Best Practices and Quick Reference

Security

Table of Contents

  1. Network Security
  2. Endpoint Security
  3. Identity and Access Management
  4. Data Protection
  5. Application Security
  6. Incident Response Procedures
  7. Security Metrics and KPIs
  8. 2025 Security Trends
  9. Quick Reference

Network Security

Network Segmentation

Purpose: Limit lateral movement and contain breaches within isolated network zones.

Implementation:

# Network Segmentation Design
network_architecture:
  dmz:
    subnet: 10.1.0.0/24
    purpose: Public-facing services
    allowed_inbound: [80, 443]
    allowed_outbound: Database subnet only

  application_tier:
    subnet: 10.2.0.0/24
    purpose: Application servers
    allowed_inbound: DMZ only
    allowed_outbound: Database, external APIs

  database_tier:
    subnet: 10.3.0.0/24
    purpose: Data storage
    allowed_inbound: Application tier only
    allowed_outbound: Deny all (except backups)

  management:
    subnet: 10.4.0.0/24
    purpose: Admin access
    allowed_inbound: VPN only
    allowed_outbound: All internal subnets

Firewall Rules (Deny by Default):

# iptables example: Default deny, explicit allow
iptables -P INPUT DROP
iptables -P FORWARD DROP
iptables -P OUTPUT ACCEPT

# Allow established connections
iptables -A INPUT -m state --state ESTABLISHED,RELATED -j ACCEPT

# Allow specific services
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j ACCEPT  # HTTPS
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -s 10.4.0.0/24 -j ACCEPT  # SSH from mgmt

# Log dropped packets
iptables -A INPUT -j LOG --log-prefix "DROPPED: "
iptables -A INPUT -j DROP

Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW)

Beyond Traditional Firewalls:

  • Deep packet inspection (DPI)
  • Application awareness and control
  • Intrusion prevention system (IPS)
  • SSL/TLS inspection
  • Threat intelligence integration

Configuration Example:

# Palo Alto NGFW Policy
Application Control:
- Allow: Business apps (Salesforce, O365, Slack)
- Monitor: Shadow IT (personal cloud storage)
- Block: High-risk apps (TOR, BitTorrent, cryptocurrency mining)

Threat Prevention:
- Antivirus: Block on all traffic
- Anti-spyware: Alert and block critical/high
- Vulnerability Protection: Block client/server exploits
- URL Filtering: Block malware, phishing, adult content

SSL Decryption:
- Decrypt inbound: Public-facing services
- Decrypt outbound: All users (with privacy exceptions)
- Exceptions: Healthcare, financial, HR portals

Intrusion Detection/Prevention (IDS/IPS)

Deployment Modes:

  • IDS (Passive): Monitor and alert only
  • IPS (Inline): Block malicious traffic actively

Signature vs Behavioral Detection:

# Signature-based: Known attack patterns
ids_rules = {
    'sql_injection': r"(\bunion\b.*\bselect\b|\bor\b.*=.*)",
    'xss_attempt': r"(<script|javascript:|onerror=)",
    'directory_traversal': r"(\.\./|\.\.\\)",
}

# Behavioral/Anomaly-based: Unusual patterns
def detect_anomaly(network_traffic):
    """ML-based anomaly detection"""
    baseline = get_traffic_baseline()

    if traffic.volume > baseline.volume * 3:
        alert("Traffic volume anomaly detected")

    if traffic.destination_ports > 100:
        alert("Port scanning detected")

    if traffic.failed_logins > 5:
        alert("Brute force attack suspected")

DDoS Protection

Mitigation Strategies:

Layer Attack Type Mitigation
Layer 3/4 SYN flood, UDP flood Rate limiting, SYN cookies, traffic scrubbing
Layer 7 HTTP flood, Slowloris WAF, CAPTCHA, behavioral analysis
DNS DNS amplification Response rate limiting, DNSSEC
Application API abuse Rate limiting per IP/user, authentication

Implementation:

# Nginx rate limiting
http {
    # Define rate limit zones
    limit_req_zone $binary_remote_addr zone=login:10m rate=5r/m;
    limit_req_zone $binary_remote_addr zone=api:10m rate=100r/m;

    server {
        location /login {
            limit_req zone=login burst=3 nodelay;
            # Allow 5 requests/minute, burst up to 8
        }

        location /api/ {
            limit_req zone=api burst=20;
            # Allow 100 requests/minute
        }
    }
}

