STRATEGIC INFORMATION SECURITYABSTRACTThe security of the .docx

STRATEGIC INFORMATION SECURITY
ABSTRACT
The security of the information of any given organization is
crucial. However, the way an organization deals with the
processes of securing the information dictates how secured the
information will be. Apple is one of the best organizations in
terms of technology, and the paper will be looking at the current
situation as far as the aspect of security is concerned. The
planners and the implementers of the security strategies will be
focused on. The approaches to security implementation will also
be highlighted. The policies that are currently utilized will also
be looked into as well as the key ideas and suggetions will be
discussed to improve security.
INTRODUCTION
Apple Inc. is one of the most advanced companies in the world,
and the company has used its technology to make sure that the
security of its information is taken to a higher level. At Apple
Inc. not only the safety of the information of the company
matters but also the security of the information of the
customers. The reason behind it is associated with the products
that the company produces in the market. It is for this reason
that Apple Inc. has structures and policy that are aimed at
implementing some of the best information security strategies
with the primary objective of securing the information of the
customers and the organization as well. The company makes
sure that the information security is promoted by introducing
multiple layers of protection on its security systems. At the
same time, the company introduces multiple layers of protection
to its products such as iPhone. The security of the
organization's information is taken seriously at the company,
and that is one of the reasons why the senior management is
involved from the stage of drafting security policy to the stage

of implementing it. Apple Inc. has one of the best information
security systems in the world, and that has been promoted by
the seriousness that has been demonstrated by the management
to take the level of security to a higher and better level.
THE CURRENT STATE OF INFORMATION SECURITY AT
APPLE INC
The current state of Apple Inc. security system is promising and
at its best. Tim Cook stands as the CEO who has paid more
attention to Apple Information security while compared with the
CEOs who have served before him (Ifinedo 2014, P. 79). The
company has been able to attain its high-security level goal by
working together with Cisco. Through innovations that Apple
has invested heavily in and the contribution of Cisco, Apple has
been able to make sure that the level of its security is not
compromised. Apple from working together with a technology
company, there are also other ways which show that the current
state of information security at Apple is admirable. One of them
is the effective policy on access and distribution of information.
Apple has a policy that guides the employees on matters of
information access and distribution. It is imperative to note that
for an organization to promote the security of the information,
it must have a policy in place. Apple has identified the need for
a policy, and it is for this reason that it has a strong policy. The
policy has helped Apple to define roles, introduce rules of
engagements, create boundaries, and assign different
responsibilities (Ifinedo 2014, P. 69). The security of an
organization’s information cannot be promoted if every person
is allowed to access the system of the company. An organization
must come up with rules that state the people who should access
the information and to the extent that they should use the
information.
The policy at Apple has created ranks that have helped to
promote protocol thus helping the organization to identify the
origin of issues whenever they arise. The policy defines the
authority, and that helps the employees to know who to take

orders from as well as who to report to (Peltier 2016, p. 12). At
the same time, the policy draws a line that helps the employees
to know their limit when it comes to accessing information and
using it. Therefore, law and order are promoted at Apple, and
that affects the security of the company's information.
Apple Inc. is a company that has introduced the cloud
computing in its information systems with the aim of securing
its information. Cloud computing is a method that many
organizations are using to make sure that they protect their
information from being stolen. The method entails the aspect of
using multiple walls to protect the information and using a
mobile server (Peltier 2016, p. 11). The employment of multiple
walls in the information systems of Apple has made it hard for
the hackers to access the information. Multiple walls of
protection have helped the current state of Apple in different
ways. The first way is associated with the complexity of the
systems.
When information systems are protected using multiple layers
of protection, the hackers or rather the thieves of the
information are given a hard task. When an organization gives
the hackers a hard task to access its information, it discourages
the hackers from trying to steal its information. Apple has
applied the strategy, and it is working well in making sure that
the information about the company is not stolen. At the same
time, the multiple walls of the information systems create an
alert in the case of any attempt. When the company is alerted, it
is able to react before the hackers can reach the most crucial
layer of the walls (D'Arcy et al. 2014, p. 317). As a result, the
security of the company's information is promoted. In summary,
currently, when it comes to protecting the information of Apple
by using protection strategies, Apple has done well, and it has
emerged to be one of the best organizations globally that are
doing well to safeguard their information.

