vCISO vs CISO AI. “Firing can’t keep” – who’s who?

The publication of Open AI for public access has stirred the minds of people around the world. And owners immediately wondered what processes could be automated and who could be fired.

There is still a long way to go until CISOs are automated, but it is a tool that should be taken into account. One of the main functions of the CISO is to be proactive in strategic planning, adequately analyze risks, applying effective compensatory measures and make decisions in a timely manner. Of course, GPT can not do such things (which is good, because in this case you would be out of a job), but it is quite possible to quickly prepare data, templates and instructions, references and other information. The kind of secretary-assistant that CISOs typically could not afford.

Over the past 3 years since the pandemic began, everyone has gotten used to remote work and remote CISOs are not a significant issue. Whereas 5 years ago, it was hard to imagine that such a position would be held by someone with whom you did not know personally.

Let’s look at a few examples of interaction.

1. Filling out the SAQ A (PCI DSS basic self-assessment sheet).

   • Fill SAQ A.

   I apologize, but I cannot fill SAQ A without additional information. Please provide me with the specific SAQ A you are referring to so that I can assist you better.

   • We are a product company that uses the services of a third-party payment solution.

   Based on the information provided, it appears that you are looking for a response to a statement of assertion or a short answer question related to your product company’s use of a third-party payment solution. However, without a specific question or assertion to respond to, I am unable to provide a helpful answer.

   Please provide me with more specific information or context, and I will do my best to assist you.

   • What information is needed to complete SAQ A?

    

   SAQ A typically refers to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) Self-Assessment Questionnaire A, which is a set of questions designed to assess the security of merchants that process credit card payments.

   If you are looking to complete SAQ A, you will need to gather information about your organization’s payment processing system, including:

   1. The types of payment channels your organization uses (e.g., point-of-sale, e-commerce, mail/telephone order).
   2. The number of transactions your organization processes annually.
   3. The types of credit and debit cards your organization accepts (e.g., Visa, MasterCard, American Express).
   4. The name of your third-party payment solution provider.
   5. The specific payment processing methods and protocols used by your third-party payment solution provider.
   6. The level of access your organization has to cardholder data.
   7. Your organization’s network architecture and configuration.
   8. Your organization’s security policies and procedures for protecting cardholder data.

   By gathering this information, you will be able to answer the questions in SAQ A and assess your organization’s compliance with PCI DSS.

2. Regulatory documents on information security

   • List the main information security documents for PCI DSS Compliance.

   To achieve PCI DSS compliance, payment card industry merchants are required to develop and maintain a set of information security documents that outline their security policies, procedures, and controls. Here are the main information security documents that are typically required for PCI DSS compliance:

   1. Information Security Policy: This is a high-level document that outlines the organization’s overall information security objectives, policies, and responsibilities. It provides a framework for the organization’s information security program and sets the tone for all other security documents.
   2. Risk Assessment: A formal risk assessment is required to identify and prioritize potential security threats and vulnerabilities in the organization’s payment processing environment. The risk assessment should be conducted regularly and updated as new threats emerge.
   3. Security Awareness Training: This document outlines the organization’s security awareness training program, including the topics covered, the frequency of training, and the target audience.
   4. Incident Response Plan: This document outlines the organization’s procedures for detecting, responding to, and reporting security incidents. It should include procedures for incident investigation, containment, and recovery.
   5. Data Retention and Disposal Policy: This policy outlines the organization’s procedures for the retention and disposal of sensitive cardholder data, including requirements for secure storage and destruction.
   6. Access Control Policy: This policy outlines the organization’s procedures for controlling access to cardholder data, including user authentication, authorization, and access monitoring.
   7. Network Security Policy: This policy outlines the organization’s procedures for securing its network infrastructure, including firewalls, routers, and switches.
   8. Vulnerability Management Policy: This policy outlines the organization’s procedures for identifying and remediating vulnerabilities in its payment processing environment.
   9. Penetration Testing Policy: This policy outlines the organization’s procedures for conducting penetration testing to identify potential security vulnerabilities in its payment processing environment.
   10. System Configuration Standards: This document outlines the organization’s procedures for configuring and hardening its payment processing systems to minimize the risk of security breaches.

   By developing and maintaining these information security documents, payment card industry merchants can demonstrate their compliance with PCI DSS and protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of cardholder data.

