In simple words, what is OSSTMM🤔?

OSSTMM stands for Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual.

It's a comprehensive methodology for security testing, maintained by the Institute for Security and Open Methodologies (ISECOM). It's freely available and peer-reviewed for ongoing improvement.

What's its purpose?

Scientific Approach to Operational Security:

OSSTMM goes beyond simply checking if security controls are in place. It aims to assess how well those controls function in the real world.

Through a series of tests and examinations, it helps identify weaknesses that might be missed by traditional methods.

By analysing the results scientifically, organisations gain a more objective understanding of their true security posture.

Improved Decision Making:

Traditional security assessments often provide a list of vulnerabilities without much context.

OSSTMM goes a step further by providing metrics that quantify the risk associated with each vulnerability.

This allows organisations to prioritise their resources and focus on addressing the most critical security gaps first.

With data-driven insights, decision-makers can allocate budgets and manpower more effectively.

Consistent and Reliable Testing:

OSSTMM offers a standardised methodology, ensuring consistency in how security assessments are conducted.

This allows for comparing results over time and across different projects.

Consistency also helps maintain professionalism during security audits and penetration tests.

Identifying Underlying Issues:

OSSTMM isn't just about technical vulnerabilities. It also delves into human factors and process weaknesses.

By testing how susceptible employees are to social engineering or how secure workflows are, OSSTMM helps identify underlying issues that could be exploited by attackers.

Improved Communication and Transparency:

The standardised reporting format (STAR) promotes clear and concise communication of security findings.

This ensures all stakeholders, from technical teams to management, have a clear understanding of the security posture and the identified risks.

Beyond Penetration Testing:

While OSSTMM is well-suited for penetration testing, its application is broader.

It can be used for vulnerability assessments, security audits, and even red teaming exercises.

This versatility makes it a valuable tool for a comprehensive security program.

What does it cover?

OSSTMM provides a structured approach to testing various aspects of an organisation's security, including:

• Physical security: This involves testing the security of your physical locations, access controls, and security measures.

• Human security: This involves testing how susceptible employees are to social engineering attacks and other human-based threats.

• Workflow security: This involves testing the security of your business processes and procedures to identify vulnerabilities.

• Network security: This involves testing the security of your data networks, wireless networks, and telecommunications systems.

• Compliance: OSSTMM can help you ensure your security posture meets relevant industry standards and regulations.

Key strengths

Adaptable Framework:

Tailored Assessments: OSSTMM isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. It provides a flexible framework that can be customized to meet the specific needs of an organization.

Consider an e-commerce company versus a healthcare provider. Their security priorities will differ. OSSTMM allows you to tailor the testing process to focus on the most critical areas for each organisation.

Multi-purpose Methodology: OSSTMM's adaptability extends beyond the target. It can be used for various security assessments, including:

Penetration Testing: Simulating real-world attacker scenarios to identify exploitable weaknesses.

Vulnerability Assessments: Systematically identifying, classifying, and prioritising existing vulnerabilities.

Red Teaming: Evaluating an organisation's security posture from the attacker's perspective through simulated attacks.

Security Audits: Examining security controls and procedures for compliance with industry standards or internal policies.

Metrics-Driven Approach:

Quantification of Risk: OSSTMM goes beyond simply identifying vulnerabilities. It emphasises measuring the potential impact of each vulnerability.

This is done through assigning severity levels and exploit-ability scores.

By quantifying risk, organisations can prioritise their remediation efforts based on potential damage, focusing on the vulnerabilities that pose the greatest threat.

Bench-marking Progress: The use of metrics allows for tracking progress over time.

By conducting regular assessments with OSSTMM, organisations can measure the effectiveness of their security controls and identify areas for improvement.

This data-driven approach allows for a continuous security improvement cycle.

Standardized Reporting (STAR):

Clear Communication: The Security Test Audit Report (STAR) format ensures consistent and professional reporting of security findings.

This standardised format uses a common terminology and structure, making it easy for all stakeholders, regardless of technical background, to understand the identified risks and recommendations.

Improved Collaboration: Having a standardised reporting format facilitates collaboration between security professionals and management.

Clear and concise reports enable effective communication of security risks and their potential business impact, leading to better decision-making around security investments.

Streamlined Comparisons: The STAR format allows for easy comparison of security assessments conducted at different points in time or across different projects.

This helps identify trends and measure the overall effectiveness of the security program.

Additional Strengths:

Open Source and Community Driven: Being freely available and maintained by a community of security experts fosters continuous improvement and innovation within the methodology.

This also allows for customisation and the incorporation of the latest security threats and techniques.

Focus on Human Factors: While many security methodologies focus solely on technical vulnerabilities, OSSTMM recognises the importance of human factors in security breaches.

By including social engineering testing and workflow security assessments, OSSTMM provides a more holistic view of an organisation's security posture.

Limitations to consider

While freely available, certifications for OSSTMM professionals exist, which may require additional investment.

The current version (OSSTMM 3.02) was published in 2010, so some may consider it not as cutting-edge as other methodologies.

__________________________________________________________________

Overall, OSSTMM provides a valuable framework for organizations seeking a structured and scientific approach to improving their operational security.