...the Internet. Practicing strong computer security is a nonnegotiable requirement for organizations doing business today. However, building security into an existing corporate culture is a complex undertaking. Every organization has a security culture, and each is as unique as the organization itself. Security culture can be collaborative or argumentative, structured or unstructured. Security can be an integral part of a process beginning at the project-definition stage, or a separate process added on to an existing project. It can be ingrained or reactive. Information security is the protection of information from a wide range of threats in order to ensure business continuity, minimize business risk, and maximize return on investments and business opportunities. Security issues are unknowingly generated via employees using consumer electronics in their homes. As more consumer communications and devices enter the corporate enterprise security professionals need to consider the risks for business security. Things to consider included IM, gmail, iphones, un-secure home networks, etc. Employees are using these devices at home and in the workplace. . The first and most important strategy is to align information security with business strategy. The higher the value, the bigger the target, the greater the damage and overall risk to the company. As business executives, we have to take risk Sometimes these choices are disquieting to a security team. If teams feel the risk of a particular...
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...be the most important difference between internal and external penetration tests. Imagine you are the manager of an information security program. Determine which you believe to be the most useful and justify your answer. Internal pen-testing takes a different approach -- one that simulates what an insider attack could accomplish. The target is typically the same as external pen-testing, but the major differentiator is the "attacker" either has some sort of authorized access or is starting from a point within the internal network. Insider attacks have the potential of being much more devastating than an external attack because insiders already have the knowledge of what's important within a network and where it's located, something that external attackers don't usually know from the start. As a manager, I have to keep in mind that, The goal of the pen-test is to access specific servers and crown jewels within the internal network by exploiting externally exposed servers, clients, and people. Whether it's an exploit against a vulnerable Web application or tricking a user into giving you his password over the phone, allowing access to the VPN, the end game is getting from the outside to the inside. An "external" penetration test will examine the various resources available from anyone outside the security perimeter (i.e., the firewall). This testing could include the web/email servers, dial-in, wireless and VPN access. The "internal" penetration test will examine resources available...
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...Design a Layered Security Strategy for an IP Network Infrastructure NaTasha Scott Dr. Danielle Babb CIS 534 Advanced Network Security Design March 6, 2014 1. Block diagram design of a layered security solution 2. A written function overview of your design Lab Assessment Questions and Answers for Lab 8 1. Explain why a layered security strategy helps mitigate risk and threats both external and internal. Multiple layers can be used to secure internal threats like keeping employees from accessing inappropriate material, update and patch workstations and run current anti-virus/malware on workstations daily. The layers also help mitigate external threats like hackers by using firewalls and shutting traffic out of the internal network. 2. Why is it a good idea to put shared servers and services on a DMZ when both internal and external users need access? When you have a DMZ there are two firewalls to protect the internal network from external threats. The necessary servers can be placed between the two in order to allow access from either side through strict firewalls while still allowing very little external traffic into the internal zone. The outermost firewall can allow a certain set of traffic to come in and access the servers. The inner most firewall blocks access into the intranet while allowing internal users to access the information on the servers. 3. What recommendations do you have for the future e-commerce server and deployment in regard to physical...
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...Design a Layered Security Strategy for an IP Network Infrastructure Lab Assessment Questions & Answers 1. Explain why a layered security strategy helps mitigate risk and threats both external and internal. Multiple layers can be used to secure internal threats like keeping employees from accessing inappropriate material, update and patch workstations and run current anti-virus/malware on workstations daily. The layers also help mitigate external threats like hackers by using firewalls and shutting traffic out of the internal network. 2. Why is it a good idea to put shared servers and services on a DMZ when both internal and external users need access? When you have a DMZ there are two firewalls to protect the internal network from external threats. The necessary servers can be placed between the two in order to allow access from either side through strict firewalls while still allowing very little external traffic into the internal zone. The outermost firewall can allow a certain set of traffic to come in and access the servers. The inner most firewall blocks access into the intranet while allowing internal users to access the information on the servers. 3. What recommendations do you have for the future e-commerce server and deployment in regards to physical location and back-end security for privacy data and credit card data? I would place the e-commerce server in the DMZ with the private and credit card data stored inside the internal network. The commerce...
