Operational security

Operational security

Operational security, also recognized as procedural security, is described as a risk management process that highly encourages managers to view operations from the perspective of an adversary with the sole intention to protect sensitive information from landing into the wrong hands. As far as this is concerned, it becomes proper to note that operational security revolves around the generation and enforcement of policies, procedures as well as documents such as guideline documents. This approach plays a tremendous role in outlining the organizational structure and detail how the firm should be run, defines the kind of activity that is allowed and/or prohibited, and also focuses on various other facets that, in one way or another, define the normal business operation. Therefore, the major goal of operational security revolves around protecting and securing the operations of an enterprise while ensuring that the technologies required to maintain network as well as resource availability are secured. This paper is focused on exploring operational security by considering various areas, such as describing how different auditing, as well as monitoring techniques, are utilized to identify and protect the system against what is identified as network attacks.

Compare and Contrast Access Control

It is worth noting that in the current world, data security issues have intensified, something that has made the acquisition and protection of the expected data, one of the most fundamental activities in a company. As far as this is concerned, it is proper to remember that consumers are, to a great extent, interested in understanding whether their data is protected within the company. It is to say that if it occurs that their information is not stored properly as per their expectation, then there is a high risk that the company would fall short of business. Therefore, in order to deal with various data security issues and prevent the organization from getting into trouble, it becomes essential to have adequate knowledge when it comes to understanding the relationship, including differences that exist among the three fundamental components that are related to data security, and these consist of risk, threat, and vulnerability.

A risk is identified as the potential for damage or even loss when the threat in question exploits a vulnerability in one way or another. It is worth realizing that when access is not controlled, an organization is most likely to encounter risks such as financial and data losses (Aven, & Renn, 2009). This is something that will be as a result of business disruption, legal implications, reputational damage, as well as a loss of privacy. As such, it is always proper for companies to assess the available risks and determine their needs. Additionally, in the effort to limit access controls, it becomes of great significance for the organization to ensure that it prioritizes some of the most significant breaches that will require to be tackled.

On the other hand, vulnerability is described as weaknesses related to a resource of an asset that may, to a great extent, be exploited by one or even more attackers as the means to execute ill missions causing disruption to the working of the organization systems. Simply put, vulnerability is basically a known issue that makes it possible for an attacker to be executed. For example, when a worker resigns, and the officer in charge of data security does not remember to disable their access rights, this tends to expose the company to both intentional as well as unintentional vulnerabilities.

A threat is highly recognized as the newly discovered incident that is perceived to have a great potential to harm the system or even to the overall organization. It is worth discovering that there are intentional as well as unintentional threats. In this case, unintentional threats could be witnessed when the employee gains access to wrongful information. On the other side, intentional threats consist of the malware, spyware, adware companies, or even the actions that are perpetrated by what can best be described as disgruntled employees. In addition, viruses and also worms are categorized as threats primarily because they have the potential to harm the stability of the company, and this is because of the exposure that it extends in terms of automated attacks as opposed to the case of the threats posed by humans (Galdies, 2014). It is, therefore, proper for an organization to watch and consider ways on how it can control such threats.

Auditing and Monitoring Techniques

It is imperative to note that an information technology audit refers to an evaluation of the management controls within an IT infrastructure. As such, the examination of obtained evidence, to a great extent, determines if the information systems are maintaining data integrity, safeguarding an organization’s assets, or if they are operating effectively as the means to realize the company’s objectives. As far as this is concerned, it becomes of great significance to remember that an IT audit happens to be different from a financial statement audit. This is in the sense that a financial audit is focused on examining the financial position of an organization, whereas an IT audit is more focused on examining the system’s internal control design as well as effectiveness. Additionally, it is proper to discover that installing controls are necessary, but not adequate when it comes to offering adequate security. As such, it is always proper for individuals responsible for system security to consider if the controls are installed as required and whether these controls are effective and determine ways to deal with any potential breach. Therefore, the major role of an IT audit is to examine the systems that are in place with the sole intention to guard a company’s information.

There are various auditing techniques or, in other words, approaches that are worth being considered. For instance, there is the technological innovation process audit, which happens to be an audit that, to a great extent, constructs a risk profile for existing as well as for emerging projects. With this audit, it becomes possible for an organization to assess the length as well as the depth of its experience in terms of its chosen technologies. There is also what is known as the innovative comparison audit that focuses on the innovative abilities of an organization. Conducting such an audit can be an excellent way to monitor and help the business deal with network attacks (Coderre, & Police, 2005). At other times, an organization might need to use technological position audits as the means to identify the technologies that are in place or that need to be embraced as a way to keep the business going. Part of this includes considering the best ways of protecting the system against all forms of network attacks.