Endpoint Security

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

Core Capabilities:

  • Real-time monitoring and threat detection
  • Behavioral analysis and machine learning
  • Automated response and remediation
  • Forensic investigation and root cause analysis

EDR Implementation:

# Example EDR behavioral rule
class RansomwareDetection:
    def __init__(self):
        self.file_encryption_threshold = 50
        self.suspicious_extensions = ['.encrypted', '.locked', '.crypto']

    def monitor_file_activity(self, process):
        """Detect rapid file encryption behavior"""
        encrypted_files = []

        for file_event in process.file_operations:
            if file_event.action == 'write':
                # Check for encryption indicators
                if self.is_encrypted(file_event.new_content):
                    encrypted_files.append(file_event.path)

                # Ransomware typically encrypts many files quickly
                if len(encrypted_files) > self.file_encryption_threshold:
                    self.respond_to_ransomware(process)

    def respond_to_ransomware(self, process):
        """Automated response to ransomware detection"""
        # 1. Kill the malicious process
        process.terminate()

        # 2. Isolate the endpoint
        self.network.quarantine_host(process.hostname)

        # 3. Alert security team
        self.alert_soc(
            severity='critical',
            threat='Ransomware detected',
            host=process.hostname,
            process=process.name
        )

        # 4. Create forensic snapshot
        self.capture_memory_dump(process.hostname)

Device Encryption

Full Disk Encryption (FDE):

# Windows BitLocker deployment
# Enable BitLocker on C: drive with TPM
Enable-BitLocker -MountPoint "C:" -EncryptionMethod XtsAes256 -TpmProtector

# Store recovery key in Active Directory
Add-BitLockerKeyProtector -MountPoint "C:" -RecoveryPasswordProtector
Backup-BitLockerKeyProtector -MountPoint "C:" -KeyProtectorId (Get-BitLockerVolume -MountPoint "C:").KeyProtector[0].KeyProtectorId

# Enforce encryption via Group Policy
# Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > BitLocker Drive Encryption
# Enable: "Require additional authentication at startup"
# macOS FileVault deployment
# Enable FileVault programmatically
fdesetup enable -user admin_user

# Check encryption status
fdesetup status

# Escrow recovery key to MDM
fdesetup changerecovery -personal -inputplist < recovery.plist

Mobile Device Management (MDM)

Security Policies:

# MDM security configuration
mdm_policies:
  device_requirements:
    - Encryption: Required
    - Passcode: 8+ characters, alphanumeric
    - Biometric: Enabled (Touch ID/Face ID)
    - Auto-lock: 5 minutes max
    - Failed attempts: Wipe after 10 attempts

  application_management:
    - Whitelist corporate apps
    - Block jailbroken/rooted devices
    - Require app updates within 7 days
    - Disable app installation from unknown sources

  data_protection:
    - Separate work/personal containers
    - Remote wipe capability
    - Disable cloud backups of corporate data
    - Block copy/paste between containers

  network_security:
    - Require VPN for corporate access
    - Certificate-based Wi-Fi authentication
    - Disable personal hotspot

Patch Management

Patching Strategy:

# Automated patch management workflow
class PatchManagement:
    def __init__(self):
        self.patch_windows = {
            'critical': timedelta(days=7),
            'high': timedelta(days=14),
            'medium': timedelta(days=30),
            'low': timedelta(days=90)
        }

    def assess_vulnerabilities(self):
        """Scan for missing patches"""
        scan_results = vulnerability_scanner.scan_all_hosts()

        for vuln in scan_results:
            severity = vuln.cvss_severity
            deadline = datetime.now() + self.patch_windows[severity]

            self.create_patch_ticket(
                vulnerability=vuln,
                severity=severity,
                deadline=deadline
            )

    def deploy_patches(self, patch_group):
        """Phased rollout approach"""
        # Phase 1: Test environment (Day 0)
        self.deploy_to_group(patch_group, 'test')
        self.monitor_for_issues(duration=days(2))

