...Information about Target’s vendors was publicly available online. Reconnaissance from the hackers opened up an in depth case study on a Microsoft’s website which would reveal the information on how Target uses Microsoft virtualization software, centralized name resolution and SCCM for data security as well as to apply system updates. The case study also tells about Target’s infrastructure and POS Systems information (Microsoft, 2011). When a Fazio employee opened the malicious email, it enabled hackers to steal all of Fazio’s passwords (Krebs, 2014d). Fazio’s main method to detect malware was a free version of a security software called, ‘Malwarebytes Anti-Malware’, whose license explicitly prohibited corporate use. But Fazio had used it anyway, and Target did not monitor the vendor’s security arrangements. Also, that same month Target’s security team identified vulnerabilities in the firm’s payment card systems and cash registers, but no further investigations were undertaken or ordered by Target...
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...Case Study #1 Cyber Security in Business Organizations CIS 500: Information Systems for Decision-Making Cyber Security in Business Organizations On December 19, 2013, the Target Corporation in Minneapolis, MN, put out a press release on their website confirming there had been a security breach allowing unauthorized database access to their Point of Sale (POS) systems, between November 27 and December 15, 2013. Target reported approximately 40 million credit/debit card accounts could have been affected. In the release, Gregg Steinhafel, chairperson, president and chief executive officer, stated the following, “Target’s first priority is preserving the trust of our guests and we have moved swiftly to address this issue, so guests can shop with confidence. We regret any inconvenience this may cause. “We take this matter very seriously and are working with law enforcement to bring those responsible to justice.” (Target Press Release, 12/19/2013). Retailers are prime targets for hackers. Why? Simply stated, Risk versus Benefit. Retail stores compile a vast amount of financial data and banking information for millions of people across the country. It could be considered a new version of bank robbery. Rather than dealing with all the planning, resources needed and danger involved with robbing one actual bank, not to mention having to split the money with cohorts, hackers can skip the bank altogether. Obtaining consumers’ banking information provides all the benefits...
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...FUNDAMENTAL CHALLENGES There is a necessity for innovative security processes and policies to decrease the threats and challenges inherited from new technologies, software applications, and network devices. Information, network equipment’s, transmission media, computer systems, and servers are subject to threats. “Yet the use of information and communication technologies has increased the incidents of computer abuse.” (Backhouse and Dhillon). Security measures and countermeasures are fixed to guard organization against different security assaults. To assure the safekeeping requirements of a given company, it is vital to be able to assess the current security demands of an organization as well as the measures taken to attain such requirements. Security weaknesses cause an adverse impact on organizations such as financial loss, reputations, and loss of customer confidence (Kumar, Park, and Subramaniam, 2008). The purpose of applying security measures, controls, and strategies is to protect information security objectives and information assets. Integrity, confidentiality, and availability are the primary concerns in categorizing information level of safety for Information Security purposes (Chen, Shaw and Yang, 2006, Johnson, 2008 and. Nyanchama, 2005). RED FLAGS The stealing of payment card information from over 40 million Target customer was not have prevented by Target. Target could have acted on the information they received from the cyber-security firm it hired to monitor...
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...Horizontal integration is defined as the process of an organization acquiring other companies competing in the same or similar industries. This is done in order to eliminate competition or enter additional or new markets the existing firm has yet to enter on its own. Undertaking the aforementioned action is seen to be beneficial in its ability to provide additional benefits in the form of an established market position, technological expertise, economies of scale, capital assets, and an essential customer base. Said acquisitions are common in high tech, pharmaceutical, and retail sectors. Often these acquisitions come at a premium and demonstrate mixed results based on the evaluation and subsequent actions undertaken by the existing firm....
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...Name: Sampson Amoako Mensah Course: CSC-781 Instructor: Dr. Yen-Hung (Frank) Hu Topic: Target Security Breach Case Study Abstract This paper identifies the issues that cause the Target’s security breach, its also discusses the events that lead to the breach, identifies potential causes of this events, who was affected and how consumers reacted, the extent of the breach, and provide ways to address this events in addition to addressing risk management and data recovery for future occurrence. An Overview of the Breach In the days prior to Thanksgiving 2013, a malware was installed, on Target’s security and payment system, designed to steal credit cards that comes across the system. This malware targeted all the 1,797 stores own by target in the United States. The malware was coded, to pick up credit cards that were swiped at the register and stored on a server controlled by the hackers. Federal enforcement officials contacted Target on December 12, to alert them of the breach, target responded in three days to confirm the breach, Target reported about 40 million credit cards were stolen, about 70 million of personal records were also stolen. Events Leading to Breach Businessweek reports that hackers used the credentials of an HVAC vendor to get into Targets network, and spent several weeks installing the malware. hackers then sent the malware to the 1,797 stores owned by Target and got them installed on cashier stations, the malicious codes, will...
