Security policy audits: why and how

TL;DR

It is argued that a systematic study of security policies and processes is sorely needed, and a research agenda is presented, exposing policy flaws affecting billions of users that are often exploited by even low-tech attackers.

Abstract

Information security isn't just about software and hardware -- it's at least as much about policies and processes. But the research community overwhelmingly focuses on the former over the latter, while gaping policy and process problems persist. In this experience paper, we describe a series of security policy audits that we conducted, exposing policy flaws affecting billions of users that can be -- and often are -- exploited by low-tech attackers who don't need to use any tools or exploit software vulnerabilities. The solutions, in turn, need to be policy-based. We advocate for the study of policies and processes, point out its intellectual and practical challenges, lay out our theory of change, and present a research agenda.