From Your Research, Discuss Whether Or Not Your Organ 119254 ✓ Solved

From your research, discuss whether or not your organization

From your research, discuss whether or not your organization has ISO 27001 certification. Outside of overall protection from cyber-attacks, describe, in detail, some other benefits your organization will achieve in obtaining this certification. If your company does not have this certification, how can they go about obtaining it? Present your discussion post as if you were presenting to senior leaders of your company. Do not write about Chase Bank. Write approximately 250 words. Use scholarly articles and APA 7 format. Mandatory to cite the following two articles: Mackita, M., Shin, S.-Y., & Choe, T.-Y. (2019). ERMOCTAVE: A Risk Management Framework for IT Systems Which Adopt Cloud Computing. Future Internet, 11(9), 195. And Puchley, T., & Toppi, C. (2018). ERM: Evolving From Risk Assessment to Strategic Risk Management. HFM. After reading the articles, answer: What are some of the potential risks involved with cloud computing? Does the research and model in these articles propose a viable solution to cloud-based risk management? Write approximately 250 words. Use scholarly articles and APA 7 format. Finally, research and write a research paper: What are baseline security requirements that should be applied to the design and implementation of applications, databases, systems, network infrastructure, and information processing when considering cloud computing within an enterprise risk management framework? The paper should be approximately four pages (excluding cover and reference pages), follow APA 7 guidelines, include an introduction, a body with fully developed content, and a conclusion. Support your answers with the course readings and at least two scholarly journal articles in addition to your textbook. Use the UC Library as needed.

Paper For Above Instructions

Introduction

This document responds to three linked assignments: (1) a concise briefing for senior leaders on whether our organization holds ISO/IEC 27001 certification and the benefits and path to certification; (2) a summary of cloud-computing risks and an evaluation of whether the ERMOCTAVE model and associated ERM guidance present viable cloud risk-management solutions; and (3) a focused research discussion of baseline security requirements for applications, databases, systems, networks, and information processing when adopting cloud services within an enterprise risk management (ERM) framework. Citations follow APA 7 conventions and draw on mandated readings (Mackita et al., 2019; Puchley & Toppi, 2018) and leading standards and scholarly literature.

1. ISO/IEC 27001: Briefing to Senior Leaders (≈250 words)

Executive summary: Our organization is not yet ISO/IEC 27001 certified. Pursuing certification will deliver benefits beyond basic cyber-attack protection: it formalizes information security management (ISMS) processes, improves regulatory compliance, strengthens vendor and customer trust, and reduces business interruption through continual risk assessment and treatment (ISO, 2013; Calder & Watkins, 2015). ISO 27001 mandates documented policies, asset inventories, risk assessment methodologies, and measurable controls, which together enable consistent decision-making and evidence-based audits for customers and regulators (ISO, 2013).

Operational benefits include improved incident response and recovery through defined roles and tested procedures, which lowers mean time to detect and respond (Mackita et al., 2019). Certification also streamlines procurement and third-party risk reviews because an accredited ISMS is recognized by partners and insurers (Puchley & Toppi, 2018). From a strategic perspective, aligning ISMS objectives with enterprise risk management strengthens board-level oversight of cyber risk and supports capital allocation to prioritized remediation (Puchley & Toppi, 2018).

Path to certification: conduct a gap analysis against ISO/IEC 27001, implement an ISMS scoped to critical assets, perform risk assessments and select controls (ISO/IEC 27002 guidance), establish policies, train staff, carry out internal audits, and engage an accredited certifying body for formal assessment (ISO, 2013). Recommendations: sponsor a steering committee, allocate budget for remediation and staff training, and pilot certification on one business unit before enterprise rollout.

2. Cloud Risks and Evaluation of ERMOCTAVE and ERM Guidance (≈250 words)

Key cloud risks include data breaches, insecure interfaces/APIs, loss of control over data location and governance, multi-tenancy vulnerabilities, inadequate change management, and compliance/regulatory gaps (Mell & Grance, 2011; Subashini & Kavitha, 2011). Additional risks arise from vendor lock-in, incomplete contractual SLAs, and insufficient visibility into provider-side configurations and patching (ENISA, 2019).

The ERMOCTAVE model proposed by Mackita et al. (2019) adapts OCTAVE risk-assessment concepts for cloud adopters by emphasizing asset-centered analysis, threat scenarios, and prioritization aligned to enterprise objectives. It provides a structured process to identify cloud-specific threats and map mitigation strategies into the ISMS and ERM workflow. Coupled with Puchley and Toppi’s (2018) emphasis on evolving ERM from assessment to strategic risk management, these frameworks together offer a viable approach: they embed cloud risks into enterprise-level risk appetite discussions and align technical controls with business impact. Empirical limitations remain—frameworks require organizational buy-in, skilled personnel, and integration with cloud-native telemetry to be effective (Mackita et al., 2019).

