Context of the Problem

Context of the Problem

Anthony Smith-Ranson

Research Methods

RES 531

Context of the Problem

Information technology (IT) is now solidly a vital part of any organization (Stockman, Leung, Nyland, & Said, 2013). As the use of computer networks, especially the Internet, has become pervasive, the concept of computer security has expanded to denote issues pertaining to the networked use of computers and their resources (Kinkus, 2002). Computer security is a section of Information Technology known as information security as it is applied to computers and computer networks. Computer system security is the combined processes and mechanisms by which sensitive and valuable information or services are protected from exploitation, tampering or destruction by unauthorized activities instituted by untrustworthy or even authorized individuals or unplanned events respectively (Scotti, 2011). Over the last few years, the concept of cloud computing has created new challenges for security, because sensitive data may no longer reside on dedicated hardware (Hendrickson, Karkoszka, 2013). However, the rapid advances in the speed of corporate networks may only exacerbate this problem, as some existing security software may not be able to keep up with the higher speeds of data transfer. The development of security has a military origin. The American government has been “a major force behind security research and technology” because it has information on national defense and intelligence (Santanya, 2011, p. 18). The issue of computer security first arose in the 1970s as individuals began to break into telephone systems. As technology advanced, computer systems became targets as well. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made one of its first arrests related to computer hacking in the early 1980s. A group of hackers known as the 414s, named after their area code in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were indicted for attacking 60 different computer systems including the...