Auditing the Security Architecture of an E-commerce Environment

A.

When auditing the security architecture of an e-commerce environment, the first step an IS auditor should take is to review the criteria used for selecting the firewall. The firewall is a crucial component of any security architecture, and it plays a critical role in protecting the e-commerce environment from cyber-attacks. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the firewall meets the organization's security needs.

The criteria used for selecting the firewall should be reviewed to ensure that they are appropriate for the e-commerce environment. This may include reviewing the security policies and procedures to understand the organization's security objectives, assessing the security risks and threats, and understanding the types of traffic that need to be allowed through the firewall.

Once the criteria used for selecting the firewall have been reviewed, the auditor can then review the configuration of the firewall to ensure that it has been properly configured. This includes verifying that the firewall is configured to allow only the necessary traffic, that it is configured to block unauthorized traffic, and that it is configured to log and monitor traffic.

The auditor can also review the location of the firewall within the network to ensure that it is placed in a strategic location. This may include assessing the network topology, understanding the flow of traffic within the network, and reviewing the physical security controls in place.

Finally, the auditor can review alternate firewall arrangements to ensure that there are backup systems in place in case the primary firewall fails. This may include reviewing the organization's disaster recovery plan and assessing the effectiveness of the backup systems.

In summary, while all of the answers are important components to review when auditing the security architecture of an e-commerce environment, the criteria used for selecting the firewall should be the first step in the process.