Asset Management-6
“Passwords are like underwear: you don’t let people see it, you should change it very often, and you shouldn’t share it with strangers.”
NIST Control ID.AM-6
1. Introduction: The Ensemble Cast of Cybersecurity
NIST ID.AM-6 focuses on defining cybersecurity roles and responsibilities for the entire workforce and third-party stakeholders.
2. The Celestial Spheres of Responsibility
2.1 The Sun: Leadership and Governance
Board of Directors: The gravitational center
C-Suite: The corona, radiating strategy and vision
2.2 The Inner Planets: Core Security Roles
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO): Mercury, swift and central
Security Architects: Venus, crafting beauty and structure
Security Operations Center (SOC) Earth, the living, breathing heart of daily operations
Incident Response Team: Mars, always ready for battle
2.3 The Asteroid Belt: Specialized Security Roles
Penetration Testers: Probing for weaknesses like curious space explorers
Forensic Analysts: Piecing together digital debris
Compliance Officers: Ensuring our cosmic dance follows universal laws
2.4 The Outer Planets: Supporting Roles
HR: Jupiter, the giant influencer of company culture
Legal: Saturn, ringed with regulations and policies
Finance: Uranus, tilted towards innovative resource allocation
Procurement: Neptune, the distant but crucial gatekeeper of new assets
2.5 The Comets: Third-Party Stakeholders
Vendors: Periodic visitors bringing resources
Consultants: Bright tails of expertise streaking through
Managed Service Providers: Long-period comets, always in orbit
3. The Quantum Entanglement of Roles and Responsibilities
3.1 Superposition of Duties
Cross-functional teams: Where roles exist in multiple states simultaneously
Task forces: Temporary collapse of role wavefunctions to address specific issues
3.2 Role Tunneling
Knowledge transfer: Information leaping across traditional role barriers
Skill development: Employees tunneling through to new role possibilities
4. The Dark Matter of Unofficial Roles
4.1 Shadow IT Shamans
Unofficial tech support: The unseen force helping colleagues
Innovation insurgents: Those who bring new tools under the radar
4.2 Security Evangelists
Passionate employees spreading security consciousness
The water cooler warriors fighting phishing with conversation
5. The Multiverse of Perspectives
5.1 The Engineer's Dimension
Viewing security as a technical challenge
Building robust systems and fail-safes
5.2 The Analyst's Parallel Universe
Pattern recognition across vast data landscapes
Connecting dots others don't even see
5.3 The Manager's Time Stream
Balancing present security needs with future visions
Nurturing talent and growing capabilities
5.4 The End User's Reality
Navigating daily security decisions
Being the last line of defense against threats
6. The Evolutionary Adaptation of Roles
6.1 Role Mutation
Adapting to new threats and technologies
Hybrid roles emerging to fill unique niches
6.2 Natural Selection of Skills
Continuous learning as a survival trait
Outdated skills facing extinction
7. The Ecosystem of Accountability
7.1 Symbiotic Relationships
How roles support and depend on each other
The delicate balance of shared responsibilities
7.2 Invasive Species: Threat Actors
Understanding the roles within adversarial groups
Mapping internal roles to counter external threats
8. The Alien Landscapes of Emerging Roles
8.1 AI Ethics Officer
Ensuring artificial intelligence aligns with security values
Bridging the gap between machine learning and human judgment
8.2 Quantum Security Specialist
Preparing for the post-quantum cryptography world
Safeguarding against future quantum computing threats
8.3 Digital Twin Coordinator
Managing virtual replicas of physical and digital assets
Simulating security scenarios in a risk-free environment
9. The Galactic Federation: Standardizing Roles Across Organizations
9.1 NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework
A common language for cybersecurity work
Aligning organizational roles with industry standards
9.2 ISO 27001 and Role Definition
Integrating role management with broader information security standards
Ensuring roles meet international best practices
Conclusion: The Ever-Expanding Universe of Cybersecurity Roles
In the vast cosmos of cybersecurity, roles and responsibilities are not fixed stars but dynamic, evolving entities. By embracing the complexity and interconnectedness of these roles, organizations can create a resilient, adaptive security posture ready for whatever the universe throws their way.
As you implement NIST ID.AM-6, don't just create a static map of your cybersecurity universe. Instead, build a living, breathing ecosystem that can evolve with the challenges of tomorrow.
