Category: Cybersecurity

Propose a detailed analysis of the evidence

There has been a significant transformation in communication and how people work with the advancement in technology and networking skills. However, the technology has simplified various protocols and exposed multiple organizations to danger. The most considerable risk in networking has been the alteration or stealing of data using cybersecurity skills. A multinational organization has employed these skills to advance and improve its performance. With data being the primary subject in cybersecurity, both individuals and organizations are at risk of being attacked by either individuals or organizations. With these threats increasing, it has necessitated the states to pass bills aimed at reducing this crime. However, with the complexity surrounding this sector, they have not been able to end this crime. Despite the frustrations by the perpetrators, the technology companies are working towards ending these acts through the development of services that can be employed to close these loopholes.

Some of the primary threats in security include malware, emotet, denial of service, phishing, and password attack. These cybersecurity dangers are spread through the network, with each threat being performed and treated differently (I. Alghamdi, 2021). For example, malware can steal or alter data while other treats have unauthorized access, such as password attacks through a process known as hacking. Hacking can be used in three ways where one is authorized to penetrate systems. Some penetrate the system without permission but with good intentions, while others attack systems with bad intentions.

Consider a case where data is stolen from a big company by sending the malicious file to the senior officer. The officer clicks the file, and the malware attacks the system stealing the data and bypassing some security measures. However, the case was exposed a year later when the organization attacked has analyzed what might have happened. By accessing the data illegally, the hackers breached the laws which govern digital data under the cybersecurity law. Therefore, various approaches must be considered to achieve justice for this company.

Assessing federal rules for evidence in cyber investigation

At the state level, several states in the USA have passed acts requiring organizations running networked systems with confidential data to protect the data. This forces all the state organizations to put measures to protect them from cyber-attack. Bypassing this law, companies that fail to comply to protect the information given to them can be prosecuted (Holt et al., 2017). Thus, the company should have first been assessed for its efforts to protect data confidentiality and integrity.

Firstly, it is notable that the company has various data backups, but it is not explained if they are placed in a different location. As better data practices, the backups are always kept in a different location where they cannot be easily accessed by unauthorized personnel. However, they can be linked to the primary data system to correct real-time data such as emails and other hidden data. No information given if the intruders accessed the backup data shows that the company protected the data.

Secondly, the company has a system with active data collection through emails and other entries. The attackers sending the malicious email to the senior official shows that there are privileges assigned to that senior officer. This senior officer can access different data types and requires less restriction to get the information. The regulation is a good data policy that allows only a few personnel in an organization to access sensitive data despite working with the company.

Lastly, the data is protected through an integrated password system. Passwords are the most encouraging security features that limit unauthorized access to systems. Unfortunately, when the senior officer clicked the link bait, the hackers could access the password systems before downloading the data. From the company security team, they implemented some of the top security measures to protect the company data. Additionally, there was a two-factor authentication password protection that the hackers managed to bypass because they used the privileged computer to access the systems.

Despite the organization implementing applicable measures to protect the data, they fail to use recommended systems that help monitor and detect breaches whenever they occur. Federal or enterprise data centers are required by the state laws to use all measures that detect, prevent, mitigate incidents and monitor the data system network. The mitigation includes raising the alarm when an intrusion is detected, taking possible actions to stop the attack, and recovering the lost or altered data if the intruders manage to access the system before action is taken.

Various organizations have worked together to ensure that system security is up to date by monitoring the networks and system. The cyber security framework under the NIST is helping organizations to understand and manage cybersecurity. Its framework aims at training organizations through their staff to reduce the risks of cyber-attack. The NIST regularly informs companies of the updated cybersecurity policies and possible new attacks that need to be controlled or upgraded to mitigate the risks. With the orders from the president in 2013, the NIST was ordered to work with all relevant stakeholders and produce a voluntary framework on cybersecurity standards. The body was to base its framework on existing standards, practices, and the improvement of the infrastructures to ensure that cyber-attacks were reduced.

The NIST cybersecurity framework consists of 3 main components: the core, profile, and tires. The core guidelines help companies implement cybersecurity risk management by policies that complement the existing cybersecurity risk management protocols. The implementation tire depicts context on how organizations consider cybersecurity risk management. The tires help organizations assess the levels of the risks, assisting companies in evaluating their budgets and mission priorities. At the same time, a profile is the company’s unique alignment used to identify and prioritize guides to improve the organization’s cybersecurity. Thus the NIST has the authority to provide cybersecurity services that will detect, protect and respond to cybersecurity in an organization. Further, it helps an organization identify the attack and the attacker and recover the data that has been breached.

These regulations that require organizations to have measures to track the cyber systems have led to the rise of software opportunities. To manage the attacks, companies like Solarwinds work with NIST to develop software that manages networks, systems, and information infrastructures. By controlling the organization’s data systems, the software from Solarwinds can detect, protect, respond, identify and recover data in case of cyber-attack or any intrusion by unauthorized authorities. In addition, through the Solorwinds and beyond the platform, with the help of the NITS, the company is working on cybersecurity of software supply chains, which ensures that malicious software is not supplied to unsuspecting buyers. Like risk management, the NIST with its stakeholders ensures that the devices’ supply chain is not compromised, which will affect its security.

Some other States have authoritarian measures, such as the New York department, which requires the organizations to do continuous system tests. The test annual security tests such as penetration help in identifying the weaknesses. The organization depicted in this case study does not explain any of the regular security tests and upgrades. Therefore, it is faulted to have not complied with the set rules exposing itself to cyberattack risks.

Digital evidence

The digital evidence was presented after the innovation of computers where binary data was transmitted. Hence digital evidence is considered evidence retrieved, stored, and shared in binary for court presentations (Nikkel, 2017). The cyber intrusion, in this case, calls for intense digital evidence collection and handling. The data was stolen digitally, with the physical system untouched. With the development in digital data, there are many types and sources of digital data which can be used as evidence in federal law courts in cases of cyber-attack. Determining the correct type and source of data associated with the evidence collection will help one select the proper data analysis approaches for better results and increase the evidence admissibility.

The first type of digital data is the active data which includes all the files created by the organization’s information system. They include the website browser data, emails, and client data entered manually by the relevant authorities, online or direct to servers. This data must be visible to the systems, including documents such as images and all data accessible without modifications or reconstruction, thus excluding information that has not been stored in the local systems. In the case of the organization under reflection, they process active data emails and client entries files, and information that is readily available locally.

The second data type is the backup or archived data, a replica of the original data in the systems. Backing up data is a cybersecurity approach meant to reduce the risks of data attacks in case of illegal entry to the data system. Data backups are intended to maintain data integrity in case of any alteration or theft, as they can be used to retrieve the original data. To increase the security of these archived data, they are stored in different physical locations. Despite being part of the system, there is a leveled access to these data streams as an added data security measure. In the scenario presented, the organization has a well-kept data backup and archived data with a documented log activity that will help monitor data creation and alterations to improve the data and evidence integrity.

Confidential data are apparent and accessible to all users, with particular aspects of the data hidden. This data is vital in analyzing the evidence, especially in cases where one has to monitor the log activities during the attack. They include the Metadata, residual data, and replica data, whereby the Metadata defines the data by giving more information about the data. These are the additional information regarding the data being considered, such as the date of creation, modification, and file structures. The Metadata is provided in the scenario created through the archived activity logs. The activity log will help analyze the original data by determining the date of creation and differentiating it from the modified data in case the system and data backups were affected.