THE PLANNERS AND IMPLEMENTERS OF INFORMATION
SECURITY STRATEGIES AT APPLE
The CEO of Apple is the official at the highest level who are
involved in the process of planning and implementing
information security strategies. However, he assumes the roles
by being advised rather than being active in the process of
looking for the best strategies. At the same time, his input is
essential because his words and contributions must be taken
seriously (D'Arcy et al. 2014, p. 318). On matters that are
related to security of the information, the CEO works with the
CFO, CIO, and the COO. The three officers have played a
significant level in making sure that the information system of
Apple is secure. The three officers play different roles in the
implementation of the information security strategies. However,
it is imperative to note that only one of the officers has the
knowledge about information systems and he is the CIO.
The CIO with his team works on the systems of the company
with the intention to know their vulnerabilities and weak points.
The reason for doing so is to make sure that the strategies which
will be implemented will be looking into the potential issues.
The Chief Information Officer is qualified to understand the
information systems of the company and that is why he plays
the role of advising the rest of the officers on the issues that
ought to be looked into. The CEO of the company has a
significant role to play in developing strategies (Safa et al.
2016, p. 70). The CEO shares the vision of the type of
information system security that he prefers and the CIO looks
into its viability. The reason behind it is because the CIO has
the knowledge of information systems and therefore if the
request of the CEO can be met, the CIO implements it.
The COO also has a significant role to play when it comes to
the aspect of planning and implementing the information
security strategies. Operations of an organization cannot be

separated from the systems of the company. Apple is an
organization that has grown by a significant percentage when it
comes to technology, and that means that its vulnerability to
information insecurity is high (Xu et al. 2014, p. 1149).
Therefore, the company has made sure that the Chief Operating
Officer is involved in the process of determining the best
security strategies to be implemented.
The Chief Financial Officer also sits together with the CEO,
COO, and CIO. His role is significant because the company
cannot employ any strategy without involving him in one way or
another. Information systems of Apple are advanced, and any
upgrade or change comes at a considerable cost. Considering
that Apple is a company that is led by quality leaders, the
strategies must go through the CFO so that he can audit the
financial effects that they might have on the company.
therefore, when it comes to the audit of the current situation at
Apple as far as the aspect of developing and implementing the
information security strategies is concerned, Apple has scored
well(Safa et al. 2016, p. 78). The reason behind it is because the
process of coming up with the information security strategies
has involved all crucial departments and leaders in the
organization. When all essential and relevant persons are
involved, it means that the whole process is transparent thus
attaining the organizational goals does not become a challenge.
APPROACHES TO SECURITY IMPLEMENTATION
The approaches that Apple has been taking to implement
security are effective and helpful to the company. The company
follows different procedures before it is able to implement
security (Xu et al. 2014, p. 1151). The first procedure is the
identification of the issue. Before a security strategy can be
employed, the company makes sure that it is aware of the issues
that face the security of the company. The reason for doing so is
to make sure that the security strategies that will be
implemented will bring an end to issues that the company might
be going through and at the same time, it will be helping to
advance and enhance the security of the company.

The second step is the brainstorming process. The process
entails the aspect of all leaders and team players coming
together to discuss the issue at hand and the solution that has
been identified. It is imperative to note that there are multiple
solutions to one problem (Xu et al. 2014, p. 1150). Therefore,
there is a dire need to make sure that the best solution is found.
The engagement of the relevant people and leaders comes in
place to make sure that a mistake of implementing security that
may fail is not made at any given level.
The third step that the company takes is to select the most
suitable security solution and auditing the security strategy. A
security strategy must go through the process of auditing, and
this is to make sure that the solution is viable. Different tests
are done on the strategy. The first test is associated with the
budget. An organization cannot employ a strategy that it cannot
fund. There are reasons why the strategy must go through the
financial audit is to make sure that its implementation does not
leave the organization crawling in terms of finances
(Cherdantseva and Hilton 2015, p. 1236). The second test is
associated with the practicality of the security. The security
must be practical for it to be implemented. For example, it must
work for the company, and the employees must be able to
implement it. After the practicality, the essentiality aspect
comes in place. When an organization is looking for a security
strategy, it does so because it needs to upgrade or take care of a
specific issue. The timeframe comes in handy because at the
time an organization might be in a hurry to implement the
strategy because of the threats that it faces without the strategy
in place. In this respect, Apple makes sure that the security
strategy passes through the different procedures before its
implementation.

