Security Controls assessment

Security control assessment (SCA) is the formal evaluation of a security infrastructure’s individual posture against established baselines. SCA can be conducted in addition to or independently of a full security evaluation likewise penetration testing or vulnerability assessment. The goal of SCA is to ensure the effectiveness of the security controls, evaluate the quality and thoroughness of the risk management endeavors of an organization. Furthermore, SCA produces a comprehensive report of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the deployed security infrastructure.

The output of the SCA may confirm that a security control has sustained its previous level of verified effectiveness or that corrective measures must be taken to address a deficient security control. In addition to verifying the reliability of security controls in an organization, the assessment should consider whether security controls affect privacy. Furthermore, some security controls improve privacy protection, while other controls may cause privacy breach. Besides, the privacy aspect of a security control should be assessed in light of contractual obligations, regulations and the privacy policy of the organization.

The concept of evaluating the reliability of effectiveness of security controls should be established by every organization in order to develop successful security posture.