IT552_Milestone2_SNHU_2022

Running Head: IT 552 g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g

g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g 1

IT 552 g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g

In the digitalized era, cyber threats can any side and cripple the Information

Technology ecosystem of an organization. In order to be well equipped against unknown

threats and risks, business entities spend huge volumes of finance so that they can

safeguard themselves against sophisticated threats and attacks in the virtual setting. Mainly

businesses invest money to introduce robust defense and detection mechanisms so that

cyber attackers can be kept at a distance.

As per the case relating to Multiple Unite Security Assurance (MUSA)

Corporation, its security posture is low. One of the main reasons for the poor security

model can be attributed to the human factors that operate in the organizational setting

(Glaspie & Karwowski, 2017). As per numerous researchers, in many cases, human factors

their security posture. The effective management of cybersecurity model will only be

possible if the security policies are taken into consideration the security threats and risks

that arise due to the involvement of the human factors (Nobles, 2018).

Proposal for mitigating security threats that arise due to human factors

A perfect security awareness model has been presented here so that it would help to

mitigate the threats that are posed by the human factors to the organization’s security

posture. The proposal that has been designed for the business entity encompasses a total of

ten security policies that would enable the firm to fill the security gaps that currently exist

IT 552 g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g

been crafted so that the organization would be in a position to address unintentional threats

as well as intentional threats or social engineering. The policies that have been designed

also focus on the quality of data flow so that it could not be tampered with.

As per the strategy that has been presented here, the cybersecurity threats that arise

before the entity can be categorized into two types namely unintentional threats and

intentional threats. The unintentional threats can be defined as the threats that arise due to

human errors or computer failure (Threats to Security, 2019). The intentional threats are

the ones that arise on the online platform due to various kinds of malicious elements such

as viruses, theft of data, denial of service attack and other factors that have been malicious

intent. The security policies have been strategically framed so that the existing security

organization.

Changes in the remote access mechanism

The remote access is a policy that can enable employees of an organization to work

remotely or work from their home. This policy might be employee friendly but at the same

time, it gives rise to a number of security concerns as unauthorized users have the

opportunity to gain access into the organizational network. The employees that work

remotely can gain access into the organizational system from anywhere at any time. There

is the possibility that these individuals will unintentionally make blunders while surfing the

IT 552 g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g

detrimental implication on the business entity. For example, in case the employees, click

on the link of a malicious site from their personal computer, unauthorized attackers could

gain entry into their systems and compromise the security, integrity, and confidentiality of

the organizational data.

In order to deal with the cybersecurity threats that arise due to the remote access

policy, there is the need to activate remote access feature that is present in the firewall. It

would make sure that the employees working remotely can gain access in a safe and secure

manner by making use of the Secure Sockets Layer Virtual Private Network feature (What

is SSL VPN (Secure Sockets Layer virtual private network)? - Definition from

WhatIs.com, 2019). By using this security feature, the origination’s personnel would be in

measures that business undertakings need to implement so that the level of security of their

IT infrastructure can be strengthened to a certain degree. This policy has been proposed so

that the security could be strengthened whether the organizational data is ready for

transmission, it is in the process of transmission or it has already been transmitted. Data

encryption would be made mandatory so that it could deter malicious parties from gaining

unauthorized access into sensitive business information. The encryption process would

basically make use of algorithms which would convert ta into unique codes. The

computers that have the right key would be able to crack these codes and put them into the

IT 552 g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g

public key (or asymmetric). In the former method, the same key is used or installed in both

the systems that are responsible for receiving and transmitting the information. The public

key encryption, on the other hand, utilizes two sets of keys simultaneously namely a

private key and a public key to strengthen the security level. In the business context of

MUSA, the asymmetric encryption could be introduced to strengthen the security level

(Encryption and Its Importance to Device Networking, 2019).

Similarly, hashing has also been introduced in the security policy. The hash

methods like Secure Hash Algorithms (SHA-1, SHA-2, and SHA-3) could be employed so

that the integrity of the organizational data could be maintained and strengthened (Secure

Hash Algorithms | Brilliant Math & Science Wiki, 2019). These algorithms are designed

would facilitate the business entity to have a stronger control over the data flow and thus

capture any kind of unauthorized alteration of data.