With the procedures that are carried out before the
implementation process as well as the considerations that are
made by the company, conclusively, it is appropriate to state
that the current situation at Apple is admirable. The reason
behind it is because it is evident that Apple takes all
precautions before implementing any security (Xu et al. 2014,
p. 1149). A situation becomes worse if an organization blindly
implements security without considering the adverse effects it
might have on the company. Apple has proven that it is a
rational and calculative organization. At the same time, the
company has proven that its level of engagement is one of the
best thus making it stand on a higher position when it comes to
the implementation of security strategies.
INFORMATION SECURITY POLICIES
Apple Inc. has one of the best information security policies
globally. The company has a strong information security policy
that has helped to maintain law and order at the organizational
level. At the same time, the policy has played an essential role
when it comes to assigning different responsibilities to different
employees. For example, the policy states the people who
should access the organizational information and what they
should do with the information (Shropshire et al. 2015, p. 178).
Therefore, it is right forward that any person who is not
mentioned by the policy should not try to access the information
of the company. At the same time, the policy states the
authority of different management officials. For example, the
level of access that is given to the department of finance is not
the same level as that given to the information department. The
reason behind it is because the department of information
systems and technology is directly involved in the process of
maintenance and therefore limiting the access can affect the
company when there are security emergencies (Cherdantseva
and Hilton 2015, p. 1235). The information security policy at
Apple stipulates what is likely to happen to the people who fail
to work in line with the policy guidelines. Therefore, it is

evident that the policy is transparent and well defined. As far as
the aspect of the policy and the current situation at Apple are
concerned, it is no doubt that the current situation at Apple
when it comes to policy is outstanding. The reason behind it is
because the company has a policy in place that helps it to run
matters that are related to the security of information of the
company.
CONTINGENCY PLANNING
Apple has scored a high mark when it comes to contingency
planning. The company is aware of the risks that are associated
with the information systems. therefore, it has put measures in
place that are supposed to make sure that in the case of any risk,
the system is able to protect the information from being stolen.
The contingency planning involves the workforce and the
systems. The employees have been advised on the best steps to
take when there is the risk of hackers (Ab Rahman and Choo
2015, p. 45). At the same time, the information system of the
company has been designed in a way that it makes it harder for
the hackers to access the information. However, when the
hackers succeed to pass a specific layer, the systems are
designed in a way that they lock down making it hard for both
the hackers and the users to use the systems. As a result, the
hackers are unable to take with any information since the
system has already blocked them from accessing the
information.
RECOMMENDATIONS
As much as the current situation at Apple is admirable in terms
of information security, there are several recommendations that
can make the situation better. The first recommendation is
associated with the partnership aspect. Apple has partnered with
Cisco to improve its systems and to boost the security of its
information. Partnerships are beneficial and also good for
organizations; however, there should be a limit. For example,
Apple should not trust another organization to the level of
engaging the organization in the processes that touch on its
privacy (Shropshire et al. 2015, p. 179). Apple is an

organization that is advanced in terms of technology, and this
can be seen in many of its products. Therefore, it would be
recommendable for Apple to make sure that it develops its
security strategies alone without the involvement of another
party.
The benefits that come along with the development of Apple
developing the security together are reduced risks, easy control,
and easy response in the case of an emergency. Security systems
may fail in different cases, and that means that the attention of
the handlers comes in handy (Sinha and Zscaler Inc. 2015, p.
32). Therefore, if handling is shared between two parties, the
speed of responding to the issue at hand might not be high.
Emergency issues need to be dealt with as soon as possible.
When there is a delay, the situation might get out of hand. The
involvement of another party fosters delays because of the
process of consultations. With this in mind, it is essential for
Apple to work alone to boost its security.
The development of the security strategy by one party reduces
the risks. For example, when two parties come together,
sometimes it is a challenge to define the motive of each party
that is involved (Ab Rahman and Choo 2015, p. 45). Therefore,
one party might have an ill motive, and that exposes the system
to risks that might affect the company negatively. It is advisable
to have one party developing the security system.
The second recommendation is associated with the engagement
of the relevant parties. The Chief Information Officer is the
person with the highest level of knowledge about the systems
and the way to secure the information of the company (Siponen
et al. 2014, p. 213). However, he is held to the same level as the
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financing Officer. The
company should review the protocol and make the Chief
Information Officer the adviser to the CEO on matters that are
involved with the security of the information of the company.
CONCLUSION
The security of the information of any organization is crucial.

The situation at Apple has proven to be admirable as far as the
security aspect is concerned. The procedures that are involved
in the implementation of security have helped the company to
maintain a high level of security. The utilization of the relevant
leaders has also helped the company to boost the level of its
information security. However, the company needs to look into
ways of avoiding partnerships and engaging the Chief
Information Officer more than other leaders to boost the level
of its security.
References
Ab Rahman, N.H and Choo, K.K.R 2015, A survey of
information security incident handling in the cloud, Computers
& Security, 49, pp.45-69.
Cherdantseva, Y and Hilton, J 2015, ‘Information security and
information assurance: discussion about the meaning, scope,
and goals,’ In Standards and Standardization: Concepts,
Methodologies, Tools, and Applications (pp. 1204-1235). IGI
Global.
D'Arcy, J., Herath, T and Shoss, M.K 2014, ‘Understanding
employee responses to stressful information security
requirements: A coping perspective,’ Journal of Management
Information Systems, 31(2), pp.285-318.
Ifinedo, P 2014, ‘Information systems security policy
compliance: An empirical study of the effects of socialisation,
influence, and cognition,’ Information & Management, 51(1),
pp.69-79.
Peltier, T.R 2016, Information Security Policies, Procedures,
and Standards: guidelines for effective information security
management, Auerbach Publications.
Safa, N.S., Von Solms, R and Furnell, S 2016, ‘Information
security policy compliance model in organizations,’ Computers
& Security, 56, pp.70-82.

