CSA STAR – The Answer to Less Complexity and Higher Level of Compliance

By John DiMaria, Assurance Investigatory Fellow, Cloud Security Alliance

CSA STAR enables a higher level of compliance, data governance, reduced risk and more cost-effective management of your security and privacy system

We just launched a major refresh of the CSA STAR (Security, Trust and Assurance Risk) program, and if you were at the CSA Summit at RSA, you got preview of what’s in store. So let me put things in a bit more context regarding the evolution of STAR.

The more complex systems become, the less secure they become, even though security technologies improve. There are many reasons for this, but it can all be traced back to the problem of complexity. Why? Because we give a lot of attention to technology, and we have increased silos of a plethora of regulations and standards. Therefore, we become fragmented and too complexed.

The adversary works in the world of the stack, and that complexity is where they thrive.
Ron Ross, Senior Scientist and Fellow at NIST

Complexed systems:

• have more independent processes and that creates more security risks.
• have more interfaces and interactions and create more security risks.
• are harder to monitor and therefore, are more likely to have untested, unaudited portions.
• are harder to develop and implement securely.
• are harder for employees and stakeholders to understand and be trained on.

By using a single system for the ongoing management of compliance, regulatory, legal, and information security obligations, overlapping requirements can be identified, efficiencies leveraged, and greater visibility and assurance provided to the organization.

CSA STAR: Built to Support

To respond to these growing business concerns, the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) created the Cloud Control Matrix (CCM). Developed in conjunction with an international industry working group, it specifies common controls which are relevant for cloud security and is the foundation on which the three pillars of CSA STAR are built.

In the same approach, we recently released the GDPR Code of Conduct (CoC). The GDPR CoC shows adherence to GDPR privacy requirements, streamlines contracting, accelerates sales cycles and provides assurance to the cloud customer of data privacy in conjunction with CSA STAR.

CSA STAR is being recognized as the international harmonized solution, leading the way of trust for cloud providers, users, and their stakeholders, by providing an integrated cost-effective solution that decreases complexity and increases trust and transparency while enabling organizations to secure their information, protect against cyber-threats, reduce risk, and strengthen their information governance. It creates trust and accountability in the cloud market with increasing levels of transparency and assurance. What's more, it provides the solution to an increasingly complex and resource-demanding compliance landscape by providing technical standards, an integrated certification and attestation framework, and public registry of trusted data.

The STAR Registry documents the security and privacy controls provided by popular cloud computing offerings. This publicly accessible registry allows cloud customers to assess their security providers in order to make the best procurement decisions and also to manage their supply-chain. Additionally, it allows cloud service providers (CSPs) to benchmark themselves against like CSPs in their industry.

STARWatch can then be used for benchmarking and/or third-party risk management. STARWatch is a SaaS application to help organizations manage compliance with CSA STAR Registry requirements. STARWatch delivers the content of the CCM and Consensus Assessments Initiative Questionnaire (CAIQ) in a database format, enabling users to manage compliance of cloud services with CSA best practices.

While it is understood that ISO/IEC 27001, the international management systems standard for information security, and SOC 2 are both widely recognized and respected, their requirements are more generic. As such, there can be a perception that they do not focus on certain areas of security that are critical for particular sectors, such as cloud security, in enough detail.

By adopting STAR as an extension of your ISO/IEC 27001 or SOC 2 System, you’ll be sending a clear message to existing and potential customers that your security systems are robust and have addressed the specific issues critical to cloud security.

STAR Certification can boost customer and stakeholder confidence, enhance your corporate reputation, and give your business a competitive advantage.

Take the STAR Challenge

Take the first step in evaluating how your organization stacks up against the CCM. Fill out the self-assessment using the CAIQ and the CCM. You can then upload your information into the STAR Registry, taking credit for your compliance efforts.

Additionally you can evaluate yourself against the GDPR Code of Conduct. Just fill out the self-assessment, which can then be uploaded to the STAR Registry, along with your Statement of Adherence . Our team of experts will evaluate your submission and either respond with questions or approve your submission for posting. Again, you'll be making a major statement about your compliance posture.

Once you have completed this step (or along the way) you can make decisions on whether there is a business case to move into Level 2 (certification and/or attestation).

Contact us to find out more about CSA STAR and the opportunities available for you to contribute and have a voice in this growing area of increasing trust and transparency in the cloud.