Intrusion Detection System (Cisco IDS)
Brief description of the program and what it claims to do

Cisco IDS represents an active and energetic security constituent of the Safe Blueprint and end-to-end security product collection. Its main strength lies on the fact that it builds on the ground up to help a broad range of network through security services. The program is applicable to all business environments from small to large transaction settings. Cisco IDS is ideal for service providers in the need for high-speed and resilient solutions. Cisco IDS exploits modern technology and innovations to construct extensive protective device. Some of the contemporary technologies include stateful model detection, heuristic detection, anomaly detection, and protocol parsing. All these technological developments act towards offering protection from all sources. This indicates that, by modern technological developments, Cisco IDS is capable of protecting networks from identified and unidentified cyber intrusion. Cisco IDS offers network security through…...

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References

All Internet Security (2011, November 10). Intrusion Detection. Retrieved from http://www.all-internet-security.com/intrusion_detection/

Cisco Systems. (2011). Cisco Intrusion Detection. Retrieved from  http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/cc/pd/sqsw/sqidsz/index.shtml 

Burton, J., Dubrawsky, I., Osipov, V., Baumrucker, C.T., & Sweeney, M. (2003). Cisco security professional's guide to secure intrusion detection systems. Rockland, MA: Syngress Pub.

Protecting Vital Resources
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems

IDPS and Components

Intrusion from the outside world, for good or bad, is serious concern in the networked global arena (Ierace et al., 2005). The loss of data and important and confidential business information can be utterly disastrous. Network systems that will detect and prevent such intrusions, therefore, are a necessity of the first order among enterprises. Intrusion attacks can come from hackers, malware or other old or new malicious creations from other sources. Intrusion detection is performed by monitoring computer systems and networks to sense indications of potential threats or violations on an organization's security policies. Another added feature is thwarting these threats before they can occur. Together, these are the components of an intrusion detection and prevention system or IDPS (Ierace et al.).

There are four classes of IDPS according to their functions and the methods they use (Ierace et al., 2005). These are…...

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ierace, N., et al. (2005). Intrusion prevention systems. Ubiquity Information Everywhere:

Association of Computing Machinery. Retrieved on February 12, 2014 from http://ubiquity.acm.org/article.cfm?id=1071927

Kanika (2013). Intrusion detection system and intrusion prevention system -- a review study. Vol. 4 Issue 8, International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research;

International Scientific and Engineering Research. Retrieved on February 12, 2014

Accounting and Intrusion Detection
In a report issued by Paladin Technologies, Inc., entitled: "Security Metrics: Providing Cost Justification for Security Projects," 273 organizations were surveyed on the topic of security. The report illustrates in quantifiable terms the depth and reach of intrusion detection on the financial viability of the organization. The combined reported losses from the firms surveyed totaled $265.6 million in 1999. The highest loss categories were reported as follows:

Type of Loss

Estimated Dollar Value

Number of espondents

Theft of intellectual capital

m

Financial Fraud

m

Sabotage

m

The average annual financial loss of firms surveyed was estimated at $40 million. Forty three percent of respondents were able to quantify financial losses, and seventy four percent were able to acknowledge financial loss. Ninety percent detected cyber attacks within the most recent twelve-month period and seventy percent reported serious breaches other than viruses, laptop theft, and employee abuse of net privileges. As for these categories, six hundred and forty three…...

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Resources

Risk Assessment risk assessment involves estimating the likelihood and severity of an occurrence, the relative impact of risk on the facility, information handler, processing, support, and the mission of the organization. Assessing the likelihood means determining the probability that existing controls will be skirted. Pfleeger has identified a series of steps for examining the likelihood of adverse occurrences:

Calculate the probability that the risk may happen, found in the observed data for the specific system.

Estimate the likely number occurrences in a given time period. The analyst gives a rating based on several different risk analysis methodologies, and then creates a table to hold and compare the ratings.

The Delphi approach: several raters individually estimate the probable likelihood of an event, combine their estimates, and choose the best one.

Attacks on the system security include password theft, back doors and bugs, social engineering, protocol failures, authentication failures, Denial of Service attacks, active attacks, botnets, exponential attacks including worms and viruses, and information leakage. (Fortify Software Inc., 2008); (Fortify Software, n. d.)
Servers are targets of security attacks due to the fact that servers contain valuable data and services. For instance, if a server contains personal information about employees, it can become a target for stealing identities. All types of servers, which include file, database, web, email and infrastructure management servers are vulnerable to security attacks with the threat coming from both external as well as internal sources.

