
✅ Read below to see how we go about creating a readiness assessment for you!
Sidechain Security — Encryption-First, Evidence-Forward
Purpose
Provide an executive-level view of your current data protection posture, identify gaps, and deliver a prioritized 30-day remediation plan to make encryption operational (governed keys, rotations, audit evidence) without slowing the business.
Outcomes (what you get in 10 business days)
- Executive Brief (slides + one-pager): findings, risk heatmap, business impact, costed options.
- Current → Target Architecture Map: where sensitive data lives; controls in place; target design (KMS/HSM, policies, logging).
- Controls & Keys Inventory: datasets, encryption type (TDE/volume/FPE/object), key locations, algorithms/lengths, owners.
- Evidence Pack Templates: key inventory, rotation calendar, approvals log, denied decrypts, TLS posture, last restore test.
- 30-Day Remediation Plan: sequenced tasks with owners, estimates, and measurable acceptance criteria.
Scope
In-scope systems (confirmed at kickoff):
- Top 5–10 crown-jewel data stores (databases, object storage, backups, logs/analytics)
- Key custody (cloud KMS, HSMs, key hierarchies, rotation, approvals)
- Identity paths that govern decrypt rights (admins/service identities)
- Logging/observability for key use and TLS posture
- Backup encryption + restore validation approach (tabletop or lab restore)
Out of scope (for this assessment): Production changes, refactors, or tool purchases (covered in follow-on implementation).
Method & Timeline
Week 1 — Discover & Baseline
Day 1: Kickoff & Success Criteria
- Stakeholders, goals, compliance drivers; confirm scope and timelines
- Define “done” for the assessment (decision gates, acceptance criteria)
Day 2: Data Inventory Workshop
- Identify PII/PHI/financial datasets, locations, data flows, SaaS exports
- Classify by sensitivity and residency requirements
Day 3: Controls Deep-Dive
- At rest (TDE/volume/FPE/tokenization), in transit (TLS/certs), in use (decrypt rights)
- Key custody review: KMS/HSM boundaries, roles, quorum, escrow/backups
Day 4: Identity & Logging
- Admin/service identity paths; approvals; break-glass
- Key-use logging sources (CloudTrail/Key Vault/Cloud KMS) → SIEM; alert health
Day 5: Backups & Restore Readiness
- Encryption of backups, immutability options; select a candidate for restore test
- Quick TLS check (sample endpoints), certificate lifecycle review
Deliverable (End of Week 1): Baseline report + draft gap register
Week 2 — Design, Evidence, & Plan
Day 6: Target Architecture & Policy
- Central key authority (KMS + HSM-backed root), separation of duties
- Time-boxed decrypt grants, approval flows, rotation SLAs
Day 7: Control Selection by System
- Database and object storage control patterns; tokenization/FPE where needed
- Logging normalization and SIEM dashboards (denied decrypt spikes, anomalies)
Day 8: Evidence Pack Setup
- Templates for keys/algorithms/lengths, rotations, approvals, TLS posture
- Define pull sources and owners; export and retention plan
Day 9: 30-Day Remediation Plan
- Sequenced backlog with dependencies, LOE, and success metrics
- Quick-win automations (e.g., enforce bucket encryption defaults, rotation jobs)
Day 10: Readout
- Exec briefing + technical deep-dive; Q&A
- Confirm next-step options (QuickStart(s), managed service)
Deliverables (End of Week 2): Executive Brief, Architecture Map, Evidence Pack templates, Controls/Keys inventory, 30-Day Plan
Workstreams & What We Evaluate
- Data Discovery & Classification — completeness, owners, residency constraints
- Encryption Controls — coverage per dataset, algorithm strength, gaps
- Key Management — custody (KMS/HSM), rotation calendar, escrow, approvals, auditability
- Identity & Access — who can decrypt (admins/services), SoD, break-glass procedures
- Observability — key-use logs, denied/failed decrypts, SIEM alerts, dashboards
- TLS & Certificates — cipher standards, expiry/renewal controls
- Backups & Recovery — encryption, immutability options, restore readiness
Success Metrics (set at kickoff)
- Encryption coverage on crown-jewel datasets (baseline → target %)
- Key rotation SLO adherence (baseline → target %)
- Evidence readiness (time to produce audit pack)
- Denied decrypt visibility (alerts tuned, false-positive rate)
- Restore confidence (documented RTO/RPO from test or tabletop)
What We Need From You
- Read-only access to cloud accounts/KMS logs (or exported samples)
- 3–5 SMEs for 60–90 minute sessions (DB, platform, security, compliance)
- Architecture diagrams (current), inventory lists (if available)
- A non-prod window for optional restore test or TLS validation
Risk Ratings & Finding Format
Each finding includes Severity (H/M/L), Impact, Likelihood, Evidence, Recommendation, Owner, and ETA.
Example: Keys stored in the same account as protected data; no rotation evidence → High. Fix: move to central key authority, enable rotation jobs, ship key-use logs to SIEM; evidence template provided.
Evidence Pack — Table of Contents (template)
- Key Inventory (CMKs/KEKs/DEKs), algorithms/lengths
- Rotation Calendar (last/next, success/fail logs)
- Access & Approvals (who can request decrypt; M-of-N as applicable)
- Denied/Failed Decrypts (trend, investigation notes)
- TLS Posture (endpoints, ciphers, expiries)
- Restore Test Report (target, timings, issues, RTO/RPO)
Next-Step Options (post-assessment)
- BYOK/CMEK QuickStart (4–6 weeks): first workloads live with time-boxed decrypt approvals and dashboards
- HSM QuickStart (4–6 weeks): HA build, quorum, secure backups, workload integration
- Managed Data Protection (DPaaS): ongoing rotation, logging, and audit-ready reporting
Commercials & Logistics (placeholders)
- Fixed fee for 2 weeks; remote-first with optional onsite workshop
- One kickoff, one mid-point sync, one final readout (exec + technical)
- Weekly status notes and a shared action tracker
Acceptance Criteria
- Baseline gaps clearly documented with evidence
- Target architecture and policies agreed in principle
- Evidence pack templates delivered and validated with sample data
- 30-day plan accepted by owners (dates, estimates, metrics)