Securing Information Systems – Online Groceries – Sample Paper

There are many benefits that come with running an online grocery store as compared to one where people have to go in to purchase their groceries. For example not having as many people working as customer service to keep the floor in good looking shape is a huge advantage. These advantages come with their own set of risks though.

One of the biggest risks that an online grocery store is going to face is the risk of loss. When referring to loss a person may think it refers to loss of the groceries themselves, but in this case it is a law of data or information that is going to have the potential to be lost. Networking can be very complex for any type of business and an online grocery store is no exception. It is important that the system is able to keep track of all the data that is needed and back it up, but at the same time protects the data that could threaten to expose valuable information. The company needs to make sure that the data they are holding onto cannot be attained by outsiders or insiders who should not have access to it. The company needs to also be aware of the risk of actual hacking. It is one thing to have data available when it should not be, but another to protect against people intentionally trying to take information (How to Protect Your Company’s Data).

A grocery store needs to consider the fact that information on the server has the potential to be lost. If a storm was to hit and cause damage to the server that is holding the data, there needs to be back up for that information. A loss of customer information could set the company back a long ways in operations and profits.

A grocery store that is operating online also needs to consider updates in all of its programming as things progress. For example a site may not function as well in some web browsers than others. The company should make sure that it is active in keeping up with the most recent web browser versions or the users may not be able to access the site properly and therefore their data may not be as secure that they input.

Data loss due to a storm or any other reason is one that can be easily fixed. The online store needs to make sure that they do not keep all data in just one location that could be destroyed. Backing up data somewhere where they can retrieve it if things go wrong with where it is normally stored can prevent huge problems. The cloud could be one place that data could be stored that it would be safer than at a physical location on a server.

The next risk that a company has to deal with is data ending up in the wrong hands either intentionally or by accident. Entry into the system needs to be restricted by the use of passwords and other security measures. These passwords must not have given to others under the threat of termination. Next logging out of a system after it is done being used is important. If a user does not sign out there should be a feature that automatically logs them out after being inactive for a period of time.

Another thing the grocery store needs to do is constantly update its technology. Lagging behind in technology is going to leave the company exposed to threats. This can cost a company money, but the benefit of being protected is going to outweigh the risk of losing everything that the company has built over the years. The grocery store needs to make sure they keep these updates going.

Secure transactions are also an important risk tool that the grocery site needs to use. Not only does that data that the company has need to be protected but the information of customer’s needs to be protected as well. There are methods available to secure transactions that take place on the internet so that the information such as credit card information and addresses cannot be attained by another user. (How to Create a Security Plan for Your Store Online).

There are legal issues that the company can have when it comes to securities measures as well. A company is legally obligated to protect its user’s personal information. If there as an exposure that is made that the company could have protected against there could be a lawsuit against the company for not taking the proper actions ahead of time.

One of those areas is the secured payment idea that was discussed earlier. If a company does not protect customer data through a secure payment method on the site they could get in a lot of trouble. There have been many hacks by multiple large companies in the last few

A company needs to be aware of the many risks that can be involved in their operations. A grocery store that operates online is going to have multiple risks that they need to consider. Data is going to be a huge asset for the company and it needs to be protected at all cost. This can be done with the right security such as not allowing people access to certain pieces of data, the use of passwords and backing up the data that the company has.

 

Reference

Klein, Karen. “How to Protect Your Company’s Data.” N.p., 26 Mar. 2012. Web. 23       Oct. 2016.

Markgraf, Bert. “How to Create a Security Plan for Your Store Online.” . N.p., n.d. Web.           23 Oct. 2016.

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