The High-Level Test Plan (HLTP) guidelines, as part of the SWIFT CSP Independent Assessment Framework (IAF), provide instructions for assessing compliance with CSCF controls. The question asks whether selecting only one component (e.g., a SWIFT connector, middleware server, or back-office system) from the SWIFT secure zone is a representative sample for testing:

Step 1: Understand the SWIFT Secure Zone

The SWIFT secure zone is a segregated environment containing all SWIFT-related components critical to transaction processing, including connectors (e.g., SWIFT Alliance Gateway), middleware servers, and back-office systems (CSCF v2024, Control 1.1 –SWIFT Environment Protection). These components collectively form the "SWIFT footprint."

Step 2: HLTP Guidelines on Sampling

The HLTP requires assessors to test a "representative sample" of systems to verify compliance. However, the guidelines emphasize that the sample must cover the "full scope of the SWIFT environment" to ensure all critical components and their interactions are assessed (IAF, Section 3 – Assessment Methodology). Selecting only one component (e.g., just the connector) ignores the others (middleware and back-office), which may have different security configurations or risks.

Step 3: Application to the Scenario

In this case, the secure zone comprises three distinct components. Testing only one (e.g., the connector) would not provide a comprehensive view of the secure zone’s compliance with controls like 1.1 (environment protection), 2.1 (system hardening), or 4.2 (MFA). The HLTP expects a sample that reflects the diversity and interdependence of these components, not a single point.

Conclusion: No, selecting only one component is not a representative sample per HLTP guidelines, as it fails to address the full scope and complexity of the SWIFT secure zone.