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...functions internal auditing and external auditing. Internal auditors are a company’s own accounting employees that perform the audit. On the other hand, external auditors are from outside of the company and work for an independent CPA firm that performs an external audit. Internal auditors report to top management positions such as the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. The internal auditing function involves five main evaluations. 1) Employee compliance with organizational policies and procedures, meaning that employees are not breaking or violating the company’s rules. 2) Effectiveness of operations, meaning that the company’s controls and production are operating as efficiently as possible. 3) Compliance with external laws and regulations, meaning that the company’s procedures and operations do not violate any governmental or business laws. 4) Reliability of financial reports, meaning that the financial reports are not biased or construed in a way that would cause misrepresentation. 5) Internal controls, this means that the company is protected (as well as possible) against fraud, theft, and corruption. Overall, the internal audit function checks the efficiency and integrity of almost the entire company. The internal audit benefits the company’s management and employees to check and ensure that company procedures are efficient and legal. The company would rather have a mistake or fraudulent information be caught by the internal auditor rather than by an external auditor...
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...and procedures for decision making of corporate affairs. Besides, it also includes the whole control structure of the corporation. 2.Which are the top 3 most important institutions for the Capital Markets in HK, and why? Securities & Futures Commission (SFC), Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) and Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong regulates the securities and futures markets in Hong Kong. Its responsibility is to ensure the order of security and future markets in Hong Kong, to protect the rights of investors and to promote Hong Kong as a key financial center both in China and all over the world. Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) regulates the insurance in Hong Kong. According to the Insurance Companies Ordinance, the primary objective of OCI is to supervise the financial conditions and operations of authorized insurers, and to facilitate the development of the insurance industry. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is the currency board of Hong Kong. According to the Exchange Fund Ordinance, the primary objective of HKMA to stabilize Hong Kong’s banking system and currency, and to promote the development of the financial system in Hong Kong. Therefore, Securities & Futures Commission (SFC), Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) and Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) are the most important institutions for the Capital Markets in HK. 3.Which are the top 3 most important...
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...Your organization will need to decide which rules to define; this is an essential part of its security policy. If the appropriate sections related to firewalls do not pre-define what rules to define on a new firewall, then perform the following procedure: 1. Inventory all essential business processes and communications that will cross the checkpoint. 2. Determine the protocols, ports, and IP addresses of valid traffic for both internal and external hosts. 3. Write out the rules on paper or using a firewall rule designer/simulator. 4. Test the rules in a laboratory environment. 5. Obtain written approval for the rule sets from a change approval board. 6. Document the rules into a security policy procedure amendment and submit the amendment to the security policy management team for inclusion in the official document. Ultimately, this is the basic process for creating any new element of security. The goal always is to have a written security policy for every security component. If no current policy or procedure defining the steps to take for the deployment of a new security element exists, then you must write, test, and get approval for a new policy or procedure. Once a procedure exists, use it to judge successful deployment. The exact rules to add to a new firewall are completely dependent upon the business processes that are unique to every organization. However, some common types of rules are found on most firewalls. These include: • Access to insecure Internet...