        # Phase 2: Pilot group (Day 2)
        if not self.has_critical_issues():
            self.deploy_to_group(patch_group, 'pilot')
            self.monitor_for_issues(duration=days(3))

        # Phase 3: Production rollout (Day 5)
        if not self.has_critical_issues():
            self.deploy_to_group(patch_group, 'production')

Identity and Access Management

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Implementation Hierarchy (Strongest to Weakest):

  1. Hardware Security Keys (FIDO2/WebAuthn)
  2. Biometric Authentication (Fingerprint, Face ID)
  3. Authenticator Apps (TOTP: Google Authenticator, Authy)
  4. Push Notifications (Duo, Microsoft Authenticator)
  5. SMS/Voice (Vulnerable to SIM swapping - avoid when possible)

MFA Enforcement:

# Conditional MFA based on risk
class AdaptiveMFA:
    def authenticate(self, user, context):
        """Risk-based authentication"""
        risk_score = self.calculate_risk(user, context)

        # Always require password
        if not self.verify_password(user):
            return False

        # MFA required based on risk
        if risk_score >= 70:
            # High risk: Require hardware key
            return self.require_fido2(user)

        elif risk_score >= 40:
            # Medium risk: Require TOTP or push
            return self.require_totp_or_push(user)

        elif risk_score >= 20:
            # Low risk: Optional MFA
            return self.optional_mfa(user)

        # Very low risk: Password only
        return True

    def calculate_risk(self, user, context):
        """Calculate authentication risk score"""
        score = 0

        # New device
        if not context.device_id in user.known_devices:
            score += 30

        # Unusual location
        if context.location not in user.typical_locations:
            score += 25

        # Unusual time
        if not self.is_typical_login_time(user, context.time):
            score += 15

        # Failed attempts recently
        score += user.recent_failed_logins * 10

        # Privileged account
        if user.is_privileged:
            score += 20

        return min(score, 100)

Privileged Access Management (PAM)

Just-in-Time (JIT) Access:

# Temporary privilege elevation
class JITAccessManager:
    def request_elevated_access(self, user, resource, justification):
        """Request temporary admin access"""
        # Require approval for production systems
        if resource.environment == 'production':
            approval = self.request_manager_approval(
                user=user,
                resource=resource,
                justification=justification,
                duration=hours(4)
            )

            if not approval.approved:
                return AccessDenied("Manager approval required")

        # Grant temporary access
        access_grant = self.create_temp_access(
            user=user,
            resource=resource,
            permissions=['admin'],
            expires=datetime.now() + timedelta(hours=4)
        )

        # Session monitoring
        self.monitor_session(access_grant, recording=True)

        # Automatic revocation
        self.schedule_revocation(access_grant)

        return access_grant

    def monitor_session(self, access_grant, recording=True):
        """Monitor privileged session activity"""
        session_monitor = SessionRecorder(
            user=access_grant.user,
            resource=access_grant.resource,
            record_keystrokes=recording,
            record_screen=recording
        )

        # Alert on suspicious activity
        for action in session_monitor.actions:
            if self.is_suspicious(action):
                self.alert_security_team(access_grant, action)

Single Sign-On (SSO)

SAML 2.0 Implementation:

<!-- SAML Authentication Request -->
<samlp:AuthnRequest
    xmlns:samlp="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:protocol"
    ID="_unique_request_id"
    Version="2.0"
    IssueInstant="2025-10-05T12:00:00Z"
    Destination="https://idp.example.com/saml/sso"
    AssertionConsumerServiceURL="https://app.example.com/saml/acs">
    <saml:Issuer xmlns:saml="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:assertion">
        https://app.example.com
    </saml:Issuer>
</samlp:AuthnRequest>

SSO Security Best Practices:

# SSO configuration security
sso_security:
  authentication:
    - MFA required for SSO portal
    - Session timeout: 8 hours
    - Idle timeout: 30 minutes
    - Re-authentication for sensitive apps

  authorization:
    - SAML attribute-based access control
    - Group-based application assignments
    - Just-in-time provisioning
    - Automatic deprovisioning on termination

  monitoring:
    - Log all SSO authentications
    - Alert on impossible travel
    - Alert on multiple failed attempts
    - Track application access patterns

