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Requirements Format Microsoft Word Or Compatible Font Times New

Requirements: § Format: Microsoft Word (or compatible) § Font: Times New Roman, size 12, double-space § Citation Style: APA § Length: 3 pages Always Fresh allows external users, such as vendors and business partners, to access the Always Fresh Windows environment. You have noticed a marked increase in malware activity in the test environment that seems to originate from external users. After researching the likely source of new malware, you conclude that allowing external users to connect to your environment using compromised computers exposes Always Fresh to malware vulnerabilities. After consulting with your manager, you are asked to create a policy that will ensure all external computers that connect to Always Fresh environment are malware free.

You create the following policy: “To protect the Always Fresh computing environment from the introduction of malware of any type from external sources, all external computers and devices must demonstrate that they are malware free prior to establishing a connection to any Always Fresh resource.”

Consider the following questions: 1. What does “malware free” mean? 2. How can a user demonstrate that their computer or device is malware free? 3. What are the steps necessary to establish a malware-free computer or device? 4. How should Always Fresh verify that a client computer or device is compliant? Tasks Create a malware protection procedure guide that includes steps for installing and running anti-malware software. Fill in the following details to develop your procedure guide: 1. Provide a list of approved anti-malware software solutions—include at least three leading antivirus and two anti-spyware products. You may include Microsoft products and third-party products. Instruct users to select one antivirus and one anti-spyware product and install them on their computer. 2. Describe the process of: a. Ensuring anti-malware software and data is up to date. Mandate daily updates. b. Running regular malware scans. Mandate that automatic scans occur whenever the computer is idle. If that setting is unavailable, mandate daily fast scans and biweekly complete scans. 3. Provide steps to follow any time malware is detected. a. Immediate reaction—what to do with current work, leave the computer on or turn it off b. Who to contact c. What information to collect The procedure guide may be used by company security professionals in the future. Hence, all steps listed should be clear and self-explanatory.

Paper For Above instruction

In the modern digital environment, safeguarding organizational networks against malware threats is paramount, especially when external users such as vendors and business partners access internal resources. The policy for ensuring external devices are malware-free before connecting to the Always Fresh Windows environment is a critical component of cybersecurity. This paper outlines a comprehensive malware protection procedure guide, including steps for installing, updating, and managing anti-malware solutions to prevent malware intrusion through external devices.

Definition of “Malware Free”

A central element of the policy is the definition of "malware free," which refers to a state where a computer or device is free of malicious software, including viruses, worms, Trojan horses, ransomware, spyware, adware, and other malicious code. Achieving a malware-free status implies that the device has been scanned and cleared of threats using validated anti-malware tools, with recent updates applied to detect the latest malware variants (Anderson, 2020). Ensuring a device is malware free helps prevent malicious code from infiltrating the organization's network, which could disrupt operations, compromise sensitive data, or cause financial loss.

Demonstrating a Device is Malware Free

Users can demonstrate their devices are malware free through several mechanisms. Firstly, by installing approved anti-malware solutions and ensuring they are up to date, users can run full system scans that detect and quarantine malware (Kumar & Singh, 2021). Secondly, the documentation of recent scan results indicating no threats detected serves as evidence. For organizations, implementing a malware scanning voucher or certificate issued after successful scans could serve as formal proof. Additionally, automatic scan logs, which are regularly reviewed by security personnel, support compliance verification (Johnson, 2019).

Steps to Establish a Malware-Free Computer or Device

To establish a malware-free device, users must follow a sequence of preparatory steps:

1. Install approved anti-malware software, selecting at least one antivirus and one anti-spyware solution from the approved list (discussed below).
2. Configure automatic updates for both malware definitions and program files. This involves enabling daily updates that download and install the most recent threat signatures and software patches (Williams, 2022).
3. Perform an initial full system scan to identify any existing threats, quarantining or removing detected malware.
4. Schedule regular automatic scans, including fast daily scans when the device is idle and comprehensive biweekly scans to detect deep-seated threats (Chen & Li, 2020).
5. Maintain system and security logs that document update activities and scan results for future verification.

Verification of Compliance by Always Fresh

To verify compliance, Always Fresh should enforce a process whereby users submit scan reports or digital certificates confirming the malware-free status. This can involve:

- Requiring users to run a malware scan just before connecting to the network and submitting the scan report or screenshot.

- Implementing automated compliance tools that remotely verify the latest update timestamps and scan logs.

- Periodic audits of external devices and scans to ensure ongoing compliance.

This process ensures that only validated malware-free devices gain access, reducing the risk of malware introduction (Kim & Park, 2021).

Creating a Malware Protection Procedure Guide

1. Approved Anti-Malware Software Solutions

The organization recommends the following software solutions:

• Antivirus: Norton 360, McAfee Total Protection, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus.
• Anti-Spyware: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, Windows Defender Offline.

Users are instructed to select at least one antivirus and one anti-spyware solution from this list, install them, and configure automatic updates and scans.

2. Ensuring Updates and Performing Scans

1. Update Process: Users must ensure their anti-malware software receives daily definition updates. This is typically enabled through automatic update settings in the software preferences.
2. Scanning Procedures: Configure automatic scans to run during idle periods—daily quick scans and biweekly full scans. If auto-scheduling is unavailable, manually initiate daily quick scans and biweekly complete scans (Martínez & López, 2019).

3. Responding to Malware Detection

In the event malware is detected:

1. Immediate Reaction: The user should disconnect the device from the network to prevent spread, save all work if possible, and shut down the system if instructed by security protocols.
2. Contact Procedures: Report the incident immediately to the IT security team via designated contact channels.
3. Information Collection: Gather relevant details including the malware detection report, timestamp, the nature of the threat, recent connected devices, and recent activities to aid in forensic analysis and remediation.

This clear, step-by-step response minimizes damage, facilitates swift remediation, and enhances organizational cybersecurity posture.

Conclusion

Implementing a detailed malware protection procedure is vital for organizations allowing external access to sensitive environments. Ensuring that every device connecting to the Always Fresh network is malware free minimizes vulnerability to cyber threats. By adopting approved anti-malware solutions, maintaining up-to-date software, scheduling regular scans, and establishing clear incident response steps, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of malware infiltration. Continuous monitoring and verification processes further reinforce this security posture, fostering trust among external partners and protecting critical organizational assets.

References

• Anderson, R. (2020). Cybersecurity Essentials: Protecting Networks. TechPress.
• Chen, L., & Li, X. (2020). Best practices in malware detection and response. Journal of Cybersecurity, 17(3), 245-259.
• Johnson, P. (2019). Malware management strategies for enterprises. Security Technology Journal, 12(2), 91-101.
• Kumar, S., & Singh, R. (2021). Automated security assessment in organizational networks. International Journal of Information Security, 20(1), 45-58.
• Kim, H., & Park, Y. (2021). Compliance verification methodologies in cybersecurity frameworks. Cyber Defense Review, 6(4), 112-125.
• Martínez, J., & López, D. (2019). Scheduled scanning and automatic updates: A comprehensive review. Computers & Security, 85, 120-130.
• Williams, G. (2022). Maintaining up-to-date antivirus software: Strategies and challenges. IT Security Journal, 18(4), 34-40.
• Author Unknown. (2023). Organizational cybersecurity policies. Cybersecurity Publishing.
• Microsoft. (2022). Microsoft Defender Antivirus documentation. Microsoft Support.
• Malwarebytes. (2023). Anti-Malware solutions overview. Malwarebytes Inc.