Some of the server problems that can jeopardize its security include: (i) Weakly encrypted or unencrypted information, especially of a sensitive nature, can be intercepted for malicious use while being transmitted from server to client. (ii) Software bugs present in the server Operating…...

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References

Bace, Rebecca Gurley; Bace, Rebecca. (2000) "Intrusion Detection"

Sams Publishing.

Fortify Software Inc. (2008) "Fortify Taxonomy: Software Security Errors" Retrieved 17 November, 2008 at  http://www.fortify.com/vulncat/en/vulncat/index.html 

Fortify Software. (n. d.) "Seven Pernicious Kingdoms: A Taxonomy of Software Security

The subject matter of systems administration includes computer systems and the ways people use them in an organization. This entails knowledge of operating systems and applications, as well as hardware and software troubleshooting, but also knowledge of the purposes for which people in the organization use the computers.
The most important skill for a system administrator is problem solving. The systems administrator is on call when a computer system goes down or malfunctions, and must be able to quickly and correctly diagnose what is wrong and how best to fix it. In some organizations, computer security administration is a separate role responsible for overall security and the upkeep of firewalls and intrusion detection systems, but all systems administrators are generally responsible for the security of the systems in their keep. (Encyclopedia.com, 2011)

Network Administrator

What is a computer network? According to McGraw Hill Online Learning Center, "a network is two or more…...

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References

Armstrong, L. (1995), Let's Call the Whole Thing Off

Dignan, Ars Technica, Jan 28, 2001, post 305, http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic

Encyclopedia.com - Information Technology- accessed 2011/1/14

Hegel, G.W.F., the Phenomenology of Mind, (1807), translated by J.B. Baillie, New York, Harper & Row, 1967

System Security
"As a manager, how would you plan on securing organizational data? How does security effectiveness and relative cost figure into those plans?"

The more critical aspect of any enterprise-wide security management strategy is to align system resources to the strategic initiatives and goals of an organization. Increasingly this is being accomplished through the use of role-based access and authentication privileges and process workflows that audit and evaluate use of sensitive information (Shih, Wen, 2005). The role of enterprise security management drastically changes however when ubiquitous Web Services are used for capturing, aggregating, analyzing and effectively using confidential data to make financial decisions (Phifer, 2011). The intent of this analysis is to evaluate how intrusion and intrusion detection systems can be used in the 21st century, state-of-the-art IT systems that are to a large extent Cloud-based and often have remote access points that make them particularly vulnerable (Phifer, 2011). Also…...

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References

Microsoft TechNet. (2011). Enterprise security best practices. Microsoft. Retrieved from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd277328.aspx

Thibodeau, P. (2011, July 18). U.S. government CIO warns of IT vendor cartel. Computerworld. Retrieved from  http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/public-sector/3291866/us-government-cio-warns-of-it-vendor-cartel/ 

Phifer, L. (2011, July 11). 5 best practices for securing remote access. E-security Planet. Retrieved from  http://www.esecurityplanet.com/views/article.php/3937121/5-Best-Practices-for-Securing-Remote-Access.htm 

Shih, S.C., & Wen, H.J. (2005). E-enterprise security management life cycle. Information Management & Computer Security, 13(2), 121-134.

Intrusion Detection Systems: etail-Based Cybercrime and the Importance of Security Point of Sales Endpoints Systems
etail-based cybercrime and the importance of security Point of Sales Endpoints Systems

The recent technological advances have resulted in increased dependability of network-based technology for everyday usage. Points of sales systems have also evolved, and they are now linked to the company's network, which makes them vulnerable to attacks. The number of attacks leveled against POS endpoints has increased steadily in recent times [1]. This is because they are mostly stand-alone and they are used to capture credit card information. The attackers are mostly interested in customer information for fraud or identity theft purposes. In order for POS systems to verify customer information and process credit cards, they need network connection. The network connection provided is dependent on the store. Large stores connect their POS systems to the internal network in order to simplify administration and reduce…...

