Security Risk Essays (Examples)

To offer an information security awareness training curriculum framework to promote consistency across government (15).

Security awareness is needed to ensure the overall security of the information infrastructure. Security awareness programs is the can help organizations communicate their security information policies, as well as tips for users, to help keep systems secure, and the practices the entire organization should be utilizing. However, as Kolb and Abdullah reiterate, "security awareness is not about training but rather designed to change employee behavior" (105).

A program concerning security awareness should work in conjunction with the information technology software and hardware JCS utilizes. In this way, it mitigates the risks and threats to the organization. Security awareness is a defensive layer to the information system's overall security structure. Although not a training program, per se, security awareness does provide education to the end users at JCS, regarding the information security threats the organization faces,…

References

"An Introduction to Computer Security: The NIST Handbook." National Institute of Standards and Technology, SP 800-12, (Oct 1995). Web. 24 Oct 2010.

Anti-virus Guidelines. The SANS Institute, 2006. Web. 24 Oct, 2010.

Culnan, M., Foxman, E., & Ray, A. "Why IT Executives Should Help Employees Secure their Home Computers." MIS Quarterly Executive 7.1 (2008): 49-56. Print.

Desktop Security Policies. The SANS Institute, 2006. Web. 24 Oct, 2010.

Security eport

In the present day, organizations are reliant on information in order to continue being relevant and not become obsolete. To be specific, organizations are reliant on the controls and systems that have been instituted in place, which provide the continuing privacy, veracity, and accessibility of their data and information (Lomprey, 2008). There is an increase and rise in threats to information contained within organizations and information systems (Lomprey, 2008). There is also a rise in the intricacy of such systems and information, which places emphasis on the importance for organizations to understand and gain an understanding of how to better safeguard their information as well as information systems. As stated by Briggs (2005), globalization has instigated the world to become a global village. This, in turn, has increased the level of complexity and intricacy of the information security aspect of the organizations across the world. There is greater…

References

Alfawaz, S. M. (2011). Information security management: a case study of an information security culture (Doctoral dissertation, Queensland University of Technology).

Ashenden, D. (2008). Information Security management: A human challenge? Information security technical report, 13(4), 195-201.

Briggs, R. (2005). Joining Forces From national security to networked security. DEMOS.

Chang, S. E., Ho, C. B. (2006). Organizational factors to the effectiveness of implementing information security management. Industrial Management and Data Systems, 106 (3): 345-361.

The most appropriate products that could be used by MMC to achieve this objective would be: IP San and a Snap Lock. An IP San is a fiber optic channel that can provide secure real time data to each location. Where, software and security applications can be adapted to the current system that is being used. The Snap Lock is: a security software that can be used to provide an effective way for each location to retrieve, update and change information.

Support for why these procedures and products are the optimal approach for this organization

The reason why these different procedures and products were selected was: to reduce the overall risk exposure of the company's external threats. The current system that is being used by MMC increases risks dramatically, by having a number of different systems, where financial information is stored. If any one of these systems is vulnerable, there…

Bibliography

IP San (2010). Retrieved May 27, 2010 from Net App website:  http://www.netapp.com/us/products/protocols/ip-san/ip-san.html 

Snap Lock Compliance and Snap Lock Enterprise Software. (2010). Retrieved May 27, 2010 from Net App website:  http://www.netapp.com/us/products/protection-software/snaplock.html 

Mason, J. (2010). How to Bullet Proof Your DR Plan. Retrieved May 27, 2010 from Net App website:  http://www.netapp.com/us/communities/tech-ontap/tot-data-recovery-plan-0908.html

Security Plan: Pixel Inc.

About Pixel Inc.

We are a 100-person strong business dedicated to the production of media, most specifically short animations, for advertising clients worldwide. Our personnel include marketing specialists, visual designers, video editors, and other creative staff.

This security plan encompasses the general and pragmatic characteristics of the security risks expected for our business and the specific actions that aim to, first and foremost, minimize such risks, and, if that's not possible, mitigate any damage should a breach in security happen.

Scope

The measures to be taken and the assigned responsibilities stated in this document apply to all the departments that make up the company. Exemptions can be given but will be only under the prerogative of the CEO under the consultation of the Chief Security Officer that will be formally assigned after the finalization of this document. Otherwise, there will be no exception to the security…

Bibliography

Internet Securit Alliance. (2004). Common sense guide to cyber security for small businesses. Retrieved from:  http://www.ready.gov/business/_downloads/CSG-small-business.pdf .

Microsoft. (2004). Step-by-step guide to securing Windows XP Professional in Small Businesses. Retrieved from:  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=9faba6ed-2e9c-44f9-bc50-d43d57e17078 .

Noriega, L. (24 May 2011). Seven Cyber Security Basics Every Small Business Needs. Retrieved from:  http://www.openforum.com/articles/7-cyber-security-basics-every-small-business-needs .

Teixeira, R. (4 June 2007). Top Five Small Business Internet Securit Threats. Retrieved from:  http://smallbiztrends.com/2007/06/top-five-small-business-internet-security-threats.html .

Both types -- qualitative and quantitative -- have their advantages and disadvantages. One of the most well-known of the quantitative risk metrics is that that deals with calculation of annual loss expectancy (ALE) (Bojanc & Jerman-Blazoc, 2008). ALE calculation determines the monetary loss associated form a single occurrence of the risk (popularly known as the single loss exposure (SLE)). The SLE is a monetary amount that is assigned to a single event that represents the amount that the organizations will potentiality lose when threatened. For intangible assets, this amount can be quite difficult to assess.

The SLE is calculated by multiplying the monetary value of the asset (AV) with the exposure factor (EF). The EF represents the percentage of loss that a threat can have on a particular asset. The equation, therefore, is thus: SLE=AV*EF. Applying this practically, if the AV of an e-commerce web server is $50,000 and a…

Reference

Bojanc, R. & Jerman-Blazoc, B. (2008), An economic modelling approach to information security risk management. International Journal of Information Management 28 (2008) 413 -- 422

Chowdhary, A., & Mezzeapelle, M.A. (n.d.) Inforamtion Security metrics. Hewlett Packard.

Pedro, G.L., & Ashutosh, S. (2010). An approach to quantitatively measure Information security 3rd India Software Engineering Conference, Mysore, 25-27

Most developed economies, however, allow the market to set exchange rates, only influencing currency values through indirect means such as the increased or reduced sale of bonds to foreign entities and individuals, or through other means of international wealth exchange. Essentially, all manipulations of exchange rates and actions based on predictions of exchange rates are focused on the forward exchange rate, or the predicted rate of exchange between two currencies at a future point in time.

The spot exchange rate, on the other hand, is the rate of exchange at the current moment in time. It is through a comparison of the spot rate and the forward rate of exchange -- inasmuch as it can be predicted with any accuracy -- that companies and businesses make decisions that affect either the exchange rate itself (in the case of some governments, notably China in the modern period), or more often make…

References

Christofferson, Peter F. Elements of Financial Risk Management. San Diego: Elsevier Sciences, 2003.

Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks. Interest Rate Risks. 1997. Accessed 19 March 2010.  http://www.occ.treas.gov/handbook/irr.pdf 

Cusatis, Patrick and Martin R. Thomas. Hedging Instruments and Risk Management. New York: McGraw Hill, 2005.

Dun & Bradstreet. Financial Risk Management. New Delhi: McGraw Hill, 2008.

Phishing Spea Phishing and Phaming

The following is intended to povide a vey bief oveview of examples of some the most dangeous and pevasive secuity isks in the online and netwoked wold. One of the most insidious of identity theft is known as phishing. The tem 'phishing' efes to the pactice of "fishing fo infomation." This tem was oiginally used to descibe "phishing" fo cedit cad numbes and othe sensitive infomation that can be used by the ciminal. Phishing attacks use "…spoofed emails and faudulent websites to deceive ecipients into divulging pesonal financial data, such as cedit cad numbes, account usenames and passwods, social secuity numbes etc." (All about Phishing) . Thompson ( 2006) clealy outlines the basics of a phishing attack.

