Solutions to Week 4: Assignment 4 - Cyber Security and Privacy
Description:
This article provides detailed solutions and explanations for the Week 4: Assignment 4 of the Cyber Security and Privacy course. The assignment focuses on various aspects of contingency planning, incident response, and the roles of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Each question is analyzed carefully, offering the correct answers along with the reasoning behind each selection.
1) Which of the following accurately describes a facility that provides only rudimentary services, with no computer hardware or peripherals?
Answer: Cold site
Reason:
A Cold site is a facility with infrastructure like power, cooling, and physical security but lacks computer hardware or peripherals. It is the most basic type of disaster recovery site and typically requires more time to set up because all necessary equipment must be brought in and configured after a disaster.
2) The amount of effort necessary to make the business function operational after the technology element is recovered is known as:
Answer: Recovery Point Objective
Reason:
The Recovery Point Objective (RPO) refers to the maximum amount of data that can be lost due to a disaster, measured in time. However, the term Recovery Point Objective in the context of the question seems to be a misinterpretation. The correct term here should likely be Recovery Time Objective (RTO), which is the target time set for the recovery of IT and business activities after a disaster has struck.
3) Contingency Planning includes:
Answer: All the above
Reason:
Contingency Planning involves preparing for unexpected events that could disrupt operations. It includes Incident response plan, Disaster recovery plan, and Business continuity plan, as they all focus on different aspects of managing and recovering from unforeseen disruptions.
4) An investigation and assessment of the various adverse events that can affect the organization, conducted as a preliminary phase of the contingency planning process, which includes a determination of how critical a system or set of information is to the organization's core processes and recovery priorities is known as:
Answer: Risk assessment
Reason:
A Risk assessment is a crucial step in contingency planning where potential risks to the organization are identified and analyzed. This assessment helps in prioritizing resources and determining the criticality of various systems and information.
5) The process that prepares an organization to reestablish or relocate critical business operations during a disaster that affects operations at the primary site is known as:
Answer: Business continuity planning
Reason:
Business continuity planning (BCP) involves creating a system of prevention and recovery from potential threats to a company. The plan ensures that personnel and assets are protected and can function quickly in the event of a disaster.
6) Which level of Organizational Planning typically addresses day-to-day activities and tasks?
Answer: Operational Planning
Reason:
Operational Planning is concerned with the day-to-day operations of a company. It is more detailed than Strategic or Tactical Planning and focuses on the short-term execution of tasks that support the larger goals of the organization.
7) The top function of the Chief Information Security Officer includes:
Answer: All the above
Reason:
The role of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) encompasses a wide range of responsibilities. These include creating a strategic information security plan, understanding business activities to suggest appropriate security measures, and improving the security state by developing various security-related documents and strategies.
8) What is the unit of analysis in the contingency planning approach?
Answer: Risk Factors
Reason:
Risk Factors are the elements that could potentially cause harm to the organization. In the contingency planning approach, understanding and analyzing these risk factors are essential for developing effective strategies to mitigate their impact.
9) Which of the following is not a possible incident indicator?
Answer: Risk Assets
Reason:
Risk Assets is not a standard term used in the context of incident indicators. Incident indicators typically include unusual activities or the presence of unfamiliar files that could suggest a security breach or system anomaly.
10) What is the purpose of conducting an After Action Review (AAR) in incident response?
Answer: To review and improve the effectiveness of the IRP
Reason:
The After Action Review (AAR) is a critical part of incident response that involves analyzing what happened during an incident, what was done to handle it, and how the process can be improved. It specifically focuses on enhancing the Incident Response Plan (IRP) to better prepare for future incidents.
This detailed breakdown ensures a thorough understanding of each concept covered in the assignment, helping students solidify their knowledge in cybersecurity and privacy-related contingency planning.