Access Reviews

Automated Access Certification:

# Quarterly access review automation
class AccessReviewManager:
    def conduct_quarterly_review(self):
        """Automated access certification process"""
        # Identify accounts requiring review
        accounts_to_review = self.get_active_accounts()

        for account in accounts_to_review:
            # Determine reviewer (manager or resource owner)
            reviewer = self.get_reviewer(account)

            # Generate review package
            review_package = {
                'user': account.user,
                'access_summary': self.summarize_access(account),
                'last_login': account.last_login,
                'high_risk_access': self.identify_risky_access(account),
                'recommended_action': self.recommend_action(account)
            }

            # Send for review
            self.send_review_request(reviewer, review_package)

    def recommend_action(self, account):
        """AI-based access recommendation"""
        recommendations = []

        # Inactive account
        if account.last_login < datetime.now() - timedelta(days=90):
            recommendations.append("DISABLE: No activity in 90 days")

        # Over-privileged
        granted_permissions = set(account.permissions)
        used_permissions = set(account.permissions_used)
        unused = granted_permissions - used_permissions

        if len(unused) > 0:
            recommendations.append(f"REVOKE: Unused permissions: {unused}")

        # Orphaned account (manager left)
        if not account.manager.is_active:
            recommendations.append("REVIEW: Manager no longer active")

        return recommendations

Data Protection

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

DLP Policy Implementation:

# DLP rule engine
class DLPEngine:
    def __init__(self):
        self.patterns = {
            'ssn': r'\b\d{3}-\d{2}-\d{4}\b',
            'credit_card': r'\b\d{4}[- ]?\d{4}[- ]?\d{4}[- ]?\d{4}\b',
            'api_key': r'api[_-]?key["\']?\s*[:=]\s*["\']?[a-zA-Z0-9]{32,}',
            'aws_key': r'AKIA[0-9A-Z]{16}',
        }

    def scan_content(self, content, action_context):
        """Scan content for sensitive data"""
        findings = []

        for data_type, pattern in self.patterns.items():
            matches = re.findall(pattern, content)
            if matches:
                findings.append({
                    'type': data_type,
                    'count': len(matches),
                    'severity': self.get_severity(data_type)
                })

        if findings:
            return self.enforce_policy(findings, action_context)

        return PolicyAction.ALLOW

    def enforce_policy(self, findings, context):
        """Enforce DLP policy based on context"""
        severity = max(f['severity'] for f in findings)

        # Email: Block high severity
        if context.channel == 'email' and severity == 'high':
            return PolicyAction.BLOCK

        # Cloud upload: Quarantine and alert
        if context.channel == 'cloud_storage':
            self.quarantine_file(context.file)
            self.alert_security(findings, context)
            return PolicyAction.BLOCK

        # Internal transfer: Audit only
        if context.destination.is_internal:
            self.audit_log(findings, context)
            return PolicyAction.ALLOW

        # Default: Block external transfer
        return PolicyAction.BLOCK

Encryption Best Practices

Encryption at Rest:

# Application-level encryption
from cryptography.hazmat.primitives.ciphers.aead import AESGCM
from cryptography.hazmat.backends import default_backend
import os

class DataEncryption:
    def __init__(self, key_management_service):
        self.kms = key_management_service

    def encrypt_sensitive_data(self, plaintext, data_classification):
        """Encrypt data using AES-256-GCM"""
        # Retrieve encryption key from KMS
        data_key = self.kms.get_data_key(classification=data_classification)

        # Generate nonce (never reuse with same key!)
        nonce = os.urandom(12)

        # Encrypt with authenticated encryption
        aesgcm = AESGCM(data_key)
        ciphertext = aesgcm.encrypt(nonce, plaintext.encode(), None)

        # Return nonce + ciphertext (nonce is not secret)
        return {
            'nonce': nonce.hex(),
            'ciphertext': ciphertext.hex(),
            'key_id': data_key.id,
            'algorithm': 'AES-256-GCM'
        }

    def decrypt_sensitive_data(self, encrypted_data):
        """Decrypt data and verify authenticity"""
        # Retrieve decryption key
        data_key = self.kms.get_key_by_id(encrypted_data['key_id'])

