7CCSMSEM
Security Management
Tutorial Week 7
Recall GANT from a previous tutorial:
Group of Appreciation of the Natterjack Toad (GANT)
The Group of Appreciation of the Natterjack Toad (GANT) is a conservation group that is keen to promote and preserve the well-being of the Natterjack Toad. It is a UK-registered charity and has a significant number of members world-wide (100,000 members across 42 countries) who are all keen to promote the work of GANT. Unfortunately, it is an endangered species that is gradually being destroyed by the development of new areas. For example, it was locally extinct in some areas of Wales due to development work and it had to be re-introduced.
All information for the group can be accessed using a web-based application or by contacting the group¡¯s honorary secretary Dr Jane Peabody for the paper-based records. This information includes the group¡¯s member records, its activities, meeting places, natterjack toad habitats, confidential aspects about their work, etc.
Question 1. The officers of GANT have decided that they need to establish a better means of communicating among themselves and with the members of the society. Some members report that they have been targeted by persons sending them malware in emails or attempting to extract data about toad populations. The officers have no knowledge of this area of computing and need advice on how to protect their systems, at home and in the GANT office, against malware. The loss or unauthorised disclosure of sensitive membership or toad population data would be embarrassing and potentially harmful to human and amphibian alike.
What advice would you give to the society with regard to the countermeasures they need in order to provide an adequate level of protection from malware?
Question 2. In response to the above, some people at GANT do not really understand the need to apply patches to combat malware. Why is it important to download and apply a software patch as soon as possible? Please explain your answer and provide an example
Question 3. The chairman of GANT, Ms Rachel Jackson, is going to follow the advice about buying anti-malware security controls, but she is lost on which products to buy. Do you have any tips for Ms Jackson on how to pick a manufacturer¡¯s product?