There exist three major ways in which data can be compromised, and they include external attacks, insider attacks as well as supply chain, or third-party ecosystem attacks. In the modern world security environment, all organizations ought to embrace continuous monitoring as the means to actively prevent these attacks. Achieving this requires the firm to be ‘compliance-focused.’ One excellent way of ensuring that the system is protected against network attacks is by generating a process for patching security vulnerabilities regularly. This is to say that it is always proper to stay aware of vulnerabilities that exist in the company’s network configurations. By staying on top of the current security posture, the organization will be in a better position to patch the vulnerabilities quickly.

Relationship between Access Control and its Impact on CIA

Confidentiality, integrity, and availability, also identified as CIA, refers to a model highly utilized in the computer and data security that has, to a great extent, been designed with the purpose of providing guidance for information security in the organization. It is worth noting that the elements in the CIA define data security (Samonas, & Coss, 2014). In this case, confidentiality is used to refer to a set of rules that offers the necessary limit to information access. On the other hand, integrity is recognized as the assurance that the information belonging to the company is accurate as well as trustworthy. Availability is identified as the guarantee and also an assurance of reliable access to the information by only authorized individuals.

It is worth noting that access control happens to be one of the critical elements of confidentiality. An excellent example, in this case, is the information belonging to the customers. There are individuals within the company who are highly authorized to access this information for accountability, and part of their responsibilities include protecting the information from landing in the wrong hands. Therefore, if access is not controlled in any way, it means that there is a high risk that data integrity is breached. It implies that the data contained in the systems could, to a great extent, be wrongful hence not reliable to inform various decisions in the company. Availability is interfered with if the said data is subjected to unauthorized access, stolen, or even changed inappropriately.

Access Control and its Level of Importance

It is imperative to realize that access control is a concept in the data security environment that highly determines who has the right to view or even utilize resources that are within the computer environment. In simple terms, access controls are recognized as security features that, to a great extent, control how users, as well as systems, communicate and interact with various other systems, including resources (Perrig, & Tygar, 2003). When it occurs that the system is intruded, this means that the access rights are extended to the wrong individuals. Hackers can cause a lot of harm to the system, for instance, making changes to the available data and deleting it. The principle of confidentiality and integrity in the computer environment is also devastated. It is the primary reason why access control is of critical significance. This is to imply that, in case of misfortune/mishap in the system, then access control gives a chance to know the officer who did what is in the system, and this is for the purpose of accountability. As such, this happens to be the level of significance pegged on access control as far as information security is concerned.

Need for Organizations to Implement Access Controls

Effective security, irrespective of the context, starts with understanding the various principles involved. In other terms, having the set procedures of the system security and access is not sufficient when it comes to ensuring that the company’s systems are protected against unwarranted breaches. As far as this is concerned, it becomes of great significance to note that information technology has emerged as an increasingly risky field and having the necessary knowledge based on how to conduct the acceptable practices is not enough in ensuring that there is enough security for the systems (Kang, Park, & Froscher, 2001).

There exist three key principles that, to a great extent, identify the need for companies to implement access controls in relation to maintaining data confidentiality, integrity as well as availability. Identification emerges as the first step worth being considered. As the means to make access control more effective, it becomes proper to realize that strong identification capabilities ought to be accorded prominence. The next principle happens to be authentication. This implies that identification precedes authentication. It is something that users in the principle of authorization which describes or in other words, defines the set of actions that are permissible when it comes to a particular set of identity. As such, these three properly combine hence offering the level of protection required. In the current world, where information has emerged as a significant basis for decision-making, keeping customer data, for instance, for repeat visits is inevitable. However, the burden that companies have is to ensure that there are measures in place focused on ensuring that the system is secure from being subjected to unauthorized access.

Necessary Components within an Organization’s Access Control Metric

It is essential to note that the access control metric comprises of three key components, and they include identification, authentication as well as authorization. As far as this is concerned, it becomes of great significance to remember that before an individual is permitted to access the system, they are needed to log in using login credentials such as usernames and passwords. Once these individuals are in the position to log in, they are declared authentic to access or, in other words, explore the information kept in the system (Hu, & Kent, 2012). In this case, the user is perceived to have the authority to carry out the permissible actions but is denied rights to perform additional actions in the systems. Therefore, the three components happen to be what determines how the systems within a company are to be governed.

Conclusion

As seen in this paper, operational security refers to a risk management process that, to a great extent, encourages business leaders to view operations from the perspective of an adversary with the sole intention to protect sensitive information from falling into the hands of the wrong people. Presently, data security issues have become so prevalent hence forcing organizations to consider ways to acquire and protect critical data. It is to say that the success of a company depends on how various security issues are identified and addressed. Therefore, working on all the approaches discussed in this paper is something that cannot be taken lightly.