Assignment

Scenario:

In June 2015, it was revealed that hackers, possibly supported by the Chinese government, had breached several databases containing PII for approximately 4 million federal workers. Current and former federal workers from almost every U.S. government agency were affected. U.S. law enforcement officials speculate that the primary goal of the breach is to build a database of federal employees which would aid hackers seeking to fool or impersonate government workers in advance of setting up insider attacks.

Cybersecurity experts advising the government have reported that a number of government agencies have not been following recommended best practices, such as updating older operating systems with current protection. Other recommendations include encryption of data at rest.

Instructions:

Write a 5-6-page research paper that discusses the possible role of encryption in preventing the breach described in the scenario. You may take either a pro or con position. The minimum page count is 5-6 pages (excluding cover page, etc.). If you require more pages to thoroughly defend your position, feel free to include them.