Security configuration management (SCM) is essential for the success of an organization’s overall security posture. This integral function of a holistic cybersecurity program targets the configurations of elements in the IT environment such as operating systems, applications, network devices, cloud assets, databases, servers, directory services, POS terminals, and workstations. Configuration security is important because misconfigurations continue to prove popular attack vectors for cybercriminals attempting to access private systems and data.

What Is Security Configuration Management?

SCM is a central process in cybersecurity where configuration settings across a digital environment are assessed, corrected when necessary, and regularly monitored for changes that could result in a security breach or non-compliance with regulatory standards. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines security configuration management as “The management and control of configurations for an information system to enable security and facilitate the management of risk.”

Large organizations with complex digital environments have thousands of configurations to manage. This process is inordinately time-consuming (if not altogether impossible) if done manually, so many organizations rely on automated SCM solutions that scan for misconfigurations. The more closely configurations are monitored, the quicker security teams can act to block their associated attack vectors.

Organizations that only monitor configurations intermittently are more likely to experience configuration drift, wherein configurations deviate over time without the organization's awareness — allowing misconfigurations to linger undetected.

How Does Security Configuration Management Work?

What is the security configuration management process? Like most of the key processes of cybersecurity, SCM isn’t a one-step operation, but rather a continual effort including discovery, baselining, change detection, and remediation.

Asset Discovery

The first step of SCM is to ensure that all assets and their current configurations are accounted for in a centralized repository. These assets must also be categorized and tagged appropriately to ensure effective configuration management. Automated SCM solutions that scan continuously can identify new assets as soon as they appear.

Configuration Baselining

Misconfigurations can only be found and fixed when there is a secure baseline with which to compare them. Determining the correct configuration for each asset may seem daunting, but best practice frameworks like the Center for Internet Security (CIS) and NIST provide prescriptive configuration benchmarks to follow.

Change Detection

After all assets are detected, categorized, and have their baselines established, it’s time to determine how frequently to run a configuration policy assessment. SCM solutions allow you to set assessment schedules and view the resulting data. For example, a centralized dashboard can provide instant visibility into the amount and severity of misconfigurations throughout the organization.

Remediation

The final component of the continuous process of SCM is remediation of unauthorized, unsecure, or non-compliance changes. Strong SCM solutions will provide clear, detailed remediation guidance to enable security teams to quickly return configurations back to their secure baseline states. Effective SCM solutions also do the heavy lifting in terms of prioritizing misconfigurations based on their associated risks.

Benefits of SCM

Compliance

Keeps systems aligned with regulatory requirements like the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)

Recovery Time

Reduces time-to-recovery after a misconfiguration occurs, minimizing the opportunity for bad actors

Security Hardening

Shrinks the attack surface of the organization, hardening it against cyberattacks by eliminating misconfigurations

Visibility

Provides clear visibility into configuration states across an entire organization

Automation

Cuts manual effort by automating asset discovery, assessment, and remediation guidance

System Integrity

Increases overall system integrity and is an integral part of integrity management

The Importance of Security Configuration Management

Misconfigurations are one of the most popular attack vectors for threat actors. Most default configuration settings are designed for ease of use, not security, so it’s vital to have solutions in place to detect and correct configurations that leave systems exposed.

How to Choose the Right SCM Tool

When exploring SCM solutions, it's important to consider several key factors based on your organization’s size, complexity, and needs. Take the following aspects of a potential SCM solution into account to ensure it is robust to help you achieve your cybersecurity and compliance goals.

Covered operating systems and applications
Thorough and continuous asset discovery

Remote device support

Built-in compliance standards and benchmarks

Policy editing and customization

Integration with other IT tools

Scalability

Security Configuration Managment Solutions from Fortra’s Tripwire

Tripwire is your ally in integrity management, here to help you detect and neutralize threats with superior security and continuous compliance.

Tripwire Enterprise

Tripwire® Enterprise is the leading integrity monitoring solution, using file integrity monitoring (FIM) and SCM. Backed by decades of experience, it's capable of advanced use cases unmatched by other solutions.

Tripwire ExpertOps

Tripwire ExpertOps℠ is a managed cybersecurity service that equips you with the advice and support needed to protect your data from cyberattacks while maintaining regulatory compliance.

FAQs

What is the primary goal of security configuration management?

The primary goal of SCM is to reduce IT misconfigurations to protect organizations against cyberattacks and help them successfully maintain regulatory compliance.

How do you prevent security misconfigurations?

Organizations prevent security misconfigurations by using SCM to identify and categorize all configurations within their IT environment, define secure baselines, and continually run policy tests against those baselines.

What are the most common configuration mistakes?

Some of the most common mistakes people make regarding misconfigurations are leaving default configuration settings in place, allowing lax permissions settings, and leaving unnecessary ports and services open.

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Security Configuration Management