Assignment: Application of Risk Management Techniques

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

- Identify different risk management techniques for the seven domains of a typical IT infrastructure and apply them under different situations.

Assignment Requirements

Introduction

As discussed in this lesson, after IT professionals identify threat/vulnerability pairs and estimate the likelihood of their occurrence, IT management must decide which risk management techniques are appropriate to manage these risks. IT managers then present this information to senior management. The role of the senior management is to allocate resources, specifically money and employees, to prepare for and respond to identified threats and vulnerabilities appropriately.

This assignment allows you to fulfill the role of an IT manager in a small business tasked with determining appropriate risk management techniques for identified threats and vulnerabilities and to make related recommendations to senior management.

Read the scenario given below and then complete the given assignment tasks that are given:

Scenario:

YieldMore is a small agricultural company that produces and sells fertilizer products. The company headquarters is in a small town in Indiana. Outside its headquarters, there are two large production facilities-one in Nebraska and one in Oklahoma. Furthermore, YieldMore employs salespersons in every state in the United States to serve its customers locally.

The company has three servers located at its headquarters-an Active Directory server, a Linux application server, and an Oracle database server. The application server hosts YieldMore's primary software application, which is a proprietary program managing inventory, sales, supply chain, and customer information. The database server manages all data stored locally with direct-attached storage.

All three sites use Ethernet-cabled local area networks (LANs) to connect the users' Windows 7 workstations via industry-standard managed switches.

The remote production facilities connect to headquarters via routers with T-1 LAN connections provided by an external Internet service provider (ISP), and share an Internet connection through a firewall at headquarters.

Individual salespersons throughout the country connect to YieldMore's network via virtual private network (VPN) software through their individual Internet connections, typically in a home office.

Tasks

Using the threat/vulnerability pairs, and considering the likelihood of occurrence for each identified by your group earlier in the lesson, assume the role of an IT manager assigned by YieldMore's senior management to conduct the following risk management tasks.

- Analyze and explain each of the threat/vulnerability pairs and their likelihood of occurrence.
- Determine which of the six risk management techniques is appropriate for each risk explained in Task 1.
- Justify your reasoning for each chosen management technique.
- Prepare a brief report or presentation of your findings for senior management to review.