A typical phishing sends out millions of faudulent e-mail messages that appea to come fom popula Web sites that most uses tust, such as eBay, Citibank, AOL, Micosoft…

references the CISA Review Manual, 2006.

Thompson, S.C. (2006). Phight Phraud: Steps to Protect against Phishing. Journal of Accountancy, 201(2).

This study by Thompson provides some significant aspects that the business owner and customers in online commerce should pay attention to. These include basic but important aspect that should include in e-training; for example, never e-mail personal or financial information or never to respond to requests for personal information in e-mails. This provides useful background to the issue of risk identification and is also related management of this threat.

Wetzel R. ( 2005) Tackling Phishing: It's a Never-Ending Struggle, but the Anti-Fraud Arsenal Continues to Grow. Business Communications Review, 35, 46+.

This study A sheds light on the implications in term of the costs of identity fraud to financial institutions. The study underscores the severity of the vulnerabilities faced by today's organizations in the online world. The author refers to the obvious cost to intuitions like banks and also discusses hidden costs that relate to the erosion of customer confidence as a result of ID theft.

Small usiness' Need for a CPA

One of the critical investments a small business can make to mitigate loss and risk is hiring a CPA and putting that CPA on the 'management team.' As Wells notes in his groundbreaking research, "Denise, a bookkeeper for a small trucking firm in irmingham, Alabama, wishes she had never heard of Ralph Summerford, CPA. ecause of his thoroughness, Denise is facing several years in prison for embezzling $550,000 from her employer. At least she will look good standing before the sentencing judge: Denise spent a great deal of her illegal loot on head-to-toe cosmetic surgery. She blew the rest on a shiny new Lexus, luxury vacations, clothing and jewelry. And, of course, Denise had to have a big house to store all of her finery." (Wells, 2003)

Surprisingly, it was not at all the fancy standard of living that made her employer suspicious. "The…

Bibliography

Wells, Joseph. 2003. Protect small business: small companies without adequate internal controls need CPAs to help them minimize fraud risk. Journal of Accountancy.

Small Business Administration. 2005. www.sba.gov.

Federal Reserve Bank. 2004. www.federalreserve.gov.

AICPA. 2005. At www.aicpa.org/antifraud/training/homepage/htm.

Security Failures and Preventive Measures

Summary of the Case

The Sequential Label and Supply company is a manufacturer and supplier of labels as well as distributor of other stationary items used along with labels. This company is shown to be growing fast and is becoming highly dependent on IT systems to maintain their high end inventory as well as the functioning of their department.

The case started with the inception of a troubled employee who called up the helpdesk agent to resolve the issue he is facing. Likewise, other employees start calling in to launch similar complaints. Later, the technical support help desk employee, while checking her daily emails, accidentally opened an untrusted source file sent from a known work colleague. This led to a number of immediate problems in her network computer which led to her being not able to access the information over the network and the call…

References

Baker, W. (2007). Is information security under control?: Investigating quality in information security management, Security & Privacy, retrieved October 14, 2011 from  http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=4085592 

Chapin, D. (2005). How can security be measured, information systems control journal, retrieved October 14, 2011 from http://naijaskill.com/cisa2006/articles/v2-05p43-47.pdf

McAdams, A. (2004). Security and risk management: a fundamental business issue: all organizations must focus on the management issues of security, including organizational structures, & #8230;, Information Management Journal, retrieved October 14, 2011 from http://www.freepatentsonline.com/article/Information-Management-Journal/119570070.html

eference

Zeltser, L. (September 2011). Social Networking Safety. OUCH! The Monthly Security Awareness Newsletter for Computer Users. etrieved September 18, 2011 from http://www.securingthehuman.org/newsletters/ouch/issues/OUCH-201109_en.pdf

eply 3:

The SpyEye Hacking Toolkit ingeniously is being promoted online as an Android application that will guard against exactly what it does, which is steal online logins and passwords. What makes this application so state-of-the-art and unique is that it uses an Android client application on smart phones and other devices running the operating system to transmit data to the command and control (C2) server. The hackers then have the ability to capture logins and passwords and without the user's knowledge, transmit them to the server completely independent of any action taken by the user (Keizer, 2011). While this threat is most predominant in Europe and Australia, the potential exists for it to become global in scope within days due to the pervasive distribution of Android…

Reference:

Keizer, G. (2011, September 13). SpyEye hacking kit adds Android infection to bag of tricks. Computerworld. Retrieved from:  http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9219963/SpyEye_hacking_kit_adds_Android_infection_to_bag_of_tricks

isk Management of Terrorism in the UK

The issue of designing a risk management strategy for terrorism in the UK is dependent upon understanding and identifying the commensurate risks attendant with the various extremists groups that are perceived as threats to the UK's safety and infrastructural stability. Challenges include adopting an intelligence and surveillance system, educating the public regarding attendant trouble spots (such as retaliatory violence and discrimination as well as purpose of surveillance) and adopting a position in the global network that facilitates the overall mitigation of threats. The benefits are evident in control and prevention results and good practice recommendations are provided in the conclusion. This study gives a contextual assessment of the risks facing the UK, analyzes the components of risk management that can be utilized to alleviate these risks, defines the term "terror," examines the historical challenges that coincide with these components, and discusses the benefits…

References

Ciftci, S. (2012). Islamophobia and threat perceptions: Explaining anti-Muslim

sentiment in the West. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 32(3): 292-309.

Forst, B., Greene, J., Lynch, J. (2011). Criminologists on Terrorism and Homeland

Security. UK: Cambridge University Press.

isk Management

The video game industry forms a significant part of the leading companies worldwide currently. The huge diffusion of the internet and associated information technologies over the recent years has raised the need of increased security. Advancement in technology consequently leads to the advancement of video games as well as associated security risks. Some of the common threats and vulnerabilities involving this industry include: misuse by human, hacking, fraud, virus attacks, among others. Such factors can facilitate adversities such as information loss and alteration, and unauthorized access. This paper identifies and assesses potential threats, malicious attacks, and vulnerabilities expected by the organization. It also gives the control procedures to mitigate the mentioned risks and vulnerabilities.

The Threats and Vulnerabilities

There are a number of dominant security threats involving technology and information that affect the organization. Such threats poise a serious disruption to the business continuity planning (BCP) cycle of…

References

Syed, R and Morh, S. (2011). IT Security Issues within the Video Game Industry. The International Journal of Computer Science and Information Technology. Vol. 3, No. 5.

Next, firewalls capable of blocking IP addresses need to be installed and used (Becker, Clement, 2006). The focus on these efforts is just the first phase; there needs to be a monthly audit of IP addresses in the departments where P2P file sharing has occurred to make sure it isn't happening again. This an be accomplished using a series of constraint-based configuration tools that will trap on P2P known client footprints or digital signatures and immediately block them (Hosein, Tsiavos, Whitley, 2003). This technology will also work to isolate any inside IP addresses which attempt to reach P2P client-based download sites and immediately log and block all IP activity for the address. This will make a given IP address inoperable and immediately delete it, which will make any subsequent hacking attempts of the system useless. This is precisely the strategy the U.S. Government is using today to ensure a very…

References

Bailes, J.E., & Templeton, G.F. (2004). Managing P2P security. Association for Computing Machinery.Communications of the ACM, 47(9), 95-98.

Becker, J.U., & Clement, M. (2006). Dynamics of illegal participation in peer-to-peer networks -- why do people illegally share media files? Journal of Media Economics, 19(1), 7-32.

Hosein, I., Tsiavos, P., & Whitley, E.A. (2003). Regulating architecture and architectures of regulation: Contributions from information systems. International Review of Law, Computers & Technology, 17(1), 85-85.

Controlling IM risks. (2003). Risk Management, 50(7), 6-6.