        # Decrypt and verify
        aesgcm = AESGCM(data_key)
        nonce = bytes.fromhex(encrypted_data['nonce'])
        ciphertext = bytes.fromhex(encrypted_data['ciphertext'])

        try:
            plaintext = aesgcm.decrypt(nonce, ciphertext, None)
            return plaintext.decode()
        except Exception:
            # Authentication failed - data tampered
            raise IntegrityError("Data authentication failed")

Encryption in Transit:

# TLS 1.3 configuration for Nginx
server {
    listen 443 ssl http2;
    server_name secure.example.com;

    # TLS 1.3 only
    ssl_protocols TLSv1.3;

    # Certificate configuration
    ssl_certificate /etc/ssl/certs/example.com.crt;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/ssl/private/example.com.key;

    # Strong cipher suites (TLS 1.3)
    ssl_ciphers 'TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:TLS_CHACHA20_POLY1305_SHA256:TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256';
    ssl_prefer_server_ciphers on;

    # HSTS (force HTTPS for 1 year)
    add_header Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload" always;

    # OCSP stapling
    ssl_stapling on;
    ssl_stapling_verify on;
    ssl_trusted_certificate /etc/ssl/certs/ca-bundle.crt;

    # Session tickets (disable for perfect forward secrecy)
    ssl_session_tickets off;
}

Application Security

Secure Development Lifecycle (DevSecOps)

CI/CD Security Integration:

# GitLab CI/CD pipeline with security scanning
stages:
  - build
  - test
  - security
  - deploy

# Static Application Security Testing (SAST)
sast:
  stage: security
  script:
    - semgrep --config auto --json -o sast-report.json
  artifacts:
    reports:
      sast: sast-report.json
  allow_failure: false  # Block pipeline on findings

# Dependency scanning
dependency_scanning:
  stage: security
  script:
    - npm audit --audit-level=high
    - safety check --json  # Python dependencies
  allow_failure: false

# Container scanning
container_scanning:
  stage: security
  script:
    - trivy image --severity HIGH,CRITICAL myapp:$CI_COMMIT_SHA
  allow_failure: false

# Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)
dast:
  stage: security
  script:
    - docker run -v $(pwd):/zap/wrk:rw owasp/zap2docker-stable zap-baseline.py -t https://staging.example.com -r dast-report.html
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - dast-report.html

# Security policy enforcement
security_gate:
  stage: security
  script:
    - |
      # Fail if critical vulnerabilities found
      CRITICAL=$(jq '.vulnerabilities[] | select(.severity=="CRITICAL")' sast-report.json | wc -l)
      if [ $CRITICAL -gt 0 ]; then
        echo "CRITICAL vulnerabilities found. Blocking deployment."
        exit 1
      fi

Web Application Firewall (WAF)

ModSecurity Core Rule Set (CRS):

# ModSecurity configuration
SecRuleEngine On
SecRequestBodyAccess On
SecResponseBodyAccess Off

# Include OWASP Core Rule Set
Include /etc/modsecurity/crs/crs-setup.conf
Include /etc/modsecurity/crs/rules/*.conf

# Custom rules for application
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains /admin" \
    "id:1001,\
     phase:1,\
     deny,\
     status:403,\
     msg:'Admin access attempt',\
     logdata:'IP: %{REMOTE_ADDR}'"

# SQL injection protection
SecRule ARGS "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:1002,\
     phase:2,\
     block,\
     msg:'SQL Injection detected'"

# XSS protection
SecRule ARGS "@detectXSS" \
    "id:1003,\
     phase:2,\
     block,\
     msg:'XSS attack detected'"

# Rate limiting
SecAction "id:1004,\
    phase:1,\
    initcol:ip=%{REMOTE_ADDR},\
    setvar:ip.requests=+1,\
    expirevar:ip.requests=60"

SecRule IP:REQUESTS "@gt 100" \
    "id:1005,\
     phase:1,\
     deny,\
     status:429,\
     msg:'Rate limit exceeded'"

API Security

API Authentication and Rate Limiting:

# FastAPI with security best practices
from fastapi import FastAPI, Depends, HTTPException, Security
from fastapi.security import OAuth2PasswordBearer, APIKeyHeader
from slowapi import Limiter, _rate_limit_exceeded_handler
from slowapi.util import get_remote_address

app = FastAPI()
limiter = Limiter(key_func=get_remote_address)
app.state.limiter = limiter
app.add_exception_handler(RateLimitExceeded, _rate_limit_exceeded_handler)

oauth2_scheme = OAuth2PasswordBearer(tokenUrl="token")
api_key_header = APIKeyHeader(name="X-API-Key")

# Rate limiting by endpoint sensitivity
@app.get("/api/public")
@limiter.limit("100/minute")
async def public_endpoint(request: Request):
    """Public endpoint with generous rate limit"""
    return {"message": "Public data"}

@app.get("/api/search")
@limiter.limit("20/minute")
async def search_endpoint(request: Request, token: str = Depends(oauth2_scheme)):
    """Authenticated endpoint with moderate rate limit"""
    user = verify_token(token)
    return {"results": search_data(user)}

@app.post("/api/sensitive")
@limiter.limit("5/minute")
async def sensitive_endpoint(request: Request, token: str = Depends(oauth2_scheme)):
    """Sensitive operation with strict rate limit"""
    user = verify_token(token)

    # Additional security checks
    if not user.is_authorized_for_sensitive_ops():
        raise HTTPException(status_code=403, detail="Insufficient privileges")

    # Require MFA for sensitive operations
    if not verify_mfa_token(request.headers.get("X-MFA-Token")):
        raise HTTPException(status_code=403, detail="MFA required")

    return perform_sensitive_operation(user)

# Input validation
from pydantic import BaseModel, validator, Field

class UserInput(BaseModel):
    username: str = Field(..., min_length=3, max_length=50, regex=r'^[a-zA-Z0-9_]+$')
    email: str = Field(..., regex=r'^[a-zA-Z0-9._%+-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+\.[a-zA-Z]{2,}$')

    @validator('username')
    def username_must_not_be_reserved(cls, v):
        reserved = ['admin', 'root', 'system']
        if v.lower() in reserved:
            raise ValueError('Reserved username')
        return v

Incident Response Procedures

Immediate Actions (First 30 Minutes)

Incident Classification:

Severity Criteria Response Time Escalation
P1 - Critical Active breach, ransomware, data exfiltration < 15 minutes CISO, Executive team
P2 - High Confirmed malware, unauthorized access < 1 hour Security Manager
P3 - Medium Suspicious activity, policy violation < 4 hours Security Analyst
P4 - Low Security event, false positive likely < 24 hours Queue review

Incident Response Playbook:

# Automated incident response orchestration
class IncidentResponseOrchestrator:
    def handle_security_alert(self, alert):
        """Automated incident response workflow"""
        # 1. Classify incident
        severity = self.classify_severity(alert)
        incident = self.create_incident_ticket(alert, severity)

        # 2. Initial containment (automated for known threats)
        if alert.threat_type in self.known_threats:
            self.auto_contain(alert)

        # 3. Evidence collection
        self.collect_evidence(alert)

        # 4. Notifications
        self.notify_stakeholders(incident)

        # 5. Execute playbook
        playbook = self.get_playbook(alert.threat_type)
        self.execute_playbook(playbook, incident)

    def auto_contain(self, alert):
        """Automatic containment actions"""
        if alert.threat_type == 'ransomware':
            # Isolate infected host
            self.network.quarantine_host(alert.source_host)

            # Disable user account
            self.iam.disable_user(alert.affected_user)

            # Kill malicious process
            self.edr.kill_process(alert.source_host, alert.process_id)

        elif alert.threat_type == 'data_exfiltration':
            # Block outbound connection
            self.firewall.block_ip(alert.destination_ip)

            # Revoke user session
            self.iam.revoke_sessions(alert.affected_user)

        elif alert.threat_type == 'credential_compromise':
            # Force password reset
            self.iam.force_password_reset(alert.affected_user)

