Heartland was audited and meet the cybersecurity requirements and was still the target of a successful cyberattack. This raises the question of whether current cybersecurity standards are adequate for the advanced skill level of cyberattackers.
Because the accounting data stored in accounting systems is highly confidential, such as payroll data, it places increased pressure on accounting professionals to understand IT security.
Cybersecurity is complicated, technical, and extensive. To make the topic more manageable, the 10 domains of cybersecurity of the International Information Systems Security are used to organize the material.
Attackers are adept at exploiting mistakes, such as one unsecured wireless network.
Have any students experienced a phishing attack?
What does a spear-phishing attack look like?
How many students use the free unsecured wifi at a local coffee shop?
How many transmit confidential information over the unsecured wifi?
Cyberlaws are often playing catch up after the cyberattacks occur.
More and more legislation is affecting cyberlaw, increasing the complexity for companies trying to remain compliant.
Many organizations find that if they are a target of a cyberattack, they do not have in-house personnel who have the specific expertise to conduct cyber forensic investigations. So the organizations bring in outside consultants to assist in the cyber forensic investigations.
Because cybercrime is becoming so prevalent, with some organizations experiencing repeated attempts every day, preventive and proactive measures are becoming more and more important to prevent the cyberattacks from occurring. Some consulting firms will evaluate security for organizations and make recommendations to prevent attacks.
An easy way to remember the fundamental principles of information security is: CIA
Security cameras, motion detectors, door alarms, door locks, and security guards are included in the list of means for physical control.
Ask students to compare a keyed door lock with the login system and compare a combination door lock with login system.
COBIT and COSO were studied in Chapter 10.
ISO is the same organization that provides specifications for widely accepted quality standards.
IT architecture can be compared to an architectural blueprint for your home. Instead of electrical wiring, you have network wiring. Instead of closets, you have data storage. Instead of doors to a house, IT architecture has access points to the enterprise system.
The difference between LAN, MAN, and WAN includes network size, number of computers involved, the protocol used for transmission and receiving of messages, bit transmitted per second, and the type of router.
For example, a protocol used by a computer to transmit over a LAN is Ethernet and a protocol used by a computer to transmit over a WAN is TCP/IP.
A LAN connects a few computers together in a small area such as a building floor or even room.
All computers attached to one LAN must run exactly the same LAN protocol.
The LAN protocol is called MAC or medium access control protocol. This protocol allows a computer to transmit over a LAN.
The mostly used MAC is Ethernet
In a MAN many small networks are connected to each other. These smaller networks are connected together by routers. A much more powerful router connects one MAN to another MAN.
A wide area network or WAN covers a region, such as a multistate region. In a WAN many MANs are connected to each other. These MANs are connected to each other by powerful routers.
The router connecting MANs on a WAN is called a node. Each node works as a distribution center.
A WAN is governed by specific authority. The WAN authority would decide for the overall protocol running on that WAN.
A WAN is also called internet (lowercase i). Each internet has it own routing and transmitting protocol. The internet which runs TCP/IP is called the Internet (uppercase I).
1. The same MAC protocol (medium access protocol) must run on all devices attached to these three LANs. This is because these three LANs are connected by bridges. An example of MAC protocol is the Ethernet protocol.
2. In the IT environment, a LAN in a cluster is also called a LAN segment or just a segment.
The network connecting the enterprise LAN clusters is also called a backbone network.
The network connecting the enterprise LAN clusters is also called a backbone network.
A network access point without a firewall is like a house with an open entrance door.
Notice how multiple firewalls can be used on an enterprise intranet. So if one firewall fails, another firewall may prevent further penetration into the enterprise's system.
E-commerce without firewalls is like a store without merchandise security tags and the tag checking gate.
A website server behind a high-security firewall is like a store showcase without any window!
Which server requires the highest degree of security? Why?
A honeypot could keep the attackers busy so organizations have time to trace the hacker back to its source.
The pot is the server and the honey is the data on that server.
Phishing: This is social engineering used to obtain confidential information, such as a Social Security number or a credit card number.
Identity theft: Sensitive personal data is stolen and used to impersonate individuals for fraudulent purposes.
Password attack: Cyberattacks to obtain passwords may include hacking into the password table in a database or sniffing the network for passwords.
Spoofing at log-on: A malicious program presents a fake login window that captures an individual's username and password information for fraudulent purposes.
Access Control Principles is IAAA (pronounced I triple A).
Ask the students: How many passwords does each student have? How frequently do they change their passwords?
Can you imagine if you could use a password only once or twice and had to remember a new password every time you logged in?
Have any students ever used biometrics as an access method?
Some systems attempt to prevent intrusions. Other systems try to detect intrusions if they occur.
Are there cameras in the campus computer labs?
Ask students to name specific accounting software. Their answers could include QuickBooks and SAP Business One.
Malware can be downloaded onto computers by unsuspecting computer users who click on links in an email.
Ask your students if it is a good idea to turn off your computer when you are not using it. Why? Because a Bot can run anytime, even at 3 AM, and send your computer info to the Bot. Turning the computer off can disrupt the Bot.
How many students have received spam? Had a virus?
During Hurricane Katrina, some companies found that onsite backups were not adequate.
Only one backup file is not adequate in case the one backup fails.
The hotter the site is the readier the site is.
Data in transfer is at higher risk, so often data in transit is encrypted. If you have a password on your wireless network, the data may be encrypted in transit.
As cyberattacks become more sophisticated, the attacks are sometimes going all the way to the database. This has prompted some organizations to even encrypt data stored in their database, not just data in transit.
Some intelligence operatives would use a specific novel as the encryption device. Having a novel of War and Peace on a bookshelf or as an ebook would not attract attention nor would the cyberattacker know which book was used for encryption.
Accounting systems contain some of an enterprise’s most confidential data.
The IT used can actually create vulnerabilities to cyberattacks on confidential accounting data. For this reason, accountants need to be prudent when implementing new technology until it has been tested and proven reliable enough to adequately safeguard accounting data.
