The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the following is essential:

Assessment must confirm sufficient knowledge of security products and organisational security policy.

Assessment must confirm the ability to establish realistic ground rules for security product procedures.

To demonstrate competency in this unit the following resources will be needed:

Risks to the mission/business resulting from IT-related risks

Probability, frequency and severity of direct and indirect harm, loss or misuse of the IT system

Security environment relating to relevant laws/legislation, existing organisational security policies, organisational expertise and knowledge that may be relevant

Security environment also includes the threats to security that are, or are held to be, present in the environment

Risk analysis tools/methodologies

IT security assurance specifications

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Design covers:

Resilience of the system to security breaches

Layered security

Risk management in relation to overall system

Levels of security across system

Upgrade/scalability of system and security controls

Ease of implementation of security controls

This unit involves organisational polices and procedures for information security, process security, internet technology security, communications security, wireless security and physical security.

The breadth, depth and complexity involving analysis, design, planning, execution and evaluation across a range of technical and/or management functions including development of new criteria or applications or knowledge or procedures would be characteristic.

Competency in this unit will include observation of real or simulated procedures and polices, security plans and risk assessment strategies.

Breadth, depth and complexity of knowledge and competencies would cover a broad range of varied activities in a wider variety of contexts, most of which are complex, evolving and critical in nature.

Performance of a broad range of skilled applications, including requirements to evaluate and analyse current security practices and developing new criteria in a risk environment.

Assessment must ensure:

application of a significant range of fundamental principles and complex techniques across a wise and often unpredictable variety of contexts in relation to either varied or highly specific functions. Contribution to the development of a broad plan, budget or strategy may be involved and accountability and responsibility for self and others in achieving the outcomes may also be characteristic.

Applications involve significant judgement in planning, design, technical or leadership/guidance functions related to products, services, operations or procedures would be common.

Method of assessment

The purpose of this unit is to define the standard of performance to be achieved in the workplace. In undertaking training and assessment activities related to this unit, consideration should be given to the implementation of appropriate diversity and accessibility practices in order to accommodate people who may have special needs. Additional guidance on these and related matters is provided in ICA05 Section 1.

Competency in this unit should to be assessed using summative assessment to ensure consistency of performance in a range of contexts. This unit can be assessed either in the workplace or in a simulated environment with specific emphasis on due process of policy creation assessment. However, simulated activities must closely reflect the workplace to enable full demonstration of competency.

Assessment will usually include observation of real or simulated work processes and procedures and/or performance in a project context as well as questioning on underpinning knowledge and skills. The questioning of team members, supervisors, subordinates, peers and clients where appropriate may provide valuable input to the assessment process. The interdependence of units for assessment purposes may vary with the particular project or scenario.

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

ICAA6052B Design an IT security framework

An individual demonstrating this competency would be able to:

Demonstrate understanding of specialised knowledge with depth in some areas

Analyse, diagnose, design and execute judgement across a broad range of technical or management functions

Generate ideas through the analysis of information and concepts at an abstract level

Demonstrate a command of wide-ranging, highly specialised technical, creative or conceptual skills

Demonstrate accountability for personal outputs within broad parameters

Demonstrate accountability for personal and group outcomes within broad parameters

Required skills

Analysis and risk assessment data gathering techniques

Problem solving skills for an evolving complex scenario of security threats

Ability to provide accurate and concise insights to possible security threats for all levels of staff, both technical and managerial

Ability to manage group facilitation and presentation skills in relation to transferring and collecting information (e.g. when senior management and auditor approval is obtained for the design of the controls)

Required knowledge

Security testing methodology for performing security tests

Information security risk assessment

Process security for policies and procedures

Internet technology security, including firewalls

Communications security, including human organisational interactions

Wireless security

Physical security

Current industry-accepted security processes, including general features and capabilities of software and hardware solutions

Broad general knowledge of privacy issues and legislation (e.g. when specifying appropriate controls)

Broad general knowledge of ethics in IT (e.g. when reviewing audit needs)

Risk analysis, including broad knowledge of general features incorporating substantial depth in some areas (e.g. when designing controls to be incorporated in system)

Broad knowledge of general features of specific security technology incorporating substantial depth in some areas (e.g. when specifying appropriate controls and for designing controls to be incorporated in system)

Privacy (e.g. when designing controls to be incorporated in system)

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Security environment

Includes legislative requirements, organisational security policies, internal and external expertise and threat assessment plans

The security environment also includes the threats to security that are, or are held to be, present in the environment and in human social and organisational interaction

Stakeholders may include:

sponsor

user

development team

project team

Organisational guidelines may include but are not limited to:

personal use of emails and internet access

content of emails

downloading information and accessing particular websites

opening mail with attachments

virus risk

dispute resolution

document procedures

templates

communication methods

financial control mechanisms

Requirements may be in reference to:

business

system

network

people in the organisation

Security plan

A systematic process of controls identified by the organisation to be enforced. May contain social, physical and logical controls to safeguard organisational integrity

Security policy may be in relation to:

theft

viruses

standards (including archival, back-up, network)

privacy

audits and alerts; usually relates directly to the security objectives of the organisation

Security threats may include but are not limited to:

weaknesses in internet networks

local applications or LAN connections; keyboard logging, eavesdropping, data tampering and manipulation; impersonation, penetration and by-pass actions

Security strategy includes:

privacy

authentication

authorisation and integrity

usually forms part of the overall objectives of the organisation

Risk assessment includes:

developing risk plans

gathering information

identifying threats

evaluating threats

developing scenarios

ranking risk

identifying counter measures

reporting

following up