            # Invalidate all sessions
            self.iam.revoke_all_sessions(alert.affected_user)

            # Require MFA re-enrollment
            self.mfa.reset_factors(alert.affected_user)

    def collect_evidence(self, alert):
        """Automated evidence collection"""
        evidence = {
            'timestamp': datetime.now(),
            'alert_details': alert.to_dict(),
            'network_logs': self.siem.get_logs(alert.source_host, hours=24),
            'endpoint_logs': self.edr.get_logs(alert.source_host),
            'memory_dump': self.edr.capture_memory(alert.source_host),
            'network_capture': self.network.capture_traffic(alert.source_host),
        }

        self.evidence_locker.store(evidence, chain_of_custody=True)

Security Metrics and KPIs

Detection and Response Metrics

Key Performance Indicators:

# Security metrics dashboard
class SecurityMetrics:
    def calculate_monthly_metrics(self):
        """Generate executive security dashboard"""
        return {
            # Detection metrics
            'mean_time_to_detect': self.calculate_mttd(),  # Target: < 24 hours
            'detection_coverage': self.calculate_coverage(),  # Target: > 90%
            'false_positive_rate': self.calculate_fpr(),  # Target: < 10%

            # Response metrics
            'mean_time_to_respond': self.calculate_mttr(),  # Target: < 1 hour
            'mean_time_to_recover': self.calculate_mttr_recovery(),  # Target: < 4 hours
            'incident_resolution_rate': self.calculate_resolution_rate(),  # Target: > 95%

            # Vulnerability metrics
            'time_to_patch_critical': self.avg_patch_time('critical'),  # Target: < 7 days
            'vulnerability_remediation_rate': self.remediation_rate(),  # Target: > 90%

            # Compliance metrics
            'mfa_enrollment_rate': self.mfa_adoption(),  # Target: 100%
            'security_training_completion': self.training_completion(),  # Target: 100%
            'policy_compliance_score': self.compliance_score(),  # Target: > 95%

            # User behavior
            'phishing_click_rate': self.phishing_test_results(),  # Target: < 5%
            'policy_violations': self.count_policy_violations(),  # Target: Decreasing trend
        }

    def calculate_mttd(self):
        """Mean Time to Detect: Time from compromise to detection"""
        incidents = self.get_incidents(last_30_days=True)
        detection_times = []

        for incident in incidents:
            if incident.compromise_time and incident.detection_time:
                delta = incident.detection_time - incident.compromise_time
                detection_times.append(delta.total_seconds() / 3600)  # hours

        return sum(detection_times) / len(detection_times) if detection_times else 0

AI-Powered Security

Defensive AI Applications:

  • Behavioral anomaly detection using machine learning
  • Automated threat hunting and pattern recognition
  • AI-assisted SOC analysts (security copilots)
  • Predictive vulnerability assessments

Offensive AI Threats:

  • AI-generated phishing campaigns (highly personalized)
  • Deepfake social engineering attacks
  • Automated vulnerability discovery and exploitation
  • Adversarial attacks against AI/ML systems

Zero Trust Architecture Adoption

Implementation Components:

# Zero Trust Architecture blueprint
zero_trust_architecture:
  identity_verification:
    - Continuous authentication (not just at login)
    - Device posture assessment
    - Behavioral biometrics
    - Risk-based adaptive MFA

  micro-segmentation:
    - Application-level network isolation
    - Software-defined perimeter (SDP)
    - Service mesh security (Istio, Linkerd)
    - API gateway with authentication

  least_privilege:
    - Just-in-time access provisioning
    - Time-bound permissions
    - Fine-grained authorization (ABAC)
    - Continuous access validation

  visibility_analytics:
    - Real-time traffic monitoring
    - User behavior analytics
    - Threat intelligence integration
    - Automated response orchestration

Cloud-Native Security

Container and Kubernetes Security:

# Kubernetes security hardening
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: secure-app
spec:
  securityContext:
    runAsNonRoot: true
    runAsUser: 1000
    fsGroup: 2000
    seccompProfile:
      type: RuntimeDefault

  containers:
  - name: app
    image: myapp:1.0.0
    securityContext:
      allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
      readOnlyRootFilesystem: true
      capabilities:
        drop:
          - ALL
        add:
          - NET_BIND_SERVICE

    resources:
      limits:
        cpu: "500m"
        memory: "512Mi"
      requests:
        cpu: "250m"
        memory: "256Mi"