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...Security Monitoring Mobin Bahrami University of Phoenix Information Systems Risk Management CMGT/442 June 22, 2012 Brian Hoff Intro Security monitoring is an important factor in keeping any organization network safe as various attacks are on a rise. A company constantly must practice monitory techniques to keep their data safe. " The first step is to scan the internal and external environment and identify information technology risks before they become a problem. The key is to be proactive rather than reactive" (Marilyn Greenstein). Different organization consist of many applications that require a certain level of security measures and risk assessment. To determine the associated risks within an organization each application needs to be thoroughly reviewed. Also risks may vary between internal and external applications. Many organizations remain profitable and grow by creating a good mixture of information technology and e-commerce. E-commerce focuses mainly on the product marketing and Internet sales, while information technology (IT) team handle all aspects of the organizations network. Malicious attacks, natural disasters, and internal breach are all good cause to maintain a security monitoring system. Network Security Systems Security event monitoring involves monitoring activities that occur on a computer system such as, recording information and analyzing recorded data to identify any potential risks. Organizations must have a secure network to stay in...
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...Understand security procedures when handling mail or packages. 1.1 Explain the purpose of security procedures for handling mail and packages. The purpose of having security procedures in place for when you’re handling mail or packages is to make sure that nothing confidential to the business is received by the wrong person. Mail to a business could contain information about customers, staff or upcoming events for the business which would need to kept secure until they reached the recipient the security procedures would make sure that the mail was not lost while it is being sent it would also make sure that the mail wasn’t picked up by the wrong person before the recipient. 1.2 Give examples of security procedures for handling mail in organisations. One of the procedures would be to never open a package that seems suspicious or wasn’t expected by anybody in the business. If a questionable parcel is delivers it should not be passed on to the member of staff it was addressed to or any other member of staff, the parcel should be kept in a safe place and if you feel it needed call the emergency services to come and check the parcel and potentially dispose of it. It is also important to make sure that you can remember who delivered the parcel if not take a note of them if possible. You could also check to see if they work for any regular courier company that delivers to the business or if they work for the local mail office. Section 2: Understand the range of available internal and external...
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...Fundamental Principles of Network Security By Christopher Leidigh White Paper #101 Executive Summary Security incidents are rising at an alarming rate every year. As the complexity of the threats increases, so do the security measures required to protect networks. Data center operators, network administrators, and other data center professionals need to comprehend the basics of security in order to safely deploy and manage networks today. This paper covers the fundamentals of secure networking systems, including firewalls, network topology and secure protocols. Best practices are also given that introduce the reader to some of the more critical aspects of securing a network. 2005 American Power Conversion. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used, reproduced, photocopied, transmitted, or stored in any retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright owner. www.apc.com Rev 2005-0 2 Introduction Securing the modern business network and IT infrastructure demands an end-to-end approach and a firm grasp of vulnerabilities and associated protective measures. While such knowledge cannot thwart all attempts at network incursion or system attack, it can empower network engineers to eliminate certain general problems, greatly reduce potential damages, and quickly detect breaches. With the ever-increasing number and complexity of attacks, vigilant approaches to security in both large and small enterprises are a...
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...Information management CIS/207 10/08/12 Information is identified in an organization through a data management system. In an organization communication flows in five ways.1.downward 2.upward 3.lateral 4.diagonal 5.external A Data Management System consist of programs that enable you to store, modify and retrieve information from a database. A Data Management System is important to an organization because high quality data is needed in order for an organization to be successful. The goal of a Data Management System is to make raw data into high quality data. High quality data can help an organization to Increase revenue and cut expenses. Managers need quick access to correct, complete and consistent data from around the organization if they are to improve process and performance. Decisions they make and the service given to them is based on the data available to them. The data that they rely on is retrieved from a data base or data warehouse. Data bases store information and data that an organization generates from it application. This information generated can be sales information, revenue information, employee data etc.. A data warehouse is a specialized type of database that compiles data from databases so it can be analyzed. Communication that flows from a higher level in an organization to a lower level is a downward communication...
