SCAP Security Guide

SCAP Security Guide
Name	SCAP Security Guide
Developer	Red Hat
Released	2012
Programming language	Python, Ansible
Operating system	Fedora, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS
License	GPL

SCAP Security Guide is an open-source project that provides machine-readable security guidance and compliance content for configuring Fedora Project, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and related distributions. It supplies automated profiles, rules, and remediation scripts that map to standards such as National Institute of Standards and Technology, Defense Information Systems Agency, and Center for Internet Security baselines, enabling reproducible configuration and auditing across enterprise environments. The project intersects with projects and organizations in the open-source ecosystem including Ansible (software), OpenSCAP, and CPE (Common Platform Enumeration) initiatives.

Overview

The guide compiles prescriptive security profiles, rule definitions, and remediation code to enforce configuration baselines on hosts running Linux kernel-based distributions such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS, and Fedora Project. It integrates with assessment tools like OpenSCAP, policy frameworks like Security Content Automation Protocol, and automation platforms including Ansible (software), allowing mapping to compliance frameworks from National Institute of Standards and Technology, Defense Information Systems Agency, and Center for Internet Security. The content format follows taxonomies such as Common Configuration Enumeration, Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures, and Common Platform Enumeration to provide traceability between rules, vulnerabilities, and platforms.

History and Development

Initial efforts emerged alongside government-driven efforts to standardize machine-readable security guidance, influenced by publications and programs from National Institute of Standards and Technology and policy work at Department of Homeland Security (United States Department of Homeland Security). The project received contributions from corporate stakeholders including Red Hat, Inc. and community contributors active in projects like OpenSCAP and Ansible (software). Over successive release cycles the codebase expanded to support multiple profiles aligned with mandates and assessment program requirements from agencies such as Defense Information Systems Agency and international standards bodies like International Organization for Standardization. Significant milestones include integration with configuration management tooling championed by contributors from Red Hat, Inc. and coordination with standards efforts at National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Architecture and Components

The guide's architecture comprises modular content files, remediation scripts, and profile metadata that interoperate with assessment engines such as OpenSCAP and automation engines like Ansible (software). Core components include XCCDF-structured profile definitions influenced by Security Content Automation Protocol specifications, OVAL definitions referencing Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures, and remediation templates in shell, Python, and Ansible (software). Metadata uses identifiers from Common Platform Enumeration and mappings to guidance from National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publications. Integration points exist for systems management tools used in enterprises such as Red Hat Satellite and configuration automation frameworks championed by projects like Ansible (software) and Puppet (software).

Security Content and Policies

Content bundles provide profiles that implement controls drawn from standards and mandates including NIST Special Publication 800-53, DISA Security Technical Implementation Guides, and benchmarks published by Center for Internet Security. Rules target configuration settings in subsystems such as systemd, OpenSSH, and Audit (Linux), while remediations use scripts compatible with distribution packaging from Red Hat, Inc. and configuration orchestration from Ansible (software). Each rule ties to identifiers from taxonomies like Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures and Common Platform Enumeration, enabling correlation with vulnerability data curated by projects such as Mitre Corporation and published guidance from National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Use Cases and Integration

Administrators use the content to automate compliance verification and remediation in environments managed with orchestration tools such as Ansible (software), Red Hat Satellite, and monitoring solutions adopted by enterprises including those using Prometheus (software). Auditors employ assessment outputs from engines like OpenSCAP to demonstrate adherence to mandates set by National Institute of Standards and Technology and Defense Information Systems Agency. DevOps teams integrate rule remediations into pipelines alongside configuration management systems like Puppet (software) and orchestration stacks referencing Kubernetes, while security operations teams correlate findings with vulnerability feeds maintained by Mitre Corporation and advisories from vendors such as Red Hat, Inc..

Adoption, Community, and Governance

Adoption has concentrated around distributions maintained by Red Hat, Inc. and community projects such as CentOS and Fedora Project, with contributions from individual developers and organizations participating in the OpenSCAP ecosystem. Governance models reflect open-source collaboration patterns common among projects associated with Red Hat, Inc. and standards bodies like National Institute of Standards and Technology, with content stewardship often coordinated through mailing lists, issue trackers, and upstream repositories used by contributors affiliated with institutions including MITRE Corporation and commercial vendors. The project aligns with broader initiatives in security automation and compliance driven by agencies such as Defense Information Systems Agency and research centers influenced by Carnegie Mellon University.

Category:Computer security software