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...Cracking the Growth Code in IT-BPO Mergers As the market matures, consolidation can be the key to growth. Most IT-BPO companies in India have a focused M&A strategy to build growth momentum. But what will it take for these strategies to pay off? Cracking the Growth Code in IT-BPO Mergers 1 India has been the world’s dominant destination for information technology (IT) and business process outsourcing (BPO) services. However, as the market matures the industry has experienced a slowdown in growth, pushing IT-BPO providers toward focused M&A strategies to build and sustain growth momentum. Growth through M&A is now a core strategy influenced by the need to: • Fill gaps in service portfolios or geographic presence, to meet client demands and compete with the global majors; examples include Infosys’ acquisition of Lodestone to tap its European customer base, Wipro’s acquisition of Opus CMC to tap into its capabilities in high-end mortgage BPO, and Genpact’s acquisition of Triumph Engineering to bolster engineering capabilities • Manage cash reserves more effectively to meet shareholders’ expectations • Capture opportunities from client divestitures of services assets; examples include Cognizant’s acquisition of ING’s and CoreLogic’s captives, TCS’ and Wipro’s acquisition of Citigroup’s captives, and Tech Mahindra’s acquisition of Hutch BPO Done well, M&A strategies can help Indian players tap into $2 billion to $4 billion in revenues each year. Yet, about 70 percent of...
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...Comply with Sarbanes-Oxley Act Nguyễn Phước Đại dnguyen0191@student.bristoluniversity.edu Bristol University BUS 555: Business Ethics 10/16/2013 Comply with Sarbanes-Oxley Act Cynics sometimes like to say that locks on doors only keep honest people out, and the same is often true for accounting rules and regulations. We only trust financial statements from honest companies. Hefty penalties for violating the rules may act as curb for executives who are considering whether to play with their numbers. Accounting frauds most often stem from two conditions: lack of transparency and conflicts of interest1. The string of corporate scandals since the beginning of the millennium has taken its toll on investor confidence. Because reliance on corporate boards to police themselves did not seem to be working, Congress passed the Public Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002, commonly known as Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which enforced by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). (Hartman, L., DesJardin, J. 2011, p426) The collapse of Enroll, WorldCom, accounting frauds at Tyco and the passage of Sarbanes-Oxley have forced boards of directors, particularly at publicly-traded companies, to reassess how they do acquisition deals and on what basis they can represent to the shareholders that the deal is fair to all parties. (Andrew J. Sherman & Milledge A. Hart 2006, p87) In business there is one simple rule: grow or die. Companies on a growth path will...
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...Mergers and Acquisitions Basics Mergers and Acquisitions Basics All You Need To Know Donald DePamphilis Amsterdam • Boston • Heidelberg • London New York • Oxford • Paris • San Diego San Francisco • Singapore • Sydney • Tokyo Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier 30 Corporate Drive, Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803, USA Elsevier, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1GB, UK Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Details on how to seek permission, further information about the Publisher’s permissions policies and our arrangements with organizations such as the Copyright Clearance Center and the Copyright Licensing Agency, can be found at our website: www.elsevier.com/permissions. This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Publisher (other than as may be noted herein). Notices Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary. Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge...
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...Investment Banking Giuliano Iannotta Investment Banking A Guide to Underwriting and Advisory Services Professor Giuliano Iannotta Department of Finance ` Universita Bocconi via Roentgen 1 20136 Milano Italy giuliano.iannotta@unibocconi.it ISBN: 978-3-540-93764-7 e-ISBN: 978-3-540-93765-4 DOI 10.1007/978-3-540-93765-4 Springer Heidelberg Dordrecht London New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2009943831 # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Violations are liable to prosecution under the German Copyright Law. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Cover design: WMXDesign GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) To my family ...
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...FNCE90012 Mergers & Value Enhancing Strategies Semester 1, 2015 Lecture 1: Fundamentals Lecture 1: Fundamentals Overview of Lecture 1. Fundamentals – Takeovers, acquisitions, and mergers – Three examples – Types of mergers 2. Ownership and Control 3. Merger Statistics 4. Why Do Mergers Occur? Readings • Brealy, Myers, Allen, 2011, Principles of Corporate Finance, 10th edition, Chapter 31. 1 1. Fundamentals 2 Takeovers, Acquisitions, Mergers and Schemes • Takeover – One firm (the bidder) acquires control of another firm (the target) by purchasing the voting shares of the target from the shareholders of the target – The consideration paid by the bidder may be cash and or shares (in the bidder) – Usually conducted on a hostile basis whereby the managers of the bidder do not consult with the managers of the target firm prior to launching the bid – A full takeover involves the bidder acquiring 100% control of the target. A partial takeover involves the bidder acquiring less than 100% control. Takeovers, Acquisitions, Mergers and Schemes • Acquisitions – In general, the purchase of an asset by a firm – Includes purchases of single assets from a supplier or the purchase of the business undertaking and assets of another firm or the purchase of the voting shares of another firm Takeovers, Acquisitions, Mergers and Schemes • Merger – A negotiated deal between the managers of the bidder and the managers of the target which effectively results in...