Handling of digital evidence

The advancement in technology has enabled the courts to use digital evidence to prosecute and judge offenders in e-crimes and other types of crime. This broad application of digital evidence makes handling fragile, necessitating experts to manage it for its admissibility (Prayudi et al., 2020). Digital evidence is delicate and volatile; thus, poor handling will lower its integrity. In the case study, the crime committed is an e-crime that must be supported with digital evidence. It involves access, collection, packaging, analysis, transfer, and storage; hence, these steps require volatility and fragility protocols. The evidence collection goes through 4 main stages: identification, collection acquisition, and preservation.

Digital Evidence identification

Identification is the first phase of evidence handling, where preliminary information regarding the offense is obtained. This phase is like the traditional phase where data is sorted during the investigation. The information sort in this scenario must explain those involved, the attack, when, where, and how the crime occurred. The attack was conducted by a group of international data criminals who are likely to have ties with states. Both the state, group of hackers and attacked organizations are not specified. These intruders illegally access unauthorized files by sending hidden malicious files to this senior official before breaking into the systems to steal data. The attack period is not specified, and it is notified after a year. The attack took place through the networks hence an e-crime.

At this phase, authorities use traditional investigation approaches to get the information. They rely on interviews, witnesses, victim, and suspect interviews before proceeding with the case. Before commencing the investigation, investigators must be specific about the information they are seeking. These will help them identify the type of data they are likely to correct, such as Metadata or multimedia. Further, it will prepare them for the analysis approaches to fasten the process while maintaining evidence integrity. In this scenario, the authorities must interview the senior employee who accessed the malicious email and question the witness if they noticed anomalies in the systems. Since the information needed is digital, the investigators should have tools to retrieve and monitor data, such as the NIST-powered software like the Solarwind and Beyond software supply chain. It will help retrieve data and keep track of the activity logs during the hacking.

Digital evidence collection

The cybercrime crime scene is not limited to the physical location where the attack was conducted or conducted from. Thus in the case study presented, the crime scene where data should be collected is not limited to the physical location of the organization and organization backup, but also the networks used to access the system. This lowered limitation is because cybercrime evidence must be digital, including the victim and attacker’s DNS and IP addresses. The data collection varies with the devices used in this case; the computer and networking systems are involved. The crime technicians and investigators must work together to collect evidence and reduce the risks of data compromise. All the volatile data, in this case, must be carefully stored because they alter the content of the digital devices.

Digital evidence acquisition

The devices involved in this case study are computers and networking devices. Thus their data acquisition should be conducted in the laboratory to ensure that the data is unaltered, including the activity logs and hidden files which will help in data analysis. In addition, other networking data such as network providers’ IP and DNS addresses will assist in physically locating both the hacker and the victim’s physical location. With the seized devices available, the cybersecurity and digital forensics experts will retrieve the evidence that confirms the intrusion of the systems. To acquire accurate data, the investigator must consider physical extraction on the available physical devices and logical extraction on the networking and log activity devices.

Digital evidence preservation

After collecting and acquiring data, investigators and technicians must protect the evidence from intrusion and modification. The evidence preservation of the presented scenario is done by those who investigated as the company steps aside and waits for court presentations. This expert must demonstrate that the digital information collected was not modified or accessed by unauthorized authorities. Through the chain of custody, the investigator must secure the crime devices, including the company backups.

Analysis and reporting

After collecting and preserving the digital evidence, investigators and technicians will analyze the information collected and interpret it for relevant authorities. After collecting the data from the given scenario, the investigators should examine the evidence for possible company breaches and other aids from the company that increased the attack risks. The interpretation will help senior management to prepare well for the case. Additionally, the analysis will help relevant authorities to weigh the magnitude of the case and prepare enough evidence.

Digital evidence admissibility

For the data to be accepted in court, it must meet technical and legal requirements. For the digital evidence to be received in courts of law, the court will assess the legal authority to conduct the investigation and collect data, the technology used, authenticity, integrity, and reliability of the data collected that was processed to evidence. Antwi-Boasiako and Venter (2017), in their study, developed criteria used to determine data admissibility, which is the Harmonized Model for Digital Evidence Admissibility Assessment (HM-DEAA). This model comprises three stages: evidence assessment, consideration, and determination.

Digital evidence assessment

At this level, the courts assess legal permissions given to investigators and technicians, such as search warranties, seizure of crime devices, and securing the crime scene. This assessment ensures that the correct procedures were followed during collection and preserving evidence to improve its integrity. In the case provided, being a government institution, such crimes must be handled by the law; hence various permission must have been given before the commencement of the investigation. In addition, the legal assessment requires the investigators and the court to access the data storage devices and other evidence collected during the study. In this case, data backups and the system’s instruments were presented and availed for the investigators to analyze them before submitting the evidence in court.

Digital evidence consideration

At this phase, the court examines the integrity of the evidence by considering the methods used in evidence collection and the technicality and expertise of those involved. An excellent digital investigation should be conducted by forensics experts who are considered more skilled that the organization’s cybersecurity team and hackers. With the case presenting a government organization under attack, the cybersecurity and forensics investigators are sourced from the expert state white hackers improving the evidence integrity. Further, these investigators are equipped with all skills and tools required to mine and analyze all the digital evidence in the case.

Digital evidence determination

At this phase, the court assesses the integrity, authenticity, and reliability of the evidence presented and determines if it can be used for the court proceeding. At this point, the organization or company that has been attacked does not influence the outcome. However, with the evidence presented showing that the systems were hacked into by an unknown group linked to a particular state, the seriousness of the situation will prompt the court to prioritize this case. If the evidence lacks integrity or is unreliable, the court will order fresh investigations.

Evidence delay implications

The evidence delay implications were due to uncertainty of the course of this case. The attack was not detected in time to stop or retrieve data immediately. Therefore, the late realization of the attack delayed the reporting and investigation. In addition, there was uncertainty about the attack as the attackers were not realized immediately and correctly identified. The uncertainty necessitated the delay in helping the authorities to gather enough evidence before forwarding the case to the law courts.

References

Antwi-Boasiako, A., & Venter, H. (2017). A model for digital evidence admissibility assessment.Advances in Digital Forensics XIII, 23-38.

Holt, T. J., Bossler, A. M., & Seigfried-Spellar, K. C. (2017). Technology and cybercrime.Cybercrime and Digital Forensics, 1-37.

I. Alghamdi, M. (2021). Digital forensics in cyber security—Recent trends, threats, and opportunities.Cybersecurity Threats with New Perspectives.

Nikkel, B. (2017). Registration data access protocol (RDAP) for digital forensic investigators. Digital Investigation, 22, 133-141.

Prayudi, Y., Ashari, A., & Priyambodo, T. K. (2020). The Framework to Support the Digital Evidence Handling: A Case Study of Procedures for the Management of Evidence in Indonesia. Journal of Cases on Information Technology, 22(3), 51-71.

Cybersecurity has been an evergreen subject recently. According to Daniele Irandoost, cyberspace has had many benefits in almost every important country’s sector (Irandoost, 2018). The initial intention for developing cyberspace was to open avenues for people to communicate unlimitedly and promote efficiency in operations. Equally, cyberspace has been a safe harbor for criminals to plan and execute operations that can be catastrophic to humanity. A report by the US intelligence indicates technology as the immediate threat to national security. Such a report raises the question of whether the threat of cyberspace outweighs its benefits (Irandoost, 2018). However, if the security of cyberspace is critically evaluated and all the risks eliminated, cyberspace can be an asset that will continue to transform the world (Irandoost, 2018). Consequently, cybersecurity is vital for national security and could cause a disaster unprecedented in the world if it is at risk.

