Purpose
This project provides you an opportunity to analyze risks, threats, and vulnerabilities and apply countermeasures in the information systems environment.

Required Source Information and Tools

To complete the project, you will need the following: 1. Access to the Internet to perform research for the project * Microsoft Windows How-To, including: * Optimize Windows for Better Performance: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/optimize-windows-better-performance - optimize-windows-better-performance=windows-7 * http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/improve-performance-optimizing-hard-drive 8.1 * http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/7-quick-tips-hacks-optimize-windows-10-experience/ win 10 * Monitor Attempts to Access and Change Settings On Your Computer / To Turn On Auditing: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/monitor-attempts-to-access-and-change-settings-on-your-computer * What Information Appears in Event Logs? http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/what-information-event-logs-event-viewer - 1TC=windows-7 2. Course textbook

Learning Objectives and Outcomes
You will: * Explain how to assess risks, threats, and vulnerabilities * Evaluate potential outcomes of a malware attack and exposure of confidential information * Evaluate information systems security countermeasures * Explain how system hardening relates to a company’s IT security policy framework * Analyze the purposes of system hardening * Analyze security events * Evaluate information systems security activities in terms of business contributions

Introduction
Contemporary organizations collect, store, and transmit a tremendous amount of highly sensitive data. Despite the many benefits that information technology offers, these systems are not completely secure. Proper