   • Prepare Access Control Policy

   Access control is a critical component of information security, and a well-defined access control policy is essential for ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive data. Here is a template for an access control policy that can be used as a starting point for creating your own policy:

   1. Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for controlling access to the organization’s payment processing environment and sensitive cardholder data.
   2. Scope: This policy applies to all employees, contractors, and third-party service providers who have access to the organization’s payment processing environment.
   3. Roles and Responsibilities: The access control policy should define the roles and responsibilities of all individuals who have access to the payment processing environment, including their access levels and the procedures for granting and revoking access.
   4. Authentication: The access control policy should define the procedures for authenticating users who access the payment processing environment. This may include the use of strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and biometric authentication.
   5. Authorization: The access control policy should define the procedures for authorizing access to sensitive data and payment processing systems. This may include the use of role-based access control, mandatory access control, and discretionary access control.
   6. Monitoring and Logging: The access control policy should define the procedures for monitoring and logging access to the payment processing environment. This may include the use of intrusion detection and prevention systems, log analysis tools, and audit trails.
   7. Incident Response: The access control policy should define the procedures for responding to security incidents that involve unauthorized access to sensitive data or payment processing systems. This may include procedures for investigation, containment, and recovery.
   8. Compliance: The access control policy should define the procedures for ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and standards, including PCI DSS.
   9. Enforcement: The access control policy should define the consequences of non-compliance with the policy, including disciplinary actions and termination of employment or contracts.

   By establishing a clear and comprehensive access control policy, payment card industry merchants can protect sensitive data and payment processing systems from unauthorized access and ensure compliance with PCI DSS. It is important to regularly review and update the policy to reflect changes in the payment processing environment and emerging security threats.

3. Risk calculation

   • I need to prepare a risk analysis as PCI DSS required

   As a payment card industry merchant, it is required that you conduct a formal risk analysis as part of your PCI DSS compliance program. A risk analysis is a systematic process of identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing potential security threats and vulnerabilities that could compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of cardholder data.

   To conduct a risk analysis, follow these steps:

   1. Identify the assets: Begin by identifying all the assets that are involved in your payment processing environment. This includes hardware, software, data, and personnel.
   2. Identify the threats: Once you have identified the assets, you need to identify the potential threats that could compromise their security. This includes external threats, such as hacking and malware, as well as internal threats, such as unauthorized access and employee negligence.
   3. Assess the vulnerabilities: Assess the vulnerabilities in your payment processing environment that could be exploited by the identified threats. This includes software vulnerabilities, weak passwords, and insecure configurations.
   4. Determine the likelihood and impact: Determine the likelihood of each identified threat occurring and the potential impact if it were to occur. This will help you prioritize which threats to address first.
   5. Develop a risk management plan: Based on the likelihood and impact of each threat, develop a risk management plan that includes controls and procedures to mitigate the identified risks.
   6. Review and update regularly: Finally, it is important to review and update your risk analysis regularly to ensure that it remains relevant and effective in addressing new and emerging threats.

   By following these steps, you can conduct a thorough risk analysis that will help you identify and prioritize potential security threats and vulnerabilities, and develop a risk management plan that is effective in protecting cardholder data.

   • Which risk analysis methodology should I use?

   The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) does not prescribe a specific risk analysis methodology that merchants must use. However, PCI DSS requires that merchants use a formal, systematic approach to risk analysis that is consistent with industry best practices.

   Some commonly used risk analysis methodologies that are consistent with industry best practices include:

   1. NIST SP 800-30: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-30 is a widely recognized risk management framework that provides a structured approach to risk analysis.
   2. ISO 27005: The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27005 standard provides a systematic approach to risk management that is consistent with ISO 27001, a widely recognized information security management standard.
   3. FAIR: Factor Analysis of Information Risk (FAIR) is a quantitative risk analysis methodology that uses a mathematical model to estimate the likelihood and impact of potential security threats.
   4. OCTAVE: Operationally Critical Threat, Asset, and Vulnerability Evaluation (OCTAVE) is a risk assessment methodology that focuses on identifying and prioritizing critical assets and potential threats.
   5. SANS: The SANS Institute provides a risk management framework that includes a structured approach to risk analysis.

   When selecting a risk analysis methodology, it is important to consider the specific needs and requirements of your organization and the payment processing environment. The chosen methodology should be tailored to the specific risks and threats faced by your organization and should provide a structured, systematic approach to risk analysis that is consistent with industry best practices.

As can be seen from the above examples, OpenAI still does not have the competence of experience and knowledge of a profile specialist, but it has a huge amount of processed data, speed and the ability to adapt. It is worth admitting that the routine tasks of searching and preparing templates, presentations, documents, squeezes, etc. can greatly simplify life when interacting.

To replace CISO this tool has not yet succeeded (but for now, who knows how far and how quickly the development will go), but it is necessary to use it. For example, to understand in time, that Open AI has become cooler than you :-).