Information and Network Security Report: Applications and Expansion

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of information and network security, focusing on the latest developments and applications relevant to a software company based in Melbourne, Australia. It begins with an introduction to information and network security, defining key concepts and outlining common security risks such as information breaches, denial-of-service attacks, malware, and man-in-the-middle attacks. The report then delves into three specific applications: Comodo Advanced Endpoint, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, and VeraCrypt, detailing their features, advantages, and disadvantages. It further explores the company's expansion plan, emphasizing the importance of network security and the use of integrated security solutions. The report concludes with findings and recommendations to guide the company's growth, highlighting the need for a strategic approach to leverage these applications for enhanced security and customer satisfaction. References from credible sources such as Abomhara & Koien, Scaife, Lippmann & Riordan, Bajwa, Spruit & Wester, Strom, Comodo, Stephenson, Pcmag, Fearn, and Veracrypt support the analysis.

Information/Network Security
Report
9/6/2017

Information/Network Security
Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Information and Network Security..............................................................................................................3
Common Information and Network Security Risks.....................................................................................4
Latest Development in Information/Network Security................................................................................5
Information/Network Security Applications............................................................................................5
Comodo Advanced Endpoint...............................................................................................................5
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus..................................................................................................................6
VeraCrypt............................................................................................................................................7
Expansion Plan for the Organization...........................................................................................................8
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................9
Findings and Recommendations................................................................................................................10
References.................................................................................................................................................11
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Information/Network Security
Executive Summary
There are many developments that are being done in the areas of information and network
security. The company works in the development along with the customization of the
applications in the area of information security and network security. The clients of the company
are primarily based out of Australia and are the small and medium scale firms and business units.
The report carries out a research in the latest advancements in the field of information and
network security and lists out three applications available in the market along with their features,
advantage and disadvantages. The steps that may assist the organization in its expansion along
with the findings and recommendations have also been covered in the report.
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Information/Network Security
Introduction
The organization is a small software company that is based out of Melbourne, Australia and was
set up four years back. The business domain that the organization works in includes information
and network security. The company works in the development along with the customization of
the applications in the area of information security and network security. The clients of the
company are primarily based out of Australia and are the small and medium scale firms and
business units. The company carries out the in-house development of the applications and also
customizes the off-the-shelf applications and packages.
The organization is now expanding its business activities and operations and is set to target new
customers. It aims to provide online security services to its existing and new customers. The new
set of clients may include pharmaceutical organizations, online gambling organizations and
hospitality industry organizations.
There are a lot many developments that are being done in the field of network and information
security with each passing day. There are many applications that have been developed in these
areas to make sure that the associated risks and attacks are avoided. The report covers the details
of such applications along with their features, advantages and disadvantages. The organization is
looking to expand in the coming years and the utility of these applications in the expansion phase
has also been covered in the report (Abomhara & Koien, 2015).
The primary aim of the report is to cover the latest developments that have been done in the area
of information and network security. The report covers three of such applications along with
their details. The expansion plan in terms of these applications has also been covered. There are
recommendations and findings that have been included at the end to make sure that a complete
clarity is provided and the organization makes use of the best available options.
Information and Network Security
Information Security refers to the discipline that includes the measures that are taken by a user or
an organization to protect the information from the security risks and attacks. There are three
primary properties of the information that are required to be protected viz. confidentiality,
integrity and availability. There are numerous information security risks that have been created
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Information/Network Security
to cause damage to these properties of information. Information security provides the technical,
administrative and physical security measures to prevent and detect these attacks.
The networking infrastructure that is being used in the applications, systems and organizations of
the present times are exposed to a number of security threats and risks. Network Security is the
domain that provides the physical and logical measures that may be taken to avoid such issues.
There are also administrative checks and controls that are applied to ensure that the network
security risks are avoided.
Common Information and Network Security Risks
There are various information and network security attacks that are being executed by the
attackers. The information and network security applications that the organization develops and
customizes must make sure that the following security issues are targeted.
 Information breaches and leakage take place very frequently and these are executed on
the information that is under transmission or is stored in the database.
 There are attacks on the information availability that are executed in the form of denial of
service and other flooding attacks.
 Many of the malware and malicious codes are launched, such as, viruses, ransomware,
worms and likewise that also possess a great threat to information (Scaife, 2016).
 Man in the middle attack is a popular network security attacks wherein the attacker sits
between the source and the destination and monitors the network activity in an
unauthorized manner (Lippmann & Riordan, 2016).
 There are also spoofing and phishing attacks that are executed taking the network access
points as the primary agents of threat.
 Hacking of Application Programming Interface (APIs) is a common network security
attack that has been witnessed (Bajwa, 2014).
 Message and media alteration attacks violate the integrity of the information (Spruit &
Wester, 2013)
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Information/Network Security
Latest Development in Information/Network Security
There are countermeasures that are being developed for every new security risk and attack. There
are developments that are being done in the areas of information security as well as network
security to deal with the security issues.
Some of the popular areas of research and development include Cryptography, malware
protection, intrusion detection and prevention, network monitoring and database security.
