In reference to computer science, physical security is one of the most important accomplishments a business can achieve. Due to the advent of the modern technical age, all of a company’s records are held on their data systems. First and foremost, theft or loss of historical records and accounting data would instantly cripple an enterprise and could very well lead to its ultimate demise. The high profile news reports just in the last decade verify that. Hackers stole the financial records of several banks, which included the personal information of thousands of customers. Ditto for the Veterans’ Administration, for an employee’s laptop was stolen off site. Inside the computer’s hard drive were the ever important Social Security Numbers of hundreds of thousands of veterans and their families. For example, a financial institution goes to stark measures to ensure the money and securities stored there are safe. Not only are there outside locks on the doors and an elaborate alarm system, there is a fireproof steel vault with the finest timed locks available. Most usually, the valuables are further stored in locked boxes inside that vault. Just like that bank, an organization must strive to make physical security a priority. However, simply locking the data and equipment is far from sufficient. The information technology also needs an “alarm” of sorts, so that the company’s police, the information security specialists, can identify the threat and diminish or eliminate it.
Discussion
I. Definition:
Rouse (2005) defines physical security as “the protection of personnel, hardware, programs, networks, and data from physical circumstances and events that could cause serious losses or damage to an enterprise, agency, or insti...
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Physical security is everyone’s responsibility. Just like every member of the family is responsible to ensure household safety, every member of an organization, from the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to the lowest apprentice employee, must be vigilant for cracks in physical security. Lock that computer screen when leaving it unattended, even if for a “short time”. Make a checklist to make sure the doors and safe are locked before departing that evening. Those annoying backup warnings could one day save the company, as well as the employee’s job, in the event of a system failure. That person hanging around asking too many obtrusive questions needs to be reported to proper authorities. Report and ignore suspicious e-mails and phone calls. These supposedly simple things can make the difference between utter disaster and a safe, smooth running business.
Physical and environmental security programs are generally considered to be a collection of mechanisms and controls put into place that help ensure the availability of information technology capabilities. These programs protect an organization from fire, flood, theft, power failure, intentional, and even unintentional damage through negligence. Implementation of these programs at the organizational level can take place in a number of ways but most organizations choose to follow the application of a body of standards, usually set forth by an organization such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Once such body of standards put forth by ISO/IEC is 27002, Information technology – Security techniques – Code of practice for information secur...
Explain safeguarding how you work, to ensure all are safe and confident to raise issues.
System have to be constantly updated to prevent new types of attacks. Also, different layers of security have to be employed so as to increase the fortification of the network system against possible breach. In a case where a system has been breached, awareness should become the next priority as this can still help prevent the loss of data depending how soon detection can occur. In all security measures, human error has always been identified as a great risk. To minimize this, security training is encouraged not just for security personals but for everyone who uses a
Security helps the organization meet its business objectives or mission by protecting its physical and financial resources, reputation, legal position, employees, and other tangible and intangible assets through the selection and application of appropriate safeguards. Businesses should establish roles and responsibilities of all personnel and staff members. However, a Chief Information Officer should be appointed to direct an organization’s day to day management of information assets. Supporting roles are performed by the service providers and include systems operations, whose personnel design and operate the computer systems. Each team member must be held accountable in ensuring all of the rules and policies are being followed, as well as, understanding their roles, responsibilities and functions. Organizations information processing systems are vulnerable to many threats that can inflict various types of damage that can result in significant losses (Harris, 2014). Losses can come from actions from trusted employees that defraud the system, outside hackers, or from careless data entry. The major threat to information protection is error and omissions that data entry personnel, users, system operators and programmers make. To better protect business information resources, organizations should conduct a risk analysis to see what
Training to teach employees why security measures are important and teach them to use safe computing practices.
The idea behind information security is that data, either personal or commercial, will only be viewed by those for whom it was intended and keeping unwanted eyes away. One of the most popular methods to secure data is the use of passwords and/or PIN numbers that only designated persons know. This type of securing information worked well when the password and/or PIN numbers follow a secure policy, but this method quickly fails when the designated persons that use the secure information mistreat the password and/or PIN numbers.5 The user may write down the key needed to access the information or simply tell it to someone who does not have access; then the information is no longer secure and problems arise. In the case of an organization, they may notice that information is being leaked to a rival and would need to find the source of the leak to prevent it from occurring again.
There was an era where physical security was considered to be the most effective means of protecting technical
The phrase ‘cyber risk’ means jeopardizing an organization’s financial status and revenue due to the advancement in technology (IRM, 2014). The concern with the increase growth in technology, it causes a high risk in security and privacy. Cyber risk may not only occur in big or small organizations, but also data breach in high-profile personnel’s or release of government documents. While businesses and society continue to engage in the use of technology, the potential cyber threat is really underestimated. Cyber risk management will help prevent the release of confidential and personal information to the attackers. Some examples of recent cyber attacks are the massive data breach at Target and the leak of confidential information in Panama.
Physical security threats are concerns associated more with attackers who gain physical access to the premises. The attackers can cause physical destruction of equipment or sabotage the equipment. In addition the attackers can be responsible for theft, fraud, and vandalism. The attacker can sabotage the system if the attacker has sufficient knowledge of the system, such as a former employee, and gains access to the system and then renders the system unusable, deletes or changes information. Theft can include the actual products off of the s...
However, not every risk can be avoided, therefore, the objective is to determine the optimal (cost vs. benefit) level on controls to implement to help mitigate risks. In the café’s security case, human error was the primary issue. Such error resulted in an internal attack from a USB storage drive that could’ve been easily avoided with the implementation of controls. A simple preventative control such as, user awareness of risks, or by completely banning the use of USB’s or any device on any computer would have avoided this now costly
As technology is becoming more prominent as 21-century workers, it become apparent that identity theft, viruses, malware and security breaches occur that can leak out an individual’s personal information or a client’s information in the office setting. Protecting identity in the office setting is a vital role into maintaining a safe job without the anxiety of identity theft. Data security is an issue that affects all businesses in the office setting, both big and small. All of these threats are gaining momentum as a crime that is conspicuous in American society. When a client goes to a business, they assume to have their data and information protected; which can cause a barrier into publicizing personal information. As technology is progressing,
A major challenging impacting organizations, is having a comprehensive security plan that will safeguard the personal information of their clients and employees. While at the same time, it must be able to streamline the different administrative and technical functions. The result is that firms must develop and update their strategies to deal with the changing nature of the threats they are facing. This is because as technology improves, more are increasingly vulnerable to a host of ever changing tactics. The result is that the issue of cyber espionage is becoming a problem. It is utilized to: give competitors, criminal elements and governmental entities access to sensitive information. (Mackie, 2015)
The business world is increasingly reliant on technology to supply information and communications facilities to staff, partners, and customers. Securing organizational information and the systems that are used to manage and transmit data has become a high profile function. Failure to secure information can have a severe impact on business credibility.
Implement physical security: - “Physical security protects people, data, equipment, systems, facilities and company assets” (Harris,
Physical security cannot be wholly successful without the human factor element and the active support of these user groups. For example, when the aim is to protect a critical facility from attack or to provide access control for an office building it is necessary to engage people on the proper use of any security systems that are in place, for instance security alarms. If the alarm goes off and employees have no idea what it signifies