The Metrics Manifesto : Confronting Security with Data

Security professionals are trained skeptics. They poke and prod at other people’s digital creations, expecting them to fail in unexpected ways. Shouldn’t that same skeptical power be turned inward? Shouldn’t practitioners ask: “How do I know that my enterprise security capabilities work? Are they scaling, accelerating, or slowing as the business exposes more value to more people and through more channels at higher velocities?” This is the start of the modern measurement mindset--the mindset that seeks to confront security with data. The Metrics Manifesto: Confronting Security with Data delivers an examination of security metrics with R, the popular open-source programming language and software development environment for statistical computing. This insightful and up-to-date guide offers readers a practical focus on applied measurement that can prove or disprove the efficacy of information security measures taken by a firm. The book’s detailed chapters combine topics like security, predictive analytics, and R programming to present an authoritative and innovative approach to security metrics. The author and security professional examines historical and modern methods of measurement with a particular emphasis on Bayesian Data Analysis to shed light on measuring security operations. Readers will learn how processing data with R can help measure security improvements and changes as well as help technology security teams identify and fix gaps in security. The book also includes downloadable code for people who are new to the R programming language. Perfect for security engineers, risk engineers, IT security managers, CISOs, and data scientists comfortable with a bit of code, The Metrics Manifesto offers readers an invaluable collection of information to help professionals prove the efficacy of security measures within their company. Provides predictive security metrics with R--security, analytics, and programming Massive data breaches and discussions surrounding improving technology security have been topics of intense interest over the past several years. Security failures by organizations such as Equifax, Uber, the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Republican National Committee, amongst many others, impacted millions of Americans. There is no disputing the importance of effective cybersecurity technologies and practices, yet measuring security effectiveness within corporations and other entities has proved to be a challenge. The Metrics Manifesto examines security metrics with R, the popular open-source programming language and software development environment for statistical computing. This timely, fully up-to-date guide focuses on applied measurement that proves or disproves information security effectiveness. Comprehensive, detailed chapters discuss security, predictive analytics, and programming with R. Author Richard Seiersen presents an innovative approach to security metrics, looking to fields such as the sciences and professional sports to improve measurement. A valuable tool for discovering how to improve IT security procedures, this important book: Uncovers the truths about an organization's security programs Explains how processing data with R can measure security improvements Helps technology security teams identify and rectify security weaknesses Offer practical insights from a leading security expert with two decade's experience in information security, risk management, and product development Includes a downloadable applied tutorial new R users The Metrics Manifesto: Confronting Security with Data is an essential resource for IT security managers, risk managers, statisticians, and other security professionals. "This book is predictive security metrics with R. It is a quantitative shift in security strategy and tactics that looks to the sciences, professional sports, and others for cues on measuring improvement (security, predictive analytics, and programming in R). The ultimate goal of this book is to show the truths about a corporation's security programs. This is done by confronting the program with data. That means the data coming from the program should unambiguously prove whether or not the technology team is improving the program. This book will be tool to be used in discovery how to improve IT security procedures"-- Provided by publisher