Protecting organizational assets and information within the …
Protecting organizational assets and information within the company has become a top priority for many organizational leaders. Review the article titled “Missed Alarms and 40 Million Stolen Credit Card Numbers: How Target Blew It”, . Write a four (4) page paper in which you:
Answer
The protection of organizational assets and information has become increasingly important in today’s digital age. With the rise in cybercrime and data breaches, organizational leaders must prioritize the security of their company’s valuable information. One notable example of a high-profile breach is the case of Target Corporation, as discussed in the article titled “Missed Alarms and 40 Million Stolen Credit Card Numbers: How Target Blew It”. This article sheds light on the events that led to the breach and highlights the mistakes made by Target that allowed hackers to access sensitive customer data.
Target Corporation, one of the largest retail chains in the United States, suffered a significant data breach in 2013. The breach resulted in the theft of over 40 million credit card numbers and the personal information of approximately 70 million customers. The article identifies several factors that contributed to this breach, including a failure to respond appropriately to security warnings, ineffective communication between departments, and a lack of proper security measures.
One of the main points raised in the article is the failure to respond to security warnings. It is revealed that Target’s security system flagged suspicious activities on its networks several times in the months leading up to the breach. However, these warnings were not taken seriously, and appropriate action was not taken. This highlights a crucial oversight on the part of Target’s leadership and security team, as they failed to recognize the significance of these warnings and implement measures to mitigate the risk.
In addition to the failure to respond to warnings, communication breakdowns within the organization also contributed to the breach. The article explains that different departments within Target had access to various pieces of information related to the breach, but there was a lack of coordination and collaboration among these departments. This resulted in crucial information not being shared across the organization, and as a result, the breach was not prevented in a timely manner. This emphasizes the importance of effective communication and collaboration between different parts of an organization to ensure the protection of sensitive information.
Furthermore, the article highlights the lack of proper security measures in place at Target. For example, it is stated that the company failed to implement a system that would have segmented their networks, isolating sensitive information in different compartments. This lack of segmentation allowed the hackers to penetrate the network and access a vast amount of customer data. This reveals a fundamental flaw in Target’s security infrastructure, as they failed to implement basic security measures that could have prevented or mitigated the impact of the breach.
Overall, the article describes how Target Corporation failed to protect its organizational assets and information, leading to a significant data breach. The case of Target serves as an important reminder for organizational leaders to prioritize the security of their company’s data and implement effective security measures. It also reinforces the importance of responding promptly to security warnings, fostering communication and collaboration within the organization, and implementing robust security systems.