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...Security Monitoring Russell McKay July 23, 2012 CMGT/442 William Glassen Security Monitoring Organizations in pursuit of success are challenged by taking risks. This challenge necessitates a call for risk assessment and defense through security processes. Evaluation of risks and assessment lends to defensive strategies producing a high level of security in relation to acceptable cost. Modern business endeavors of electronic commerce or e-commerce find a two front strategy between internal and external risk strategies. Security monitoring offers a measure of defense to both internal information technology and external risk from e-commerce applications. Event Monitoring Security as event monitoring inspects inbound and outbound network activity for suspicious patterns indicating an intrusion attempt. Common behaviors of users and processes create a baseline by documentation for determining normal activity. This baseline is able to provide a determination by monitoring between acceptable and unacceptable activities. Administrating to the detection system require sensitivity to techniques and methods of users for minimum levels of security that allow normal user functioning. Internal Information Technology Basic internal IT applications such as inventory, payroll, general ledger, and human resources are vulnerable to various risks. Risks include viruses, worms, identity theft, money and proprietary misappropriations. Internal controls as described by the Committee...
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...Chapter 1 Auditing and Internal Control Review Questions 1. What is the purpose of an IT audit? Response: The purpose of an IT audit is to provide an independent assessment of some technology- or systems-related object, such as proper IT implementation, or controls over computer resources. Because most modern accounting information systems use IT, IT plays a significant role in a financial (external audit), where the purpose is to determine the fairness and accuracy of the financial statements. 2. Discuss the concept of independence within the context of a financial audit. How is independence different for internal auditors? Response: The auditor cannot be an advocate of the client, but must independently attest to whether GAAP and other appropriate guidelines have been adequately met. Independence for internal auditors is different because they are employed by the organization, and cannot be as independent as the external auditor. Thus internal auditors must use professional judgment and independent minds in performing IA activities. 3. What are the conceptual phases of an audit? How do they differ between general auditing and IT auditing? Response: The three conceptual phases of auditing are: i. Audit planning, ii. Tests of internal controls, and iii. Substantive...
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...Checklist for Evaluating Internal Controls ACC/544: Internal Control Systems Comprehensive Checklist for Evaluating Internal Controls As defined by the COSO framework, there are five elements that are used to explain an internal control system applied in an organization. These elements include: 1. Control Environment – The control environment is the foundation for the other four components of internal control. It outlines discipline and structure for the internal control method and consists of philosophy, ethical values, operating style, risk appetite, functioning of the board, and organizational structure (Louwers, Ramsay, Sinason, & Strawser, 2007). 2. Risk Assessment - This component evaluates the way in which an organization decides to handle the number of always-evolving external and internal risks. 3. Control Activities - This component seeks to ensure that the directives of management are carried out. These are computerized and manual and serve the purpose of preventing, detecting, and correcting errors (Louwers, Ramsay, Sinason, & Strawser, 2007). 4. Information and Communication – The information and communication component provide managers with the critical information necessary for achieving objectives. This component seeks to provide information that is timely, reliable, and relevant. 5. Monitoring – Assessing the quality of the established controls is essential to motivate continuous progress of the internal control method. ...
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...(ASBS) with external users Charles Eaton Submitted to: Professor Withrow SE571 Principles of Information Security and Privacy Keller Graduate School of Management Submitted: July 25, 2011 Executive Summary To be completed once analysis and recommendations are completed Company Overview The United States Army Human Resources Command (AHRC) is comprised of many directorates that are data consumers. The command is broken down in areas of responsibility, the responsible directorate for the transmission of secure prospect information is the G6, this is the technology directorate, and this directorate has established an Information Assurance (IA) reasonable for the safe and secure and safe transmission of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) over the internet. Problem Statement The Army Selection Board system (ASBS) is the system the AHRC uses to conduct promotion, command, school, and other miscellaneous selection boards. The system allows the internal and external users to prepare, scrub, and accept the Official Military Personnel File in preparation for a selection board, as well as conducting the voting and during board operations. The timely and accurate board proceedings are the primary key to this application, the ASBS uses external users not a part of the AHRC team. The user’s are located around the globe and will be accessing the network in various means that are available to them. This secure transmission will need to have the security approval...
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