One of the controversial points concerning ethics in this article is a breach of personal data. It is unethical to use someone else’s information without their consent. Most of the crimes committed on the internet involve gaining access to someone’s information and using it for manipulation, intimidation, and blackmailing for financial or political gain. This unethical behavior amounts to fraud and has often been employed on innocent people. Cyberspace has also been the center of spreading false information, causing it to influence public opinion towards an individual or a particular policy, causing great suffering to the victims.

I side with the idea that cyberspace poses a significant threat to national security. My stance is based on the various instances where the internet has been used to cause significant damage to a particular sector. There have been increased hacking cases and bypassing security measures where criminals have gained access to sensitive information. This instance indicates how cyberspace has brought our enemies close than we never imagined. Consequently, a major disaster will strike that will affect the entire nation if cybersecurity is not treated with the sensitivity it deserves.

Reference

Irandoost, D. (2018). Cybersecurity: A National Security Issue?. E-International Relations. Web.

Introduction

The implementation of innovative measures guaranteeing cybersecurity at personal and governmental levels is complicated by the presence of numerous tasks which should be addressed for their effectiveness. They correspond to the emerging threats and are intended to combat them; meanwhile, the feasibility of approaches suggested for this purpose is frequently dubious from numerous perspectives (Johnson, 2015). Thus, distinguishing between individuals or entities, which are to be affected, and evaluating the possibility of new threats posed by the creation of instruments aimed at resolving the most critical issues are important initiatives. The mentioned conditions explaining the need for a thorough consideration are complemented by a variety of factors related to underlying processes and global projects in this respect.

Processes Behind Developing Cybersecurity

Ensuring the safety of all procedures in cyberspace incorporates several stages correlating with the requirements of the environment. It means that the suggested interventions are to be carefully analyzed before their use in order to prevent adversities for some populations or organizations. Generally, the neglect of one or another stakeholder might lead to increasing risks for them (Johnson, 2015). Hence, introducing any approaches to securing online resources without paying attention to this rule is unacceptable from the standpoint of the common good. Meeting the needs of all participants is a difficult aspect of the matter, and it is addressed by the processes accompanying the creation of tools for protecting data.

The most vital stages of this nature include the analysis of the situation, the assessment of goals to make sure that they are realistic, and the expected effectiveness of implementing new policies. First, specialists evaluate the priorities as per the emerging threats, which are to be combatted by the shifts in the ways cybersecurity is guaranteed, implying new measures specifically designed for the most critical hazards (Johnson, 2015). Second, IT teams develop strategic plans aimed at timely preventing any negative outcomes by quickly responding to the changing circumstances of the environment (Tarun, 2018). Third, the requirement to test the suitability of suggested programs is met by collecting and analyzing data concerning the correspondence of intentions to ultimate results (Tarun, 2018). In this way, the main processes behind cybersecurity are represented by these three areas that are equally important for guaranteeing the safety of targetted information.

Cybersecurity Policies and National Security Objectives

Alongside the mentioned mechanisms, policies in this field are powerful tools for enhancing national security objectives. Historically, this need was not underpinned by legal provisions, which were substituted by separate executive orders, but they were consequently complemented by federal laws, providing a sufficient basis for taking action (Lowrie, 2017). Currently, the decisions made for the benefit of the government are guided by these documents as well as international initiatives (Lowrie, 2017). The recent reports show that cybersecurity programs are mainly presented by industrial control systems and infrastructure performance goals, providing for preventive measures in the first place (Biden, 2021). In other words, the link between national security objectives and cybersecurity initiatives is in the latter’s correlation with the former’s capability of making improvements in the existing instruments.

Conclusion

To summarize, the most significant processes behind developing cybersecurity are the analysis of situations, the evaluation of expected outcomes, the consideration of applicable tools, and prioritizing individuals or entities in developing programs. They are maintained by the specialists, who are guided both by ethical and technical factors, thereby contributing to the suitability of measures to different objectives. Meanwhile, at the national level, their efforts are essential for improving the existing mechanisms guaranteeing cybersecurity. Thus, the professionals’ responsibility is increased by the understanding that they play a critical role in governmental affairs as the protection of data is possible only when appropriate solutions are timely introduced.

References

Biden, J. R. Jr. (2021). National security memorandum on improving cybersecurity for critical infrastructure control systems. The White House.

Lowrie, J. (2017). Cybersecurity: A primer of U.S. and international legal aspects. In A. N. Guiora (Ed.), Cybersecurity: Geopolitics, law, and policy (pp. 199-254). Routledge.

Johnson, T. A. (2015). Development and implementation of cybersecurity policy. In T. A. Johnson (Ed.), Cybersecurity: Protecting critical infrastructures from cyber attack and cyber warfare (pp. 70-88). CRC Press.

Tarun, R. (2018). A layered approach to cybersecurity: People, processes, and technology. CSO.

Cyber security comprises of technologies, processes as well as measures that are designed to protect individuals as well as organizations from cybercrimes. Effective cyber security reduces the risk of a cyberattack through the deliberate exploitation of systems, networks as well as technologies. The article will explicitly analyze the processes behind cybersecurity development as well as the impact of the cybersecurity polies to the global security policies.

There are several things which are done in the attempt of developing an effective cybersecurity. These processes include enforcement of password rules, regular update of the systems, and implementation of VPNs for the entire connections, retirement of all unused services and lastly the leverage of existing security options. In the event of having strong passwords, they are the first lines of defense against information breaches (Guiora, 2017). Due to occasional change of these passwords, hackers may be kept away and thus data being stored safely.

Regular update of the systems is another process behind development of effective cybersecurity. Security updates targets at keeping the systems more secure from malicious actors. On the other hand, implementation of a successful cybersecurity plan entails assessment of the current state of the security environment, monitoring of the networks, and effective collaboration with stakeholders as well as colleagues (Guiora, 2017). In addition, setting up of security controls and measures plays a key role towards development of a cybersecurity. Creation of a dynamic security culture is also among the processes which are behind establishment of an effective cybersecurity policy. Moreover, transparency is a key virtue in the entire process.

Employees, consultants, partners, board members, and other end-users follow cybersecurity protocols to access online applications and internet resources, send data over networks, and otherwise exercise responsible security. Typically, the first section of a cybersecurity policy outlines the organization’s general security expectations, roles, and obligations (Johnson, 2020). Cybersecurity rules are also important for an organization’s public image and legitimacy. Customers, partners, shareholders, and potential workers all want proof that the company can protect their personal information. An organization may not be able to produce such evidence if it does not have a cybersecurity policy.

Both IT departments and C-level executives are concerned about cybersecurity. Security, on the other hand, should be a priority for every person in a firm, not just IT specialists and top executives. A cybersecurity policy that describes each person’s responsibility for protecting IT systems and data is one effective technique to educate employees on the importance of security. The policies of cybersecurity institutes norms of conduct for activities for instance email attachment encryption as well as social media usage limitations. Because cyberattacks and data breaches can be costly, cybersecurity rules are essential. On the other hand, employees are frequently the weak links in an organization’s security (Li et al., 2019). The latter tend to fail to encrypt sensitive information, exchange passwords, utilize unapproved cloud services, and click on harmful URLs and attachments, and, exchange passwords, among other things.