" (Muntenu, 2004)

According to Muntenu (2004) "It is almost impossible for a security analyst with only technical background to quantify security risk for intangible assets. He can perform a quantitative or qualitative evaluation using dedicated software to improve the security of the information systems, but not a complete risk assessment for the whole information system. Qualitative assessment based on questionnaires use in fact statistical quantitative methods to obtain results. Statistical estimation represents the basis for quantitative models." Muntenu states conclusion that in each of these approaches the "moral hazard of the analyst has influence on the results because human nature is subjective. He must use a sliding window approach according to business and information systems features, balancing from qualitative to quantitative assessment." (2004) qualitative study of information systems security is reported in a study conducted in U.S. academic institutions in the work of Steffani a. urd, Principal Investigator for…

Bibliography

Burd, Steffani a. (2006) Impact of Information Security in Academic Institutions on Public Safety and Security: Assessing the Impact and Developing Solutions for Policy and Practice. Final Report." NCJ 215953, United States Department of Justice. National Institute of Justice, Oct 2006.

Muntenu, Adrian (2004) Managing Information in the Digital Economy: Issues & Solutions Information Security Risk Assessment: The Qualitative vs. Quantitative Dilemma

Full text PDF:  http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/215953.pdfMunteanu , Adrian (2004) the Information Security Risk Assessment: The Qualitative vs. Quantitative Dilemma. Managing Information in the Digital Economy: Issues & Solutions.

The diffused infrared configuration however, uses a transmitter that fills a given office space with signals. The signal receiver can then be located anywhere in the office area in order to successfully receive the I signal.

The Spread spectrum LANs

This form of arrangement utilizes the multiple-cell configuration. Each of the cells are appropriately assigned a unique center frequency that lies within a specific band in order to avoid signal interference. This transmission technique makes use of two methods; frequency hopping as well as direct sequence modulation

The Frequency hopping method uses signals that jumps from a given frequency to the other within a specific bandwidth. The transmission unit then "listens" to a give channel and if successfully detects any idle time (a time when no signal is transmitted),then transmits the packet via the full channel bandwidth .In case a channel is deemed "full," the transmitter then "hops" to the…

References

Bruce, WR (2002).Wireless LANs End to End, Ron Gilster (ed.), John Wiley & Sons.

Burell, J (2002) 'Wireless Local Area Networking: Security Assessment and Countermeasures: IEEE 802.11 Wireless Networks', Dec. 2002, retrieved 22 March

2011, < http://telecom.gmu.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Jim-Burrell-December-2002.pdf>

Cisco (n.d)"Cisco HWIC-AP WLAN Module for Cisco 1800 (Modular), 2800 and 3800."

Corporate Security Challenges

Critically discuss the assertion by Briggs and Edwards (2006, p.21) that corporate security departments face the same challenges as any other business function: "they must keep pace with their company's changing business environment and ensure that how they work, what they do and how they behave reflect these realities

The world has become a global village through globalization. Business undertakings have come to be more and more intricate. This in turn has altered and transformed the structure and the strides being taken in the corporate realm (Tipton and Krause, 2003). This is owing to a number of aspects. To start with, the inundation of traditional markets is causing organizations to move towards risky directions. For instance, in the contemporary, the advancement of business strategies, such as having offshore companies, enable the management of organizations from afar (McGee, 2006). In addition, the rise of accountability of organizations through…

References

Albano, G. L., Calzolari, G., Dini, F., Iossa, E., & Spagnolo, G. (2006). Procurement Contracting Stategies. Available at SSRN 908220.

Briggs, R. and Edwards, C. (2006). The Business of Resilience: Corporate Security for the 21st Century. London: Demos.

Brooks, D. J. (2013). Corporate Security: Using knowledge construction to define a practising body of knowledge. Asian journal of criminology, 8(2), 89-101.

Cavanagh, T. E. (2005). Corporate Security Measures and Practices: An overview of security management since 9/11. New York: The Conference Board.

Brief Description of the Mall

Bay Street Mall is situated in Emeryville in California. It can be delineated as a mega mall as it comprises of over 60 retail stores, 10 cafes and restaurants, a major movie theater, a huge hotel that includes more than 200 rooms and also several residential units. Other amenities within the mall comprise of telecommunication services, forex bureaus and also playing areas for children. The opening hours of the complex include 8 am to 10 pm from every single day of the week including weekends and also public holidays. The main objective of this paper is to conduct and complete a security survey of the mall, ascertain the key security concerns facing this particular facility and also its resources and plans for its capability to withstand any emergency that takes place.

Security Concerns with Bay Street Shopping Mall

Subsequent to conducting a survey of the…

Risk Citeia

ID NO.

Chosen Business: City estauant

Befoe discussing what the coe activities the company undetakes to achieve its opeational objectives, it is vital to highlight these opeational objectives. The following section gives a bief oveview of these objectives:

OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES

The stategic objective of Taste Inn is to become the most liked band among its customes, a financially and opeationally stong company in the eyes of its investos, and a competitive paticipant in the food and hospitality industy of Austalia. The majo opeational objectives of the company include:

A stong custome base:

The most impotant opeational objective of the company is to stengthen its custome base by attacting moe and moe customes towads its poduct offeings. It aims to build a stong public image in the eyes of its customes and the society in which it opeates.

Become a financially and opeationally stong copoation:

The second most impotant…

references

Introduce products with innovative taste and new ingredients, use extensive marketing campaigns

Introduce products with innovative taste and new ingredients,

A

Manager Marketing

Despite its clear benefits and advantages in terms of ease of use and cost effectiveness, there are certain risks associated with wireless networking. These risks are discussed further below.

Review of the Literature.

Security Risks Associated with IEEE WLAN 802.11. The applications for wireless communication technology continue to develop and expand; today, at least, the 802.11b is the standard of choice for wireless router communication used with network installation (Gonazles & Higby 2003). "The integrity of the transmitted data is a valid 2.4 GHz. At this wavelength medium, the propagation of wavelength maintains strong connectivity" (Gonzales & Higby 2003, p. 30). The technology of WLANs actually dates back to the mid-1980s; during this period, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) freed up radio frequency (rf) to the industry. "Initially, this was viewed as a broadcast reception procedure and very little thought went to broadcast transmission" (Gonzales & Higby 2003, p. 30).…

Bibliography

Alexander, Steve. 2004. Computers and Information Systems. In Encyclopedia Britannica Book of the Year [premium service].

Anderson, Robert H., Tora K. Bikson, Richard O. Hundley & C. Richard Neu. 2003. The Global Course of the Information Revolution: Recurring Themes and Regional Variations. Santa Monica, CA: Rand.

Bliss, R. Marion. September 5, 2003. Homeowners Connect to Wireless Fidelity. The Washington Times, p. F29.

Brookshear, J.G. 2000. Computer Science: An Overview. Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley.

Security measures

You just received a brand new computer for your home environment. It comes with the latest Operating System. You also have an Internet Service Provider where you can easily use the existing network to connect to the Internet and to perform some online banking. Describe the steps you plan to go through to ensure this system remains as secure as possible. Be sure to discuss the details of firewall settings you plan to implement within your operating system, browser privacy settings, and recommended software (e.g., Anti-virus and others) you will install. Also, describe your password strength policy you plan to adopt, and what you envision to do to ensure your online banking site is encrypted and using the proper certificates. Discussion of operating system patches and application updates should also be included. As you discuss these steps, be sure to justify your decisions bringing in possible issues if…

References:

Increasing Your Facebook Privacy and Security By Dave Taylor onSeptember 16, 2011

Safe Computing provided by the Office of Information Technology University of California, Irvine Last Updated: January 28, 2011

Homeland Security isk Management

isk Management in Homeland Security

This paper provides a brief examination of the role of risk management within the homeland security operations. The discussion first addresses issues related to risk assessment, which is a necessary, prudent step for publicly funded activities, and particularly so given the national scope and the potential consumption of resources. The Strategic National isk Assessment (SNA) serves as a vehicle to link policy -- the Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD 8) and the National Preparedness System. The core capabilities of the National Preparedness Goal are mapped to the hazards and threats identified in the SNA (SNA 2011). This tactic enables additional core capabilities to be identified, and provides a resource to inform the establishment of priorities needed for making decisions about future investing in capabilities (SNA 2011).

