Essay Example: Threats to the Seven IT Domains in Wilbur's Widgets

In any typical information technology setup, there can be found seven domains. They are User Domain, LAN Domain, Remote Access Domain, Workstation Domain, WAN Domain, LAN-to-WAN Domain and System/Application Domain. Every one of these territories is seen as a hotspot for hacking if protective measures are not in existence or if they fail (Al-Qirim et al., 2018). It is very crucial for organizations to guard each of these domains as it takes only one domain that is unprotected for a hacker to have access to confidential data. The research paper looks at what each of these domains is made up of and the technological threats that may be directed to each of them in Wilbur's Widgets.

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The User Domain comprises everyone in the organization that uses the other domains. The User Domain consists of people who are almost always not aware of the tricks used by attackers (Lloyd, 2017). The threat involved here is that users in Wilbur's Widgets can delete data in applications with the intention to or otherwise. Additionally, users can mount CDs or flash drives infected with a virus into the work computer which can lead to corruption of Wilbur's Widgets data.

The second domain is the Workstation Domain which is the computer that each in Wilbur's Widgets uses for work. The risks here are that the computer's operating system can have software that is known to be vulnerable to hacking allowing remote access which can lead to pilferage of data of Wilbur's Widgets (Jones et al., 2014). Another risk is that a computer's browsing system can have a vulnerable software allowing scripts that are unsigned to install software that is malicious without detection. Aside from that, a computer's hard drive can stop working leading to loss of data.

The third domain is the LAN domain where all of the workstation's hubs, switches and routers are found. It may comprise of many computers connected or a few computers connected. It is known as the trusted zone. The threats in this domain are that a worm can make its way through the LAN and risk all computers in Wilbur's Widgets getting infected; the LAN server operating system can have a software that is known to be vulnerable (Lloyd, 2017). Additionally, there can be unauthorized access to Wilbur's Widgets' workstations in a LAN. If the appropriate measures are not taken to protect this domain, hackers may quickly gain access to the system as computer systems that are connected by hubs are prone to attack.

The WAN domain is Wide Area Network which is composed of the internet and lines that are half private. It is known as the untrusted zone. Threats associated with this domain are such that the service provider for Wilbur's Widgets can be hit by a major network mishap and the server can get a DOS or DDOS attack (Jones et al., 2014). Also, an FTP server can permit an anonymous upload of software that is illegal and which may compromise Wilbur's Widgets' data.

The other domain is the LAN/WAN domain which is the demarcation between the trusted and un-trusted zones which are made to go through a firewall. Risks involved are that a hacker can get into the IT setup in Wilbur's Widgets in addition to gaining access to the internal network not mentioning that weak inlet/outlet traffic can lower performance (Al Qirim et al., 2018). Apart from that, a firewall with ports that are unnecessarily open individuals to allow access the internet.

The System or Application Storage Domain is the domain that is comprised of servers that are accessed by users for instance email and database. The threats are that primary data can get destroyed in a fire and a DOS attack can destroy Wilbur's Widgets' email (Jones et al., 2014). Lastly, an SQL injection can attack a database server resulting in corruption of data in Wilbur's Widgets.

The last domain is the Remote Access Domain. It allows a lone user remote access to the organization's network, almost always through a VPN (Al Qirim et al., 2018). According to (Al Qirim et al. (2018), risks involved in the domain include the communication circuit outage candeny connection, remote communication from the office can be unsecured, and VPN tunneling between the remote computer and inlet/outlet router can be scythed.

In conclusion, if data is not protected, the system becomes prone to attack and Wilbur's Widgets at large. If any of the seven domains is not protected, the whole system becomes compromised. The WAN is used for internet in most companies. Given this reality, it is extremely crucial that Wilbur's Widgets secure all systems because the WAN is an untrusted zone, and so is the internet which has the disadvantage of being comprised of hackers. On the other hand, the System/Application Domain has servers that need to be protected. There are a few measures that can be taken to protect the System Domain from attack. They include removal of all services and protocols that are not in use, the formation of new passwords and an update of the server system.

References

Al-Qirim, N., Rouibah, K., Tarhini, A., Serhani, M. A., Yammahi, A. R., & Yammahi, M. A. (2018). Towards a personality understanding of information technology students and their IT learning in UAE University. Education and Information Technologies, 23(1), 29-40.

Jones, S. S., Rudin, R. S., Perry, T., & Shekelle, P. G. (2014). Health information technology: an updated systematic review with a focus on meaningful use. Annals of internal medicine, 160(1), 48-54. Lloyd, I. (2017). Information technology law. Oxford University Press.