Improved cybersecurity rules can aid employees and consultants in understanding how to keep data and applications secure. These rules are particularly important in publicly traded corporations or organizations that engage in regulated fields like healthcare, finance, or insurance. If their security processes are considered poor, these companies risk facing significant penalties (Li et al., 2019). Even small businesses that are not subject to federal regulations are expected to fulfill minimal IT security standards and, if found irresponsible, could be prosecuted for a hack that results in the loss of consumer data.

References

Guiora, A. N. (2017). Cybersecurity: Geopolitics, law, and policy. Routledge.

Johnson, T. A. (Ed.). (2015). Cybersecurity: Protecting critical infrastructures from cyberattack and cyber warfare. CRC Press.

Li, L., He, W., Xu, L., Ash, I., Anwar, M., & Yuan, X. (2019). Investigating the impact of cybersecurity policy awareness on employees’ cybersecurity behavior. International Journal of Information Management, 45, 13-24.

Cybersecurity is an activity aimed at protecting systems, networks and programs from digital attacks. The goal of such cyberattacks is usually to gain access to confidential information, modify or destroy it, extort money from users, or disrupt normal business processes. The role of corporations in dealing with cyber-attacks and breaches is essential and in many cases represent a national interest. Therefore, the way enterprises of different sizes approach this issue represent a particular interest.

First, it is worth indicating some of the key reasons for corporations to be in the center of cybersecurity discussion. The reality is that cyber-attacks occur on a daily basis, some of them are enormous and profound. One of the most obvious target for hackers is storages containing secret corporate information and a large amount of personal data. The latter is often of a much greater interest since essentially opens the door to large-scale fraud.

At the meantime, corporations do not seem to be preoccupied with the potential threat they are facing. With their clients and employees’ personal information at stake, the often prefer reacting to cyberattacks to preventing them (Guiora, 2017). Unwillingness to internalize the danger is understandably dictated by a desire to avoid financial burden associated with smart and reliable cybersecurity strategy implementation. However, the approach is self-defeated since it inevitably harms company’s stakeholders (primarily customers and investors) and undermines effective law enforcement in this field (Guiora, 2017). Moreover, with an increasing financial cost of cybersecurity measures, the cost associated with consequences of ignorance is projected to rise, too (Johnson, 2015) Therefore, corporations have to face their vulnerabilities, acknowledge them and put efforts to minimize any risk of information leakage by focusing on continuous self-assessment and improvement.

Interestingly, from the Christian perspective, cybersecurity is more than a hackers’ attacks prevention, it is a moral necessity. Apart from the well-known commandment “Thou shalt not steal” (English Standard Version Bible 2001, Matthew 19:18), the Bible proclaims the inviolability of the human dignity by calling to love your neighbor. Indeed, as Christianity declares, a human was created at the God’s image meaning that no technologies should be utilized to undermine a person’s right for information safety and privacy. The ethical principle of love and caring for neighbor must be guided by when dealing with cybersecurity.

Nonetheless, even high-reputation innovative corporations fail to ensure their personal data security commitments. One of the most recent incident happened to LinkedIn this summer. It became known that the data of 700 million users of the social network were being sold on the Internet. A database of LinkedIn users has appeared on one of the popular hacking forums (Marks, 2021). The source said that the complete database includes various information, including the names of users, their mailbox addresses, phone numbers, home addresses, geolocation data, social network names and links to personal pages, etc. Forum user who published part of the database data, claims that in total he has information on 700 million LinkedIn users. With about 756 million people currently registered on the social network, the leak potentially affects 92% of the platform’s users (Marks, 2021). As you can imagine, the scale of the leak is huge, because LinkedIn is the main career social network in which people of different professions and positions are registered. Clearly, the cyberattack is not just a violation of privacy. In fact, it also represents a threat to national security because the collected data is classified as sensitive and can potentially be used in further attacks.

The corporation has publicly ignored warnings from the NCSC, who shared their concerns about the vulnerabilities of LinkedIn’s servers. In April, the company rejected the possibility of a data breach and apparently did not attach much importance to cybersecurity. After the incident, representatives of the company did not admit their guilt, stating that the leaked data could not be obtained as a result of a cyber-attack (Marks, 2021). Unfortunately, the social network was unable to protect the data of its users by choosing a protection strategy instead of the tactics of active involvement in the problem.

References

English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. Web.

Guiora, A. N. (2017). How do corporations respond to cybercrime? In Cybersecurity: Geopolitics, law, and policy (1st ed., pp. 89–111). Routledge.

Johnson, T. A. (2015). Cybersecurity threat landscape and future trends. In T. A. Johnson (Ed.), Cybersecurity: Protecting critical infrastructures from cyber attack and cyber warfare (1st ed., pp. 287–322). CRC Press.

Marks, G. (2021). A LinkedIn ‘Breach’ exposes 92% of Users—And other small business tech news. Forbes.

Summary

Cybersecurity is a phenomenon that significantly challenges the operations within an institution. In this case, one of the prominent factors influencing productivity involves the unclearly founded client needs. Flexera (2021) articulates that significant vulnerabilities for companies include a lack of software updates and patches hence increasing accessibility from third parties. Employee sabotage poses a profound advantage concerning the intensification of cybersecurity measures within a firm. Therefore, it is crucial to establish effective measures regarding the utilization of resources by workers to promote optimal eloquence in alleviating vital threats to hacking. It is the responsibility of the technical team to develop a crisis management plan involving a breach of the network and the necessary preventive measures. The clarification on measures to incorporate to affirm the optimal security of clientele’s data was the key requisition for the team, in addition to the determination of the partnerships. The distinction of relevant stakeholders in the enterprise influences marketability and operability. As a result, it is the mandate of the framework entities to establish solutions to the inherent barriers to the implementation of the business plan.

The team positively addressed the challenge of cybersecurity measures during the development of the business plan. According to the group reflective report, customer segmentation lies in identifying the needs of 25 years and above (Group 6, n.d). The group presentation further establishes the essence of distinctive character among customers (Group 6 ppt, n.d). Primarily, understanding the gap to fill in consumers’ purchasing behavior fosters business competence. Therefore, the team noted that providing solutions to the problem renders the establishment of a competitive advantage (Reflection Toolkit, 2020). McLeod (2017) indicates that the prominent strategy for effective learning enshrines the integration of reflective observation and active experimentation. There is an interdependent framework regarding the incorporation of distinct study processes that impact the quality of knowledge and skills acquisition. I will use abstract conceptualization and concrete experience to intensify the derivation of mainframes to reduce negative effects during the process.

Definition of Challenges

Cybersecurity is an essential factor that demands optimal attention from distinct stakeholders to enhance operability. The business plan focuses on the provision of technological-based services. Therefore, it is crucial to establish the major variables that impact the quality of services among the clients. In this case, different challenges posed a negative impact during research. One of the challenges involves the specification of detailed frameworks that intensify the vulnerabilities in employee-customer relationships (Gilani & Cunningham, 2017). A different challenge is the articulation of measures to boost the interdependence between an organization’s performance and competence against other entities. The defense structure of computerized systems enshrines the prominent consideration of the customers’ needs and the available resources in the corporate.

Over the decades, computerization posed a proficient productivity scale for enterprises cause of the consideration of the coordinative factors of production. According to researchers, the vulnerabilities are classified into distinct categories encompassing entities’ use, components’ integration, and maintenance strategies (Flexera, 2021). In this case, elements profoundly affecting the exploitation of the components enshrine social engineering, bring the device approach, and the mistaken protection compliance practices. Certain constituents that intensify security threat engulf cloud susceptibilities and third-party exposure within the spectrum of embellishing the system. The significant facets that affect the state of information technology safety involve ransomware, mobile security tyrannizing, and patch management issues. Therefore, it is crucial for the managerial group to dictate the perspectives attributing and alleviating the adverse effects of the materials’ appliance.

