and privacy controls provided by popular cloud computing offerings. This publicly accessible registry allows cloud customers to assess their security providers in order to make the best procurement decisions.

Listen as we interview Larry Greenblatt, Information Security Specialist at QAD as he takes us through his journey to CSA STAR Certification from business case to implementation to through the audit process as well as discussing the ROI and the importance the maturity evaluation and how this has facilitated improving their business overall.

https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/star/

IoT defines the journey of digital technology and data to enable organizations to perform better, boost well-being and respond to local and global challenges – presenting a huge opportunity but risk as well. 

With SMART Cites and SMART Nations emerging, a sustainable, pragmatic approach is necessary, ensuring the people, processes, and systems are secure. With predictions that three-quarters of the world’s 9 billion people will be city-dwellers by 2050, it’s vital we ensure cities provide a safe and pleasant environment that is sustainable and resilient to change. 

Listen as we interview David Mudd, Global Digital and Connected Product Certification Director with BSI Group and discuss these pressing issues as well as how IoT can make a positive impact on the environment and the business community in general as well as how CSA is working with industry through the development of the CSA IoT Control Matrix.

https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/star/

Excerpt from the most recent PODCAST interview with Jim Reavis; Co-Founder and CEO of Cloud Security Alliance discussing the activities and speakers at the upcoming CSA Summit at RSA!

https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/star/

2019 was another great year for CSA and it sets the stage for an even greater year in 2020.
Listen to this insightful interview with Jim Reavis; Co-Founder and CEO of the Cloud Security Alliance as he provides a look back at the accomplishments and milestones achieved in 2019 and provides a look into the journey we will be taking in 2020.

If you're not already, it is a great starting point to get involved with CSA and it's massive cloud community.

https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/star/

The Security Trust Assurance and Risk (STAR) Program encompasses key principles of transparency, rigorous auditing, and harmonization of standards. Companies who use STAR indicate best practices and validate the security posture of their cloud offerings.

The STAR registry documents the security and privacy controls provided by popular cloud computing offerings. This publicly accessible registry allows cloud customers to assess their security providers in order to make the best procurement decisions.

Listen as we interview Willibert Fabritius; Global Head of Information Security and Business Continuity of BSI Group and take the journey with us down the road to Level 2 CSA STAR Certification including use cases on implementation and auditing best practices.

https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/star/

As organizations look to cloud services to process more sensitive and critical data, security and risk management teams require tools to quickly assess and understand the types and rigor of security controls applied by cloud service providers. CSA STAR Attestation is the first cloud-specific attestation program designed to meet this need. CSA STAR Attestation is a collaboration between CSA and the AICPA to provide guidelines for CPAs to conduct SOC 2 engagements using criteria from the AICPA (Trust Services Criteria) and the CSA Cloud Controls Matrix.

Listen as we interview Debbie Zaller; Principal, practice leader, and SME for Schellman & Company, LLC who leads the Midwest Region along with the Privacy, SOC 2 and SOC 3 service lines. We take you inside a STAR attestation engagement following the process from start to finish along with discussing the value having successfully completed a STAR Attestation audit.

https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/star/

Forensic readiness is defined as the ability of an organization to maximize its potential to use good quality digital evidence to protect the organization, support the investigators while minimizing the costs of an investigation.

Trust in the cloud is constantly under attack, so good data-driven decisions are critical. Determining whether a data source provides an acceptable level of digital evidence is one thing, but how do you safeguard data integrity to ensure that the information contained within supports the investigation with the proper content or context, transparency, and trust? Proving "Due Diligence" and "Standard of Care" is critical when building a case to protect your organization.

Listen as I discuss this all-important topic with Lamont Orange; CISO, Netskope and we take the journey down the road of forensics and the importance of being prepared along with some best practice suggestions.

https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/star/

Security compliance based on third-party audit is becoming increasingly complex –especially as a result of the considerable number of national, international and industry-specific standards and certification schemes present in the market, generating "compliance fatigue", not to mention sometimes contradicting audit reports related to similar controls, That often translates into substantial costs for those service providers

The idea behind the MPRF is to provide a unified method of systematic and consistent activities with the goal of minimizing the burden of obtaining certification "Y" for a CSP, once it has already obtained certification "X". The MPRF’s purpose is, therefore, to use and promote a comparison analysis between different security frameworks, standards,
and best practices.

Listen as Damir Savanovic; Senior Analyst & Researcher; CSA and project manager for the EU-SEC project discusses this exciting evolution of the compliance eco-system and how it promises to change how we approach security assessments in the near future. 

https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/star/

As a cloud service provider, there are many security challenges that organizations have to face which include providing customers and regulators with the proper level of transparency and assurance that is needed to achieve the required level of trust. 

Many organizations are turning to CSA STAR in answer to mandates, provide a marketing differentiator or just raising the bar in terms of their level of assurance and transparency. 

Listen as  Deepak Gupta; Co-founder and CTO at LoginRadius explains their journey and approach to implementation. How they weaved the CCM controls into their current management system including all the stakeholders of the business as well as what challenges STAR solved for the organization. 

https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/star/