Product Overview - Technology Risk Manager (TRM) is an analytics software application that enables senior business, financial, and technology managers the ability to measure IT Risk based on regulatory compliance and the effectiveness and adherence of their security implementations and policies in large-scale organizations. The result is communicated in the form of the Prevari Risk Index (see Our Approach for detailed description) via a technical dashboard as well as the most common industry audit reporting templates. Performance dashboards and graphs can also be published for delivery on a corporate intranet site or via summary reports. A web interface allows multiple divisions to answer the compliance questions online.

TRM Inputs - The technical inputs to TRM are collected via an organization’s existing security scanner(s) and include all network ports, services, and vulnerability data. This data is analyzed based on host characteristics and adjacencies for insertion into the TRM client database. Each system can then be catalogued based on what risk view(s) (organization type, device type, geographic location, support group, compliance standard, business process, etc.) are most relevant to the security posture. Regardless of the system’s function, the same measuring system is used enabling business owners to understand what specific risks apply in which parts of their environment.

Further input is collected via the audit and compliance activity used in conformance with ISO-17799, HIPAA, PCI, DITSCAP/DIACAP, and other industry standards commonly used today that describe the technical, administrative, and physical attributes of an organization’s information environment and computing network.

Last, the technology controls that are currently implemented in the environment to improve security are layered into the model to illustrate how the environment is truly configured. Examples of these controls include 2-Factor Authentication, Encrypted File Systems, IDS/IPS systems, etc. The risk indices are further modified by modeling additions, deletions, or modifications to technical controls in the environment and the processes found in the scan data. The result is a comprehensive, proactive view of the technology environment’s security risk as represented by the PRI.

TRM Simulations and Comparative Analysis - In addition, simulations can be performed for compliance or technology controls using the same methods as the deployed environment and model comparisons can be viewed to determine change across time or compare geography, business units, support groups, device types, or business processes.

TRM Outputs - The flash based TRM dashboard provides executives and engineers the ability to view a risk index relevant to their role in the organization. For senior management, TRM uses a statistical approach that establishes a mean, standard deviation, and variance. These concepts are applied across user selectable views that consider individual hosts, business units, geographies, and the entire organization as an aggregate. For security technologists, a complete list of processes and hosts are provided with their PRI to aid in analysis and near term steps for improvement. Regardless of whether or not an individual has a technology background, managers at senior and departmental levels have the metrics they need to make both strategic and tactical business decisions - metrics that are objective, quantitative, repeatable, and defensible.

The output provides the ability to generate compliance and audit reports that will satisfy the most rigorous auditing process. Whether the organization uses internal or third party auditors, TRM allows a single platform to embrace the most common regulatory templates and relate decisions made in the areas of compliance directly to the overall state of risk. These reports are modular in nature and can be tailored to the specific organization's needs.

Technical Specifications – TRM is client-server application. The front-end application and client are offered on the Microsoft .NET framework. It uses Microsoft SQL Server 2005 as its backend database and can be operated in a one, two or three-tiered architecture. TRM deploys encrypted communication between client and server and uses .NET security enabled remote access for the web client, administration tool, and database. All communication ports are configurable. It runs on 32- or 64-bit architecture. Supported operating systems include: MS XP Pro, MS Windows Server 2003, and Vista. It requires MS Word 2003 and one of the following web browsers: Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari. TRM currently accepts scan file input from Nessus, Harris, Foundstone, and ISS with other scan inputs available for a small development fee.