Welcome to the third part of our blog series on IT security. After highlighting the relevance of the information network for IT security in the first part and the role of business processes in the second part, the focus is now on monitoring and optimizing security measures in the information network.
We show how companies can strengthen their security measures through targeted monitoring and continuous improvements and thus prepare themselves for future challenges. In particular, we will shed light on how Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) as a toolbox can help to meet security requirements comprehensively and sustainably.
How a documented information network optimizes monitoring
A well-documented information network forms the basis for effective monitoring, as it creates a clear overview of processes, IT systems and their dependencies.
This is where EAM tools such as SAP LeanIX come in. The tool provides a quick and transparent view of the information network. By maintaining IT security-relevant attributes such as protection requirements or criticality, reports and dashboards can be used to create comprehensive overviews that provide the user with all important information at a glance.
This transparency makes it possible to quickly identify vulnerabilities and anomalies and to analyze security incidents in the context of their relationships. In addition, the reporting options of EAM tools support the documentation requirements of common audits and thus reduce the effort that the company has to make.
Systematic allocation of requirements and measures to improve the ISMS
A central component of our approach is the allocation of requirements to the respective target objects, including the definition and degree of implementation of corresponding measures. We follow the BSI IT baseline protection approach by mapping the building blocks and assigning them to the respective applications and IT components.
As part of this assignment, we link the measures including the corresponding documentation and store detailed information on the degree of implementation of the respective measures. This systematic recording and documentation enables us to visualize the progress and current status of the security measures at any time using dashboards and to track the current maturity level of the ISMS with the help of reports.
For a more in-depth analysis, results from risk and threat analyses can be maintained directly on the relationship between the target object and the associated requirements. This approach makes it possible to systematically link the identified risks and threats with the affected IT components and applications. This ensures traceable documentation of the identified threats, which clearly shows which threats are associated with which target objects.
On this basis, targeted security measures are then developed and stored that are explicitly geared towards the identified risks. This ensures that each measure not only responds to general security requirements, but is derived directly from the risk and threat assessment, which significantly increases the effectiveness and relevance of the measures.
Benefits of integrating EAM into the information network
The use of EA tools in the information network significantly improves monitoring by creating a clear overview of IT systems and their dependencies. Tools such as LeanIX make it possible to maintain IT security-relevant attributes such as protection requirements or criticality and to visualize them clearly in reports and dashboards. This makes it easier for the user to see all relevant information at a glance.
Another advantage is the ability to track the degree of implementation of security measures. Here too, dashboards and reports provide a quick overview of the progress and current status of security measures.
In addition, the effort required for audits is reduced as all relevant measures are documented in a directly traceable manner and the status of all measures can be displayed quickly. Overall, the use of EA tools in the information network not only optimizes the security strategy, but also increases the efficiency and effectiveness of information security as a whole.
This article concludes our blog series on IT security. We hope that our blog series has provided you with valuable insights and practical approaches to the various aspects of IT security.
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