Quality Web Design (QWD) is a web design company that provides a website for any company. This paper is that the first of two phases for my ITNW 2335 Capstone course project which will determine and explain vulnerabilities found at Quality Web Design. This report will cover the hardware vulnerability of an unrestrained part. Next, the software vulnerability of an unsecured wireless access point. This report will conclude with my recommended solutions for each of the vulnerabilities discussed. Enclosed within the recommendations are going to be a calculable budget and implementation set up as well as a discussion of the impact every solution will have on the business processes. Company Summary Quality Web Design (QWD) is a web design company that focuses on a prime quality and an innovative product to immerse the user in an associate intuitive interface to offer the content of any business a graphical high five.
Reaching to various customers round the globe, Quality Web Design is culturally awake to their audiences’ digital expectations. QWD separates themselves from the other web designers by using each consumer as a chance to analysis and develop new technology to feature to their repository. Security Vulnerabilities Hardware Vulnerability: Unrestrained Computer Parts Any unrestrained part is a hardware vulnerability to Quality Web Design. All the hardware that exist in the physical network, workstations and servers of Quality Web Design needs to be physically restrained. The components located at each QWD’s corporate and remote offices are extremely expensive. These computer components can even be sold online, used, for an extreme amount. The firewall located in the main office goes for over 25,000 dollars.
The Juniper ISG200 only weighs 52 pounds, making it an expensive light-weight piece of hardware for any thief to walk off with. The easily removed, high valued part make for a great concern about the physical theft of QWD’s components. The computers and servers may not be very expensive to replace themselves, but they have a lot of digital value. They can easily be removed by an employee without any help. This is a threat that fortunately has not happened yet to QWD. It very likely that theft will occur over time. The Computer Security Institute’s Computer Crime & Security Survey found that information breaches cost companies an average of nearly $300,000 a year. According to the study, which surveyed 69 major corporations, 42% of that surveyed experienced laptop theft. In a highly competitive market of web design and with QWD’s outstanding reputation, thieves would be motivated to steal templates and images. QWD needs to protect its self from physical theft.
With the different schedule of various employees, an empty office could make it easy for physical theft. Should theft occur in QWD, depending on what was stolen, could cost the company time and money. The theft of a computer would result in a nominal cost to replace and downtime for the effected employee. However, if the theft of a server occurs, it could cost the company time, money and even costumer relationships. The company’s reputation would be jeopardized. A component can be replaced, but the data lost would put a huge damper in the trust and reputation of the company. Software Vulnerability: Wireless Access Points Not Secure QWD’s wireless access point is unsecure, making it a huge software vulnerability issue. This can allow unauthorized users to access QWD’s networks without any authorization. They would also be able to access the internet connection. Hitchhikers on the network can lead to slow bandwidth and employees access being denied. Worse of all they would have access to all the data. A malicious attack could occur causing the loss or manipulation of data. Due to the lack of encryption, the company’s data confidentiality is threatened.
Any data sent over the connection would be in plaintext which anyone could read on the network. The threat of an unauthorized access is very likely. There are several web enabled portable devices available in today’s market. Cellphones, tablets and laptops can actively search and connect to wireless access points. With that being said, it is very likely that surrounding business and people around would inadvertently access the private network. Slow performance and the loss of production time would be a huge consequence to QWD’s business process if someone were to gain access to the network. Another consequence would be the chance of some employees not being able to access the network or data repository to the heavy network traffic. These actions could cost the company a lot of money. The lack of production could also cost QWD business. Their competitiveness in the market would be compromised if their network were to be access by an unauthorized user. A virus could also be injected causing possibly leaked or manipulated data.
