A quick and dirty background on applying the Agile framework to security operations. Scrum in your SOC!

1. The Agile SoC
Get the most from your security team

2. ““Agile is not just a
methodology, but a set
of principles and
philosophy.”
- Pearl Zhu

3. Agile…Huh?
ü Set of principles for software development under which
requirements and solutions evolve through the collaborative effort
of self-organizing cross-functional teams
ü Advocates adaptive planning, evolutionary development, early
delivery, and continuous improvement, and it encourages rapid
and flexible response to change

4. In the Beginning…
ü 1950’s – IBM started using iterative & incremental software
development methods
ü 1970’s - Evolutionary project management & adaptive software
development
ü 1990’s - Rapid application development, extreme programming,
scrum
ü 2001 - The Manifesto for Agile Software Development

5. The Skinny
Responding to change Following a plan
Rapid iterations Big-Bang campaigns
Testing & data VS Opinions & conventions
Many small experiments A few large bets
Individuals & interactions One size fits all
Collaboration Silos & hierarchies

6. The Flavors Du Jour
ü Scrum
ü Kanban

7. Scrum!
ü Iterative & incremental process for structuring work
ü Leverages commitment as change agent
ü Face-to-face communication / close online collaboration
ü Gamification of work

8. Scrum-ptious
ü Small team spending a short time building small things
ü Time boxed & cross-functional teams
ü Prioritized product backlog
ü Three roles - product owner, scrummaster, & team
ü Team velocity based
ü No new items mid-sprint
ü Scrum board reset every iteration
ü Work only on those items that fit into the iteration
ü Daily stand-ups

9. Roles & Ceremonies
ü Roles
Product Owner
ScrumMaster
Team
ü Ceremonies
Sprint Planning
Daily Stand-up
Sprint Review
Sprint Retrospective

10. The Quick & Dirty On Scrum
ü Product owner creates a prioritized list
ü team selects top item(s) from backlog
ü Sprint (2-4 weeks) — team meets each day to assess progress
ü Scrummaster keeps the team focused
ü Hand work to customer / show to a stakeholder
ü Sprint review & retrospective
ü Rinse & repeat

11. Scrum Workflow

12. Kanban!
ü Based on 3 basic principles
Visualize what you do today (workflow)
Limit the amount of work in progress (WIP)
Enhance flow
ü Plan – Do – Study – Adapt (PDSA) approach

13. You Can Kanban
ü Work split into pieces
ü Limited in progress items for a specific workflow
ü Not timed boxed
ü No prescribed roles
ü New items can be added anytime within the pre-decided limit
ü Board not reset & can be changed by anyone on team
ü Story points & velocity not used
ü No prescribed product backlog
ü Daily stand-ups common

14. Kanban Board

15. Our Story
Welcome to our crazy world

16. Change…Why?
ü Better organization of process improvements
ü Prioritization of high impact items
ü Increased work throughput & (some) predictability
ü Easier to track planned & handle unplanned work
ü Better resilience to changes
ü Minimized planning & coordination
ü Greater ability to gauge growth over time

17. You like Sticky Notes…Right?
ü Sprint zero 100% sticky notes
ü No speed record attempts….yet
ü Brain training
ü Gamification of work
ü Work to establish realistic team velocity
ü Reinforce team mentality

18. Evolution
ü Sticky Notes to Jira
ü More realistic in sprint velocity
ü Honest & direct team communication / feedback
ü Full recognition of importance of ceremonies
ü Less “I” & a whole lot more “team”
ü Ask for help

19. Scrum Backlog

20. Active Sprint

21. Sprint Burn-down chart

22. Sprint Retrospective

23. Challenges & Setbacks
ü Moving to Scrum calls for a culture shift
ü Establishing a groove – training is necessary
ü Makes it difficult not to be a team player
ü Breaking down classic silos
ü Accountability
ü Distraction from BAU – Discipline!

24. Resources / Tools
ü Tools
Jira
Trello
ServiceNow – Visual Tasks Boards
VersionOne
ü http://www2.cprime.com/Agile-Impeditments-Webinar
ü https://www.cprime.com/resources/what-is-agile-what-is-scrum
ü https://www.atlassian.com/agile/how-to-do-scrum-with-jira-software

25. thanks!