CSA STAR is the industry’s most powerful program for security assurance in the cloud. STAR encompasses key principles of transparency, rigorous auditing, harmonization of standards, with continuous monitoring also available in late 2015. STAR certification provides multiple benefits, including indications of best practices and validation of security posture of cloud offerings.
STAR consists of three levels of assurance, which currently cover four unique offerings all based upon a succinct yet comprehensive list of cloud-centric control objectives in the CSA’s Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM). CCM is the only meta-framework of cloud-specific security controls, mapped to leading standards, best practices and regulations. CCM provides organizations with the needed structure, detail and clarity relating to information security tailored to cloud computing.
The STAR program includes a complimentary registry that documents the security controls provided by popular cloud computing offerings. This publicly accessible registry is designed for users of cloud services to assess their cloud providers, security providers and advisory and assessment services firms in order to make the best procurement decisions.