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References

[1] B. Qawami, B.Z. Talaich, and M.J. Farrell, "Enabling a Merchant's Storefront POS (Point of Sale) System to Accept a Payment Transaction Verified by SMS Messaging with Buyer's Mobile Phone," ed: Google Patents, 2012.

[2] P. Kabiri and A.A. Ghorbani, "Research on Intrusion Detection and Response: A Survey," IJ Network Security, vol. 1, pp. 84-102, 2005.

[3] S.R. Snapp, J. Brentano, G.V. Dias, T.L. Goan, T. Grance, L.T. Heberlein, C.-L. Ho, K.N. Levitt, B. Mukherjee, and D.L. Mansur, "A system for distributed intrusion detection," COMPCOM Spring, vol. 91, pp. 170-176, 1991.

[4] N.B.W. Mlitwa and D. Birch, "The role of intrusion detection systems in electronic information security: From the activity theory perspective," Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, vol. 9, pp. 296-312, 2011.

Auditing, Monitoring, Intrusion Prevention, Detection, and Penetration Testing
The network vulnerability is a major security weakness that allows an attacker reducing computer information assurance. Vulnerability intersects three elements: a system flaw, the attacker is having access to the flaw, and ability to exploit the flaw. Thus, a security risk is classified as a vulnerability that is tied to a great significant loss. The vulnerability can erode data confidential, system integrity and availability of data.

The objective of this study is to carry out analysis of two research articles that discusses the network vulnerabilities in the IT environment. (Jackson, et al.2008, Sommer, et al. 2003). Both articles believe that attackers exploit the network vulnerabilities to inflict damages in the information systems. Moreover, the two articles agree that the traditional securities such as network IDS (intrusion detection system) (Sommer, et al. 2003) and DNS pinning (Jackson, et al.2008) are no more effective in guiding…...

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Reference

Debar, H. & Morin, B.(2002). Evaluation of the Diagnostic Capabilities of Commercial Intrusion Detection Systems. RAID'02 Proceedings of the 5th international conference on Recent advances in intrusion detection:177-198.

Jackson, C., Barth, A., Bortz, A., Shao, W., and Boneh, D. (2008). Protecting browsers from DNS rebinding Attacks. ACM Trans. ACM Transactions on the Web (TWEB). 3(1).

Karlof, C. Shankar, U. Tygar, J.D. et al. (2007). Dynamic pharming attacks and the locked same-origin policies for web browsers. Proceedings of the 14th ACM conference on Computer and communications security: 58-71.

Lam, V.T, Antonatos, S. Akritidis, P. et al. (2007). Puppetnets: Misusing web browsers as a distributed attack infrastructure. ACM Transactions on Information and System Security 12(2).

iordan Manufacturing Human esources Information Systems
The iordan Manufacturing is an organization that produces the plastic injection molding, and the management decides to take an advantage of the state of art technology to combine a variety of tools into a single application to develop the HIS (human resources information systems). However, the organization needs to develop application architecture, process design, and system security for an effective implementation of the system. This document discusses the system design and system security for the iordan HIS.

iordan Process Design and Application Architecture

The paper will use the web-based application for the application development based on the benefits that H department will derive from the system. Availability is one of the benefits of the web application because it can be accessed through the internet by multiple users at the same time. The three-tier architecture will be used to design the web-based application, which includes a network server,…...

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Reference

Stalling, S. (2011). Cryptographic and Network Security Principle and Practice (Fifth Edition). Pearson Education, Inc.

Dennis, A., Wixom, B. H., & Ruth, R. M. (2012). Systems Analysis and Design. (5th Ed.). UK. Wiley.

Hacker Culture and Mitigation in the International Systems
The explosion of the internet technology in the contemporary business and IT environments has assisted more than 300 million computer users to be connected through a maze of internet networks. Moreover, the network connectivity has facilitated the speed of communication among businesses and individuals. (Hampton, 2012). Despite the benefits associated with the internet and network technologies, the new technologies have opened the chance for hackers to attack the information systems of business organizations and collect sensitive information worth millions of dollars. Each year, businesses have been a victim of cyber-attacks in the United States. As an increasing number of people and businesses own internet-enabled devices, more businesses have become a victim of cyber-attacks, which has become a critical concern in the business and governmental environments. (Hacker news, n.d.).

