IT Strategic Solutions – MMT2 TASK 1 PDF

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Western Governors University IT Strategic Solutions – MMT2 Task 1 2021

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IT Strategic Solutions – MMT2 Task 1

Table of Contents A. Infrastructure SWOT Analysis............................................................................................... 3 B1. Strengths ................................................................................................................................. 3 B1A. Opportunities ....................................................................................................................... 4 B2. Weaknesses/Threats ............................................................................................................... 5 B3. Highest Impact........................................................................................................................ 5 C1. Research Strategy .................................................................................................................. 6 C1A. Technology Solutions .......................................................................................................... 6 C2. Staying Informed.................................................................................................................... 6 C2A. Emerging Technologies ....................................................................................................... 7 D. Recommendation ...................................................................................................................... 7 D1. Justification............................................................................................................................. 7

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IT Strategic Solutions – MMT2 Task 1 AEnergy Company has identified an opportunity for expansion in the eastern and southern regions of the United States. Although its operational facilities are in Fresno, CA, and Chicago, IL, they can operate as if collocated because of their existing technologies. Before devoting additional resources to the efforts of an expansion, AEnergy Company has committed to a review of the SWOT analysis conducted on its current IT Infrastructure. A. Infrastructure SWOT Analysis

S

W

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSSES

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Interconnectivity

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Low Server Capacity

2

Physical Attributes of Data Center(s)

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Lack of a DLP Solution

3

Backup & Recovery Environment

3

Lack of Cyber Security

4

Laptops and Workstations

4

O

OPPORTUNITIES

[42]

T

THREATS

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IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

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Server Availability

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SaaS (Software as a Service)

2

Data Loss & Data Leak

3

IT Software Refresh

3

Cyber Attack Virus/Malware

4

CRM

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B1. Strengths In the SWOT analysis of AEnergy Company, two predominant strengths were identified that could be leveraged to improve current products and services. AEnergy Company’s (1) Interconnectivity and (2) Laptop and Workstation deployment. AEnergy Company’s Interconnectivity provides the ability and convinces of operating its Data Centers as if collocated, but it can be leveraged for so much more. Currently, multiple systems are used to perform an array of functions, ranging from Human Resources to Research Computing. The current model is pulling information from various systems and integrating them to significantly save personnel time. Although this process is time and cost-efficient it comes at the cost of processing power (performance) and server space (availability). By deploying a 3

IT Strategic Solutions – MMT2 Task 1 Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) solution, the need for integration would be illuminated. This CRM solution would leverage AEnergy Company’s Interconnectivity and would become the single point of operational contact. Multiple systems would be eliminated, and the company would immediately reap the benefits. Including but not limited to 1) Reduction in cost for application and system licensing 2) Application Servers and Data Base servers would become available 3) Reduction in server maintenance 4) Increase in performance and storage capacity and 5) increase in availability for clients. AEnergy Company’s Laptops and Workstations have a great deal of assurance and functionality. This assurance and functionality allow its employees to work remotely through a secure VPN connection. With that said the imaging process for workstations and laptops can be enhanced and refined. If AEnergy Company creates distinct master images for laptops, workstations and including in additional benchmark application and software solutions, it will 1)increase the deployment rate of laptops and workstations, 2) reduce the hours technicians use in support calls adding additional software and applications and 3) increase the experience and productivity rate of the end-user. B1A. Opportunities The interconnectivity of AEnergy Company’s infrastructure allows them to have a very agile workforce. The agility the company’s interconnectivity provides can be further leveraged by the integration of software as a service solution (SaaS). Currently, software applications are installed on workstations and laptops and a licensing fee is paid for each of these. By leveraging the current IT infrastructure and integrating SaaS solutions the company would be able to save money in licensing and have their clients and workforce up and running in no time. If applied, employees and clients would be able to connect and use the company’s services from anywhere without worrying about availability constraints i.e., server space. AEnergy Company’s second opportunity lies in the utilization of a Customer Relationship Manager (CRM). Currently, the organization uses various systems and applications and using its processing power to integrate all these solutions. If a CRM solution were to be implemented in the current IT environment the need for separate application and software solutions would decrease. Following, the current integration process would be eliminated remediating processing power. The CRM solution would become the centralized hub for most if not all solutions, thus allowing employees and clients to selfservice in various aspects of its products and services. An example of the benefits of the CRM in the

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IT Strategic Solutions – MMT2 Task 1 organization would be when a client calls the helpdesk, that would be logged, a ticket would be created and resolved all within the CRM.

