Taylor Ambulance Service provides ambulance and emergency transport services for the City of Kelsey. A number of devices are used in the provision of services. The network is exposed to threats from several potential sources. The most important type of threats are those that can render the system inoperable and unable to function. Due to the nature of their business, this type of threat could place citizens and workers in harm’s way. The second threat of concern is that which could compromise personal information such as credit card numbers, health information, or other personal information. The following will analysis the internal and external threats to network security for the company and will offer suggestions for managing these threats.
Internal Threats
The company uses pcs, laptop, and mobile devices to access the Internet. This places them at risk for data loss, or potential malicious attacks arising from the Internet. These risks pose the potential for theft of client information, financial records, or the introduction of malware that could compromise the system. The first type of threat is the direct theft of information from an authorized user who has the passwords and knowledge necessary (Anderson, 2013). The best protection from this type of threat is human resources screening and background checks for new employees.
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Most the time internal threats to the network stem from innocent mistakes or complacency on the part of employees. This can include sharing passwords, or leaving the screen open allowing anyone who walks by to see it. The best defense against this type of threat is to educate employees about safe practices and to have policies in place regarding safe computer procedures (Anderson, 2013). Many times employees will access the network using their own personal devices, which might not have sufficient protection from attacks. They can unintentionally introduce malware to the system from their own infected device (Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, 2014). The best protection from Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) plans is to either not allow it, or have policies in place to requires certain requirements and security features for the devices.
External Threats
External threats include attacks that come from an outside source. These can come through someone accessing the internet of email via any device. It is suggested that the network has a firewall and software to help protect against this type of threat. Another external threat stems from mobile device use and the potential for sniffing (Howe, 2015). The best defense against this type of attack is to use the latest version of encryption and software that can detect sniffing (Howe, 2015). Only private, secure Wi-Fi should be used.
Summary
The Taylor Ambulance Company faces a number of internal and external threats to the security of their network. The worst potential consequence is loss of service, which could pose a significant public risk. The second worst consequence category is the potential loss of private data. Taylor Ambulance must provide adequate and appropriate types of protection at all of their vulnerability points, particularly when it involves portable or mobile devices. A good firewall is necessary, but this is no longer adequate in today’s mobile world. This plan provides for protection at all of the most vulnerable points in the system and offers adequate overall protection from threats to the network. Educating personnel on methods to keep the network safe are also an important part of the network security protocols. The best network security is a combination of the right hardware, software, and employees that are conscious of the threats of portable devices to the network.
- Anderson, R. (2013, February 14). Is Your Biggest Network Security Threat “Who’s Getting In” or “What’s Getting Out”? Windstream. Retrieved from http://www.windstreambusiness.com/blog/2013/02/internal-network-security-threats
- Howe, J. (2015, December 22). An (Updated) Hacker’s Toolkit. Private Wifi. Retrieved from http://blog.privatewifi.com/a-hacker%E2%80%99s-toolkit/
- Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. (2014). Fact Sheet 49: Bring Your Own Device…at Your Own Risk.
