Separation of Duties

Have you seen a movie where nuclear missiles were being test launched? If so, you might recall that two military officers followed a complex procedure to initiate the test launch. Each officer had half of what was needed to complete the procedure. Given the destructive power of these weapons, the military's requirement that the duty of launching nuclear missiles be separated is critical.

Because today's complex multimodal attacks often have social engineering components, IT physical and digital assets have never been at greater risk. Although an IT department's requirements may not be as severe as the military's, separation of duties (SoD) is a crucial part of IT policies. Without SoD, IT departments cannot protect and secure physical and digital assets.

To prepare for this Assignment, select an institution (e.g., financial, educational, or government) whose IT department implements an SoD policy.

Respond in 350-500 words and identify 2-3 roles within the institution's IT department you selected. Choose one role and provide 2-3 key questions that you might ask to determine if SoD is necessary for that role. Then, explain why it is critical that their duties be separated. Be sure to address any roles where it is impossible to apply SoD. Finally, address the ethical implications of separating or failing to separate duties.