As with any major projects of risk management, the initial stage is focused on assessment.…

References

The White House. National Security Strategy. (2010, May). Washington, D.C. Government Printing Office. Retrieved National_Security_Strategy.pdf

U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Secure Boarders, Safe Travel, Legal Trade. U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection Fiscal Year 2009-2014 Strategic Plan. Retrieved CBP_Strategic_Plan.pdf

U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Department of Homeland Security Strategic Plan. Fiscal Years 2012 -- 2016. (2012, February). Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Retrieved DHS_Strategic_Plan-2012-2016.pdf

U.S. Department of Homeland Security. DHS Risk Lexicon. Risk Steering Committee. (2010, September). Washington, D.C. Retrieved http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/dhs-risk-lexicon-2010.pdf

IT Security Plan

The technological advances that have been witnessed in the past twenty to thirty years, has placed a tremendous emphasis on data and information. Computers have changed the world in many facets and the ability to communicate and perform work have been greatly assisted by the digital age. Along with these new found powers, there exists also new found threats. The ability to protect these investments and resources of an informational matter, has produced new sciences and approaches to accomplishing such a task.

The purpose of this essay is to discuss and analyze how to establish an information security program to protect organizational information. This essay will address the specific guidelines and elements that compose such a program and explore ways in which these methods can be exploited for the fullest possible benefit. Specific guidelines will be discussed however this is a general overview of a program and…

References

Bulling, D., Scalora, M. Borum, R. Panuzio, J., and Donica, A. (2008, July). Behavioral science guidelines for assessing insider threat attacks. Public Policy Center, University of Nebraska. Retrieved from  http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1036&context=publicpolicypublications 

Boscolo, C. (2008). How to implement network access control. Computerweekly, November 2008 . Retrieved from  http://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/How-to-implement-network-access-control 

Durbin, S. (2013). Security Think Tank: ISF's top security threats for 2014. Computerweekly, Dec 2013. Retrieved from  http://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Security-Think-Tank-ISFs-top-security-threats-for-2014 

Grimes, R. (2012). IT's 9 biggest security threats. Infoworld, 27 Aug 2012. Retrieved from  http://www.infoworld.com/d/security/its-9-biggest-security-threats-200828

"Government representatives are responsive to and reliant upon feedback and suggestions from their constituents" and "the most direct way of impacting a legislator is through a letter-writing campaign. The more letters a legislator receives, the more important the issue becomes" (Keene State College Advocates, 2011).

One of the emerging threats that is now a more commonplace threat is that of cyber security. With technology advancing at a rapid rate, it seems that security is sometimes overlooked. Our society is well-versed in how hackers can hack into e-mail, social networking sites and bank accounts but it is absolutely something that the public needs to be more cautious of. A way to combat cyber threats would be to make sure that the computer is completely secure and use common sense when it comes to certain online transactions. People should band together and use one place to reveal the scams that they may…

Bibliography

Garcia, Mary Lynn. (1997). Emerging threats. Retrieved from  http://engr.nmsu.edu/~etti/fall97/security/mlgarcia.html 

Keene State College Advocates. (2011, March 09). Write to your legislator. Retrieved from http://kscadvocates.org/write-to-your-legislator/

Information System Security Plan

The information security system is required to ensure the security of the business process and make the confidential data of the organization secure. The organization's management is required to analyze the appropriate system to be implemented and evaluate the service provided on the basis of their required needs. The implementation of the system requires the compliance of organizational policies with the service provider to ensure the maximum efficiency of the system. The continuous update and maintenance of the system is required to ensure the invulnerability of the system towards the potential internal and external threats.

Data Security Manager and Coordinator

Develop Plan

Implement Plan

Employees Training

Test Safeguards

Evaluate Service Providers

Internal isks

Change Passwords Periodically

estricted access to personal information

Safeguard paper records

eport unauthorized use of customer information

Terminated Employees 1

3. External isks 1

3.1 Firewall Protection 1

3.2 Data Encryption 1

3.3…

REFERENCES

Baskerville, R., & Siponen, M. (2002).An information security meta-policy for emergent organizations.Logistics Information Management, 15(5/6), 337-346.

Dlamini, M.T., Eloff, J.H., & Eloff, M.M. (2009). Information security: The moving target. Computers & Security, 28(3), 189-198.

Dhillon, G., & Backhouse, J. (2000). Technical opinion: Information system security management in the new millennium. Communications of the ACM, 43(7), 125-128.

Jain, A.K., Ross, A., & Pankanti, S. (2006). Biometrics: a tool for information security. Information Forensics and Security, IEEE Transactions on, 1(2), 125-143.

Security at workplaces is not only the responsibility of the management, but all the parties in the premises. Therefore, it is important that everyone is involved one way or another in maintenance of security. In a company the size of Walter Widget, with 240 personnel, it can be challenging to maintain high security standards.

With the increasing nationwide crime against workplaces and businesses, the stakes in workplace security are high. Walter Widget must be concerned about theft of any kind including trade secrets, computer information and other resources. The firm needs to take necessary steps to prevent other security risks such as arson, vandalism and workplace violence.

Workplace crime affects production. According to Bressler (2007) businesses are prone to a wide variety of crimes and need to take action in prevention of criminal activities that influence profitability. Workplace crime affects the employees, because it results insecurity at work. Safety at…

References

Bressler, M.S. (2007). The Impact of Crime on Business: A Model for Prevention, Detection & Remedy. Journal of Management and Marketing Research.

Burke, M.E., & Schramm, J. (2004 ). Getting to Know the Candidate Conducting Reference Checks. Alexandria: Research SHRM.

Deitch, D., Igor, K., & Ruiz, A. (1999). The Relationship Between Crime and Drugs: What We Have Learned in Recent Decades. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs .

Idaho National Engineering and Enviromental Laboratory. (2004). Personnel Security Guidelines. U.S. Department of Homeland security. Idaho Falls: Idaho national Engineering and Enviromental Laboratory.

Security Measures

The hotel industry has experienced the need to enhance security of guests in the recent past given the increased security threats/attacks in the modern business environment. The increased focus on enhancing security in the hotel industry has represented a major shift from the serious neglect of various security responsibilities that characterized this industry in the past. According to Fischer, Halibozek & Walters (2013), hotel managers, particularly security managers, are faced with the need to enhance their security measures because of the numerous safety concerns in this sector such as potential terrorist attacks. In light of modern security concerns, there is need to adopt a comprehensive approach towards improving hotel security. This paper provides a plan for improving hotel security during ground breaking, grand opening, and across daily operations. The discussion is based on plans to construct the newly approved John Jay Hotel on 59th Street in New York…

References

Bennett, F.L. (2007). The management of construction: a project lifecycle approach. Third Avenue, NY: Taylor & Francis Group.

Fischer, R.J., Halibozek, E.P. & Walters, D.C. (2013). Introduction to security (9th ed.). Waltham, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Heibutzki, R. (n.d.). Safety and Security Tips for Hotel Management. Retrieved June 28, 2017, from  http://work.chron.com/safety-security-tips-hotel-management-7983.html 

National Counter Terrorism Security Office. (n.d.). Counter Terrorism Protective Security Advice for Hotels and Restaurants. Retrieved from Association of Chief Police Officers website:  https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/374923/Hotels_Restaurants_Reviewed.pdf

Security Management
1. While some people may be better leaders than others, all people can lead and all people can learn to lead better. Discuss some ideas of how leadership skills may be improved.
Development and education
Leaders need to develop in their position. Owing to managerial tasks’ knowledge-based nature, the word “development” has been used to describe the continuous growth in skills and cognition of executives and managers. Managerial development is promoted via education that they may acquire in various settings (Fernandez et al., 2015). Attending and taking part in programs offered by certain general management and security-related institutions may help cater to their developmental requirements.
Training and practice
A leader is required to engage in constant training and practice of leadership skills needed for improving their output, including integrity, delegation and patience, until the time they have acquired mastery over those skills.
Mentorship
The mentoring process entails transfer…

isk, isk Management Strategies, and Benefits in Cloud Computing

SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

PEMISE STATEMENT

KEY DEFINITIONS

SEVICE AND DEPLOYMENT MODELS

BENEFITS OF CLOUD COMPUTING

SECUITY ASPECTS

Storage

eliability

Virtualization

Trust

Physical Security

Legal Compliance

CLOUD COMPUTING ISKS

ISK Management STATEGIES

Vendor Evaluation

Centralized Information Governance

Other Organization-Level Measures

Individual-Level Security Measures

Cloud computing model

Cloud computing service and deployment models

ISO/IEC broad categories

The emergence of cloud computing has tremendously transformed the world of computing. Today, individuals, organizations, and government agencies can access computing resources provided by a vendor on an on-demand basis. This provides convenience, flexibility, and substantial cost savings. It also provides a more efficient way of planning disaster recovery and overcoming fluctuations in the demand for computing resources. In spite of the benefits it offers, cloud computing presents significant security concerns, which users must clearly understand and put strong measures in place to address them. Users are particularly…

REFERENCES

Abiodun, A. (2013). A framework for implementation of risk management system in third party managed cloud. Journal of Information Technology & Economic Development, 4(2), 19-30.

