Post 22, CIS 608

Time to finish up your blog. This last assignment should be a retrospective look at your postings over the last 11 weeks. Time for a little analysis. Write up an entry that provides a summary of what you chose to write about.

First, you need to categorize your topics of choice. Did you write primarily on operating system issues? User errors? Viruses? Or did you write about a variety of topics? Why did you choose those topics?

Next, you need to include an analysis of where you got your material. Did you use the same source each week? A variety each week?

As the last part of this entry, include whether or not you thought this type of blog might be useful to an information security professional and provide a few lessons learned for the next group of students.

Part 1: First, you need to categorize your topics of choice. Did you write primarily on operating system issues? User errors? Viruses? Or did you write about a variety of topics? Why did you choose those topics?

Answer: The following gives the summary of topics that I wrote during this semester. I wrote on varies types of topics including viruses, cloud risks, PII, policies, information management etc. Also, I tried to write on different topics each week just to cover and learn different aspect of current cyber trends and crimes.

Cloud computing, risks and possible crimes – 2

Cyber Security education, its importance and policies – 1

Cyber-attacks in US government agencies – 4

Cyber-attacks in private companies and US banks – 2

International unity against cyber-crimes – 2

Different types of viruses attacks – 5

Information management, PII, privacy act – 2

Chinese and Iran’s government sponsored cyber crimes – 2

New technology against cyber-crimes – 1

Part 2: Next, you need to include an analysis of where you got your material. Did you use the same source each week? A variety each week?

Answer: Each week I tried to write in two different topics that matches with each week chapter’s content. So I ended up writing in 22 topics, but some of the topics are similar like different types of viruses. My major source was Google. Also, I have listed the source on each post each week. The following summary gives an idea where I got the information from.

Different web URLs – 14

Text book – 3

CompTIA Security + study guide – 1

Magazines – 4

News and blogs – 2

Part 3: As the last part of this entry, include whether or not you thought this type of blog might be useful to an information security professional and provide a few lessons learned for the next group of students.

Answer: As a cyber-security professional, first of all, I learnt how to write a blog since I had never written a blog before. It gave me an idea how to write an effective blog. I wrote primarily about news, magazines and article. I should have wrote more on investigation types of topic instead of just about news and articles. But I learnt a lesson and this blog writing made to read cyber news every day. As a security professional, we all should know what is currently trending on cyber world. I think writing blogs is like you are teaching yourself plus you are also sharing information with others, so it was very well worth of writing blogs.

Post 21, CIS 608

USIS failed to notice months-long hacking of its computer systems:

U.S. Investigations Services (USIS) was hacked for months, but this government agency failed to notice that their computer systems were hacked for months. This hacking compromised the records of at least 25000 DHS employees according to Homeland Security News Wire.  This was a similar type of attack by Chinese government hackers on U.S. firms. The head of SANS Alan Paller said, “The information gathered in the security clearance process is a treasure chest for cyber hackers. If the contractors and the agencies that hire them can’t safeguard their material, the whole system becomes unreliable.”  I think this applies to all types of organization, because information security is everyone’s responsibility. On the other side, employees are the biggest risk of data breach. The principle of least privilege is the most important principle in order to effectively secure information.  This week’s class discussion was a least privilege and its benefits and it applies exactly on this news. If an employee has more access than he/she needs to perform the duties, data breach might occur. Here is the link of this news. Thanks.

Source: http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20141105-security-contractor-usis-failed-to-notice-monthslong-hacking-of-its-computer-systems