Cyber Security Assessment 2022

Running head: CYBER SECURITY ASSESSMENT
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Cyber Security Assessment
Student Name
Institution Affiliation

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Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Summary of the Situation in Peanut Processing Services............................................................................3
Cyber Security Issues and the Proposed Solution........................................................................................4
Data Backup............................................................................................................................................5
Security Software....................................................................................................................................6
Training...................................................................................................................................................7
Encryption...............................................................................................................................................8
Policy.......................................................................................................................................................9
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................10
References.................................................................................................................................................11

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Cyber Security Assessment
Introduction
Technology advances very fast in the contemporary world, making it almost impossible for
business enterprises to keep up with the current trend. The advancement has a significant impact
on nearly every aspect of human life. However, cyber security has become a challenge for
individuals and business organizations. Cyber attacks make individuals or business organizations
to lose a lot of money and confidential information. Cyber security involves protecting programs,
networks, and programs from digital attacks (Abomhara, 2015). This report will analyze the
cyber security issue in Peanut Processing Services (PPS) and propose solutions to remedy the
situation in the organizations. Cyber security is a current trend in business to ensure the efficient
and effective operation of business organizations.
Summary of the Situation in Peanut Processing Services
Table 1: Issues in Peanut Processing Services
Issue Reason
1 Security software No anti-virus software. The system is
vulnerable to malware
2 Backup Loss of information in the event of failure
or system attack
3 Ransomware The company paid ransom. Loss of
revenue and funds
4 No cyber security policy
–email
Cyber attack due to compromised email
5 No policy- access control Employee accessed data on another
employee’s laptop. Losing confidentiality.
6 No Policy- passwords Lack of confidentiality
7 Training- untrained staff The staff don’t think there is a cyber
security problem.
8 Training -Responsibility An employee lost a laptop while another
inserted an unknown device it into the
laptop
9 SOE-Laptop taken home Work and personal files are mixed
together raising confidentiality issues.
10 Ransomware- infection No encryption of data. Confidentiality
and security may be breached.

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According to the case study provided, Peanut Processing Service is a data collection and
processing organization located in Subiaco and doing most of its operation digitally and online.
The organization has faced several information and cybersecurity concerns, including the
crashing of drive, losing a laptop, and a ransomware attack, which has caused the organization to
lose crucial data and a considerable amount of money. Also, there is an incidence where an
employee was accessing information from a colleague without authorization. For an organization
dealing with data collection and processing, information security should be a priority to protect
the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the customers' data. Beyond the default
Windows 10 security software, the laptops used in the company do not have any additional
security software, nor does the organization have cybersecurity policies in operation. Based on
the cybersecurity assessment, there are several mechanisms and strategies that the organization
can implement to ensure that the data and information are well protected to ensure excellent
customer service. Any business organization out here strives to provide excellent customer
services to survive and develop in a competitive business environment.
Cyber Security Issues and the Proposed Solution
From the analysis of the situation, the organization must address cybersecurity issues. The
organization has been faced with enough incidents that have breached information security in the
organization. The fact that the top management has acknowledged the need for cybersecurity is
just the starting point. The management has to be change agents and implement change to all the
12 employees who think that the organization is operating just well. Failure to strengthen the
information and cybersecurity may result in huge losses that could bring the organization on its
knees. Based on the analysis of the situation, several cybersecurity issues should be addressed in
Peanut Processing Services such as backup, encryption, training, Policy, and security software.

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Data Backup
In all the information security breach incidents that occurred, the organization lost data and
information. For instance, when the employee computer driver crushed, the data lost led to the
organization to lose an important client. Technology is human-made, even though it is tested and
robust; it is not immune to failure. Therefore, data backup is one of the cybersecurity strategies
that should be given a priority in the organization.
With a backup, the organization will not lose information due to cybersecurity attacks. Backup
systems would allow the organization to recover data in the event only in the event of a system
failure or ransomware attack but also during a power surge and human errors. Sometimes an
employee may accidentally erase crucial data, but if there is data backup, the organization will be
able to retrieve the data.
Proposed solution
There are several alternative data backup policies and equipment that the organization can select
based on their needs and budget allocations. We would suggest the highly rated Synology
DiskStation Nas backup system to be implemented in the organization. This network connected
storage solution, and it is suitable for small and medium-sized organizations thus will work well
with Peanut Processing Services. Among its significant benefits is that its user interface is easy
to navigate. The memory can is also scalable hence allowing the organization to develop.
Furthermore, the system is fast, and setting up the system is relatively simple (Asshiddiq, Manga,
and Fattah, 2018). These benefits, among many more, make the Synology DiskStation Nas the
recommended backup system for the organization.
Cost