Ahmed, N., & Abraham, A. (2013). Modeling security risk factors in a cloud computing environment. Journal of Information Assurance and Security, 8, 279-289.

Alali, F., & Yeh, C. (2012). Cloud computing: overview and risk analysis. Journal of Information Systems, 26(2), 13-33.

Alijani, G., Fulk, H., Omar, A., & Tulsi, R. (2014). Cloud computing effects on small business. Entrepreneurial Executive, 19, 35-45.

ecurity Management Plan

John's Hospital

Privacy of client information is an assurance that every patient wants and this assurance is what the hospital can build patient confidence on. The lack of it therefore may have consequences such as loss of confidence in the hospital, loss of clientele and the emergence of a poor reputation. This paper looks at the t. John's Hospital which has experienced the leakage of confidential information a problem that needs to be addressed. It highlights the steps the hospital must take in its management plan. In the first step, hospital must identify how widespread the problem is and where exactly there are weaknesses in the system. econdly, the hospital's staff must receive adequate training in methods to deal with confidential information especially its destruction. A culture must be developed to deal with this information discreetly. In this same breadth breach must be understood by all staff…

Shred it (2013), Security Breach, Shred --It making sure it is secure,  http://www.shredit.com/en-us/document-destruction-policy-protect-your-business  (Retrieved 16/11/2015)

Scallan T. (2013), Disaster recovery solutions underscore the importance of security, Health Management Technology,  http://www.healthmgttech.com/disaster-recovery-solutions-underscore-the-importance-of-security.php  (Retrieved 16/11/2015)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (2000), Health information privacy, HHS.gov,  http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/srsummary.html  (Retrieved 16/11/2015)

Security Options and High Performance
Introduction
As McCrie notes, “the training of employees and the development of their skills and careers is a critical and time-consuming activity within security operations.”[footnoteRef:2] For an organization like a public elementary school, employees are more than likely already stretched to the max in terms of time and ability: their primary focus is on teaching and assessing student achievement. Other stakeholders—i.e., parents—will nonetheless be concerned about safety, as Stowell points out.[footnoteRef:3] To keep stakeholders happy, managers and employees have to find ways to satisfy concerns about security—on top of doing their full-time jobs of administering and educating. That can be daunting, but to help there are security solutions that the Digital Age has helped bring into existence—tools like SIELOX CLASS, which allow teachers to communicate with administrators, access campus cameras, alert authorities, trigger a lockdown, and keep students safe by responding quickly to a potentially…

(Gartenberg, 2005)

Like all other aspects of business today, security systems often prove to be highly complex and hard (even for the participants) to identify.

The culture of an organization is like the culture of a family, a community, or a nation: Because it surrounds the people in it they often have a great deal of difficulty in recognizing to what extent policies and procedures arise from the constraints of culture and what therefore can be relatively easily changed. Matz (2010) summarizes the ways in which organizational culture both supports an organization and can blind the individuals in it to ways in which their actions may no longer be as effective as they once were:

… the essence of organisational cultures consists of a set of 'unspoken rules' that exist without conscious knowledge of the members of the organisation. Over time the invisibility of the attributes at the deepest level…

References

Dalton, D.R. (2003). Rethinking Corporate Security in the Post 9/11 Era, New York: Butterworth-Heinemann

Deal, T.E. & Kennedy, a.A. (1982). Corporate Cultures: The Rites, and Rituals of Corporate Life, London: Penguin.

Gartenberg, M. (2005). How to develop an enterprise security policy.  http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/98896/How_to_develop_an_enterprise_security_policy .

Johnston, L. & Shearing, C. (2003). Governing Security: Explorations in Policing and Justice. London: Routledge.

isk, eturn and Their Evaluation

isk & Performance Indicators

Since this is a small business, therefore raising equity capital through public stock issue is less likely than debt or whatever form of paper issued to angel or venture investors. Therefore while a larger, publicly traded firm would consider the return on equity version of the short form DuPont equation, a small, more closely-held concern would focus on return on assets (OA). If OA is net income over sales times sales over total assets, i.e. net income over total assets, then any action that could increase the numerator, total income, or shrink the denominator(s) should increase OA compared to past performance within the firm and the competition outside it. If competitors all use the same (best) plant, then maximizing efficiency of the same assets through process or brand innovation; input cost reductions, and also financial performance like minimizing payables days over…

Reference

Investopedia (2011). How to calculate required rate of return. Forex. 25 Feb. 2011. Retrieved

from  http://www.investopedia.com/articles/fundamental-analysis/11/calculating-required-rate-of-return.asp#axzz1wxIzjR6l

Security management
1. In a civil action, how can a claim of negligent hiring have a greater chance of succeeding?
Jurisdictions have been increasingly putting laws in place pertaining to what makes organizations a potential target for a lawsuit on negligent hiring. Though in most instances, claims of negligent hiring may be effectively fended off, it proves increasingly tricky in the following cases:
· If the individual harming or injuring another is an employee of the company.
· If the employee is found guilty of harming, injuring or doing any damage to the complainant.
· If the organization was aware of, or ought to have been aware of, the employee’s tendency to inflict harm or injury.
· If the organization was inattentive when hiring the individual and failed to carry out a proper background check which could have identified the individual’s tendency to cause harm to clients or colleagues (McCrie, 57-60).…

This researcher rejects the existence of online communities because computer mediated group discussions cannot possibly meet this definition. Weinreich's view is that anyone with even a basic knowledge of sociology understands that information exchange in no way constitutes a community.

For a cyber-place with an associated computer mediated group to be labeled as a virtual settlement it is necessary for it to meet a minimum set of conditions. These are: (1) a minimum level of interactivity; (2) a variety of communicators; (3) a minimum level of sustained membership; and (4) a virtual common-public-space where a significant portion of interactive computer mediated groups occur (Weinreich, 1997). The notion of interactivity will be shown to be central to virtual settlements. Further, it will be shown that virtual settlements can be defined as a cyber-place that is symbolically delineated by topic of interest and within which a significant proportion of interrelated interactive computer…

Bibliography

Al-Saggaf, Y. & Williamson, K. Online Communities in Saudi Arabia: Evaluating the Impact on Culture Through Online Semi-Structured Interviews. Volume 5,

No. 3, Art. 24 - September 2004

AnchorDesk Staff. (2000). Sign of Trouble: The Problem with E-Signatures.

Retrieved April 9, 2005, from ZDNet AnchorDesk Web site: http://reivews- zdnet.com.com/AnchorDesk/4630-6033_4204767.html?tag=print

Security Manager Leadership

Analysis & Assessment of Main Management Skills of Security Managers

The role of security managers and their progression to Chief Information Security Officers (CISO) in their careers is often delineated by a very broad base of experiences, expertise, skills and the continual development of management and leadership skills. The intent of this analysis and assessment is to define the most critically important management skills for security managers, including those most critical to their setting a solid foundation for attaining a senior management as a CISO in an enterprise (Whitten, 2008). What most differentiates those who progress in their careers as security managers to CISOs is the ability to interpret situations, conditions, relative levels of risk while continually learning new techniques, technologies and concepts pertaining to security and leadership. Those that attain CISO roles progress beyond management and become transformational leaders of the professionals in their department. It…

References

Beugr, C.D., Acar, W. & Braun, W. 2006, "Transformational leadership in organizations: an environment-induced model," International Journal of Manpower, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 52-62.