One of the crucial documents of a company is the employee handbook due to the stipulation of the level and nature of engagements of a worker. The report demands guidelines for the organization’s culture and the necessary behavior among the staff within the environment, such as the association with clients and the essential factors to consider while delivering service and products. The value of a corporation relies on the level of competence amid the labourers (Gilani & Cunningham, 2017). Therefore, the early identification tools include the dysfunction of system through suspicious emails, slower speed of the cyber networks, and unusual activities in the accounts. In this case, it is vital to establish and equip the personnel with adequate knowledge and skills to boost their productivity and the development of competitive advantage.

The acceptable use policy framework encompasses the stipulation of dynamic engagements and interactions between employees and the company’s technology. Ideally, the approach involved in applying security techniques is the utilization of guidelines among the workers on the resource exploitation mainframe. On the one hand, the handbook focuses on ethical practices such as precautionary access to personal accounts, thus preventing hacking and promoting accountability (Hacioglu & Sevgilioglu, 2019). On the other hand, this section further establishes the prohibited acts by workers within the organization to avoid intrusion by third parties. The ideologies attribute the implementation process of strategies to enhance awareness among the laborers. It is the responsibility of the company’s management and human resource to enhance cybersecurity from their behavioral constructs.

Feelings and Thoughts

The experience poses proficient insight among various entities cause of the foundation of countermeasures. It is important to learn distinct mainframes concerning cybersecurity. The feeling fostered a positive attitude and motivation regarding cybersecurity exploring the dynamic approaches. Due to the challenges, staff members established effective ideologies to alleviate the incumbent practices within the organization. Digital sanitization is a phenomenon that involves the disposal of a company’s technological waste. In this case, it is essential to incorporate safety measures while handling the clean-up to prevent the discarding of crucial information about the organization and its optimal retrieval possibility (Hacioglu & Sevgilioglu, 2019). The risk of exposing an enterprise’s details compromises cybersecurity due to the involvement of a third party. It is crucial for employees to adopt measures that improve the protection of intellect based on the operations within the business.

The executives focus on learning the key points within the employee handbook as an empowerment tool to boost the decision-making process. One of the significant roles of administration involves optimizing relationship building with workers while enhancing customer satisfaction (Hacioglu & Sevgilioglu, 2019). Primarily, cybersecurity is an initiative that asserts the protection of clients’ details. Therefore, the development of guidelines establishes the outline behavioral approach among the staff and the interaction with the company’s resources.

The firm’s main objectives involve the provision of an annual compliance audit in the information technology sector (IT). Apart from the assertion, establishing an audit plan is crucial to ensure the employees’ awareness of the IT security policy framework. Other specific company goals include exploiting electronics and the internet for competitive advantage, automating all processes, and monitoring cybercrime activities across networks (Albrecht et al., 2018). Insecurities across computers’ interconnectivity threaten the well-being of individuals’ especially the security of a company and the customers’ data on their behaviour and preferences. Over the decades, one of the proficient factors intensifying business competence is the technological advancement leading to the development of dynamic tools. Cloud computing for enterprise resource planning is the common baseline entity that fosters a prominent competitive advantage among corporates

The policy guideline of digital media sanitization, reuse, and destruction entails monitoring information accessibility within the hardware. Therefore, it is important to observe the precautionary measures that enhance the complete erasing of detail in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) (Hacioglu & Sevgilioglu, 2019). The initiative fosters ethical business practice, security of clients’ details, enhancing the efficiency of cybersecurity measures, implementing the audit plan, and elevating customer satisfaction from the excellent service experience. The poor management of the practice is an endeavor that exposes the company’s details to unknown individuals, thus the prominence in focusing on the policies that assert the safekeeping of the data. In this case, elements profoundly affecting the exploitation of the components enshrine social engineering, bring-your-device approach, and mistaken protection compliance practices. Certain constituents that intensify the security threat engulf cloud susceptibilities and third-party exposure within the spectrum of embellishing the system. The significant facets that affect the state of information technology safety involve ransomware, mobile security tyrannizing, and patch management issues.

Evaluation of Experiences

The experience during the development of the business plan fosters a prominent impact to the progress of solutions concerning the distinctive weaknesses. The company’s main objectives involve the provision of an annual compliance audit in the information technology sector (IT). Apart from the assertion, it is crucial to establish an audit plan that ensures the employees’ awareness of the IT security policy framework. Other specific corporation goals include exploiting electronics and the internet for competitive advantage, automating all processes, and monitoring cybercrime activities across networks (Albrecht et al., 2018). Insecurities across the computers’ interconnectivity threaten the well-being of individuals’ especially the safety of an organization and the customers’ data on their behavior and preferences.

The working-from-home policy is an emergent ideology that seeks to enhance the implementation of the company’s goal. These objectives include boosting client satisfaction, guarding the organization’s information from cyber-attacks, and improving profitability margin. These aims rely on the additional outliers regarding utilizing ethical business practices and monitoring the audit plan from employees’ awareness about IT security measures (Albrecht et al., 2018). It is essential that the personnel utilize ethical practices while interacting with computers to enhance the safety and protection of the clients’ information from phishing activities through the database.

Business ethics is a multifaceted phenomenon that enshrines the ability to uphold authenticity and clarity in the decision-making process in an entity. One of the critical issues that threaten a firm’s performance level is copying the enterprise strategies from other companies (Razi et al., 2019). The lack of authenticity leads to unsustainable organizational culture hence negatively affecting competence (Kačerauskas, 2019). Copying corporate plans from another company is an unsustainable approach because it faces incompetence and inefficiency from the conflicting goals. Due to competitors’ copying strategies, ethical issues in business management engulf inherent issues such as conflicting business goals and poor management (Tausif & Haque, 2019). The future of a business lies in establishing definitive goals, such as the expected profit margin within one financial year. One of the problems is security issues threatening the leakage of crucial clients’ details to hackers. It is essential to develop measures that regulate the accessibility by the vendor during the maintenance process. Another shortcoming is the reliance on internet connectivity hence negatively affecting the operability of the concepts’ operability.

The paradigm shift in ownership and online accessibility fosters the significant challenge in managing the activities within an enterprise. Cloud computing enterprise resource planning is an entity that proficiently affects business operations and competence. On the one hand, the technological tool empowers entrepreneurs to access the online niche market with optimal accessibility from different regions. However, on the other hand, corporates encounter profound cybersecurity threats that risk data leakage and the challenging control of the structural computerization structure. Therefore, it is crucial to integrate optimal frameworks that improve the positive contribution to economic development.

Analysis

The training will encompass integral coordination among all stakeholders due to vulnerability. On the one hand, the incorporation of measures such as system updates fosters the intensification of cybersecurity. On the other hand, the lack of cooperation among the participants risks the breach and hacking of the network. As a result, it is vital to educate the involved individuals about sustainable practices complementing the performance and efficiency of the computerized frameworks.

All employees must use an identification card to access the company’s premises. This is a security protocol that assists in monitoring the movement of staff within the corporation and during office hours. In this case, it is essential that the counterparts utilize this policy for the efficient operationalization of the institution. All workers are to log in to their individual computers using the passwords and usernames. The habit enhances accountability and responsibility in the engagement of dynamic activities while interacting with technological resources. The employees to observe precautionary behavior to boost the level of cybersecurity. The staff members exercise the right to inquire for clarity about any technological resource and its utilization with the relevant supervisory team (Steingold, 2017). The practice improves security due to the constant monitoring of the workers’ interaction and familiarization with the tools to spearhead optimal productivity. It is the accountability of the employees to behave professionally and solve issues based on objective reasoning relative to the company’s goals and vision.