Conclusion: ERMOCTAVE and ERM evolution present a viable path to manage cloud risk when implemented with robust governance, continuous monitoring, and contractual controls with cloud service providers (ENISA, 2019; Puchley & Toppi, 2018).

3. Baseline Security Requirements for Cloud Adoption within ERM

3.1 Governance, Policies, and Risk Alignment

Baseline requirements begin with governance: establish cloud security policies aligned with enterprise risk appetite, map cloud assets to business-critical processes, and incorporate cloud risk registers into ERM reporting (Puchley & Toppi, 2018). Formalize roles for cloud security, legal, procurement, and risk functions to manage SLAs, data residency, and compliance obligations (ENISA, 2019).

3.2 Identity, Access, and Endpoint Controls

Implement least-privilege access, multi-factor authentication, strong identity lifecycle management, and centralized identity federation (NIST SP 800-144; ISO, 2013). Enforce privileged access management, just-in-time privilege elevation, and continuous auditing of access logs (Rittinghouse & Ransome, 2017).

3.3 Data Protection: Encryption and Data Lifecycle

Protect data at rest and in transit with strong cryptographic controls, manage keys securely (preferably in customer-controlled HSMs), and apply data classification and retention policies. Ensure encryption and key management practices address cross-border and regulatory requirements (Pearson & Benameur, 2010; ENISA, 2019).

3.4 Application and Database Security

Baseline for applications: secure SDLC practices (threat modeling, SAST/DAST, dependency scanning), input validation, secure configuration, and runtime monitoring. Databases require role-based access, encryption, backup integrity, and separation of duties. Adopt automated configuration management and enforce immutable infrastructure patterns where possible (Subashini & Kavitha, 2011).

3.5 Network and Infrastructure Controls

Segment cloud networks using virtual private clouds, micro-segmentation, and firewalling; apply IDS/IPS and flow-logging for east-west traffic. Use zero-trust network principles and encrypt internal traffic. Apply baseline hardening and continuous vulnerability management for cloud-hosted workloads (NIST SP 800-144; ENISA, 2019).

3.6 Monitoring, Logging, and Continuous Assurance

Centralize logs, implement SIEM/UEBA for anomaly detection, and define KPIs and SLA monitoring for availability and security events. Integrate cloud provider telemetry into ERM dashboards for continuous risk exposure measurement (Mackita et al., 2019).

3.7 Third-Party and Contractual Controls

Ensure contractual SLAs include security responsibilities, audit rights, breach notification timelines, and data portability. Require provider certifications (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2) as part of procurement (ISO, 2013; ENISA, 2019).

Conclusion

ISO/IEC 27001 certification yields strategic and operational benefits beyond cyber-attack protection by formalizing ISMS practices and improving stakeholder trust. Cloud computing poses distinct risks—data breaches, loss of governance, and visibility gaps—that must be integrated into ERM. ERMOCTAVE and contemporary ERM literature together provide a viable approach when paired with governance, continuous monitoring, contractual rigor, and the baseline technical controls described above. A phased certification and cloud-migration strategy that aligns ISO/IEC 27001 implementation with ERM priorities will best position the organization to manage cloud-driven risks effectively.

References

  • Calder, A., & Watkins, S. (2015). IT governance: An international guide to data security and ISO27001/ISO27002. Kogan Page.
  • ENISA. (2019). Cloud security guide. European Union Agency for Cybersecurity. https://www.enisa.europa.eu
  • ISO. (2013). ISO/IEC 27001:2013 — Information technology — Security techniques — Information security management systems — Requirements. International Organization for Standardization.
  • Mackita, M., Shin, S.-Y., & Choe, T.-Y. (2019). ERMOCTAVE: A risk management framework for IT systems which adopt cloud computing. Future Internet, 11(9), 195. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi11090195
  • Mell, P., & Grance, T. (2011). The NIST definition of cloud computing. National Institute of Standards and Technology. Special Publication 800-145.
  • NIST. (2011). Guidelines on security and privacy in public cloud computing (SP 800-144). National Institute of Standards and Technology.
  • Pearson, S., & Benameur, A. (2010). Privacy, security and trust issues arising from cloud computing. 2010 IEEE Second International Conference on Cloud Computing Technology and Science, 693–702. https://doi.org/10.1109/CloudCom.2010.38
  • Puchley, T., & Toppi, C. (2018). ERM: Evolving from risk assessment to strategic risk management. HFM, 1–5.
  • Rittinghouse, J. W., & Ransome, J. F. (2017). Cloud computing: Implementation, management, and security (2nd ed.). CRC Press.
  • Subashini, S., & Kavitha, V. (2011). A survey on security issues in service delivery models of cloud computing. Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 34(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnca.2010.07.006

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