Francis, D. 2003, "Essentials of International Management: A Cross-cultural Perspective," Technovation, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 85-86.

Krishnan, V.R. 2004, "Impact of transformational leadership on followers' influence strategies," Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 58-72.

Purvanova, R.K. & Bono, J.E. 2009, "Transformational leadership in context: Face-to-face and virtual teams," Leadership Quarterly, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 343.

Even though there is always some form of a risk involved in the coding technique together with the deployment methods of a website, some technologies such as PHP and MySQL form some of the worst aggravators of online website security. The loopholes that exists in the use of these technologies results in some of the worst hack attacks and security breaches ever experienced in the field of web design. The internet is bustling with a lot of activities. Some of the activities that are officiated over the internet are very sensitive due to both the nature of the information exchanged or even the information stored in the database.

It is paramount that websites be provided with secure and personalized databases. One inevitable fact however is that once a site is deployed on the internet, it becomes a resource to be accessed by everyone as postulated by Kabir

Secure website development…

Bibliography

Bloch, M (2004). "PHP/MySQL Tutorial - Introduction." ThinkHost. .

Friedl, J (2002). Mastering Regular Expressions, Second Edition. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates Inc., 2002.

Kabir, MJ (2003) Secure PHP Development: Building 50 Practical Applications.

Indianapolis, in: Wiley Publishing, Inc.

" (Harman, Flite, and ond, 2012) the key to the preservation of confidentiality is "making sure that only authorized individuals have access to that information. The process of controlling access -- limiting who can see what -- begins with authorizing users." (Harman, Flite, and ond, 2012) Employers are held accountable under the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules for their employee's actions. The federal agency that holds responsibility for the development of information security guidelines is the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST further defines information security as "the preservation of data confidentiality, integrity, availability" stated to be commonly referred to as "the CIA triad." (Harman, Flite, and ond, 2012)

III. Risk Reduction Strategies

Strategies for addressing barriers and overcoming these barriers are inclusive of keeping clear communication at all organizational levels throughout the process and acknowledging the impact of the organization's culture as well as capitalizing on all…

Bibliography

Harman, LB, Flite, CA, and Bond, K. (2012) Electronic Health Records: Privacy, Confidentiality, and Security. State of the Art and Science. Virtual Mentor. Sept. 2012, Vol. 14 No. 9. Retrieved from: http://virtualmentor.ama-assn.org/2012/09/stas1-1209.html

Kopala, B. And Mitchell, ME (2011) Use of Digital health Records Raises Ethical Concerns. JONA's Healthcare Law, Ethics, and Regulation. Jul/Sep 2011. Lippincott's Nursing Center. Retrieved from:  http://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/cearticle?tid=1238212#P77  P85 P86 P87

This leaves those clients that are inside unsupervised while the guard is outside. There is also a lack of signage inside displaying rules and regulations along with directions. This propagates a lot of unnecessary questions being asked of the surety officer on duty. In order to alleviate these issues it would be essential to place distinct parking signage outside in order to help facilitate clients parking in the correct spaces. It is also necessary to place directional signage within the facility along with general rules and policies. All of these signs together would cost approximately $1,000 to install.

The last security issue that needs to be addressed is that of the security information processes that is in place. As each client arrives at the facility, their license plate numbers are recorded and they are then assigned a number. They are seen by the appropriate medical personnel based upon the order…

References

Conducting a Security Assessment. (2009). Retrieved May 25, 2009, from Processor Web site:

 http://www.processor.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles%2Fp2808%2F30p08%2F30p08.asp 

How to Conduct an Operations Security Assessment. (2009). Retrieved May 25, 2009, from eHow.com Web site: http://www.ehow.com/how_2060197_conduct-operations-security-assessment.html

Methadone Maintenance Treatment. (2009). Retrieved May 25, 2009, from Drug Policy Alliance

Risk Management [1]

If you believe a stock will appreciate and want to risk little to speculate that the stock will rise what are your option?

Holding a call option is fairly low risk because it would allow me to buy future stocks at a current price. An increase in stock value would limit my losses and allow me to profit by means of leveraged speculation. As a holder exercising a call option, I would be able to benefit from the same profit in underlying stock by paying only a minimal amount of money. By risking only a small percentage of my capital towards an insurance premium, I am potentially able to benefit from trends and hedge away risks within the call-option deadline.

Potential losses can be offset against either long-or-short stock portfolios by means of trading call strategies. A Fiduciary call would allow for a reduced capital outlay by…

Many states, such as Virginia, are training private security officers in order to ensure smooth cooperation and coordination between security companies without police powers and the police and sheriff's departments. In Washington D.C., the municipal police department requires private security officers to be licensed as "special police" officers in order to legally search or arrest people. Cooperation can reach significant proportions, as in the case of the Minneapolis Police Department's "SafeZone" program, which place private security officers downtown who now outnumber Minneapolis Police Department officers there 13 to 1.

4. Industries and organizations that use special and/or commissioned officers and for what purposes

a. There is a truly broad range of industries and organizations which use special police officers. These organizations tend to have significant financial resources, large premises, and sensitive security needs which they believe cannot be met by the existing public police force. These often involve the need…

Bibliography

 http://www.seattlepi.com/local/430256_harborview.html 

U.S. Constitution

Amy Goldstein, Washington Post, the Private Arm of the Law January 2, 2007

Security Standards & Least Privilege

Security Standards and Legislative Mandates

Industries are required by law to follow regulations to protect the privacy of information, do risk assessments, and set policies for internal control measures. Among these polices are: SOX, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and GLA. Each of these regulations implements internal control of personal information for different industries. Where GLA is for the way information is shared, all of them are for the safeguard of sensitive personal information.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) created new standards for corporate accountability in reporting responsibilities, accuracy of financial statements, interaction with auditors, and internal controls and procedures (Sarbanes-Oxley Essential Information). When audits are done to verify the validity of the financial statements, auditors must also verify the adequacy of the internal control and procedures. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is designed to protect personal health information held by covered entities and…

Bibliography

Brenner. (2007). How Chevron Met the PCI DSS Deadline. Security Wire Daily News.

Gramm Leach Bliley Act. (n.d.). Retrieved from Bureau of Consumer Protection:  http://business.ftc.gov/privacy-and-security/gramm-leach-bliley-act  principle of least privilege (POLP). (n.d.). Retrieved from Search Security:  http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/principle-of-least-privilege-POLP 

Sarbanes-Oxley Essential Information. (n.d.). Retrieved from The Data Manager's Public Library:  http://www.sox-online.com/basics.html 

Tipton, K. & . (n.d.). Access Control Models. Retrieved from CC Cure.org:  http://www.cccure.org/

Security Finance & Payback

Security Finance

A strong effective information security program consists of many layers that create a "defense in depth" (Spontak, 2006). The objectives of information security is to make any unauthorized, unwanted access extremely difficult, easily detected, and well documented. Components of strong defense include firewalls, virus filters, intrusion detection, monitoring, and usage policies. Some businesses are missing the business culture, policies and procedures, separation of duties, and security awareness.

The Finance Department is critical to the security of the information system. Financial executives can set the tone, encourage compliance with security policies, and lead by example. Allowing the sharing of passwords puts the information security at risk, especially where financial, employee, and customer information is concerned. When employees are uneducated regarding compliance regulation, the organization can end up in trouble with authorities. Employees should be evaluated on information security measures, not just on customer service measures.…

Bibliography

Gordon, L.A. (2002). Return on information security investments: Myths & Realities. Strategic Finance, 84(5), 26-31.

Spontak, S. (2006). Defense in Depth: How financial executive can boost IT security. Financial Executive, 22(10), 51-53.

isk Management Consultant Proposal

Event: The Global Event for Biotechnology in Chicago, Illinois

Event Description

In brief, this event will bring together professionals from not only the academia but also from government and the industry. The convention will in this case provide participants with a unique opportunity to explore, describe, and probe the various global challenges we are faced with today, and the most appropriate measures that can be adopted to rein in the said challenges.

isk Assessment

isk assessment in the words of Dampsey (2007) "is the process of identifying potential areas of security and loss, and the development and implementation of effective measures or countermeasures to deal with these problems." This particular risk assessment for the aforementioned event will take into consideration not only the hazards but also the nature of risks, and the measures that should be taken to control them. In this particular case, a hazard…

References

Dampsey, J.S. (2007). Introduction to Private Security. Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education.