Safa, N.S., Von Solms, R and Futcher, L 2016, ‘Human aspects
of information security in organisations,’ Computer Fraud &
Security, 2016(2), pp.15-18.
Shropshire, J., Warkentin, M and Sharma, S 2015, ‘Personality,
attitudes, and intentions: Predicting initial adoption of
information security behavior,’ Computers & Security, 49,
pp.177-191.
Sinha, A and Zscaler Inc, 2015, Cloud-based mobile device
security and policy enforcement, U.S. Patent 9,119,017.
Siponen, M., Mahmood, MA and Pahnila, S 2014, ‘Employees’
adherence to information security policies: An exploratory field
study,’ Information & management, 51(2), pp.217-224.
Xu, L., Jiang, C., Wang, J., Yuan, J and Ren, Y 2014,
‘Information security in big data: privacy and data mining,’
IEEE Access, 2, pp.1149-1176.
E.Whiteman, M. and J.Mattord, H. (2018). Management Of
Information Security. 4th ed.
https://www.cisco.com/c/m/en_au/solutions/global-
partners/apple.html
CIS8018 – Strategic information security
Semester 2, 2018
Research Paper 2
Due date:
5 OCtober 2018
Objectives
The course objectives met by this assignment include:

· Course specifications are available online from the USQ
website <http://www.usq.edu.au/course/specification/>. Always
check the website for the latest version.
Background
This assessment item covers the chapters 5-8 of your textbook.
In the previous assessment item you selected an organisation,
and provided information on the current security state and made
suggestions of improvements to their security. Use this
organisation for this assessment item as well. Depending on the
size of the organisation (small, medium, large) you are asked to
assist in developing a security program. Reflect on the current
roles and titles of the security personnel and make suggestions
of improvements. Provide a plan to make these changes
incorporating training requirements. Determine if the
organisation uses any ISO security standards and provide
reasoning which security model would be more suitable.
Determine the suitability of certification. Justify by using threat
identification and provide risk assessment for this organisation.
As in the previous assessment item, please make sure NOT to
divulge any sensitive information. If you are working for an
organisation, use the internet to determine what information is
available to the public. To protect security of the organisation,
you are requested to invent the current security situation of this
organisation. This will allow you to create a scenario that you
can then use to apply your knowledge of the course material.
Write a report in accordance to the recommendations of the
links on the study desk. The word-count limit for the
introduction, body and conclusion of this report is set at about
3000 words. Use five (5) or more resources for your citing and
referencing in Harvard style.

Submission requirements
· Submit your word document through your study desk – a link
will be available on the study desk.
Page 1 of 3
Semester 2, 2018
Marking criteria for research paper 2 – CIS8018
Student name: ___________________________ Student
number: ____________________
Marks
Structured development of report
Logical flow leading the reader from start to finish on a clear
path of addressing
/30
the assessment requirements; clear identification and

description of current
state; clearly leading into the solutions; application of correct
report format.
Excellent meets all the requires for this objective
21-30
Good work – minor issue
11-20
Requires more work
5-10

Very poor effort
0-5
Comment:
Depth of research/ critical reflection
Reason to support findings: showing depth of understanding
critical security
/30

issues of an organisation; being able to reason for the most
suitable security
model, training, roles to address these issues; showed depth of
understanding
threat identifications, ISO, model, etc. (chapter 1-4 concepts);
selections of
addition journal articles specifically address and support.
21-30

11-20
Requires more work
5-10
Very poor effort
0-5
Comment:

Understanding of key ideas and concepts
Understood the course material; able to identify key ideas and
concept within
/30
a real life scenario of issues; able to explain an issue with the
use of key ideas
and concepts; able to relate own experience to course material
and issue by
introducing own perspective
21-30

11-20
Requires more work
5-10
Very poor effort
0-5

Comment:
Page 2 of 3
Semester 2, 2018
Evidence of support

Citing and referencing: Correct within text Harvard citing;
correct Harvard
/10
referencing; used more than five (5) sources (book, journal
article, report, news
article on the internet) in addition to the course text book.
9-10

7-8
Requires more work
4-6
Very poor effort

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