This assignment includes two parts :
1. (Less than 1 page) Find an article that is relevant to this assignment (Ethics of the Target Data Breach), and write your opinions about this article.
2. (About 3.5 pages, resources provided below) Write a paper explaining the ethics of a security breach that occurred to a company in possession of sensitive data. This paper should be long enough to adequately discuss the Target 2013 data breach. You must discuss:
Factually, what exactly happened and what can be documented; and
In your own words, what lessons you learn from this breach and who is to blame.
Your report should address the following topics and questions:
Introduction
Factual details about the data breach
How was the data breach discovered?
What information was stolen?
What did the attackers do, and what did Target do?
Your opinions about the data breach
What flaw or flaws allowed the data breach to happen?
Who deserves blame for the data breach?
What lessons did you learn from this analysis?
Conclusion
How to write your report
When researching Target, think of yourself as a forensic scientist on a TV show like CSI. You are only called in after the disaster has happened. Its not important to rush, but its important to step back and think, What do I observe? and If thats what I saw, why did it happen this way?
Make it clear wh
en you are documenting facts or when you are stating your own opinion. If something is unclear, report it as According to X, Y happened or Y happened (citation to X).
Many students find that it is easiest to copy the Report Topics list into a blank paper and then start answering each question one by one.
Resources for writing the paper
Here are some technical resources that provide information about the 2013 Target Data Breach:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/05/23/target-pay-185m-2013-data-breach-affected-consumers/102063932/
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/09/inside-target-corp-days-after-2013-breach/
https://www.lifelock.com/learn-data-breaches-target-data-breach-victims-could-get-up-to-10000.html
https://krebsonsecurity.com/tag/target-data-breach/
If you would like to know more about what best practices exist for corporate security policies, you can read these papers:
https://www.bvp.com/atlas/security-for-startups (Links to an external site.)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2019/10/02/cyber-security-for-startups-a-step-by-step-guide/#32d8e49d2010 (Links to an external site.)
https://www.qat.com/business-security-tips-startups/ (Links to an external site.)
The Cyber Security Survival Guide for Startups