Wells, G. (1996). Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment. Rugby, Warwickshire: Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Risks From International Business

What are some risks of international business that may not exist for local business?

There are many risks inherent in competing on a global or internal level compared to being a local business. As the chapter suggests, there is a much greater level of economic and socio-political pressure on governments to work together for the common good of the global economy. Despite these best intentions, global macroeconomic factors often cause nations to restrict or unnecessarily increase the cost of transactions and trade based on fear over the trading partner's economies. Such is the case for American companies attempting to gain sales within China, whose government holds nearly $1.1 trillion in U.S.-based debt. China and the United States are two of the more powerful economic forces in the global economy, and as their economies go, so goes the world. What this means for international businesses is that…

This was because they were seeing one of their primary competitors (Travelers) merging with Citicorp (which created a juggernaut of: insurance, banking and brokerage activities). At which point, executives at AIG felt that in order to: maintain their dominance in the industry and offer new products they should become involved in similar activities. The difference was that they would grow the company by expanding into areas that were considered to be speculative to include: commodities, stocks, options and credit default swaps. The way that this was accomplished is by purchasing a host of businesses that were involved in these activities. This is significant, because it meant that a shift would take place in: how managers were accounting for risks and the kinds of activities that they were becoming involved in. With the newly acquired companies; bringing over executives that did not practice the same kind of strategies for dealing with…

Bibliography

Travelers, Citigroup Unite. (1998). CNN. Retrieved from:  http://money.cnn.com/1998/04/06/deals/travelers/ 

US saw 13 Bank Failures Every Month in 2010. (2011). Economic Times. Retrieved from: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-01-02/news/28424370_1_medium-banks-bank-failures-problem-banks

Baum, C. (2009). The Impact of Macro Economic Uncertainty. Boston College, Boston, MA.

Byoun, S. (2007). Financial Flexibility. Baylor University, Waco, TX.

S. Department of Energy).

Q3. Discuss the internet of things and its likely consequences for developing an enforceable information assurance (IA) policy and implementing robust security architecture.

The internet of things refers to the inevitable connectedness of all things in all regions of the world through the internet. "The fact that there will be a global system of interconnected computer networks, sensors, actuators, and devices all using the internet protocol holds so much potential to change our lives that it is often referred to as the internet's next generation" (Ferber 2013). Although the internet feels ubiquitous today, the internet of things refers to an even more complete merger of the virtual and the real world. "In many and diverse sectors of the global economy, new web-based business models being hatched for the internet of things are bringing together market players who previously had no business dealings with each other. Through…

References

Ferber, Stephen. (2013). How the internet of things changes everything. HBR Blog. Retrieved:

 http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/05/how_the_internet_of_things_cha.html 

Heath, Nick. (2012). What the internet of things means for you. Tech Republic. Retrieved:

 http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/european-technology/what-the-internet-of-things-means-for-you/320

isk and Insurance Management

isk is believed to be a newly coined word of assurance (for example, Ewald, 1991: 198). One of the broadly shared suppositions regarding insurance is that it spins around an instrumental concept of risk. Possibility and the amount of influence make up a technical concept of hazard/risk and hazard administration is chiefly worried about reviewing these possibilities and influences (for an overview see Gratt, 1987). For instance, external profits of financial or political occurrences lay down thresholds for the availability of associated risk guesstimates or reckonings (Huber, 2002).

So, the range of the risk groups cannot be clarified by risk judgment single-handedly; peripheral circumstances that could be political, financial or inclusive of image, arts and manners, are also required to be taken into account. Therefore, if risks are not be present, per se, but are deliberately selected, we can go a step ahead and presume them…

References

Douglas, M. And Wildavsky, A. (1982) Risk and Culture. An Essay on the Selection of Technical and Environmental Dangers. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Evers, A. And Nowotny, H. (1987) Uber den Umgang mit Unsicherheit. Die Entdeckung der Gestaltbarkeit von Gesellschaft. Frankfurt / Main: Suhrkamp.

Ewald, F. (1991) 'Insurance and Risk' in Burchell, G., Gordon, C. And Miller, P. (eds.) The Foucault Effect: studies in governmentality . London: Harvester Wheatsheaf.

Gratt, L.B. (1987) 'Risk Analysis or Risk Assessment: a proposal for consistent definitions' in Covello, V. And Lave, L. (eds.) Uncertainty in Risk Assessment, Risk Management and Decision Making, Advances in Risk Analysis (4). New York: Plenum Press.

To rebuild their image, the company would try a number of different strategies, none of which would prove to be successful. This would hurt the market share of Gap to the point that many analysts now believe that it may be advantageous to spin off the company's: Old Navy, anana Republic and Gap stores. What this shows, is how a company can begin to lose its way when it is not focused on adjusting to changes in consumer tastes and trends. In the case of Ann Taylor, they need to be aware of this hazard, as it can have an adverse impact on the long-term viability of their business. (Reingold)

A second challenge that Ann Taylor can be wrestling with is a lack of focus on the part of management. In this case, managers must understand the role that their decisions will have on their organization. Where, executives must clearly…

Bibliography

10Q. Ann Taylor, 2010. Print.

Ann Taylor Stores. Yahoo Finance, 2010. Web. 31 Oct. 2010

Ann Taylor Stores. Yahoo Finance, 2010. Web. 31 Oct. 2010

Ann Taylor Stores. Yahoo Finance, 2010. Web. 31 Oct. 2010

Conclusion

There are discrepancies encountered in conducting the valuation and risk of a private company. There arises these factors that if investigated can impact the process accordingly. The first research question that I suggest is investigating if the tax risk and equity market value exhibit a concave association, which is consistent with the optimal tax risk level from a valuation of equity standpoint. The second topic that can be researched upon is the changes facing the risk and value valuation service area for businesses and how they impact the practice. Finally, a study on how the Merger and Acquisitions revised standards are impacting business deals.

eferences

Chandra, U., & o, B.T. (2008). The role of revenue in firm valuation. Accounting Horizons,

22(2), 199-222. etrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/208923683?accountid=35812

Darrough, M., & Ye, J. (2007). Valuation of loss firms in a knowledge-based economy. eview of Accounting Studies, 12(1), 61-93. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11142-006-9022-z

Bernier, G.,…

References

Chandra, U., & Ro, B.T. (2008). The role of revenue in firm valuation. Accounting Horizons,

22(2), 199-222. Retrieved from  http://search.proquest.com/doc view/208923683?accountid=35812

Darrough, M., & Ye, J. (2007). Valuation of loss firms in a knowledge-based economy. Review of Accounting Studies, 12(1), 61-93. doi:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11142-006-9022-z 

Bernier, G., & Ridha, M.M. (2010). On the economics of postassessments in insurance guaranty funds: A stakeholders' perspective. Journal of Risk and Insurance, 77(4), 857-892.

This is equity risk. Equity risk can be measured -- either with standard deviation or more typically with the beta coefficient. This risk must be addressed, because the upside movement of the stock was something that was paid for with the lower rate of interest payments.

Diversification of any equity portfolio can be done on a number of other variables. The diversified portfolio will contain exposure to a wide range of firms and industries, and preferably a high level of geographic diversification as well. Modern portfolio theory holds that as few as three companies can result in a diversified portfolio but ideally the portfolio would have at least thirty. The portfolio should include a wide range of types of instruments as well, so that the risk inherent in the convertible is offset by the performance of other instruments, companies and products in the portfolio. ith the market, the CAPM beta…

Works Cited:

Investopedia. (2013). Definition of convertible bond. Investopedia. Retrieved April 10, 2013 from  http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/convertiblebond.asp

isk Management in Family Owned Businesses

A family business can be simply described as "any business in which a majority of the ownership or control lies within a family, and in which two or more family members are directly involved" (Bowman-Upton, 1991). In other words, it is a multifaceted, twofold structure consisting of the family and the business meaning that the involved members are both the part of a job system and of a family system (Bowman-Upton, 1991).

