Information Security Overview Essay Example for Free

Information Security Overview Essay In this paper I will be discussing some of the benefits of having frameworks for information security management. What each of the frameworks of information security are, their pros and their cons. Which major perspectives to consider in information security management and framework choice. What organizational factors should be considered in framework choice? I will also attempt to come up with a better framework for information security. Some of the benefits of having frameworks for information security management are, that they serve as a common ground for integrating all types of information security functions. It also helps answer question of how to react to information security issues. As well as, helping identify what the important components involved in establishing and maintaining information security initiatives. Since our information faces more potential security breaches than ever before (Ma, Schmidt, Pearson, 2009 p. 58). The information security frameworks are the following: -Governance frameworks -Security frameworks -Risk management and risk assessment frameworks -Audit and assurance frameworks -Legal and regulatory frameworks The governance framework is very important because it gives us a road map for the application, evaluation and improvement of information security practices (Information Security Governance: Toward a Framework for Action). This frame work includes legislation, regulations, corporate structure, corporate culture and the importance of information security to the organization. It also acts as a mechanism to deliver value, mange performance and also mitigates risk. Another important fact about this  framework is that it gives us a way to assign accountability for each decision and performance. It ensures that policies, procedures, management and other related management techniques are all working hand in hand to achieve the organization’s goals. There aren’t many documents that define the roles, tasks and responsibilities of different senior members of an organization, just like in any other successful practice the need of support from senior management is needed. FISMA clarifies how that support has to be given. Some of the pros that governance frameworks bring to the table are as follows: It helps technology with business goals, it provided a framework for measuring and managing IS performance. It also facilitates compliance with external legislation and regulations. And last but not least, it helps ensure valuable technology solutions are delivered on time and on budget. Security standard framework consists of various guidelines, standards and regulations FISMA, NIST 800-39, HIPAA stand out to me. Each of these cover a wide range of needs that need to be followed in order to achieve a successful security framework. While FISMA is a more broad regulation that covers many government related issues, it still provides a good understanding of the division of responsibilities. NIST 800-39 delves into different risk management issues, which will be highlighted as I continue this research. Information security planning or strategy should be aligned with business objectives (Peltier, 2003 p.22) According to NIST 800-39 Risk management is a comprehensive process that requires organizations to: frame risk i.e. establish the context for risk-based decisions, assess risk and responds to risk once determined, and to monitor risk on an ongoing basis. This frame work is a fundamental requirement in which senior leaders and executives need to be committed to. There are many organizational risks, some of these are: i.e. program management risk, investment risks, legal liability risk and security. Information systems is also critical to the success of organizations achieving their objectives and strategic goals (NIST 800-39 p. 2). Some of the pros for Risk Management frame works are a) reducing the risk to an acceptable level if the risk cannot be eliminated, with which the organization it is still able to function safely. b) Risk can be transferred by using insurance policies by insuring that the company’s assets are protected for theft or destruction. Audit and assurance frameworks includes assessing and comparing what is actually happening in an  organization against what is actually supposed to be happening. Auditors can also be called to assess compliance with corporate security policies, standards, procedures and guidelines. Some times as contractual commitments, either as a specific audit or solely in the course of routine audit assignment. Legal and regulatory frameworks, ensure that organizations are abiding by the requirements given by the different regulations like, FISMA, HIPPA and others. Failure to comply with the standards listed on these and other regulations can affect organizations in various ways; ranging from fines to jail time depending of the severity of the violation and the state where the violation is being committed. The some of the pros to this framework are that organizations will be more apt to follow what is required of them all the while protecting not only the customers’ sensitive informations but also the employee’s vital information. Some of the cons to these frameworks â€Å"A secure system is one that does what it’s supposed to† (Eugene Spafford). There is no way to ensure that all systems have the same state of security. Because not all systems do the same things. Therefore each individual organization or user must choose what type of security is important. In some cases security clashes with itself. Controls that might enhance confidentiality doesn’t necessarily support integrity. With all the time it takes to control integrity and confidentiality and how complex they each are, the availability is impacted. It does not come as a surprise that it is impossible to create a universal checklist of the items once implemented, will guarantee security. Security risks aren’t necessarily measurable, since the frequencies and impacts of future incidents are dependent on many different things that tend to be out of our control. If we don’t know what skills whoever is attempting to intrude or hack our systems is working with, it would be difficult to fight it, let alone predict it. Opposite to what some might believe, according to BOA’s Smith, â€Å"senior management is not the biggest hindrance to better security. Rather, th e middle management might represent one of the largest challenges because they impact the organization daily.† Many organizations find it difficult to stay in compliance with different government laws and regulations like Sarbanes-Oxley Act and HIPAA in addition to Payment card industry Data security Standards. It does not help the fact that there is a scarcity in security professionals who have the technical and engineering skills that  know how to explain the risks/rewards and the trade-off and can sell solutions within the organization. When choosing a framework in information security management we have to keep in mind different factors in order to have a successful framework. Some of these factors are, the goals of the organization; we have to establish the information security objectives, these should be strategic, organizational focus and made by executive-level management, since they have a better grasp of the whole business goals and limitations. We also have to be aware of the fact that organizational goals, structure and information security management strategy has to change as different environmental factors like, technology business and legislation frequently evolve. Another important factor is the culture of the organization need to be the same for everyone involve, from the CISO to the administrative assistant. After all the extensive reading, my framework would have a continuous risk management and risk assessment frame work, security controls that align perfectly with the goals of the business and the culture of not only the organization but the entire workforce. I would achieve this by implementing quarterly training on the importance of ISM and how it affects everyone involved. I believe that everyone should be kept informed as to what our IS goals are by showing them how we have failed or succeeded. On the chance that we have failed we can have the employees propose how we can make it better. When we involve everyone affected they will take it more seriously. There are different types of frameworks that make up the information security management framework. Which address the needs for a functional ISM framework and details the obligations of those in an organization while providing the standards, guidelines, legislations and regulations the all have to abide by. And how the lack of a proper framework can affect those in the organization. Reference Ma, Q., Schmidt, M., Pearson, J. (2009). An integrated framework for information security managemtn. doi: Review of Business Dempsey, K., Chawla, N., Johnston, R., Jones, A., Orebaugh, A., Scholl, M., Stine, K., Johnson, A. U.S Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2001). Information security continuous monitoring for federal information systems and organizations (800-137). Gaithersburg, MD D. Smith (Jonson, M., Goetz, E. (2007). Embedding information security into the organization. 17.) Eugene Spafford. (I’m sorry, but I lost the article where I got his quote from)