There are several applications that have been developed and are present in the market for dealing
with information and network security attacks.
Information/Network Security Applications
Comodo Advanced Endpoint
There are various security packages that are now available in the market that provide an
integrated security solution using latest measures and steps.
One such package is the Comodo Advanced Equipment that is a low-cost security solution which
will be apt for the organization as it is in its expansion phase (Strom, 2016).
The application has been designed using Default Deny Platform that allows the good/clean files
that are known and blocked the bad files that are known. The files that are not known are
executed using the patent -pending container. There are several features that are provided by this
application, such as, automatic prevention of the malware from taking entry into the network. It
also provides the protection from viruses and includes free/paid SSL certificates. Internet
security along with mobile device management is integrated in the application with additional
features such as firewall protection and many more.
Business Intelligence and Big Data tools are being used by the organizations in the current times
in terms of the latest elements of technology. Comodo Advanced Endpoint application also
makes use of these technologies for behavior analysis and recognizing the patterns that are used
for the execution of the attack. There are intrusion detection services that are included in the
application that also make use of analytical tools for understanding the patterns that are used by
the intruders to gain entry to the system.
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Information/Network Security
The organization will be able to use the features of the tool to develop an application as per the
specifications of the client or may also customize the same as per the customer expectations and
requirements.
The advantages of the application are as listed below:
 Integrated security solution that provides information security, network security as well
as database security.
 Patch management can be done with the aid of the application (Comodo, 2016).
 It is compatible with Windows, Mac OS, Android OS and other popular operating
systems.
 Remote management is made possible with this application.
 Use of business intelligence concepts and technologies
 It comes with powerful features and is low on cost.
There are certain drawbacks that are also associated with the application as:
 The deployment of the application can be challenging.
 The documentation that is provided along with the application is not detailed and there
are issues of clarity associated with the same (Stephenson, 2017).
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus
Malicious codes and programs that are commonly known as malware are the primary reason
forms of security attacks that adversely damage the information as well as network security.
There is a lot of work that is being done in the area of malware protection and there are many
applications that are also available in the market to offer the customers with the same. One such
application is the Bitdefender Antivirus Plus (Pcmag, 2016).
The application includes the following set of features and advantages:
 Phishing protection is provided in the application without any need to install the browser
plug-ins.
 The search results are marked for the user with categories such as safe or dangerous
elements.
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Information/Network Security
 There are numerous choices to scan the system or the part of a system such as quick scan,
full scan, network scan etc.
 Local wireless network can be checked in terms of the security status by using the option
of Wi-Fi Scanner.
 There is an in-built ransomware protection that comes along with the application that
provides the safety from any of the ransomware attacks.
 Financial transactions can be protected using the utility as Safepay.
 File Shredder is present in the application for the deletion of the unwanted and unsecured
files.
There are also a few drawbacks that are associated with the application.
 There is a security bug that has been witnessed in the password manager’s form-filling
ability.
 There may be add-ons that certain clients may demand which will involve additional
costs.
 The application is available on the subscription basis that is required to be renewed.
VeraCrypt
Encryption is one of the advanced and most useful mechanisms that can be used for the
information and network security.
There are tools that are available in the market that can be used for the advanced encryption of
the files and information. One such tool is VeraCrypt.
VeraCrypt is an application that is open source in nature and has been provided by IDRIX. It is a
disk encryption application that encrypts the files and makes sure that the risks such as data
thefts and leakages are avoided (Fearn, 2017).
The application comes with the following set of features and advantages:
 There are many cold boot attacks that are executed which make use of the encryption
keys that are stored in the memory. The application puts a stop on such attacks (PCMag,
2017).
 It provides security against the backdoor access.
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Information/Network Security
 It has the capability to create hidden operating systems.
 It can provide protection to the security tokens along with the smart cards.
 Data theft and data leaks can be prevented
There are also a few drawbacks that are associated with the application.
 An initial round of training is required to understand the features of the application.
 There may be operation errors that the user may perform on the application (Veracrypt,
2017).
Expansion Plan for the Organization
The research that has been done on the latest developments in the areas of information security
and network security have provided the results that the organization must make use of the
applications that are available in the market to strengthen its area of expertise.
The applications that have been discussed above will provide the organization with the ability to
understand the client expectations and demands from such a solution. The same can then be used
in the in-house development of the application to provide an enhanced version to the users to
make sure that the security of their systems and applications is maintained and ensured.
The customization of the off-the-shelf applications can also be done and it will require the
organization to undertake a deeper analysis of the client requirements and expectations.
The organization will be required to carry out a planned approach for a successful expansion.
There are the following key terms and features that shall be included in the process.
 Network security is one of the major research areas and the client would require that the
networks are protected from all forms of security risks and attacks. This will be possible
with the use of an integrated network package that would carry out network scans and
monitoring, intrusion detection and prevention, maintenance of network logs and network
audits and reviews (Bendovschi, 2015).
 Cryptography is one of the areas that is being researched widely and will be one of the
major components that the organization shall focus upon. It would allow the organization
to attract new customers as the customers in the current era are looking for advanced
cryptography and encryption tools.
