Overview#
Applying recommended settings to reduce attack surface. Guided by benchmarks like CIS and vendor hardening guides.
Core objectives#
- Establish shared definitions of Secure Configuration for security, engineering, and leadership teams.
- Connect Secure Configuration activities to measurable risk reduction and resilience goals.
- Provide onboarding notes so new team members can quickly understand how Secure Configuration works here.
Implementation notes#
- Identify the primary owner for Secure Configuration, the data sources involved, and the systems affected.
- Document the minimum viable process, tooling, and runbooks that keep Secure Configuration healthy.
- Map Secure Configuration practices to standards such as ISO/IEC 27001, NIST CSF, or CIS Controls.
Operational signals#
- Leading indicators: early warnings that Secure Configuration might degrade (e.g., backlog growth, noisy alerts, or missed SLAs).
- Lagging indicators: realized impact that shows Secure Configuration failed or needs investment (e.g., incidents, audit findings).
- Feedback loops: retrospectives and metrics reviews that tune Secure Configuration continuously.
Related practices#
- Align Secure Configuration with defense-in-depth planning, threat modeling, and disaster recovery tests.
- Communicate updates to stakeholders through concise briefs, dashboards, and internal FAQs.
- Pair Secure Configuration improvements with tabletop exercises to validate expectations.