SEC440 Hacker Target and Response Paper

Hacker Target

Hacker Target and Response Paper

Name

SEC440

Date

Professor

Hacker Target and Response Paper

A security clearance refers to an individual in the organization that has access to classified and sensitive information. The type of security clearance provided to the individual will directly impact the information they have access to. This includes confidential information, secret information or top secret information. A person that has access to confidential information does not have the same access to information as a person that has access to top secret information. In order to receive this type of security clearance the persons past and present life will first be scrutinized and then they type of security clearance will be determined.

Firing an employee is never a pleasant experience but when firing an employee with top security clearance will mean firing an employee that has access to the sensitive data of the organization and has access to cause damage to these systems if that is there intent. In this case the employee that has been fired has top security clearance and has made threats that they will hack into the system and cause destruction. Due to this threat the organization will need to take the necessary security measures to ensure that this employee does not have access to the information systems once their employment has been terminated.

Once the chief information security officer that has learned information about an employee that was recently fired plans to retaliate by hacking into the organization’s information systems they have a responsibility to take the necessary steps to ensure this security breach will not occur. In normal circumstances potential hacking threats are dealt with through the security programs placed on the information systems but because the former employee has information for accessing the private information systems of the organization they are particularly vulnerable.

In order to protect information systems their needs to be a notification system that immediately warns necessary stakeholders. This will ensure the fired employee accesses to private information data bases are immediately terminated. Revoking an employee's access to the company's electronically stored proprietary information and its information systems (). This involves changing all passwords and removing authorization access on all computers and networks. Remote access points should also be blocked and all company-owned property should be retrieved from the former employee.

Target of Terminated Employee

The threat by the former employee will be to the private information systems of the organization. This information would include information systems that store the private information of customers, such as social security numbers or financial information, as well as the private operational information of the organization. Other information that can be attacked is company secrets, such as the design of a new product or the private information’s of the organizations employees. If the former employee where to hack into the systems and obtain access to this information they can either conduct malicious attacks or steal the information to commit frauds or to sell to other organizations.

The terminated employee could seek to access the company’s information systems in order to implant a virus and cause the company to lose time and money in recovering the loss of data. The terminated employee could access this information in order to steal the financial information of customers so they can steal their identify, sell the information to criminals elements, such as organized crime groups, or steal operational information from the organization to sell to another company or to cause damage to the brand. The former employee could steal private information in order to publically release private information or future plans of the company or use the information to start a malicious smear campaign.

Methods Used

There are many different methods the former, disgruntled employee can use to attack the information systems of the organization. According to Dr. Dorothy Denning, "The rise in computer-based attacks can be attributed to several factors, including general growth of the Internet, a never-ending supply of vulnerabilities that, once discovered, are quickly exploited; and increasingly sophisticated hacking tools that allow even those with modest skills to launch devastating attacks (Northcutt, 2007).

These sophisticated hacking tools give the criminal offender the ability to access the private information systems of the organization. In order to prevent the hacker having access the organization must have the necessary security measures in place to thwart this attack. If the former employee is knowledgeable about these security measures then there needs to be changes made to assist in thwarting the potential security attack against the company’s information systems.

Having access to direct information about the organization information systems, like the former employee, will only strengthen their ability to hack into the companies private information systems. When a company faces an attack by a former employee that had top security clearance the threat is far greater than that of a hacker that does not have personal knowledge of the company’s information systems. It is essential to change security codes and well as to adapt procedures in order to ensure the outside attack can be thwarted. New security measures will assist in fulfilling the gap in security that was created when the former employee was fired.

The types of methods than can be used by the previous employee to access organizations information systems include going through a trap door that the employee may have built into the system before being fired. These trap doors can be used to give the hacker access. Other potential methods include hijacking the information system or the wireless router access point in order to obtain private information from information systems (Mitnick, 2011). The former employee could access the private information system with malicious intent by spoofing emails in order to mislead or misdirect customers into providing private information or in order to do damage to the organizations reputation.

A hacker can do major damage to an organization which can result in a loss of trust by customers and members of the public. When an organization is not trusted by the public it will fail. The public must be able to trust that the organization is reputable and honest. Any false rumors about the organization can create financial damage that they may not be able to recover from.

Damage Caused to Information Systems

When there is a threat to a company’s information systems there is a threat of major damage to the company. As discussed previously the reputation or brand of the organization can be destroyed if the former employee accesses information systems in order to maliciously destroy data or in order to mislead consumers into believing false information about the organization (Oak, 2011). Even if the information that has been accessed and altered is false once an accusation is in the public it is difficult for a company to recover their reputation. The company will have to expend countless amounts of money to repair their reputation and rebuild the brand.

For example if the hacker where to steal private customer information and send out emails guaranteeing customers 50% of their ext purchase, customers that do not receive the discount, because it has been falsified, would be angered. Another example is stealing the email addresses of customers in order to send out false emails requesting personal information form the customer. The customer believes they are dealing with a reputable company and provide this information. The result is they are subject to fraudulent behavior and will suffer financial loss as a result. Customers whose private information is stolen will no longer trust the organization not to protect their private information in the future.

In the technological age an organization must be able to guarantee they can properly secure the customers and even the employee’s private information. Organizations that fail to fulfill his obligation will lose business which will result in a loss of sales. If a former employee gains access to the company’s private operational information direct harm can also be done to the organization. For example if the former employee stole the design and plans for a new product that will revolutionize the cell phone industry another company could buy this information and beat the organization to the punch. The organization will lose momentum and most importantly lose business and the branding opportunity.

When a former employee hacks into a company’s information systems they can be damaged finically if their financial information is stolen in order to be released to the public or in order for the hacker to obtain access to organizational funds. A hacker is extremely dangerous and can drain the funds of an organization in just minutes. It is essential that new firewalls and encryption software is placed on the computer to ensure the hacker will be denied access and the financial information of the company is protected. Once the money has been stolen there is very little the organization can do to track and locate this stolen money or the offender.

Conclusion

It is essential that any attack can be prevented or properly responded to in order to minimize the damage to the customer, employee, and the organization. When the appropriate security measures are not taken the company not only places themselves at risk but places every customer that has done business with the organization at risk as well as former and current employees. Once the Chief Information Security Officer has learned of the potential security threat by the former employee their will need to be an immediate and effective response to prevent this potential security attack.

References

Mitnick, K. (2011). What are Hackers? Retrieved December 23, 2012 from

http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/abuse/hacking/study.php

Northcutt, S. (2007). Methods of Attack. SANS Institute: Security Laboratory. Retrieved

December 23, 2012 from http://www.sans.edu/research/security-laboratory/article/methods

Oak, M. (2011). What are the Effects of Computer Hacking? Retrieved December 23, 2012 from

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-are-the-effects-of-computer-hacking.html