Summary

SecurityHelpers.psm1 uses Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss' which produces a timestamp with no timezone information. Replace with Get-StandardTimestamp from CIHelpers.psm1 for consistent ISO 8601 UTC timestamps across all log outputs.

Current Behavior

The module generates timestamps using Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss', which produces a local time string with no timezone indicator (e.g., 2025-01-15 10:30:00). This makes it impossible to determine the actual UTC time of the event.

Expected Behavior

The module uses Get-StandardTimestamp from CIHelpers.psm1, producing ISO 8601 UTC timestamps ending in Z (e.g., 2025-01-15T18:30:00.0000000Z).

Root Cause

The module was developed independently and chose a human-readable but timezone-ambiguous format. This predates the shared timestamp utility.

Files Requiring Changes

Fix Guidance

1. Verify Get-StandardTimestamp is available (requires Issue Add Get-StandardTimestamp utility to CIHelpers module #993 merged first).
2. Find Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss' usage and replace with Get-StandardTimestamp.
3. Ensure CIHelpers.psm1 is imported (add import if not present).
4. Update any Pester tests that assert on timestamp format.

Depends on: #993 (Get-StandardTimestamp utility)

RPI Framework Starter Prompts

Phase 1: Research

Select Task Researcher from the agent picker at the bottom of the GitHub Copilot Chat prompt pane, then send the following prompt:

Research timestamp standardization in SecurityHelpers.psm1. Investigate: (1) Read the target module and find all timestamp usages (exact line numbers). (2) Verify Get-StandardTimestamp is available in CIHelpers.psm1 (from Issue #993). (3) Determine whether the module already imports CIHelpers.psm1 or needs an import added. (4) Check existing Pester tests for timestamp-related assertions that may need updating. (5) Identify any callers that depend on the current timestamp format (the yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss string). (6) Review codecov.yml patch coverage requirements.

Phase 2: Plan

Select Task Planner from the agent picker at the bottom of the GitHub Copilot Chat prompt pane, then send the following prompt:

Plan timestamp standardization for SecurityHelpers.psm1 using the research document. The plan should cover: (1) Replacing the timezone-ambiguous timestamp expression with Get-StandardTimestamp call. (2) Importing CIHelpers.psm1 if not already imported. (3) Updating Pester tests to verify the new ISO 8601 UTC timestamp format. (4) Checking any downstream consumers that may parse the old format. (5) Validation: npm run test:ps, npm run lint:ps.

Phase 3: Implement

Select Task Implementor from the agent picker at the bottom of the GitHub Copilot Chat prompt pane, then send the following prompt:

Implement timestamp standardization for SecurityHelpers.psm1 following the plan. Steps: (1) Replace Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss' with Get-StandardTimestamp at the identified line numbers. (2) Add CIHelpers.psm1 import if needed. (3) Update Pester test assertions for timestamp format. (4) Run npm run lint:ps and npm run test:ps. (5) Verify the security JSON output contains a standardized UTC ISO 8601 timestamp.

Phase 4: Review

Select Task Reviewer from the agent picker at the bottom of the GitHub Copilot Chat prompt pane, then send the following prompt:

Review timestamp standardization for SecurityHelpers.psm1. Verify: (1) The timezone-ambiguous timestamp expression is replaced with Get-StandardTimestamp. (2) CIHelpers.psm1 is imported if it wasn't already. (3) Output timestamps are ISO 8601 UTC ending in Z. (4) No other logic was changed. (5) Pester tests updated and passing. (6) npm run lint:ps clean.

References

• scripts/security/Modules/SecurityHelpers.psm1 — target module
• scripts/lib/Modules/CIHelpers.psm1 — Get-StandardTimestamp source
• Depends on: Add Get-StandardTimestamp utility to CIHelpers module #993