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...company mission, vision, and value’s statements which help them to perform at optimum levels of operations. Missions, vision and value statements: the overall goal is to provide the organization with their purpose; which is the case for these retail chains in the U.S. The mission, vision and value statements aid each chain to define their brand, culture, and consumer relations. Each retail chain differentiates them-selves by providing unique good and services to their consumers, more-over their mission, vision and values statement must also be unique, enabling them to stand out form each other. The big players in the discount retail market are Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Target. (retailindustry.about.com) Supporting Paragraphs Both mission and vision relates to an organization’s purpose and are typically communicated in some written form. Mission and vision are statements from the organization that answer questions about which we are, what we value, and where we’re going. (Coffman, Freire, Heaver, & Soltis, 2002) Mission statements are often longer than vision statements. Sometimes mission statements also include a summation of the firm’s values. (Cady, Wheeler, DeWolf, & Brodke, 2011, p. 70) Values are the beliefs of an individual or group, and in this case the organization, in which they are emotionally invested. A vision statement, describes what an organization’s purpose and aspirations will possibly be in the future. The mission statement gives meaning and purpose to...
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...OVERVIEW Background On August 3, 2005, Adidas-Salomon AG announced its plans to buy all outstanding shares of Reebok International Ltd.'s stock at $59.00 per share, for a total of $3.8 billion. Upon announcement, Reebok stock rose 30% while Adidas climbed 7%. As stated by Herbert Hainer, CEO of Adidas, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to combine two of the most respected and well-known companies in the worldwide sporting goods industry. Together, we will expand our geographic reach, particularly in North America, and create a footwear, apparel and hardware offering that addresses a broader spectrum of consumers and demographics" (Adidas.com). The three leading sportswear companies in the world are Nike, Adidas and Reebok. In August 2005, Nike was the leader in global market share with 32.9% compared to the recently constituted Adidas-Reebok organisation that had 26.3% market share. In the largest market in the world, the United States (US), Nike had 36.3% market share in August 2005. Following the acquisition of Reebok in August 2005, the market share of Adidas-Reebok in the US jumped to 21.1% from 8.9%. A primary goal of the acquisition has been to challenge industry leader Nike for a higher share of the United States sporting goods market as well as the global sporting goods market. The acquisition has prompted much discussion as to what the future holds for the sporting goods industry and its major players. Today, the sportswear trade is a vast and dynamic...
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...Interested in learning more about security? SANS Institute InfoSec Reading Room This paper is from the SANS Institute Reading Room site. Reposting is not permitted without express written permission. Case Study: Critical Controls that Could Have Prevented Target Breach In December 2013 over 40 million credit cards were stolen from nearly 2000 Target stores by accessing data on point of sale (POS) systems. This paper will explore known issues in the Target breach and consider some of the Critical Controls that could have been used to both prevent this breach and mitigate losses. AD Copyright SANS Institute Author Retains Full Rights Case Study: Critical Controls that Could Have Prevented Target Breach GIAC (GSEC) Gold Certification Author: Teri Radichel, teri@radicalsoftware.com Advisor: Stephen Northcutt Accepted: August 5th 2014 Abstract In December 2013 over 40 million credit cards were stolen from nearly 2000 Target stores by accessing data on point of sale (POS) systems. This paper will explore known issues in the Target breach and consider some of the Critical Controls that could have been used to both prevent this breach and mitigate losses. From what is known about the Target breach, there were multiple factors that led to data loss: vendors were subject to phishing attacks, network segregation was lacking, point of sale systems were vulnerable to memory scraping malware and detection strategies employed by Target failed. A possible...
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...[pic] King Saud University College of Administrative Sciences Strategic Management 597 BUS Case analysis Target Corporation Professor Dr. Nadia Ayoub Submit by Ghadeer Al- Mutawa Reem Abdul Jabbar 9, January 2007 Contents Introduction Vision Statement Mission Statement Strategy Analysis State 1: The Input Stage External Factor Evaluation o Opportunities o Threats Competitive Profile Matrix Internal Factor Evaluation o Strengths o Weaknesses Summary of Financial Ratios in Target Corporation Stage 2: The Matching Stage 1) The Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) Matrix, 2) The Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix, 3) The Grand Strategy Matrix, 4) The Internal-External (IE) Matrix. Summary of Matrix Analysis Stage 3: The Decision Stage Quantitative Strategic Planning Model [QSPM] Recommendations Epilogue Introduction Target Corporation is a powerful retail brand. It has a reputation for value for money, convenience and a wide range of products all in one store. Target Corporation is the third-largest general merchandise retailer in the United States. It offers an assortment of general merchandise, including consumables...
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...Kaplan (2001)), and this equity was usually very richly valued by historical standards. The positive correlation between market valuation and merger activity has also been documented in other periods (Martin (1996), Verter (2002)) and is especially strong for stock deals (Maksimovic and Phillips (2001)). One interpretation of this evidence is that managers try to time the market by paying with stock when they believe it is overvalued. Recently, a number of papers formally recognized this link between possible mispricing and acquisition activity. Shleifer and Vishny (2003) propose that overvalued firms engage in stock-financed acquisitions in order to obtain hard assets at an effective discount. This discount comes at the expense of the target’s long-term shareholders, so their theory relies on different stock price performance horizons for the managers of the two involved firms.1 Rhodes-Kropf ∗...
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