Common Information Security Threats
Common Information Security Threats
September 22, 2012
Common Information Security Threats
As company’s dependence on computers and the internet increase, there are more and more threats that they face from hackers and anarchist alike. For ever solution that companies come up with to defend themselves against cyber attacks, those who wish to do harm find other means to attack, it is a constant cat and mouse struggle. If 2011 has been any indication, it is clear that everyone is vulnerable to cyber attacks. There was wave after wave of hacking, malware, and spear-phishing attacks that succeeded in exploiting many well-known businesses, such as RSA and Sony, which lead to the exposure of millions of records. (Schwartz, 2012) The purpose of this paper is to discuss three of the top information security threats that any business and organization face today: breaches, cyber espionage, and mobile malware. A breach is when there is unauthorized access to someone’s personal information for means to collect, use, or to disclose. These breaches happen mostly when the information is stolen, lost, or disclosed by accident (e.g., a computer containing personal information is stolen or the information emailed to the wrong people by accident.). Breaches may also be a result of errors in an organization’s procedure. Such information that is stolen can belong to a customer, patient, client, or employee. Once a breach has been identified, the organization must take immediate action to address the incident and reduce any additional risk that results from the event. This is when redundancy becomes very important in enterprise architecture because organizational information systems provide a failover mode that helps to ensure that failed components trigger the appropriate backup components with similar capability. Another common threat that companies face in terms of information security is cyber espionage. This practice is when secrets are obtained without the
September 22, 2012
Common Information Security Threats
As company’s dependence on computers and the internet increase, there are more and more threats that they face from hackers and anarchist alike. For ever solution that companies come up with to defend themselves against cyber attacks, those who wish to do harm find other means to attack, it is a constant cat and mouse struggle. If 2011 has been any indication, it is clear that everyone is vulnerable to cyber attacks. There was wave after wave of hacking, malware, and spear-phishing attacks that succeeded in exploiting many well-known businesses, such as RSA and Sony, which lead to the exposure of millions of records. (Schwartz, 2012) The purpose of this paper is to discuss three of the top information security threats that any business and organization face today: breaches, cyber espionage, and mobile malware. A breach is when there is unauthorized access to someone’s personal information for means to collect, use, or to disclose. These breaches happen mostly when the information is stolen, lost, or disclosed by accident (e.g., a computer containing personal information is stolen or the information emailed to the wrong people by accident.). Breaches may also be a result of errors in an organization’s procedure. Such information that is stolen can belong to a customer, patient, client, or employee. Once a breach has been identified, the organization must take immediate action to address the incident and reduce any additional risk that results from the event. This is when redundancy becomes very important in enterprise architecture because organizational information systems provide a failover mode that helps to ensure that failed components trigger the appropriate backup components with similar capability. Another common threat that companies face in terms of information security is cyber espionage. This practice is when secrets are obtained without the
References: Friedman, J., & Hoffman, D. V. (2008). Protecting Data on mobile Devices: A Taxonomy of Security Threats to mobile Computing and Review of Applicable Defenses. Information knowledge Systems Management, 7(1/2), 159-180. Kerr, D. (2012, October 15). FBI Warns Users Of Mobile Malware. Retrieved from http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57532937-83/fbi-warns-users-of-mobile-malware/ Locke, G., & Gallagher, P. D. (2011, March). Enterprise Architecture. Information Security, 800(39), 17-19. Podszywalow, M. (2011, November 29). How to Detect and Stop Corproate Cyber Espionage. Retrieved from http://www.thedatachain.com/articles/2011/11/how_to_detect_and_stop_corporate_cyber_espionage Roberts, P. (2012, June 229). U.S. Congress Hears Of Growing Cyber Espionage Threat to U.S.. Retrieved from http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/us-congress-hears-growing-cyber-espionage-threat-us-062912 Schwartz, M. J. (2012, January 17). 10 Security Trends To Watch In 2012. Retrieved from http://www.informationweek.com/security/vulnerabilities/10-security-trends-to-watch-in-2012/232400392