The objective of this paper is to analyze the cyber incidents of the Sony Corporation and…...

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Reference

Atkinson, S (2015). Psychology and the hacker - Psychological Incident Handling. Sans Institute.

Christopher, A. & Vasili, M. (2006). The KGB and the World: The Mitrokhin Archive II. Penguin. 41: 120-1.

FBI (2014). Update on Sony Investigation. Federal Bureau of Investigation. USA.

Fotinger, C.S. & Ziegler, W.(2004). Understanding a hacker's mind -- A psychological insight into the hijacking of identities. Donau-Universitat Krems. Commissioned by RSA Security.

OSIIT
An analysis of IT policy transformation

The aim of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of information security policy in the context of an organization, OSI Systems, Inc. With presence in Africa, Australia, Canada, England, Malaysia and the United States, OSI Systems, Inc. is a worldwide company based in California that develops and markets security and inspection systems such as airport security X-ray machines and metal detectors, medical monitoring anesthesia systems, and optoelectronic devices. The company is also represented by three subsidiary divisions in offices and plants dedicated to the brands, apiscan Systems, OSI Optoelectronics and SpaceLabs Healthcare.

In 2010, OSI, Inc. had sales of $595 million with net income of over $25 million. As of June 2010, the company was comprised of 2,460 personnel globally. The parent company provides oversight and fiscal control to the different divisions, and is connected through its virtual network world-wide intranet system; with external integration…...

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References

Allen, J. (2005). Governing for Security: Project Stakeholders Interests. News at SEI. Retrieved on 5SEPT10 from  http://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/abstracts/news-at-sei/securitymatters20054.cfm 

Computer Misuse Law, 2006. Parliament UK. Retrieved from:  http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090916/text/90916w0015.htm#09091614000131 

Diver, S. (2006). Information Security Policy -- A Development Guide for Large and Small Companies. SANS Institute InfoSec Reading Room. Retrieved on 30 Sept 10 from  http://www.sans.org/reading_room/whitepapers/policyissues/information-security-policy-development-guide-large-small-companies_1331 

Global IT Policy (2009) OSI, Inc.

Security
Cryptography

In order to maintain information secrecy one would use cryptography. This is intentionally making information unintelligible. This method is mainly employed during the transmission of information. Cryptography ensures that only the intended person would be able to decipher the information (Whitman & Mattord, 2011, p. 339). The process of deciphering encrypted text is referred to as cryptanalysis. Cryptology is the mathematics branch covering cryptography and cryptanalysis. Cryptology has been in use since 1900 B.C. In Egyptian hieroglyphs. A Mesopotamian cryptography was discovered in 1500 B.C. that surpassed that of the Egyptians. The book of Jeremiah was written using alphabet substitution called ATBASH. Cryptography was employed during the First World War to decipher radio communication. Prisoners have also used cryptography to decipher their messages in order to protect their privacy. A key in cryptography is a parameter or piece of information that would determine the functional output for a cryptographic…...

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References

Whitman, M., & Mattord, H. (2011). Principles of Information Security (4th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

There is a trade-off with regard to this first layer to ensure a high level of physical security that does not compromise the system-level flexibility and support. This first level of support can be as simple as locks, fireproofing and safes to biometrically based access as well. The components of physical security are surveillance and notification systems. These are systems that react to smoke, intrusion or a threat in the form of a break-in for example. Using motion sensors, intrusion detection equipment and closed-circuit televisions are all part of this step, as are continual centralized monitoring of the entire site as well. Organizations have successfully been able to integrate emergency self-start shutdown procedures for systems when intruders are discovered, disabling all system access to protect the data. A third class or component of security is the reliance on combining physical monitoring systems with the actual enterprise systems to ensure…...

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References

Phil Aronson. (2005). An integrated approach to workplace security.

Employment Relations Today, 32(1), 41-46.

C Thomas Johnson. (2008). Protecting Your Walls. Risk Management,

55(5), 55,8.

Compliance Patch Level
The author of this report has been tasked with discussing the overall subject of patch compliance level. Indeed, the pros and cons of using the patch compliance level framework will be assessed. There will also be an assessment of several critical things such as the patch compliance level of a given patch, what level of patch compliance is safe and what needs to be considered when evaluating the current patch compliance level. Patching is very much a security-related matter and helps both system and network administrators to keep their systems completely up-to-date and as safe as possible from vulnerabilities and hacking attacks. Not applying and installing needed patches to software such as operating systems, firmware, device drivers, databases and so forth can leave an enterprise information technology environment susceptible to attack. While the deployment of patches should be planned and deployed carefully, it is very important to deploy…...