The Styles In And Around Me :: Personal Narrative Golf Language Essays

The Styles In and Around Me My senior year in high school I was playing first man for the varsity golf. That honor was bestowed on me, because I was supposedly the best man on the team. Which just happened to be true. It was an honor that I truly enjoyed. But playing first man also had its drawbacks. The one that I will speak of here is the style of speaking that I had to use while playing in a tournament. It's the sixteenth hole of an eighteen hole tournament up in Roseau. There were two guys in my group that were ahead of me in score and I needed to get a stroke back really soon if I planned on earning a medal. I hit a good drive, right down the middle about two hundred seventy yards. With a hundred and fifty yards left to the pin, I grabbed an eight iron, because I knew that I could get it there. Something went wrong and the shot drifted to the right and missed the green. On any leisure round in the summer I would have screamed out obscenities until I was blue in the face. But that would cost me penalty stro kes, since it against the rule to swear in high school golf. Instead I softly let out an "Oh no, come back", but inside I was chomping at the bit to let out a cuss word. Golf talk, to me, is the lesser extreme of that style that I have inside of me. When I am playing hockey, a totally different style emotes from me. The style that I display in hockey is the exact opposite from the on that I use when playing golf. The on ice chatter that goes on between competitors is the reason for this. Hockey is not a gentlemen's game. So using a language that is meant to intimidate your opponent is very crucial. When I am skating down the ice next to some big lug I usually say some derogatory statement about his mother. Statements like these are meant rile the opponent, get him off his game. In the game of golf, I would never even think of using this type of tactic to beat an opponent. The different style of game also lends to a different style of language. In golf, if I leave a putt short, or something like that it usually gets a "darn" or "shoot.

