Writing Assignment
When firms like Home Depot and Target become prime targets by hackers, the attack themselves become front-page news. Firms like these have invested a ton of financial and non-financial resources to prevent such an attack, but the attack is successful. Financial and personal data have been compromised, and now everyone wants answers. Your challenge is to argue the position of whether or not companies should be held liable for losses sustained in a successful attack made on their AIS applications (sales, billing, cash collections, credit, etc.) by hackers.
In support of your argument, locate at least three cases (one which can the Home Deport or Target case) where a firm's AIS (or business system) was breeched by hackers. While supporting your stance, be sure you address the following questions
- Part I: Why should the firm be held liable (or not held liable) for losses sustained by customers, employees, and suppliers per an attack by hackers?
- Part II: What are the main facts from each case supports your stance?
- Part III: How the firm's response to the attack does support your stance?
- Part IV: What additional measures, if any, could have been taken by the firm, banks, and credit card companies to limit losses?
Your response should not generally exceed eight pages (doubled-spaced) or four pages singlespaced. Your page count does not include such items as cover page, reference page, and appendix, if provided. You will need to include at least two references and at least two in-text citations to support your paper. These references must be related directly to the topics covered in the paper. Other formatting specifics regarding this paper include:
- Headings: You will need to use headings (short, brief, and centered) to separate each area of your paper. Your headings should have an appropriate title such as Main Facts of the Case instead of Part I.
- Margins & Font Sizes: Use standard margins (minimum .5"; maximum 1.5") and standard font size (minimum 10 point; maximum 12 point) in your paper.
- Writing Style: APA is the preferred writing style, but you can choose any appropriate writing style (e.g. MLA), except that all references are to be formatted via APA. Please consult the UMUC Effective Writing Center (http://www.umuc.edu/writingcenter/index.cfm) for assistance regarding choice of styles and formatting of references via APA.