What is the appropriate role of the security analyst in the application system development or acquisition project?
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A. B. C. D.B.
The correct answer is "control evaluator & consultant"
During any system development or acquisition, the security staff should evaluate security controls and advise (or consult) on the strengths and weaknesses with those responsible for making the final decisions on the project.
The other answers are not correct because: policeman - It is never a good idea for the security staff to be placed into this type of role (though it is sometimes unavoidable)
During system development or acquisition, there should be no need of anyone filling the role of policeman.
data owner - In this case, the data owner would be the person asking for the new system to manage, control, and secure information they are responsible for.
While it is possible the security staff could also be the data owner for such a project if they happen to have responsibility for the information, it is also possible someone else would fill this role.
Therefore, the best answer remains "control evaluator & consultant"
application user - Again, it is possible this could be the security staff, but it could also be many other people or groups.
So this is not the best answer.
The appropriate role of a security analyst in an application system development or acquisition project is primarily that of a control evaluator and consultant.
A security analyst should act as a trusted advisor to the project team, providing guidance and recommendations on how to develop or acquire a system that meets security requirements and adheres to industry best practices. They should work with the project team to identify potential security risks and help determine appropriate controls to mitigate those risks.
Additionally, a security analyst should evaluate the security controls implemented during the development or acquisition process to ensure that they are effective in protecting the system and the data it processes. They should also review the system's design and implementation to ensure that security requirements are appropriately integrated throughout the development process.
While a security analyst is responsible for evaluating and recommending controls, they should not act as a policeman, enforcing security policies and procedures. That responsibility lies with the security team or the project's designated security officer.
Similarly, while a security analyst should be knowledgeable about the data processed by the system, they are not the data owner, and their role is not to dictate how the data should be managed or protected. The data owner is typically a business or functional unit within the organization.
Finally, a security analyst is not an application user, although they may interact with the system during the course of their work. Their focus is on evaluating and recommending security controls, not on using the system to accomplish specific business tasks.