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References

Blue, V. (2015). New report: DHS is a mess of cybersecurity incompetence -- ZDNet. ZDNet.

Retrieved 21 October 2015, from  http://www.zdnet.com/article/new-report-the-dhs-is-a-mess-of-cybersecurity-incompetence/ 

Chan, J. (2015). Patchmanagement.org. Retrieved 16 October 2015, from http://www.patchmanagement.org/pmessentials.asp

Codenomicon. (2015). Heartbleed Bug. Heartbleed.com. Retrieved 21 October 2015, from  http://heartbleed.com/

If they need to access a site for business purposes, they may not be able to do so, and that can lead to frustration and even lost contracts and opportunities (Miller, 2005). With that being the case, it would seem as though there should be a way to get around these restrictions. If people start avoiding restrictions, though, where does that end? At what point does it become unacceptable and dangerous, and at what point does it jeopardize the privacy, safety, and security of other people who have their information online?
The people who own the information (i.e. The people whose information is being collected) should be the ones to control how secure that information is in the sense of who can see it and access it. Because their names, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers, and other information belongs only to them, they should be able to determine whether…...

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References

DiBattiste, C. (2009) Privacy and Information Security 101: Have a plan Information Security Best Practices 2009 conference archive The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research. Retrieved on July 26, 2010 from  http://technopolity.editme.com/files/isbp2009talks/DiBattiste-summary.doc 

Cranor, L. (2008) A Framework for Reasoning About the Human in the Loop. Retrieved on June 10, 2011 from  http://www.usenix.org/events/upsec08/tech/full_papers/cranor/cranor.pdf 

Miller, M. (2005). Computer Security: Fact Forum Framework Retrieved on July 26, 2010 from  http://www.caplet.com/security/taxonomy/index.html

Refined Thesis Statement:

The multi-layered security protocols employed by modern online banking platforms, combined with robust user awareness and vigilance, effectively safeguard financial transactions, mitigating cyber threats and ensuring the integrity of online financial services.

Supporting Arguments:

Multi-Layered Security Protocols:

Strong Authentication: Two-factor authentication (2FA) and biometrics provide an additional layer of protection by requiring multiple forms of authentication.
Encryption: Advanced encryption algorithms ensure that data is securely transmitted and stored, protecting against eavesdropping and data breaches.
Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs): These systems monitor network traffic for suspicious activity and block unauthorized access.
Secure Socket Layer (SSL)/Transport Layer Security (TLS): Encrypts....

1. Granular control: An ACL allows administrators to define specific rules and permissions for different users, devices, and applications within a network. This granular control ensures that only authorized individuals have access to sensitive data and resources, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

2. Restricting access: ACLs can be used to restrict access to certain resources based on criteria such as IP address, port number, or protocol. This helps in preventing unauthorized users from gaining access to critical systems and applications within the corporate network.

3. Monitoring and auditing: ACLs enable administrators to monitor and track user activity within the network by....

1. Implement strong encryption: Use encryption technologies to protect sensitive data both in transit and at rest. This will help prevent unauthorized access to the information.

2. Secure data storage: Store sensitive information in secure, encrypted databases or cloud storage solutions. This will add an additional layer of protection to the data.

3. Implement access controls: Use access controls to restrict access to sensitive information only to authorized personnel. This can include role-based access controls, strong authentication mechanisms, and regular audits to monitor and track access to the data.

4. Regular security audits and assessments: Conduct regular security audits and assessments to identify....

1. Implement strong data encryption practices: Organizations should utilize strong encryption methods to protect sensitive information both while it is stored and while it is being transmitted.

2. Use secure communication channels: Ensure that communication channels, such as email and messaging platforms, are secure and encrypted to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information.

3. Enforce strict access controls: Limit access to sensitive information only to those who need it for their job roles. Implement strong authentication methods, such as multi-factor authentication, to verify users' identities.

4. Regularly update security protocols: Keep security measures up to date by regularly updating software, implementing patches, and....