Cyber Security
Every company needs some sort of security protection for their information system. According to Sam Musa, “The goal of information security is to ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability of the data.” Data breaches happen all the time and companies set up security systems to protect their data. There are three important factors needed to have a successful security system. The first, protecting and defending data through a cyber-security system. Second, operating and maintaining the systems set up to protect and defend data. Lastly, the investigation of data breaches and crimes that happen around the world will help adapt and improve security systems made to protect your data. The effects a cybercrime can incur are very costly and the steps needed to recover are discussed later. Cyber security is extremely important to Management Information Systems (MIS) because if you do not have security for your systems all your data could be stolen, lost, or worse shown to the public. In working in MIS, company data is all around you and it is your job to keep that data safe.
Protecting and Defending Data. In keeping a company’s data secure, the first important aspect is protecting and defending your data. According to Kris Lovejoy, “Early detection and rapid response are the best defense against rising cyber threats and sophisticated attacks.” It is important to identify threats to your system to help prevent more attacks. One way to prevent data breaches is
data and risks will help a company to design strong policies, procedures and standards that will help to keep data secure.
Data security is the responsibility of the information system team. Three responsibilities of this team are making sure the data is accurate, protecting the data from unauthorized users, and correcting the data if it is damaged. This includes protecting the system by firewalls, gouging phishing, and protecting data from a hardware or software loss.
Cyber security, also referred to as information technology security, focuses on protecting computers, networks, software programs and data from unintended or unauthorized access, change or destruction. Post 9/11 and other terrorist attacks, the United States grows its endeavors to repulse cyberattacks, U.S. corporate organizations and the government agencies wind up in strife over how to adjust to new methods of security and privacy. The current state of security measure protocols and privacy policies placed by the US government in cyberspace raises concerns for the 99%. This is due to the recent cyber-attacks on American corporate organization systems and government alike, where their digital information and network infrastructures within the systems were compromised, and personal data was hacked and stolen.
In today’s IT world every organization has a responsibility to protect the information and sensitive data they have. Protecting data is not only responsibility of security and IT staff but every individual is involved in protecting the information. The risks to information security are not digital only, but it involves technology, people and process that an organization may have. These threats may represent the problems that are associated to complex and expensive solution, but doing nothing about these risks is not the solution.
Information security enabled by technology must include the means of lowering the impact of intentional and unintentional errors entering the system and to prevent unauthorized internally or externally accessing the system actions to reduce risk data validation, pre-numbered forms, and reviews for duplications. It is crucial that the mission plan include the provision of a disaster recovery and business continuity plan. On the other hand, there is much more intrusion activity today than ever before. Obviously, there is an increased concern for attacks through companies’ network in an effort to either commit malice or affect the integrity of an organization’s most valuable resource. Therefore, it is important that companies do not get complacent in their IT infrastructure security. The fact of the matter, there is no perfect system; however, it behooves organizations to protect their information by way of reducing threats and vulnerabilities. Moreover, Whitman and Mattord (2010) said it best, “because of businesses and technology have become more fluid, the concept of computer security has been replaced by the concept of information security. Companies
“The practice of keeping data protected from corruption and unauthorized access” is known as data security (SpamLaw, 2011). The focal point of data security is the protection of
Now a day, companies are focusing and investing more on IT security, where the company’s and customers’ personal and financial information managing and storing. Certainly, more cost involves in this process. Companies who failed in security breach prevention paid and paying huge amount. Example for this is Target. This multinational grocery stores company’s data breached in 2013 this affecting its business. Furthermore, by 2015 nearly 1000 Target employees lost their jobs and the company is facing legal suits from bankers and customers.
Information systems are known to be at risk from malicious attacks, user error, and from other disasters. As technology is relied upon more heavily and computer systems become interdependent and accessible by more individuals, the susceptibility to threats increases. In addition, individuals are developing high levels of computer skills that results in an increased risk of intrusion from outsiders. The Information Security Risk Assessment will determine the assets of the company, organizational risks, the current security posture, any areas of risk for GDI, and recommend a mitigation strategy for reducing information security risks and implementing strategies to reduce these risks. Through the Information Security Risk Assessment, GDI is taking steps to ensure that the organization identifies significant risks and determines the best method to mitigate the risks.
As technology grows and information has become a critical asset companies currently are devoted their resource and money to protect their data as important as their finance and human resource assets.
While all of these technologies have enabled exciting changes and opportunities for businesses, they have also created a unique set of challenges for business managers. Chief among all concerns about technology is the issue of information security. It seems to be almost a weekly occurrence to see a news article about yet another breach of security and loss of sensitive data. Many people will remember high profile data breaches from companies such as T.J Maxx, Boston Market, Sports Authority, and OfficeMax. In the case of T.J. Maxx, a data breach resulted in the loss of more than 45 million credit and debit card numbers. In many of these incidents, the root cause is a lack of adequate security practices within the company. The same technologies that enable managers can also be used against them. Because of this, businesses must take appropriate steps to ensure their data remains secure and their communications remain
The following are steps to help manage the risk of data breaches (McAndrew & Dennis, October 2016):
The use of information technology in business presents major security challenges, poses serious ethical question, and affects society in significant ways. Especially, the computer crime is a growing threat to society and is caused by the criminal or irresponsible actions of individuals who are taking advantage of the widespread use and vulnerability of computers and the Internet and other networks. It presents a major challenge to the integrity, safety, and survival of most business systems.
Besides the data security services offered by these three companies as presented above, it’s also very important that companies take individual responsibility to establish good business data protection policy measures. Peter Rob, C. C. (2011.) elaborates that when systems are put into place, as well as procedures and policies then this can help reduce the chance of a data protection breach. It is in the best interest of an organization to ensure that sensitive data is best protected. Data should be Stored securely Peter Rob, C. C. (2011.). Another very important aspect that every company should have in place is to Control user access levels so that only authorized people are allowed to access particular data at a given time. Peter Rob, C. C. (2011.) further elaborates that data should not be released to the wrong people. For example, it is of much importance to run a security check before
Threats to critical information and systems have been evolving as the need to store information in the database increases. As technology increases in a rapid pace, so does the number of computer users. With this increase of users, the number of targets that presents itself for exploitation surges. Although, the types of targets and attacks change, classifications of attacks remain the same; exploiting user errors, hardware resources malfunction, and software weaknesses/glitches. Government and corporate agency have developed analysis of a variety of cyber-attacks and how it affects certain environments or individuals in a real world situation. The main goal is for these agencies to focus on how network simulation model have been developed for generating representative cyber-attacks and intrusion detection system. While variety of models is primarily designed to be used in testing cyber situational awareness and analysis tools, other applications can be utilized such as training analysts or public presentation could be an effective use of the model. Cyber security threats in the 21st century are in its early stages, mainly because government or corporate officials do not have the proper understanding of what is needed to develop a cyber security program or where to initiate the program for their agency or company. Public views of misconception will give new understanding on how severe cyber threats can develop within society and how individuals need to be familiarized in
Information security professional’s job is to deploy the right safeguards, evaluating risks against critical assets and to mitigate those threats and vulnerabilities. Management can ensure their company’s assets, such as data, remain intact by finding the latest technology and implementing the right policies. Risk management focuses on analyzing risk and mitigating actions to reduce that risk. Successful implementation of security safeguards depends on the knowledge and experience of information security staff. This paper addresses the methods and fundamentals on how to systematically conduct risk assessments on the security risks of information systems.