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The cost of the proposed Synology DS418J NAS equipment and software is $435.Also, the
implementation of the data backup system will require time to configure the system into the
company. The application of the policy in the organization will come at the cost of roughly $300.
Therefore the total cost for the backup equipment and policy will be $735. This is within the
proposed budget limits of the organization; hence, it is an economical approach.
Alternative
Other alternative network connected storages can be used, such as QNap TS‐412 NAS. However,
this system is slow and costly compared to the proposed system. The system will not offer the
organization complete reliability and data security due to vulnerabilities associated with it.
Security Software
Apart from the Windows 10 default security software, laptops used by the employees are not
equipped with any additional software. This is a risky way of operation, considering that the
laptops are prone to digital attacks. This would prevent the incident of ransom ware and the
computer appearing to have "a mind of its own" from recurring in the organization. Security
software is used to detect, identify, and remove all types of malware. There are several security
software available that the organization can adapt.
Proposed Solution
Based on the organization's needs, we recommend Kaspersky Total Security. The Kaspersky
Total Security software will be installed on all the laptops in the organization so that the data will
be backed up and received through a firewall. Kaspersky Total Security has several benefits,
including its easy usage by the employees, and the software has a low impact on the performance
of the laptops. Additionally, it offers VPN protection, firewall, anti-spam, backup, and

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encryption (Officeworks, 2018). The Kaspersky Total Security is also widely used and
recommended for business organizations.
Cost
The Kaspersky Total Security provides packages for several users and will suit the organization.
The ten devices + server + room for expansion package come at the cost of around $177
annually. The software will have to be configured on all the computers at Peanut Processing
Services by an administrator and also offer necessary skills on the employees on how to use the
software. The process to configure the laptops for backup through the firewall will take around
three days at the cost of about $900. The total installation costs will be around $1077.
Alternative
There is alternative security software in the market. For instance, the Bitdefender would easily be
considered a natural replacement for the Kaspersky Total Security. However, the Bitdefender
comes with fewer features, and it is more expensive. Also, it is associated with affecting the
performance of the laptops.
Training
The employees of Peanut Processing Services are not aware of the cyber security threat facing
the organization and think the organization is operating well. All the employees should be
trained on the cyber security issues associated with data collection and processing. The
employees need to understand the implication of cyber attacks in a business. The cyber attacks
make an organization lose vast amounts of money through ransom ware. According to Wadan
(2017), cyber-attacks cost companies averagely $15.4 million, and 86% of people will not do
business with an organization that has been subjected to a cyber security breach. If the
employees are not trained in cyber security, they will not understand the cyber security concepts.

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Consequently, they won't understand the importance of cyber security to the business
organization.
Proposed Solution
We recommend that the employees in the organization should undergo training that covers
various cyber security topics such as hacking, physical security, web security, social media,
ransom ware, mobile devices, and email phishing. They can contact a private tutor to do a 2-day
training course on the employees to ensure that they understand how the mentioned topics pose a
security threat to the organization. This training may cost the organization roughly $2500, but it
worth the sacrifice considering the cost implications of cyber attacks. Cyber attacks destroy the
customer trust in the organization hence losing customers. Cyber-attacks may also interfere with
the availability of certain information to customers, therefore, leading to poor customer services.
Alternative
Opting for a free online course on cyber security is an alternative that the organization can settle
on. However, online courses do not offer extensive coverage of the topics, and it will not enable
the organization to assess the employees. The online courses also do not offer human
interaction, which is vital in changing the employees' perception of cyber security. Therefore,
hiring an experienced tutor to train the employees for two days is considered the best option.
Encryption
Data encryption is a security mechanism that ensures that the target audience can only
understand information. Data encryption involves encoding information, and it can be decrypted
only with the encryption key possessed by the target recipient. Encrypted data is unreadable to
any authorized person. In case an attacker gets access to the information on an employee's
laptop, encryption will ensure they cannot understand the data (Gupta, Agrawal, and Yamaguchi,