The employees get banned from using personal computers at the workplace due to the necessity of boosting the precautionary measure of compromising cybersecurity. The utilization of private facilities for work weakens the organization’s safety attributable to the portability of the gadget at home and the exposure to an unlimited number of individuals. It is the responsibility of the laborers to avoid storing the company’s information on personal devices such as computers and flash disks (Goldstein et al., 2017). The prohibition ensures the consistent monitoring of the accessibility of details about an enterprise while preventing the leakage of resources to other personnel. The staff avoids wielding their counterparts’ login details to access the system or the premise.

The practices shield the company from such cases as identity theft among the artisans and the utilization of stolen materials. The technicians are unsanctioned from plying the company information in personal emails to prevent phishing activities. Goldstein et al. (2017) articulate that a significant number of hackers use this tactic to derive intelligence due to the rise in the number of transactions. In other instances, online scammers trick internet users into boosting the security of the company’s operations, thus allowing the extraction of crucial insights about an organization’s performance outline. All employees must adhere to the guidelines stipulated in the policy. Breaking the rules is subject to disciplinary actions, and the severity determines the discharge. The worker receives a verbal warning for a minor offense, but a repetition due to ignorance leads to a written letter as a notification.

Lessons Learnt

The hurdles encountered during the development of the business plan fostered the derivation of dynamic insights concerning the importance of structured cybersecurity. Consumer behavior is a multidimensional phenomenon that proficiently influences business competence and productivity within a marketplace. In the research by Gokhale et al. (2021), the researchers focus on assessing the significant factors that influence the purchasing decision among the clientele of luxurious cars. It is an initiative that enhances the restructuring of the marketing strategies. The establishment of competitive advantages fostered the intensification in acquiring significant market share. The main economic issues within the mainframe enshrine pricing, social spectrum, style, performance index, fuel optimization, brand, space, and safety that influence patronage. Primarily, the concept of buyers’ intention is a framework encompassing an interplay of distinct entities to steer satisfaction.

The competence of an organization depends on the effective monitoring and control of various business operations. The dynamic business operations that enhance competitive advantage engulf planning, analysis, implementation, and control. On the one hand, the structural approach in brand positioning gears the development of competitive advantages at the organization (Ansari, 2019). On the other hand, using an unstructured aspect involves the lack of definitive business goals and objectives. Over the decades, globalization fostered the intensification of business competition. Therefore, a lack of concise enterprise objectives limits a company’s efficiency and incompetent service delivery (Alomari et al., 2020). In this case, the disparate approach poses a challenge in boosting the firm’s competence than a structured approach in trademarking (Nguyen, 2019). Apart from establishing a corporation’s identity, brand marketing initiatives render a definitive solution to utilizing the strategic management of an organization.

Primarily, consumer behavioral study is a multidimensional phenomenon that involves the coordinative efforts between entrepreneurs and customers. In this case, companies focus on restructuring the marketing initiatives such as branding to enhance the recognition and the alteration of the purchasing decision (Hesham et al., 2021). Different factors, such as sustainable financing and the advent of the Coronavirus pandemic, posed an imminent impact on the living quotient and spending among the personnel. According to Gokhale et al. (2021), the client’s purchasing decision depends on the pricing and income of their counterparts. As a result, it is the responsibility of the management team to identify the needs and wants of the consumers to elevate the satisfactory essence of the involved parties.

Over the decades, technological advancement intensified the quality of business competition and management strategies. In this case, a significant percentage of enterprises focus on the essence of incorporating strategies that elevate productivity and customer service experience (Ansari, 2019). Another factor that contributes to the prominent aspect of innovation enshrines the emergence of a well-informed consumer baseline. Artificial intelligence is the key solution to the contemporary challenges encountered during service delivery (Sheth, 2020). According to researchers, it is crucial for relevant stakeholders to incorporate approaches that integrate the computerized tool with discrete distribution statistical formulas to enhance the performance across the organization (Shilling & Celner, 2021). There is a profound interdependent relationship between purchasing behaviour and the cultural structure of a company.

Action Plan

The audit plan engulfs the assessment of the system’s dynamic issues and recurrent frequency. It is the responsibility of the management and technical team to develop scheduling for the evaluation of the efficiency of the training program among the workers. In this case, expertise while exploiting the computers nurture the skills to stimulate the productivity scale (Steingold, 2017). The firm faces an additional ethical issue of poor leadership due to the workers conflicting ideologies (Hutchinson, 2017). Therefore, there is an interdependent relationship between the company’s performance and workers’ ability to control the interconnected structures. One of the major aspects of the strategy is to establish effective measures regarding the utilization of the resource by the staff to promote optimal eloquence in alleviating vital threats to hacking. Employee sabotage poses a profound advantage concerning the intensification of cybersecurity measures within a firm. Therefore, it is crucial to establish effective measures regarding the utilization of resources by workers.

The check-up requires the service provider’s accessibility to the domain and initiatives the updates and installation of additional utilities for better functioning without the necessity of machinery. Another benefit is the incurrence of lesser costs during the setup with a monthly subscription approach over the on-premise aspect that demands high costs for purchasing the license. The network diagram proficiently indicates the hierarchical process in the exploitation of technological resources. The framework provides a centralized system structure that reduces the portals for third-party users. In this case, the technical team supervises the flow of operations while using the computers from the server room. It is an approach that enhances the monitoring of activities within the organization based on the wielding of the cloud platforms and the internet service provider (Mukwarami & Tengeh, 2017). The illustration poses a profound insight regarding the necessity of incorporating effective maintenance procedures to avoid the breakdown of the mainframe hence hindering the performance scale.

It is important to assess consumer behavioral patterns cause of the trickle-down effect of the profitability margin. The use of a structured perspective over an unstructured appeal contributes to creating a sustainable competitive advantage (Mukwarami & Tengeh, 2017). The fabric phenomenon in trademarking is a tool in any organization since it contributes to developing crucial concepts of incompetence. One of the proficiencies geared by the initiative involves both internal and external administration of the operations. The intrinsically based governing actions encompass stimulators and inspirational acts, verification tools for the planned activities, and promoting efficient employee relations (Lurie et al., 2021). The extrinsic-based performance enshrines the strategic placement of the identity architecture, an indicator of the business’s growth objectives and its communication strategy (Nguyen, 2019). Brand positioning is a pillar to the development of strategic management of an organization due to the integration of internal and external directorial tools.

Conclusively, cybersecurity is a framework that poses prominent effect to the competence of an organization. The key outlier involves assessing the nature of client needs and the company’s objectives. It is important to indicate proficient aspects in alleviating imminent risks on computerization within a firm while enlightening workers concerning the proper use of system structures. In the case that the wrongdoing is inexorable such as the illegal trade of security protocols with rivals or criminal gangs, demands the discharge, which means the disconnection between the employer and the laborer. All employees must use an identification card to access the company’s premises. This is a security protocol that assists in monitoring the movement of staff within the corporation and during office hours. Determining the common issues facing the employees while using the resources stimulates the in-depth analysis of the distinctive elements attributing to the cybersecurity factor.

