Write a 200- to 300-word short-answer response to the following:
• Why is it important to protect the information organizations use today? What are the basic elements in systems that help with this task?
I think the importance of protecting the information within an organization depends on your perspective. An organization will have different reasons why it is important to protect information than that of the customer. An organization considers it important to protect the information they use to insure the secrecy of trade secrets and avoid facing heavy fines and lawsuits. An organization that has a competitive edge due to trade secrets is going to place a high importance on protecting the information they use. An organization that does not properly protect their information can have their reputation tarnished and lose customers if the security breech becomes public knowledge, but the fines they face could bankrupt them. The fines that an organization faces for failing to protect information can range into the millions of dollars. From that perspective, it is important to protect information to avoid possible bankruptcy or the loss of millions of dollars. As a customer, I have a different perspective on why I think it is important for an organization to protect the information they use today. From my perspective, it is important to protect the information that organizations use today because it is my information, my finances, my identity. Because of government regulations it is important to protect our (the customer) information as well as protecting their (the organization) information and trade secrets. Some of the basic elements that help them and us protect information are anti-virus software, firewalls and logins with usernames and secure passwords.