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2016). Also, online attackers intercepting the information would not understand the encrypted
CAN information.
Proposed Solution
Cryptography offers data encryption. There are several encryption tools in the market (Maron,
2016). The VeraCrypt is a popular encryption tool that can be adapted by the organization. Apart
from VeraCrypt being famous, it is open-source and free. The application ensures that the
information in the employees' laptops is encrypted automatically when sent online or when
accessed by unauthorized individuals (Spero, Stojmenović, and Biddle, 2019). The VeraCrypt is
also user friendly hence making it can be incorporated easily into the organization..
Cost
The VeraCrypt software is free, but it has t be configured in the systems used in the organization.
Through the help of an IT administrator, the configuration of the system will take about two
days. This will cost the organization about $600, which is within the provided budget.
Alternative
The AxCrypt is an alternative encryption software that could be used in the organization.
However, unlike the VeraCrypt, the later is not free. AxCrypt software is purchased at roughly
$120 for an annual subscription. Also, AxCrypt is less user friendly compared to the
recommended VeraCrypt
Policy
Policy and strategies are essential in regulating the activities of employees within an
organization. A policy should be formulated and implemented to outline the rules and regulations

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in the organizations, as well as the organizational values and beliefs (Safa, Von Solms, and
Furnell, 2016). The policy should provide a conducive environment that will enable Peanut
Processing Services to achieve its goals and objectives.
Proposed Solution
We recommend a policy that will provide access control and responsibility of the employees in
data handling. The organization should create a unique email domain to be used by all the
employees to regulate the information flow. This will make it easy to detect email phishing
attacks on the employees. Also, the policy should ensure that the employees use complex
combinations as passwords to prevent other employees from accessing confidential information.
Access control ensures that the data is protected from unauthorized people both digitally and
physically.
Cost
It is hard to quantify the cost that would be involved in formulating and implementing the policy.
The management should develop the system with the help of IT experts. For the successful
implementation of the plan, the administration should implement the change management
strategies well.
Conclusion
Cyber security is a priority concern to the Peanut Processing Services. To eliminate or reduce the
cyber security threat, the solutions recommended above would be of significance. A single
solution can not completely eliminate the cyber security threat since the problem is multifaceted.
Therefore, it is essential to incorporate more than one solution based on budget allocation and
priority. However, data backup seems to top the priority list according to our analysis. Cyber

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security is a challenge in the organization, and solving it would improve the customer service
offered by the organization.

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References
Abomhara, M. (2015). Cyber security and the internet of things: vulnerabilities, threats, intruders
and attacks. Journal of Cyber Security and Mobility, 4(1), 65-88.
Asshiddiq, M. J., Manga, A. R., & Fattah, F. (2018, December). Network Attached Storage
(NAS) Menggunakan Desktop PC. In Prosiding SAKTI (Seminar Ilmu Komputer dan
Teknologi Informasi) (Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 121-123).
Gupta, B., Agrawal, D. P., & Yamaguchi, S. (Eds.). (2016). Handbook of research on modern
cryptographic solutions for computer and cyber security. IGI global.
Maron, G. (2016). U.S. Patent No. 9,330,245. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office.
Officeworks. (2018). Kaspersky Total Security.
Retrieved from https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/b/Kaspersky‐Total‐Security
Safa, N. S., Von Solms, R., & Furnell, S. (2016). Information security policy compliance model
in organizations. computers & security, 56, 70-82.
Spero, E., Stojmenović, M., & Biddle, R. (2019, July). Helping Users Secure Their Data by
Supporting Mental Models of VeraCrypt. In International Conference on Human-
Computer Interaction (pp. 211-218). Springer, Cham.
Wadan, M. (2017). Why Train Employees in Cyber Security?
Retrieved from http://blog.cybertraining365.com/2017/08/15/train‐employees‐cyber‐security/