Security Audit and Monitoring

Security Audit and Monitoring are critical components of a comprehensive security management program within the CISSP framework. Security Audits are formal, systematic inspections of an organization's security controls, policies, and procedures to verify compliance with established security requirements. Audits provide point-in-time assessments that evaluate if security controls are implemented correctly, operating as intended, and producing desired outcomes. Key aspects include examining access controls, configuration management, incident response procedures, and business continuity plans. Audits may be internal (conducted by staff) or external (performed by third parties), and can be scheduled regularly or triggered by specific events. Security Monitoring is the continuous observation of systems, networks, and environments to detect security events and anomalies in real-time. Monitoring provides ongoing visibility into an organization's security posture through tools like Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions, and log management systems. Effective monitoring enables organizations to identify potential security incidents, track user activities, detect unauthorized access attempts, and recognize abnormal behavior patterns. The relationship between auditing and monitoring is complementary. Monitoring provides real-time security awareness, while auditing offers periodic deep assessment. Together, they form a defense-in-depth approach that helps organizations maintain security compliance, identify vulnerabilities, and respond to incidents promptly. Best practices include establishing clear audit scopes and schedules, implementing automated monitoring tools, correlating events across systems, developing incident response procedures based on monitoring alerts, maintaining audit trails, and regularly reviewing monitoring effectiveness. Both functions support key CISSP domains including Security Assessment and Testing, Security Operations, and Security and Risk Management.

Security Audit and Monitoring are critical components of a comprehensive security management program within the CISSP framework. Security Audits are formal, systematic inspections of an organization…

Concepts covered: Continuous Security Auditing, Security Information and Event Management, Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems, Log Management, Access Control Monitoring, Risk Assessment and Mitigation, Security Metrics and Reporting, Configuration Management and Compliance, Vulnerability Assessment and Management, Security Auditing Principles, Forensic Readiness and Investigation