Response to Intervention Essay

â€Å"Of all forms of mental activity, the most difficult to induce even in the minds of the young, who may be presumed not to have lost their flexibility, is the art of handling the same bundle of data as before, but placing them in a new system of relations with one another by giving them a different framework, all of which virtually means putting on a different kind of thinking-cap for the moment. It is easy to teach anybody a new fact†¦but it needs light from heaven above to enable a teacher to break the old framework in which the student is accustomed to seeing. † Arthur Koestler Twenty-first century educational institutions are on a research journey exploring continued models, theories, plans, strategies and so much more to bring resolve to the problems facing our schools. Many schools are facing the ills of low performance and a decline in meeting Adequate Yearly Progress. Plans and studies to improve schools academic performance are on the rise. School leadership and districts continue to explore and search for the perfect research based model that will pull them up and out of the pit of despair to a maximum and successful learning community where students master learning through engaged instructional practices. An alternative to classroom learning experiences evolving on the educational scene is Response to Intervention (RTI). Response to Intervention refers to the many ways created to assist teachers in implementing instruction through new and improved activities that will redirect low performance to successful outcomes. This program was birthed years ago out the policies established from No Child Left Behind. Response to Intervention (RTI) is a researched based model used by school systems all over the country to deter academic and behavioral failure in the educational system. Through the engagement of ‘scientifically based instructional practices’, students embrace the enhanced intervention strategies that allow them to explore educational skills with a confidence that bring successful outcomes. Response to Intervention was created to intercept the struggling performance of student at the risk of academic and/or behavioral failure. Through early detection of specific skills deficiencies, students are identified and immediate assessments are administered. Diagnosis of these deficient skills allows teachers to structure instruction to meet the specific needs of students. Strategic plans are developed to target skills deficiency and an alternative instructional plan is created. The purpose of Response to Intervention is early detection and identification of learning concerns of students and the development of an individualized plan that addresses the appropriate prescription for resolving the students’ academic or behavioral issue. In our twenty-first century learning communities, students are required to participate and are engaged in educational activities that may challenge their ability to grasp the concept in manners conducive to their learning styles. Schools are challenged to examine their methods of instruction to meet the needs of all children making them successful in all areas of academic content. A quality school is a place where students learn to think and apply knowledge to new situations, where students are involved in and excited about their learning, where students make individual gains in process and knowledge, where adults know they care about individual students, where students develop ‘I can’ attitudes and efficacy about learning, and where the type of learning that occurs prepares students for success after school (Gentry, 2006)† In our twenty-first century learning communities, administrative leadership promotes the success of its students by implementing research that is current and best practices. Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standard Two which states: A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth. (ISLLC 2008: 2). † The application of RTI, promotes an intervention plan focused objectives that are measureable and growth results that are observed through weekly progress monitoring. The RTI model is a valuable asset to the educational community due to the programs â€Å"not specifically a special education eligibility tool, rather it is a data-based decision-making system that can be used for all students within the school. † (Wedl, 2005) The application of the various methods of scientific discoveries that support solutions to many of the educational concerns experienced by our students is imperative to their success and confidence. The following is a plan of action based on the Response to Intervention Model that will promote academic success for students lacking proficiency in their educational experiences. Students will be engaged in daily and weekly activities that will enhance their differentiated instruction. This plan is based on the specific features of the Response to Intervention Model that are crucial to the process of instruction. †¢ Tier Model 1, Problem Solving – during the application of this portion of the Response to Intervention Model, all students are engaged in instruction. Many of the academic needs of the students are met in this level. Approximately one hour and thirty minutes of direct core instruction is implemented. Teachers are engaged in developing base line data from student’s response to instruction. The data from student responses should indicate which students are responding below expected levels of proficiency and those students needing enrichment. †¢ Tier Model 2, Problem Solving – during the application of this portion of the Response to Intervention Model, every student may need the interventions of this Tier. Again, one hour and thirty minutes of direct instruction from the core curriculum instruction. An additional twenty to thirty minutes of intense instruction for targeted skills in a small group within the classroom setting. Daily and weekly progress monitoring is necessary to ensure mastery. †¢ Tier Model 3, Problem Solving – during the application of this portion of the Response to Intervention Model, students that show lack of understanding of implemented instruction and are below the level of proficiency at the Tier 2 instructional interventions level, must continue prescribed interventions. At this level of intervention, again one hour and thirty minutes of direct core instruction, and possibly an additional fifty minutes of intense instruction on targeted skills. Homogenous grouping of students in small unit is desirable. Progress monitoring is required and all the while the teacher is data bank to determine continued instruction, needs assessments, updating base-line data, student mastery, and other evaluative factors. After implementing each Tier 1 three weeks of intense interventions should follow. A new Tier is implemented after completing monitoring activities and evaluating the compiled data. Key to the success of the Response to Intervention Model is the consistent progress monitoring of the students responses to the various daily interventions. Also, due to the constant monitoring, early interception of redirecting the students’ lack of understanding, promotes the regular classroom interventions and deters the need for special education. In many cases, statistics reveal that students experience success and mastery of skills through the varied steps of RTI. According to Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standard Two, administrative leaders are responsible for establishing an atmosphere and organizational culture conducive for successful academic experiences for every child. The educational performances of our students are founded on the instructional effectiveness of a curriculum structured to strategically provide mastery through systematic, rigorous, and objective teaching. Tracking student progress through informed data is imperative to a teacher’s next step in the model. Throughout the intervention students are provided high quality instruction. Response to Intervention provides a prescriptive plan of success through intense engaged learning. The problem solving techniques and data driven instructional strategies, will provide opportunities of success. With targeted small group skills instruction as necessary for the struggling child, the experience of maximum achievement is inevitable.

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