Vulnerability of an organizations information system Research Paper

Vulnerability of an organizations information system - Research Paper Example Vulnerability in regard to organizational information systems can be defined as â€Å"a weakness that allows a threat to be realized or to have an effect on an asset† (Kim & Solomon, 2010, p.6). Thus it can be realized that a threat is not capable of affecting an information system unless the system is weak or vulnerable not to survive an attack (Kim & Solomon, 2010, p.6). Thus the vulnerabilities of an organization’s information systems reflect that the organization’s control over the systems has either become lost or ineffective (Whitman & Mattord, 2011, p.65). In the present times, the cyber world has taken a significant position in both organizational as well as personal lives. The most critical factor that has been obtained as making the information systems vulnerable to cyber threats and attacks is the human element. The information technology (IT) managers of today’s business organizations are thus encountered with severe challenges in regard to suc h vulnerabilities (Platsis, 2012). The present study focuses on the vulnerabilities those organizational information systems presently challenging the IT managers, with over viewing the most important cyber security vulnerability and considering measures that might protect organizations from such vulnerabilities. ... All these media, if vulnerable, can lead to cyber intrusions causing cyber threats or attacks, thus affecting the entire information system of the organization. Hardware and Software: Information systems viruses and other malwares have the capability to destroy the software system of computers, or they might affect the security functions of the system. Thus this makes the software vulnerable allowing outsiders to steal information and use their commands on the organizations’ computers and information devices to manipulate information as per their need. This initiates the need for an organization to consider the use of antivirus tools essentially as well as update the system’s functions on a regular basis to detect any vulnerability, in advance (Kazmeyer, 2013). Considering the vulnerabilities of the hardware, it is of major concern since the unsecured terminals can be taken advantage of by outsiders along with the help of network access points, using which they might ge t access to systems that are otherwise protected. Security functions may be circumvented by an intruder if they get access to server rooms or floors where the computer systems are placed for work. Thus in order to prevent this, organizations need to have strict control over the access of any individual to the hardware such that such vulnerabilities may not be taken advantage of (Kazmeyer, 2013). Transmission Media: The media of transmission in organizations include both cabling as well as wireless communication media. In case of cabling, wires are used for transmission, that in many cases pass through the walls and channels of the organization eventually terminating the plugs of the walls