Most families seek stability, intimacy, a sense of community, and belonging through the family business (Hess, 2006). On the other hand, whenever family and business are mentioned together, a majority of people think of continuous conflict, competition and contention (Crenshaw, 2005). However, "successful family businesses do not let the family destroy the business or the business destroy the family" (Hess, 2006).

The family-owned businesses are the backbone of the world financial system.…

References

Barrese, J., & Scordis, N. (2003). Corporate Risk Management. Review of Business, 24 (3), Retrieved August 17, 2012 from  http://www.questia.com/read/1G1-111508707/corporate-risk-management 

Bodine, S.W., Anthony, P., & Walker, P.L. (2001). A Road Map to Risk Management: CPAs Can Help Companies Manage Risk to Create Value. (Consulting). Journal of Accountancy, 192 (6), Retrieved August 17, 2012 from  http://www.questia.com/read/1G1-80750205/a-road-map-to-risk-management-cpas-can-help-companies 

Bowman-Upton, N. (1991). Transferring Management in the Family-Owned Business. Retrieved August 14, 2012 from http://archive.sba.gov/idc/groups/public/documents/sba_homepage/serv_sbp_exit.pdf

Caspar, C., Dias, A.K., & Elstrodt, H. (2010, January).The Five Attributes of Enduring Family Businesses. Retrieved August 15, 2012 from http://www.businessfamily.ca/cert_register_files/Web Downloads/McKinsey Quarterly - Jan 2010.pdf

A system possesses authenticity when the information retrieved is what is expected by the user -- and that the user is correctly identified and cannot conceal his or her identity. Methods to ensure authenticity include having user names and secure passwords, and even digital certificates and keys that must be used to access the system and to prove that users 'are who they say they are.' Some highly secure workplaces may even use biological 'markings' like fingerprint readers (Introduction, 2011, IBM).

Accountability means that the source of the information is not anonymous and can be traced. A user should not be able to falsify his or her UL address or email address, given the requirements of the system. "Non-repudiation is a property achieved through cryptographic methods which prevents an individual or entity from denying having performed a particular action related to data... Through the use of security-related mechanisms, producers and…

References

Introduction to z/OS Security. (2011). IBM. PowerPoint. Retrieved September 27, 2011 at  http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/resources/systems_z_advantages_charter_security_zSecurity_L1_Security_Concepts.ppt 

Why is information security important? (2011). Security Extra. Retrieved September 27, 2011 at http://www.securityextra.com/why-is-information-security-important.html

Security Privacy

In health care, the protection of confidential patient information is an important key in to addressing critical issues and safeguarding the privacy of the individual. To provide more guidance are federal guidelines such as: the Health Care Insurance Affordability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). On the surface, all facilities are supposed to have procedures in place for discarding these kinds of materials. ("Summary of HIPPA Privacy ule," 2102)

In the case of St. John's Hospital, they have become known for establishing practices of innovation (which go above and beyond traditional safety standards). Yet, at the same time, there are no critical internal controls governing how this information is thrown away. What most executives are concentrating on: is meeting these objectives from an external stakeholder perspective.

This is creating problems inside the facility, as the custodial staff able to go through the garbage and read this information. The reason why,…

References

Summary of HIPPA Privacy Rule. (2012). HHS. Retrieved from:  http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/summary/index.html 

Alguire, P. (2009). The International Medical Graduate's Guide. Philadelphia, PA: ACP Press.

Johnston, A. (2012). State Hospitals become more Transparent. Times Record News. Retrieved from:  http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2012/jan/13/state-hospitals-become-more-transparent/ 

Kilipi, H. (2000). Patient's Autonomy. Amsterdam: ISO Press.

This can cloud your judgment, which as a trader or investor it is imperative to think with a clear head. When you are placing the hedge, it is set at a logical point that is determined without emotions. This increases the chances that you have reduced your risks by eliminating the emotionalism that accompanies the markets. (Carr, 2002)

Another reason why hedging is effective, is it allows you to protect your downside using as little working capital as possible. ecause hedging involves using options, means that the overall amounts of upfront costs are low. This means, that going into the hedge you know what your maximum down side will be (the premium). You can also reduce the amounts of risk by purchasing the options with expirations that are coming up, within the next 30 to 60 days. This is important, because the closer the option moves to the expiration date,…

Bibliography

Carr, P. (2002, October 1). Static Hedging of Standard Options. Retrieved February 27, 2010 from Fordham

University website: http://www.bnet.fordham.edu/crif/WorkingPapers/crifwp02010.pdf

Maynard, M (2008, October 1). Southwest Has First Loss in 17 Years. Retrieved February 26, 2010 from New York

Times website:  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/business/17air.html?_r=1

Risk-Free

Government bonds are called risk-free because they will be paid back. he underlying assumption is that the U.S. reasury can always print more money in order to finance the payback of these bonds. hat does not by any means make the bonds truly risk-free, but they are guaranteed to return face value. here are actually a few different ways in which government bonds are risky.

A recent change to the more orthodox view of government bond risk is that U.S. government bonds were downgraded in 2011, something that had never happened previously. his has not changed the market view of U.S. government paper, but it does imply that, according to one rating agency at least, the bonds of some other governments are less risky than the bonds of the U.S. government. hat said, the risk conditions of U.S. bonds have not changed. hey are still considered risk free because…

The risk of default in U.S. government bonds, aside from political shenanigans like the debt ceiling debacle in the summer of 2011, lies largely with the federal budget. This is known as sovereign risk. The sovereign risk of the United States, and several other developed nations, is very low. With other countries, however, there are genuine budget issues that make default a possibility. In the Eurozone, for example, nations like Greece are struggling to meet their debt payments. With Greece, there is no ability for the government to print more money in order to cover its obligations, and that increases the sovereign risk. Nations that have their own currencies do not have this type of risk, but still have sovereign risk to the extent that they could find themselves one day without enough cash to pay their obligations.

It should be noted that part of the reason that government bonds give a return is not related as much to risk as it is to providing the incentive to invest. Governments issue debt because they need to raise funds. If there was no return given on that debt, nobody would invest. Therefore, there must be some sort of return offered, in order to entice investors. The rate is typically set in regard to the opportunity cost of capital, and the market yield will reflect the market's views about the sovereign risk associated with debt.

Thus, risk free securities are not truly risk free. There is the risk of default, although this risk is very minor. There is the risk as well that the value of the investment will not be much. In the event of hyperinflation, for example, the value of the money might be very low. However, the value will always be paid out because the Treasury can print that money. The interest rate reflects, in addition to an enticement to invest, the combined risk of default and the risk associated with expected future interest rate moves.

However, this still relatively young application of internet technology does come with a wide array of security concerns that highlight the ethical and legal responsibilities facing these handlers of sensitive information.

ith identify theft and hacking of open source network activities real threats in the internet age, it is increasingly important for online shoppers bankers to be aware of the risks and for online financial institutions to be armed to protect against them.

For the banking industry, which has gone to considerable lengths to continually upgrade security measures, this presents a demand which is simultaneously economic and ethical. Indeed, the transition of users from traditional to online banking methods will be a shift "resulting in considerable savings in operating costs for banks." (Sathye, 325) This highlights the nature of it risks for all companies, which must balance security concerns with the financial optimization often associated with such change.

Online banking,…

Works Cited:

CMU. 2003. Risk Management. Carnegie Mellon University: Software Engineering Institute. Online at  http://www.sei.cmu.edu/risk/index.html 

Comptroller of the Current, Administrator of National Banks (CoC). (2005). Authentication in an Internet Banking Environment. Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council. Online at .

Sathye, M. (1999). Adoption of Internet Banking by Australian Consumers: An Empirical Investigation. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 17(7), 324-334.

Stoneburner, G; Goguen, a. & Feringa, a. (2002). Risk Management Guide for Information Technology Systems. NIST 800-30.