Conducting regular checks and auditing of user accounts

At present, one of the major security gaps that have been identified in the MUSA

organization relates to the fact that the logs of the employees are not collected or analyzed.

There is the need to introduce a robust auditing protocol so that the accounts of all the

organizational personnel of MUSA would be thoroughly checked and scrutinized. For

instance, this security policy could be applied once in a quarter or once every six months

IT 552 g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g

audit process of the user accounts, it is necessary to take in to account a number of aspects

such as whether the account is active or inactive (disabled). For example, both these

accounts could be targeted by online attackers so that they could gain unauthorized access

into the organization’s system.

Some of the key settings and properties that must be considered while

implementing the security policy relating to the auditing of user accounts include checking

of the login scripts, the activity of the workstations and the frequency of change of

passwords. The audit procedure would help Multiple Unite Security Assurance (MUSA)

Corporation to determine the real-time status of the accounts of the users. For example, in

case an account that has been disabled for a long time is active the Information

effectively addressed.

Introduction of media access control policy

A robust media access control policy could be introduced in the business setting to

secure the connections on the online platform. In the current times, a large number of

business activities are taking place in open virtual spaces such as social media platforms

which is increasing the vulnerability of the organization. In order to give a tough fight to

cybercriminals, it is necessary to have in place suitable media access control policies and

guidelines which would guide the employees while carrying out online business activities.

IT 552 g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g

the existing security gaps. This is because; the employees would be able to carry out

activities in a careful and conscious manner so that online hackers would not get the scope

to gain unauthorized access into the network (Media Access Control Security Overview -

TechLibrary - Juniper Networks, 2019). For example, the firm could use a single login id

on social media platforms to design its social media marketing strategy. In case a second

user id is created or used, the same could be blocked for security reasons. Similarly,

MUSA could also implement Data Loss Prevention (DLP) tools so that it could keep a tab

on the flow of the sensitive information in the corporate network (What is Data Loss

Prevention (DLP)? A Definition of Data Loss Prevention, 2019).

Implementation of configuration change management policy

would help to identify security flaws. It would act as a baseline that could be used for

comparing the technical codes after any changes have been introduced in the IT system.

The policy would be necessary for improving the security of the firm as it would make

sure that there exists compliance with the minimum acceptable system configuration

requirements (IT0125 - Configuration Management, 2019, p 1). The policy could

safeguard MUSA against malicious threats and risk that could arise in the virtual

environment of the company.

IT 552 g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g

will make security blunders which can ultimately have an adverse impact on the security

model. In the case of Multiple Unite Security Assurance Corporation, the following

policies have been designed so that protection against social engineering could be possible

(What is Social Engineering | Attack Techniques & Prevention Methods | Imperva, 2019).

In the current times, online hackers are using sophisticated tools so that they can con

professionals to disclose sensitive information such as passwords. The security policies can

help MUSA to be well equipped against such kinds of online threats.

Providing annual cybersecurity awareness training

One of the basic steps is that the organization must design a robust annual cyber

security awareness training program so that its employees in all the departments would be

In addition to this, the annual cybersecurity awareness training would also involve

technical concepts that the users need to understand so that the security of the organization

could be strengthened. For instance, MUSA could introduce educational resources relating

to cybersecurity training and conduct regular tests. Only after the employees of MUSA

would be able to pass these tests, they would gain access to the firm’s system and network.

Introduction of intrusion detection/prevention system

An intrusion detection/ prevention system could be introduced in Multiple Unite

Security Assurance Corporation so that it could thoroughly examine the traffic of the

IT 552 g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g

could compromise the security of the IT infrastructure of the business. g By introducing this

layer of security, harmful content could be filtered out (What is an Intrusion Prevention

System? - Palo Alto Networks, 2019). The intrusion detection system would be responsible

to scan the network traffic and report back on any identified threats or risks. The intrusion

prevention system could be employed as it would help to carefully analyze and take

suitable actions on the network traffic flow of MUSA. By introducing these tools, the

security system of the firm could be improved and harmful elements in the network could

be identified.

Adoption of mandatory vacation policy