  # Network policy: Deny all by default
  networkPolicy:
    policyTypes:
    - Ingress
    - Egress
    ingress:
    - from:
      - podSelector:
          matchLabels:
            app: frontend
      ports:
      - protocol: TCP
        port: 8080

Supply Chain Security

Software Bill of Materials (SBOM):

# Generate SBOM for application
syft myapp:latest -o spdx-json > sbom.json

# Scan SBOM for vulnerabilities
grype sbom:sbom.json --fail-on high

# Sign and verify artifacts
cosign sign myapp:latest
cosign verify --key cosign.pub myapp:latest

Quick Reference

Security Implementation Checklist

Network Security

  • Network segmentation implemented (DMZ, app, data tiers)
  • Next-generation firewall deployed
  • Intrusion detection/prevention systems active
  • DDoS protection configured
  • Wireless security (WPA3, network isolation)
  • VPN for remote access

Endpoint Security

  • EDR deployed on all endpoints
  • Anti-malware with real-time protection
  • Full disk encryption enabled
  • Secure boot configured
  • Mobile device management for BYOD
  • Automated patch management

Identity and Access Management

  • Multi-factor authentication enforced (100%)
  • Privileged access management deployed
  • Quarterly access reviews conducted
  • Single sign-on implemented
  • Password policy enforces complexity
  • Service accounts inventoried and managed

Data Protection

  • Data classified and labeled
  • Data loss prevention deployed
  • Encryption at rest (AES-256)
  • Encryption in transit (TLS 1.3)
  • Backup tested quarterly
  • Data retention policies enforced

Application Security

  • DevSecOps integrated into CI/CD
  • SAST/DAST in pipeline
  • Web application firewall deployed
  • API security (authentication, rate limiting)
  • Dependency scanning automated
  • Security headers configured

Incident Response

  • Incident response plan documented
  • IR team identified and trained
  • Playbooks for common scenarios
  • Tabletop exercises conducted quarterly
  • Evidence collection procedures
  • Communication templates prepared

Critical Security Controls Priority

Priority Control Impact Effort
P0 Multi-factor authentication Very High Low
P0 Endpoint protection (EDR) Very High Medium
P0 Backup and recovery Very High Low
P1 Patch management High Medium
P1 Network segmentation High High
P1 Logging and monitoring High Medium
P2 Data loss prevention Medium High
P2 Privileged access management High High
P2 Security awareness training Medium Low
P3 Zero trust architecture High Very High

Incident Response Contacts

# Incident response contact matrix
incident_contacts:
  P1_Critical:
    immediate_notification:
      - CISO
      - CTO
      - Security Operations Manager
    response_time: 15 minutes
    communication_channel: "Emergency phone bridge"

  P2_High:
    notification:
      - Security Manager
      - IT Operations Lead
    response_time: 1 hour
    communication_channel: "Slack #security-incidents"

  external_contacts:
    - Legal Counsel: legal@example.com
    - PR/Communications: pr@example.com
    - Cyber Insurance: claims@cyberinsurance.com
    - FBI IC3: www.ic3.gov (for cybercrime)
    - CISA: central@cisa.dhs.gov (for critical infrastructure)

Regulatory Compliance Quick Reference

Regulation Scope Key Requirements Breach Notification
GDPR EU citizens’ data Consent, data minimization, right to erasure 72 hours
HIPAA US healthcare PHI Administrative, physical, technical safeguards 60 days
PCI DSS Payment card data Network security, access control, monitoring Immediately
CCPA/CPRA California residents Disclosure, deletion, opt-out rights Varies
SOX US public companies Financial controls, audit trails N/A
FISMA US federal systems NIST 800-53 controls Varies by severity

Security Training Requirements

Annual Mandatory Training:

  • Security awareness basics (all employees)
  • Phishing recognition and reporting
  • Data handling and classification
  • Incident reporting procedures
  • Password and authentication best practices

Role-Specific Training:

  • Developers: Secure coding (OWASP Top 10)
  • IT Operations: Hardening and patch management
  • Executives: Board-level cyber risk
  • HR: Social engineering and insider threats
  • Legal: Data privacy regulations

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