You Own A Consulting Company And You Are Providing Th 667964
You Own Aconsulting Company And You Are Providing the Following Infor
You own a consulting company and you are providing information to a company regarding a security breach that occurred in 2019. The task includes researching a company that experienced a security breach in 2019, providing a comprehensive background of the company, detailing the breach with the “Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How,” and creating professional Incident Response and Disaster Recovery Plans based on the breach. These plans should be suitable for internal use and include detailed strategies for responding to and recovering from such incidents. The final submission must be a single document, at least 15 pages long, including the breach details, IRP, and DRP, supported by at least five scholarly sources, tailored for presentation to senior executives.
Paper For Above instruction
In 2019, a significant security breach affected British Airways, a major international airline headquartered in London, United Kingdom. British Airways operates on a global scale, offering passenger and cargo transportation services, holding a prominent position within the aviation industry. The airline provides a wide range of travel solutions, including international and domestic flights, loyalty programs, and customer support services. As a publicly traded company listed on the London Stock Exchange, British Airways has a substantial digital presence, including online booking systems, mobile applications, and customer management platforms spanning multiple countries and regions. The company’s extensive data infrastructure stores vast amounts of personal information, from payment details to frequent flyer credentials, making it a key target for cybercriminals.
The breach in question occurred in May 2019 when malicious actors compromised British Airways' online booking system, leading to the exposure of approximately 380,000 customer transactions. The attack exploited vulnerabilities in the airline’s web applications, which allowed hackers to intercept personal and payment data during the booking process. The cybercriminals utilized sophisticated techniques involving malware and server infiltration to gain access directly into the system. The breach was detected a few days after its occurrence, but the damage was already done, prompting swift public disclosure. Authorities and cybersecurity experts, investigating the incident, confirmed that the attack was likely driven by financially motivated cybercriminal groups aiming to steal personal and credit card information, which led to financial fraud risks for affected customers.
The primary reasons for the breach include inadequate security measures in place to monitor and defend against advanced cyber threats, insufficient encryption of sensitive data, and lack of timely detection mechanisms. The perpetrators exploited these vulnerabilities, emphasizing the necessity for robust cybersecurity frameworks. British Airways responded by enhancing their security protocols, notifying affected customers, and collaborating with law enforcement and cybersecurity agencies to contain and analyze the breach.
Based on this breach, the development of a comprehensive Incident Response Plan (IRP) is imperative. This plan will outline the procedures for identifying, containing, eradicating, and recovering from cybersecurity incidents while ensuring minimal disruption to operations. The IRP should specify roles and responsibilities, communication strategies, and legal compliance measures, all formatted professionally for internal distribution.
Similarly, the Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) should focus on restoring IT infrastructure and business operations following a security incident. It will include backup strategies, system recovery procedures, and continuous monitoring frameworks aligned with industry standards (e.g., NIST) to ensure resilience against future breaches. Both plans should be detailed, actionable, and tailored to British Airways’ operational context, serving as internal documents to guide swift and effective responses in case of future security events.
This integrated approach ensures that British Airways can maintain operational continuity, safeguard customer data, and comply with data protection regulations such as GDPR. The collaboration between cybersecurity teams, management, and external agencies will be crucial for the success of these plans. As a consulting firm, our role is to craft these documents to meet high professional standards, supported by scholarly research and best practices, enabling the airline to handle the aftermath of security breaches efficiently and securely.
References
- Kelly, S., & Connolly, C. (2020). Cybersecurity challenges in the aviation industry. Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering, 9(3), 15-25.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2018). Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity. NIST.
- European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA). (2019). Threat Landscape for the Airline Industry. ENISA Report.
- Gartner. (2020). Magic Quadrant for Security Information and Event Management. Gartner Research.
- Schneier, B. (2015). Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World. W. W. Norton & Company.
- ISO/IEC 27001:2013. (2013). Information technology — Security techniques — Information security management systems — Requirements.
- The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. (2019). Data Breach Statistics and Incidents. PRC Reports.
- Impiger, K. (2019). The Impact of Data Breaches in the Aviation Sector. Cybersecurity Journal, 2(1), 45-50.
- Riley, A. (2020). Cybersecurity Strategies for Critical Infrastructure. IEEE Security & Privacy, 18(4), 27-33.
- UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). (2021). Guide to Data Security and Breach Management. ICO Publications.