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Review Date: 2026-06-16
Reviewer: Operations Manager

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Operational Guide: Conducting a Security Impact Assessment (SIA)

This document establishes the mandatory step-by-step methodology for executing a Security Impact Assessment (SIA) for any new platform feature, user story, code deployment, or architectural adjustment. The SIA framework functions as a core gatekeeper within anDREa’s engineering lifecycle, ensuring structural alignment with ISO/IEC 27001:2023, NIS 2 (Article 21), the GDPR (Article 25 - Privacy by Design), and SOC II principles.

This guidance document undergoes mandatory evaluation and refinement annually.

1. Assessment Architecture & Scope Boundaries​

An SIA must be initiated during the planning phase of any functional change. The assessment establishes clear risk boundaries by explicitly evaluating four fundamental components:

  • Target Evaluation: The specific User Story, system modification, or third-party integration under review.
  • Asset Mapping: Every data type, software dependency, network port, and cryptographic boundary touched by the deployment.
  • Stakeholder Matrix: The designated engineering leads, security officers, and compliance reviewers responsible for the lifecycle of the feature.
  • Regulatory Mapping: Cross-border compliance mandates triggered by the change (e.g., European data locality, NIS 2 reporting timelines, or SOC II trust criteria).

2. Step-by-Step SIA Execution Lifecycle​

Engineers and Security Officers must sequentially advance through the following eight execution phases. Every phase must be formally cataloged inside the organization's central SIA Register and using the SIA Template.

Step 1: Define the User Story vs. Anti-User Stories​

  • The Intended Pathway (User Story): Draft a concise functional summary detailing the business objective, affected subsystems, and expected system behaviors.
  • The Malicious Pathway (Anti-User Stories): Systematically model how an adversary, rogue process, or malicious insider could exploit or abuse the feature.
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Example: If the User Story allows researchers to self-service modify outbound domain allowlists, the matching Anti-User Story must evaluate how an attacker could leverage this to exfiltrate data via DNS tunneling or connect a compromised VM to an external command-and-control server.

Step 2: Data Sensitivity & Classification Audit​

  • Identify all data categories interacting with the feature.
  • Classify assets against platform data governance rules: Confidential / High (PII, authentication hashes, encryption secrets), Restricted / Medium (internal configuration logs, workspace structures), or Public / Low (telemetry summaries).
  • Assess the blast radius if an Anti-User Story scenario achieves successful data exposure or corruption.

Step 3: Threat Modeling & Risk Analysis​

  • Map threat vectors using established industry frameworks such as NIST SP 800-30.
  • Evaluate the likelihood and impact using the criteria defined in the Risk Assessment Guidance document, explicitly avoiding linear mathematical multiplication in favor of Expert Security Assessments.
  • Incorporate specific NIS 2 critical dependency factors, tracking supply chain vulnerabilities and cross-tenant cascading risks.

Step 4: Compliance Framework Mapping​

Cross-reference the engineering design against international regulatory controls to ensure zero compliance regression:


┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                     REGULATORY COMPLIANCE MAPPING                      │
├───────────────────┬───────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┤
│ 🛡️ ISO 27001:2023 │ 🇪🇺 GDPR / AVG     │ 🌐 NIS 2 / SOC II              │
├───────────────────┼───────────────────┼────────────────────────────────┤
│ Map changes to    │ Enforce strict    │ Validate telemetry logging,    │
│ Annex A bounds    │ Privacy by Design │ audit trail persistence, and   │
│ (Access, Crypto). │ principles.       │ processing integrity.          │
└───────────────────┴───────────────────┴────────────────────────────────┘

Step 5: Engineer Security Controls & Mitigations​

  • Technical Controls: Implement automated defenses, including explicit parameter validation, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) triggers, rate limiting to stop brute-force behavior, and automated encryption bindings.
  • Organizational Controls: Draft supporting standard operating procedures, update tenant documentation, or modify mandatory training modules.
  • Defensive Coding: Apply OWASP Top 10 secure coding practices to eliminate code-level design flaws before compilation.

Step 6: Incident Response & Recovery Integration​

  • Formally document how the new feature hooks into the primary How to handle incident tickets.
  • Define explicit system indicators or alert rules to catch users attempting to execute an Anti-User Story pathway.
  • Validate that any data breach vectors exposed by the feature adhere to the statutory 72-hour regulatory notification window.

Step 7: Continuous Telemetry Monitoring & Metrics​

  • Define the exact Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) log parameters and audit trails produced by the feature (ensuring retention conforms to the Retention & Destruction Policy).
  • Establish specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track ongoing security behavior (e.g., volume of rejected network handshakes, unauthorized role alteration attempts).

Step 8: Document Findings & Executive Sign-Off​

  • Compile a comprehensive assessment report inside the SIA Notebook.
  • Explicitly document any remaining residual risks following control implementation.
  • Route the report to the Security Team, Compliance Officers, and Lead Engineers for formal approval, sign-off, and archival before pushing code to production.

3. Governance Roles & Responsibilities​

  • Security Team: Holds primary accountability for steering the SIA lifecycle, identifying structural threat vectors, and mandating technical mitigations.
  • Development/Engineering Squad: Responsible for implementing the required technical security controls, executing defensive coding practices, and neutralizing anti-user stories.
  • Compliance Officers: Verify that all planned alterations seamlessly conform to corporate policies, client DPAs, and cross-border data protection legislation.
  • Executive Stakeholders: Review the completed SIA dossier and formally sign off on acceptable residual risk parameters prior to release.