INFORMATION ASSURANCECHEYENNA DUGGAN

IT 505, SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE UNIVERSITY

READY TO FIND OUT IF INFORMATION

ASSURANCE IS FOR YOU!?

1) I do not need to keep my financial data private and I am OK with allowing access to my credit card information to strangers and thievesa) Yep, I am that givingb) Of course not!

2) I like for anyone to have access to personal files and information on my home computer, tablet, or mobile devicea) Sure! Just let me know if you

are coming to the party so I get enough hor-dourves

b) Um, no what happens in Vegas needs to stay in Vegas

3) I think it is great if the whole world can view any information that is confidential and use it against a company or organizationa) Yes?b) No, in an ideal world we would

not have to worry about this but no, not today

4) I am fine with everyone knowing everything about me, medical and physical.a) Might as wellb) No way! Nobody has a right to

know private information about my wellbeing that I do not want to disclose.

READY TO FIND OUT IF INFORMATION ASSURANCE IS

FOR YOU!?

RESULTS

If you answered B, No to one or more questions then CONGRATULATIONS, Information Assurance is most definitely for you!!

If you answered A, Yes to one or more questions…probably time to think about changing majors

INFORMATION ASSURANCETHE WHAT, WHEN, WHY

WHAT -- Simply stated, Information Assurance refers to the measures put in place to protect data that might otherwise be vulnerable to theft and misuse.

Cory Janssen of Techopedia (n.d.) describes five main areas that information assurance covers:

• Integrity

• Availability

• Authentication

• Confidentiality

• Nonrepudiaiton

Basically, Information Assurance protects information by keeping the right people in, the wrong people out, and by making sure measures are in place should a breach occur.

INFORMATION ASSURANCETHE WHAT, WHEN, WHYWHEN—

Anytime a connection is being made to a server, the internet, any kind of computer communication that involves sending and receiving data!

Security breaches can happen on a large scale like those of the recent Target and Home Depot credit card breaches, or they can be target to a small network, like the LAN set up in a private home. Data is vulnerable anytime countermeasures and security frameworks are not in place, even something as simple as an effective password can affect Information Assurance.

INFORMATION ASSURANCETHE WHAT, WHEN, WHY

WHY—The Risks involved

• Without Information Assurance, anyone’s personal and financial data is up for grabs

• A number of security breaches from major corporations have occurred recently making credit card information vulnerable in major corporations causing distress and economic repercussions

• Potential global ramifications could occur if confidential data falls into the wrong hands.

EXAMPLES OF INFORMATION ASSURANCE COUNTERMEASURES

PERSONAL AND PRIVATE ACCESS

• Keep passwords varied, complicated, and private

• Ensure home networks are properly secured and do not allow for easy outside access

• Do not access very private information on a public network

• Keep up to date on latest and most important security countermeasures

• Install Internet Security software on all devices and keep it updated

• Allow Security software so scan often for cookies, viruses, and other malware

• Never open an email if it looks suspicious. Definitely do not click a link within one. Report it as SPAM.

CORPORATIONS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND PUBLIC ACCESS

• Have a security framework in place and train each employee on how to effectively implement their portion of the framework

• Have a back up plan in place should a breach occur

• Budget an appropriate amount of money to securing the company’s network and financial software

• Hire individuals skilled in creating a security framework and implementing it

• Other security countermeasures include requiring complicated passwords for access, consistently checking the identity of users, and not skipping any security steps!

REFERENCES

Slide 4:

Janssen, Cory. (n.d.) Information Assurance (IA). Retrieved from http://www.techopedia.com/definition/5/information-assurance-ia. 18 October 2014.

Slide 6:

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