Environmental Scanning Report essays

Environmental Scanning Report essays Internet-connected computers are at risk. And it's clear that anyone who does business on the Net is vulnerable. Corrections, defenses or patches exist for most flaws, but when they're not installed, the systems are vulnerable and attacks succeed. As it is stated on Computer World magazine, as the systems are getting more complicated the vulnerability of the systems are increasing. A key element that's missing in Internet security is a set of practical, widely accepted and nonproprietary operating standards specifying in detail how systems should be configured and operated. Without widely accepted standards, organizations will continue to install computers blindly, hoping they'll be protected by obscurity or luck. If the global economy weren't dependent on the Internet, such wishful thinking might be acceptable. But today, every unprotected system connected to a high-speed communications line is a loaded weapon that attackers can use against e-commerce leaders, communications and power companies, and national governments. Of even greater risk for e-commerce is a business partner that doesn't protect its systems, thus putting every other electronic partner at risk. It isn't surprising, then, that Visa, the firm that stepped forward to begin solving the problem, is connected to a very large number of other companies. Visa processes $1.7 trillion in transactions every year, or more than $4 billion every day. To do that efficiently, Visa electronically partners with 21,000 merchants that carry its logo. In late July, Visa issued a new set of 10 requirements that each merchant partner must meet if it wants to keep the logo. They range from having specific firewall settings to changing default passwords, and they cover patches, encryption, antivirus software and more. What makes Visa's "Ten Commandments" so valuable is that they're practical. Most organizations that understand security already comply with them. Visa's great contri...