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Information/Network Security
 It will be required for the organization to market itself correctly. It shall make use of
social media and other marketing mediums to inform the users of the security solutions
that it will be providing which will lead to the expansion of the customer base.
Expansion of the organization must also include the setting up of a research team that shall carry
out research and analysis activities to keep a track of the latest developments being done in the
areas of information and network security. In such a manner, the organization will be able to
reach out to the targeted customers.
Conclusion
Information security and network security are the primary areas of research in the current time.
The organization also deals in the same and there are efforts that are being done to make sure
that the expansion of the organization is done to reach out to maximum number of clients (Allen,
2012).
There are various developments and applications that have been discussed in the report in these
areas. Comodo Advanced Endpoint is a security application that provides numerous features,
such as, automatic prevention of the malware from taking entry into the network. It also provides
the protection from viruses and includes free/paid SSL certificates. Internet security along with
mobile device management is integrated in the application with additional features such as
firewall protection and many more. The report also covers the malware tool as Bitdefender Plus
that provides advanced malware protection and services. VeraCrypt is an application that is open
source in nature and has been provided by IDRIX. It is a disk encryption application that
encrypts the files and makes sure that the risks such as data thefts and leakages are avoided.
These applications will allow the organization to understand the security requirements from such
a solution and will enable it to have an enhanced in-house application development. The
customization process will also be made easy with the aid of the same.
The objectives of the report were to cover the details of these applications and to provide the
organization with the guidelines to carry out successful expansion.
The same has been achieved in the report as the organization will now have clarity on the
applications that it may make use of. It will also provide them with the ability to understand the
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Information/Network Security
major research areas and the focus points as well. An overview of the expansion plan has also
been successfully covered.
Findings and Recommendations
The primary area of research for the organization shall include technologies such as business
intelligence and Big Data tools for the enhancement of network and information security. These
tools will allow the organization to develop the latest security measures to be offered to the
customers (Hagen, 2013). The next recommendation is the use of cryptographic solutions and
algorithms such as advanced encryption and hashing so that the security solutions that are
designed are as per the latest security requirements. Cryptography is being extensively
researched and the damage that is caused by many of the security risks can be prevented using
the same. Network security can be enhanced by making use of advanced intrusion detection and
prevention applications (Brecht, 2012).
The organization must focus upon the in-house development of the applications by gaining
knowledge on the latest security requirements and mechanisms. The customization can also be
done in certain cases wherein the requirements are clearly known and there is a work
environment that is provided by the client (Zanoon, Albdour, Hamatta & Al-Tarawneh, 2015).
There shall be efforts that must be done in the areas of the research and analysis to understand
the changing nature of security and the latest advancements that are being done.
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References
Abomhara, M., & Koien, G. (2015). Cyber Security and the Internet of Things: Vulnerabilities,
Threats, Intruders and Attacks. Retrieved 6 September 2017, from
https://www.riverpublishers.com/journal/journal_articles/RP_Journal_2245-1439_414.pdf
Allen, J. (2012). Deriving Software Security Measures from Information Security Standards of
Practice. Retrieved 6 September 2017, from
http://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/assets/whitepapers/derivingsecuritymeasures.pdf
Bajwa, M. (2014). Wireless Network Security Threats and Mitigation—A Survey. Retrieved 7
September 2017, from https://file.scirp.org/pdf/_2014091813425297.pdf
Bendovschi, A. (2015). Cyber-Attacks – Trends, Patterns and Security Countermeasures -
ScienceDirect. Sciencedirect.com. Retrieved 6 September 2017, from
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212567115010771
Brecht, M. (2012). A Closer Look at Information Security Costs Working Paper. Retrieved 6
September 2017, from
http://www.econinfosec.org/archive/weis2012/papers/Brecht_WEIS2012.pdf
Comodo. (2016). Comodo Launches Advanced Endpoint Protection Solution. comodo.com.
Retrieved 6 September 2017, from
https://www.comodo.com/news/press_releases/2016/02/comodo-launches-advanced-
endpoint-protection.html
Fearn, N. (2017). Top 5 best encryption tools of 2017. TechRadar. Retrieved 6 September 2017,
from http://www.techradar.com/news/top-5-best-encryption-tools
Hagen, J. (2013). Effectiveness of Organisational Information security measures. Retrieved 6
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hagen.pdf
Lippmann, R., & Riordan, J. (2016). Threat-Based Risk Assessment for Enterprise Networks.
Retrieved 7 September 2017, from
https://ll.mit.edu/publications/journal/pdf/vol22_no1/22_1_3_Lippmann.pdf
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Pcmag. (2016). Bitdefender Antivirus Plus. PCMag India. Retrieved 6 September 2017, from
http://in.pcmag.com/bitdefender-antivirus-plus-2015/52300/review/bitdefender-antivirus-
plus
PCMag. (2017). VeraCrypt. PCMag Business Software Index. Retrieved 6 September 2017, from
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that-take-endpoint-security-to-a-new-level.html
Veracrypt. (2017). VeraCrypt. CodePlex. Retrieved 6 September 2017, from
https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/
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