ITIL 4 Reference Guide
Applied ITIL 4 Principles in Lab Environment
Demonstrating professional service management practices in cybersecurity lab documentation
🎯 ITIL 4 Guiding Principles
1. Focus on Value
- Lab Application: Every security control and documentation serves stakeholder needs
- Documentation Focus: Clear ROI and business impact of security measures
2. Start Where You Are
- Lab Application: Assess current security posture before implementing changes
- Documentation Focus: Baseline assessments and current state analysis
3. Progress Iteratively with Feedback
- Lab Application: Implement security controls in phases, gather metrics
- Documentation Focus: Version control, change logs, lessons learned
4. Collaborate and Promote Visibility
- Lab Application: Transparent documentation, stakeholder communication
- Documentation Focus: Clear reporting, dashboard metrics, team updates
5. Think and Work Holistically
- Lab Application: Consider entire attack surface and defense ecosystem
- Documentation Focus: End-to-end process documentation
6. Keep It Simple and Practical
- Lab Application: Avoid over-engineering security solutions
- Documentation Focus: Clear, actionable procedures
7. Optimize and Automate
- Lab Application: Streamline security processes, reduce manual tasks
- Documentation Focus: Automation scripts, workflow optimization
📋 ITIL 4 Service Value Chain
Plan
- Security Context: Risk assessment, compliance requirements
- Lab Documentation: Architecture diagrams, threat models
Improve
- Security Context: Continuous security improvement
- Lab Documentation: Performance metrics, optimization recommendations
Engage
- Security Context: Stakeholder security awareness
- Lab Documentation: Communication plans, training materials
Design & Transition
- Security Context: Secure system design, change management
- Lab Documentation: Design documents, testing procedures
Obtain/Build
- Security Context: Secure procurement, development practices
- Lab Documentation: Build procedures, security validations
Deliver & Support
- Security Context: Security operations, incident response
- Lab Documentation: Runbooks, monitoring procedures
🔄 ITIL 4 Practices (Security-Focused)
General Management Practices
| Practice | Security Application | Lab Documentation | |———-|———————|——————-| | Architecture Management | Security architecture design | Network diagrams, security zones | | Continual Improvement | Security posture enhancement | Metrics, recommendations | | Information Security | Core security controls | Policies, procedures, controls matrix | | Knowledge Management | Security documentation | Knowledge base, lessons learned | | Monitoring and Event | Security monitoring | SIEM configurations, alert procedures | | Portfolio Management | Security project prioritization | Project roadmaps, resource allocation | | Risk Management | Cybersecurity risk assessment | Risk registers, mitigation plans |
Service Management Practices
| Practice | Security Application | Lab Documentation | |———-|———————|——————-| | Availability Management | Security service uptime | SLA metrics, availability reports | | Business Analysis | Security requirements gathering | Requirements documents, use cases | | Capacity Management | Security tool performance | Capacity planning, scaling procedures | | Change Enablement | Security change management | Change procedures, approval workflows | | Incident Management | Security incident response | Incident procedures, escalation matrix | | Problem Management | Root cause analysis | Problem records, knowledge articles | | Service Desk | Security support operations | Ticket procedures, knowledge base |
Technical Management Practices
| Practice | Security Application | Lab Documentation | |———-|———————|——————-| | Deployment Management | Secure deployment practices | Deployment guides, security checks | | Infrastructure Management | Security infrastructure | Configuration guides, hardening procedures | | Software Development | Secure coding practices | Code reviews, security testing |
📊 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Security Metrics Aligned with ITIL 4
- Mean Time to Detect (MTTD): Average time to identify security incidents
- Mean Time to Respond (MTTR): Average time to respond to security incidents
- Change Success Rate: Percentage of security changes implemented successfully
- Availability: Uptime of security services and monitoring systems
- Compliance Rate: Percentage of controls meeting compliance requirements
🛠Lab Implementation Checklist
Documentation Standards
- Clear objectives and success criteria
- Risk assessment and mitigation strategies
- Step-by-step procedures with screenshots
- Validation and testing procedures
- Lessons learned and improvement recommendations
ITIL 4 Alignment
- Value stream mapping for security processes
- Stakeholder identification and communication plan
- Change management procedures
- Incident response procedures
- Continuous improvement metrics
Professional Presentation
- Executive summary with business impact
- Technical documentation with diagrams
- Appendices with supporting materials
- Version control and change history
- Contact information and escalation procedures
📚 Quick Reference Commands
Common Security Operations
# Log analysis
tail -f /var/log/auth.log | grep -i failed
# Network monitoring
netstat -tuln | grep LISTEN
# Process monitoring
ps aux | grep -E "(suspicious|unknown)"
# File integrity
find /etc -type f -mtime -1
Documentation Templates
- Incident Report: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How
- Change Request: Objective, Scope, Risk, Rollback Plan
- Lessons Learned: What Worked, What Didn’t, Recommendations
This reference guide demonstrates the application of ITIL 4 principles in cybersecurity lab environments, ensuring professional documentation and service management practices.
Last Updated: July 24, 2025
Version: 1.0
Author: Steven Loucks - WGU BSCSIA Program