In this case, it is essential that the counterparts utilize this policy for the efficient operationalization of the institution. All workers are to log in to their individual computers using their passwords and usernames. The habit enhances accountability and responsibility in the engagement of dynamic activities while interacting with technological resources. The employees to observe precautionary behavior to boost the level of cybersecurity. The staff members exercise the right to inquire for clarity about any technological resource and its utilization with the relevant supervisory team. The practice improves security due to the constant monitoring of the workers’ interaction and familiarization with the tools to spearhead optimal productivity. It is the accountability of the employees to behave professionally and solve issues based on objective reasoning relative to the company’s goals and vision. The employees get banned from using personal computers at the workplace due to the necessity of boosting the precautionary measure of compromising cybersecurity.

Reference List

Albrecht, S., Breidahl, E., and Marty, A. (2018). Organizational resources, organizational engagement climate, and employee engagement.Career Development International.

Alomari, K. M., Maqableh, A. N. Y., Salah, A. A., Alshaketheep, K. M. I., and abu Jray, A. A. (2020). Impact of halal digital marketing on consumer behavior: Jordan’s perspective. International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), 8(Special 1), 202-215.

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Gokhale, A., Mishra, A., and Veluchamy, D. R. (2021). Factors influencing purchase decision and consumer behavior in luxury cars. Dogo Rangsang Research Journal, 11(7).

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Kačerauskas, T. (2019). Ethics in business and communication: common ground or incommensurable?

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Steingold, F. S. (2017). The employer’s legal handbook: Manage your employees & workplace effectively. Nolo.

Tausif, M. R., and Haque, M. I. (2019). Changing market scenario of the automobile sector in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering, 8(9), 1-8.

Geopolitics is the study of integration and effect of earth geography and physical outlay on the political structures, and international relations and reforms that affect the same at different levels. Its provisions for studying policies and foreign relations are generally used to imply the various concepts that form the multiple aspects scopes for politics and geographical variables. Cyber operations have emerged as a more significant component of regional conflict and great power rivalry in recent years. Adverse false information campaigns have wreaked havoc on democratic systems, withheld information, and state-sponsored hackers and cybercriminals have stolen state secrets (Guiora, 2017). As a result, the risks to global stability have increased even further.

Theory and practice are necessary to understand geopolitics. The former necessitates international law, international relations, finance, geography, military power, and limitations. It requires an understanding of domestic and global politics and the importance of tactical and strategic issues when applying these distinct disciplines. However, despite the appearance of conflict, influential national leaders can find common ground. Some of the problems affect the geopolitical existence and balance on the state and international level (Khraisat & Alazab, p. 12). Since the cyber domain has low barriers to entry for developing and using cyber capabilities, there are multiple and severe cooperation issues as a result. Conventions on cyberethics would be enforced by both state and private actors alike.

The state’s actions and behavior are opaque. It is challenging to differentiate between descriptive and actual standards and to assess the breadth and depth of conformance by relevant actors in the latter category. Creating a clear definition of cyberspace regulations complicates already-existing efforts and measures. Sharing intelligence with those who require it is critical as part of an overall international security strategy.

There is little cooperation between major powers in the current geopolitical context to effectively address this global public policy issue (Johnson, 2015). It affects the process of decision-making and whether to treat problems that arise from improper cyber activities as immediate or long-term. At large, this leads to escalations in issues such as nuclear power use since countries carry out cyberattacks and propaganda against each other (Johnson, 2015). Uncertainty over whether or not to adopt and integrate one or more cyber norms acts as a limitation, and the possible implications constitute a significant obstacle. It makes it complicated to affect an approach that allows for the integration of standards to dictate the use of cyberspace across the international stage.

Additionally, there is the act of self-defense from states or countries who think their systems have been infiltrated or rights encroached. Even the Bible reaffirms the need for self-defense, “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own mansion, his property is safe.” (King James Bible, 2017, Luke 11:21). As a result, it creates an even complex state where effects on infrastructure have adverse effects, including loss of lives and political escalations. All of the participating countries must develop a global security plan.

To sum up, countries have been accusing each other of hacking and leaking military secrets in recent years as geopolitics and cybercrime has become increasingly relevant. Thus, countries compete online to outdo each other in retaliation attacks. The result is that cyberspace has been weaponized by developed nations and is ready to attack. International cyber coordination and the stability of the global digital economy could benefit from some ideas. In the current state of affairs, there is no universally established body working to improve international cooperation in combating cybercrime and no precise mechanism for developing solid beliefs and good cyberspace behavior among countries. Malicious actors can use the internet as they please without fear of repercussion.

References

Guiora, A. N. (2017). Cybersecurity: Geopolitics, law, and policy. Routledge.

Johnson, T. A. (Ed.). (2015). Cyber-security: Protecting critical infrastructures from cyber attack and cyber warfare.

Khraisat, A., & Alazab, A. (2021). A critical review of intrusion detection systems in the internet of things: techniques, deployment strategy, validation strategy, attacks, public datasets, and challenges.Cybersecurity, 4(1), 1-27.

King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online.

Geopolitics, in its broad definition, refers to the relationship between geography and politics. In other words, geopolitics is an analytical concept that connects the political context with the focus on geography. It considers different social, economic, technological, political, and environmental processes, which shape the geopolitical picture of the world today. The development of computer and data technologies introduced cyber operations and cybersecurity to the global community. Hence, cybersecurity is also a factor, which affects and shapes geopolitics.

National security is one of the major roles that any government is assigned to offer to its people. Security is so important because, without it, many lives will be lost, confidential information about people will be leaked out, properties and possessions may also be lost through theft. Provision of security to information technology and the tools used in the technology is also paramount. Defense of information technology involves detecting, preventing the threat, and responding in time to the danger by administering security strategies, software equipment, and digital information services. Security is crucial in all organizations and businesses of different sizes. Lack of enough security leads to compromised information and systems.

Cyber security is also known as digital information security. It is the protection of the information, systems, and networks from unapproved individuals who desire to access them without permission (Johnson, 2015). The intruders aim to alter or destroy the information and the programs. Cyber security is also described as measures and operations that are put in place to be to ensure that the damages and threats are minimized. It incorporates all mechanisms to protect the digital systems from any fraud.

The Homeland security department has its significance in preventing American citizens from acts of terrorism, protecting them against acts of terrorism, and responding effectively to terrorism when attacked. In undertaking all these duties actively and efficiently, the department has put in place measures to facilitate security through advanced technology. In this regard, it exploits modern technology to detect, collect, and assess the relevance of suspicious individuals or activities (Johnson, 2015). The driving aim of doing all these is to detect and thwart terrorists before they strike.

With all these efforts, the Department of Homeland Security is evidently trying to fight all forms of terrorism, which could be nurtured and implemented in many ways. The various efforts employed are covering many loopholes that potential terrorists could have used to plan and execute attacks. For instance, the uses of modern information technology to monitor, collect and assess relevant information of suspicious individuals are vital in thwarting terrorist activities. However, these activities, especially surveillance on citizens, are invading their privacy at any given time (Guiora, 2017). This is especially true for individuals who have been mistakenly marked as suspicious. Such individuals will have all their communications of any kind investigated through various means, even if it means hacking into their private emails and computer systems in order to analyze all the data that may lead to any form of connection with terrorism.

One of the most resonant examples of how cybersecurity affects geopolitics can be seen in scandals surrounding WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks is an organization that reveals documents that contain evidence of corrupt or illegal activities by the governments of different countries. For example, WikiLeaks released numerous military logs concerning the war in Afghanistan (Munro, 2017). The release painted the war as a failure and disclosed the huge number of unreported civilian deaths, higher terrorist activity, and the sponsorship of terrorism by Pakistan. Such information shaped the international opinion on this war and hence shaped the geopolitical agenda.

