Kudler Fine Foods Risk Management

The internet has pervaded every aspect of business and Kudler Fine Foods has used it as a tool to further their goals. Wireless technology should be the next stepping stone for Kudler to use to advance in their field, and much like most new technologies the use of wirelessly connected devices can pose a number of security concerns. The benefits of having connectivity throughout the enterprise can outweigh the security concerns that wireless technology can pose.

There are certain steps that can be taken to mitigate most of the concerns of having wirelessly connected devices on the network and these steps will be touched upon along with some of the major threats. With the increase in data transfer rates over the internet another new technology has arisen that can be used to further advance Kudler Fine Foods in the fine foods import business, cloud computing. With the use of cloud service providers much of the strain can be taken away from the in house servers, or can simply be used as an off-site backup.

The benefits and also the security concerns of using an off-site facility to house data or provide processing will be discussed further. Allowing Mobile Access to the Network Mobile use has become increasingly popular because of the advances in phone, tablet and laptop technology. Kudler Fine Foods must embrace this new technology not only to use it to further their business goals but to also address the security concerns that it poses.

Allowing mobile use on the organizational network would mean using wireless connectivity, this opens up the network to a number of threats such as: Accidental association – This occurs when there is more than one wireless network whose signal overlap possibly causing a user to connect to the wrong network, this can be avoided by simply locking the Wi-Fi signal with a password. Malicious association – This occurs when a wireless device is set up to appear to be an access point so that when users try to access it their login information can be stolen then used to directly access the network.

Nontraditional networks – These networks include the use of handheld devices such as smartphones, tablets, scanners and other wireless devices. The security risk of using these devices include theft or loss of the device or possible eavesdropping or MAC spoofing. Denial of service – This type of attack occurs when a wireless access point if flooded with wireless messages designed to slow down the network by using most of the network’s resources (University of Phoenix, 2012). In order to fully make use of a wireless environment certain mitigation steps have to be followed so that the security risk is minimized.

As stated above accidental association can be avoided easily by having the network password protected, malicious association however is not so easily dealt with. The only barrier between a hacker and a wireless network is a wireless 802. 1x authentication unless the hacker is trying to access Layer 3 in which case a VPN would be a good barrier. Nontraditional networks will be one of the biggest threats in that transferring to a wireless environment means the use of handheld devices and these devices can have sensitive login information or data contained within making them prime targets for theft.

There are a few mitigation steps for this particular concern: Do not allow personal devices on the network – Issue devices to be used so that security can be maintained equally through the network, someone using a personal device will not be as concerned with security whereas issued devices can be maintained centrally and security features and settings can be universal. Keep an inventory of issued devices – If an inventory of all issued devices is kept it will be easier to spot a missing or stolen device and the person responsible for said device can be held accountable for the loss.

Make use of security features or applications for mobile devices - Ensure that all mobile devices are locked with a password so that if a device is stolen or misplaced it cannot be easily accessed. GPS software can be installed on all devices so that if they do go missing they can be found. Accessing the network from a public network or mobile network opens up some of the same concerns as using a wireless network but can be addressed through the use of a virtual private network.

A VPN works by using encryption to establish a secure connection with a device outside of the private network thus giving the device the functionality of being on the network. A VPN would allow employees and other intranet users the ability to access it from anywhere on their mobile device granting Kudler Fine Foods the speed and flexibility it needs to gain an edge on its competitors. Cloud Computing Benefits and Concerns Cloud computing is a new technology that comes with both benefits and drawbacks and like any new tech it can be used to great success when paired with steps to mitigate the security issues it raises.

Cloud computing has become somewhat of an ambiguous term often having different meaning for different people. An article in InfoWorld (2013) stated, ”Cloud computing comes into focus only when you think about what IT always needs: a way to increase capacity or add capabilities on the fly without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software. Cloud computing encompasses any subscription-based or pay-per-use service that, in real time over the internet extends I. T. 's existing capabilities.”

This is an exceptional definition of cloud computing and a good way to look at its benefits, cloud computing can be paired with wireless access to create a network that can be centrally maintained but is not centralized in location. This use of decentralization can be beneficial in that it can be fluid, if more resources are needed for a new location new servers do not need to be purchased, just increase cloud usage. Cloud computing can just be used as a simple off-site backup or can be so pervasive as to replace the on-site server completely.

The only real risk of storing or processing data off-site would be the security of the company providing the cloud service. If the company hired to provide this service has lax security all of its’ clients data could be compromised, the only mitigation step in this case would be to research potential providers to ensure that they have not had any compromises in the past. Since Kudler Fine Foods already has the servers in place for existing locations I would recommend using a cloud service provider for an off-site backup but if more resources are needed in the future a cloud service could be used to supplement the existing network.

Conclusion

Kudler Fine Foods can stay ahead of their competition by taking advantage of technologies such as wireless connectivity and cloud computing. These technologies increase the company’s agility and increasing the ability of its employees to stay connected in the field. With this new found connectivity Kudler Fine Foods employees can make informed decisions both in and outside the office. The security concerns of a wireless environment can be mitigated by taking a few steps such as password protecting the Wi-Fi connection and not allowing personal devices on the company network.

Cloud computing can increase the capabilities of an I. T. department without the need for additional equipment and personnel. The biggest concern of cloud computing is the storage and processing of data in a facility outside company control, if the cloud provider is compromised not only is the provider’s information at risk but so is all of its’ clients. Since security is taken out of the hands of the company the only mitigation should cloud computing be used would be to research the potential providers’ security history.