Configuration review assessment is a process that involves evaluating the configuration of an organization's IT systems, infrastructure, and devices to ensure that they meet the security standards and compliance requirements. The assessment helps to identify any configuration errors, vulnerabilities, and weaknesses in the system's configuration. The following are the what, how, and why of configuration review assessment:

What is Configuration Review Assessment?

Configuration review assessment is an evaluation of an organization's IT systems, infrastructure, and devices to ensure they are configured properly to meet the security standards and compliance requirements. It involves examining the settings, configurations, and policies used in the IT environment, identifying potential security gaps and vulnerabilities, and recommending best practices to improve the security posture of the organization.

How Configuration Review Assessment Works?

Configuration review assessment is conducted by evaluating the configuration of IT systems, infrastructure, and devices using a combination of manual and automated techniques. The process involves a thorough examination of the configuration settings and policies used in the IT environment, including firewalls, routers, switches, servers, and workstations. The assessment typically includes the following steps:

1. Identifying the scope and objectives of the assessment
2. Gathering information about the IT environment, including network topology, security policies, and system configurations
3. Conducting a risk assessment to identify potential vulnerabilities and threats
4. Performing a configuration review to identify any configuration errors or weaknesses
5. Analyzing the results of the assessment and recommending best practices to improve the security posture of the organization.

Why Configuration Review Assessment is Important?

Configuration review assessment is important for several reasons, including:

1. Identifying potential security gaps and vulnerabilities in the IT environment
2. Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards
3. Improving the security posture of the organization
4. Reducing the risk of security incidents and data breaches
5. Ensuring the proper functioning of IT systems and infrastructure.

Overall, configuration review assessment is a critical process that helps organizations to identify and address potential security gaps and vulnerabilities in their IT environment. This can help to prevent security incidents, ensure compliance, and improve the overall security posture of the organization.

Here is a step-by-step approach and methodology to conduct a configuration review assessment:

1. Define the Scope: Define the scope of the assessment, including the systems and devices to be reviewed, the types of configuration settings to be assessed, and any specific security policies and standards that apply.
2. Develop Assessment Criteria: Develop assessment criteria based on industry standards and best practices. This can include frameworks such as CIS Controls or NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
3. Conduct the Assessment: Conduct the assessment, reviewing the configurations of systems and devices against the assessment criteria. This can be done using automated tools, manual review, or a combination of both.
4. Identify Findings: Identify any findings or deviations from the assessment criteria. This can include misconfigurations, missing patches, or insecure settings.
5. Analyze Findings: Analyze the findings to determine their impact on the security posture of the organization. Prioritize the findings based on the risk they pose to the organization.
6. Develop Recommendations: Develop recommendations for remediation of the findings, including specific actions to be taken and timelines for completion.
7. Present Findings and Recommendations: Present the findings and recommendations to key stakeholders in the organization, including IT and security personnel, and senior management.
8. Monitor Progress: Monitor progress on remediation efforts and re-assess configurations periodically to ensure ongoing compliance with assessment criteria and security policies.

Overall, a configuration review assessment involves a thorough review of system and device configurations against established assessment criteria to identify potential security risks and develop recommendations for remediation. By following a systematic and comprehensive approach, organizations can ensure that their systems and devices are configured securely and in accordance with industry best practices.