References

Guiora, A. N. (2017). Cybersecurity: Geopolitics, law, and policy. Routledge.

Johnson, T. A. (Ed.). (2015). Cybersecurity: Protecting critical infrastructures from cyber attack and cyber warfare. CRC Press.

Munro, I. (2017). Whistle-blowing and the politics of truth: Mobilizing ‘truth games’ in the WikiLeaks case. Human Relations, 70(5), 519-543.

Corporations and organizations play a vital role in mitigating and addressing issues that revolve around cybersecurity and its effects. While organizations have altered their approaches to address better the risks and costs associated with security breaches, this has not been the case for individuals. Cybersecurity is managed at the board level in some organizations rather than delegated to a separate committee or division, as is common in others. This approach can be beneficial when board members have extensive knowledge of information technology, systems implementation, and technology transformation. To fulfill the cybersecurity risk oversight responsibilities, several companies have begun to appoint technology experts and form technology committees at the management level. This committee’s existence allows information technology professionals to educate the rest of the cooperate leadership about cybersecurity risks. This practice increased the number of cybersafety committees among publicly traded companies between 2010 and 2016, continuing to rise year after year (Guiora, 2017). In other cases, the board of directors may delegate oversight of cyber risks to the audit committee or to a separate risk committee, which would then report to the board of directors on the matter. Whatever committee or board of directors is in charge of overseeing cybersecurity risks, the primary goal is for an organization to have an integrated approach to preparing for and protecting against cyber incidents and detecting and responding to them when they occur. In the book of Romans 13:4, the Bible states, ‘Because the ruler is God’s servant for your good. If you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not wield swords lightly. They are God’s servants, sent to punish the wrongdoer.’ Countries defend themselves whenever they are attacked by referring to misinterpretation, making the elders justify revenge actions (King James Bible, 2017).

Cybersecurity professionals ensure that all IT infrastructure, edge devices, networks, and data are protected to an extremely high level of protection. This group has three primary responsibilities: preventing data breaches, monitoring data breaches, and responding to data breaches. Many professionals are trained in programming, systems, network administration, mathematics, and statistical analysis. In the role of an IT security professional, critical thinking, curiosity, and a desire to learn and research are just as crucial as teachable skills in terms of job performance (Johnson, 2015). These characteristics can be found in people from all walks of life, and businesses should avoid limiting their applicant pools to a small number of candidates.

Additionally, hackers are inherently creative individuals who enjoy experimenting with new technologies. Personnel with exceptional abilities in the security field are in high demand. Because no organization is entirely safe from cybercrime, information technology security must be a top priority for everyone.

An instance of a cybersecurity breach is the Dharamsala attack, in which researchers discovered a sophisticated surveillance system in the Dalai Lama’s computer network in 2009. Further investigation revealed that the same network, dubbed GhostNet, had infiltrated targets in 103 countries, including political, economic, and media organizations. China was suspected of being the source of this surveillance network despite the evidence being circumstantial. Aside from that, it was unclear whether this network was run by a Chinese government-affiliated organization or by Chinese citizens motivated by the monetary or nationalistic gain (Khraisat & Alazab, 2021, p. 22). It was also unclear whether or not this network had any ties to the Chinese authorities. In cyberspace, technology’s capabilities are rapidly growing, and everyone is armed in the same way: hackers, criminals, politically motivated hacktivists, national spies, militaries, and even potential cyberterrorists. These cybercriminals all exploit the same vulnerabilities, employ the same hacking tools, attack strategies, and leave the same trail of evidence behind them. They listen in on conversations or steal information. They perpetrate distributed denial-of-service attacks by probing cyber defenses, where each tries to avoid detection and remain unanimous (Guiora, 2021, p. 10). Experts and professional services were brought together to mitigate the risks and enable a more practical approach to evaluation analysis. It makes it possible for an implementation strategy to include solution processes in the event of a cyber breach.

References

Guiora, A. N. (2017). Cybersecurity: Geopolitics, law, and policy. Routledge.

Johnson, T. A. (2015). Cyber-security: Protecting critical infrastructures from cyber attack and cyber warfare.

Khraisat, A., & Alazab, A. (2021). A critical review of intrusion detection systems in the internet of things: Techniques, deployment strategy, validation strategy, attacks, public datasets, and challenges.Cybersecurity, 4(1), 1-27.

King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online.

Using the Safe Zip Cracker

I have selected this particular option because it is one of the most viable and the information I have learned is enriching. There is a tendency for passwords to fail, especially when holding sensitive items. One of the advantages of the safe zip cracker is that it uses dictionary-based brute-forcing mechanisms (Su et al., 2018). The system applies the different dictionary words to deploy an effective password combination. In addition, such systems are also programmed to check for malicious codes and to disable those malicious codes that can be used as an attack channel on the system.

Decode.exe

The.exe files are executable files, and in most cases, when they get detected in certain areas of the computer systems, they are usually suspicious files containing malware and viruses. In our particular case, the decode.exe files that were analyzed contained several interlinked files that included; “test. hid” and “text.exe.”

The Advantages of Encryption Standards

Encryption techniques are usually developed to ensure that data is safeguarded. There are several advantages of text-based encryption, and they include the fact that the data can be used across different devices through the concept of multi-device encryption techniques. Encryption also helps in the avoidance of regulatory fines. Depending on the industry type, there are usually restrictions regarding information that can be shared with third parties. In the case when information accidentally leaks, if there is encryption with the text, such information can never be released to unauthorized users. Moreover, information always remains secure, especially if the users work remotely, whereby data is forced to traverse different networks. Data integrity is also ensured; considering that the data is never tampered with, the integrity is enforced. Lastly, trust is enhanced; when data is secure, there is a tendency for the organization’s reputation to be protected.

The Disadvantages of Encryption Standards

Considering that encryption techniques are mainly applied to safeguard the information assets. There are several challenges with the technology. Encryption standards require significant resources in terms of time, usage of computing resources like the processor, and excessive memory. Another issue is that the user must always remember the passwords that were used so that the information can be decrypted (Yuan et al., 2018). For instance, if an employee departs the organization, the organization must find ways to acquire the encryption technique that was initially used. Otherwise, the data will never be accessed, even with conventional hacking techniques.

Source Code for decode.exe

The source code contained in the executable program indicates that the application is malicious. Most of the information available is meant to hijack the victim’s machine and recording keystrokes. This implies that they are specifically targeting information like the passwords that are purposely used for online transactions such as the wiring of funds. They also focus on hijacking information like the social security numbers and driver’s license that can be used in initiating fraudulent activities. Another issue with the code is that it is properly crafted to invalidate the secure socket layer (SSL) certificate. A machine with an invalidated SSL can be easily hijacked by any computer programmer because the security standard is invalidated. The code can also easily replicate itself across the network, implying that once the code infects any machine, most of the machines that will connect to the network are likely to get infected. Such a scenario is usually stressful to the network administrator because key business processes are likely to be affected.

References

Su, D., Liu, J., Wang, X., & Wang, W. (2018). Detecting Android locker-ransomware on chinese social networks. IEEE Access, 7, 20381-20393.

Yuan, Y., Yang, Y., Wu, L., & Zhang, X. (2018). A high performance encryption system based on AES algorithm with novel hardware implementation. In 2018 IEEE International Conference on Electron Devices and Solid State Circuits (EDSSC) (pp. 1-2). IEEE.