B2. Weaknesses/Threats AEnergy Company’s current weakness lies in its 1) server availability, 2) the lack of a DLP solution and 3) its current susceptibility to a Cyber Attack. The first weakness in AEnergy Company’s IT infrastructure comes in the form of its server availability. The current environment is set up to handle a 20% growth of server and system use and storage. This is a handicap being that if AEnergy Company takes on a large client they would either deny them or scramble to find a workaround (i.e., add more server space). If AEnergy Company did find a workaround and onboarded a large client their infrastructure would be susceptible to failure. The second weakness in AEnergy Company’s IT infrastructure is the lack of a DLP solution. Currently, AEnergy Company’s DLP program consists of its offside recovery protocol, PC snapshots, and its SharePoint storage solution. All prior mentioned solutions are effective, but an actual DLP solution is needed to meet the organizational need. In the scenario where a laptop or workstation was to crash or be lost, the organization would leverage a recent snapshot. But let's say no recent snapshot was available, then all the data in that endpoint device would effectively be lost. If a DLP solution was deployed through the organization’s infrastructure, it would solve this issue by effectively managing data for endpoint, storage, and network devices. The final identified weakness would be AEnergy Company’s susceptibility to a Cyber Attack. AEnergy Company’s current employees an intrusion detection service and an in-house solution that is managed by its employees. Unfortunately, in this day and age, these solutions aren’t enough. With cyber incidences and data breaches on the rise, AEnergy Company needs to employ more solutions and technologies to mitigate this risk. AEnergy Company needs to employ either an additional endpoint protection solution or a Managed security service (MSSP). If not managed the probability of a data breach and or cyber incident is very high. B3. Highest Impact The greatest identified weakness and threat to AEnergy Company and its Infrastructure would be its susceptibility to a Cyber Attack. It doesn’t boast well for AEnergy Company Security Monitor; Sawyer Molinas, to underline the weaknesses in the system and note that modifications to that system are well overdue. In recent years the number of cyber-attacks has grown 5

IT Strategic Solutions – MMT2 Task 1 exponentially, and the way they are carried out has grown in complexity. Now Organizations must worry about Ransomware, Malware and Phishing, and everything in between. On “average ransomware payment rose 33% in 2020 over 2019, to $111,605” and “the average cost of a data breach is $3.86 million as of 2020”.A Cyber Attack would be crippling to AEnergy Company and its clients, if not mitigated and or addressed AEnergy Company could be liable for expenses and fees that could potentially cause it to close its doors. C1. Research Strategy My research strategy began with simple web searches of different products and services that help in mitigating cyber risk. After identifying several solutions, I proceeded to evaluate them by features and the result they provide. I later narrowed down the solutions list by cost and impact, the cost to implement the solution, and the impact it would have on the environment and the end-user. Finally, I read reviews from similar organizations to narrow down the best fit. C1A. Technology Solutions Technology solutions that would mitigate the existing cyber risk are 1) a Managed security service provider (MSSP) and or 2) the integrations of Vulnerability Management Tools. A Managed security service provider (MSSP) can greatly reduce the risk of a cyber incident. An MSSP monitors your network and digital world around the clock and alerts you to abnormalities. They can assist you in managing your firewalls and your workstations, laptops, and servers. Besides managing and monitoring, an MSSP can help when an actual breach occurs. They will help minimize the damage and increase security around the area of vulnerability. The second solution that would mitigate the risk of a cyber incident would be the deployment of Vulnerability Management Tools. A Vulnerability Management Tool helps with scanning, remediation, patching, security, compliance, asset management. With these functions’ vulnerabilities can be addressed in real-time strengthen a company’s infrastructure daily. A Vulnerability management tool is easy to stand up to; being that is a SaaS solution, and should be seriously considered. Implementing a vulnerability management tool will ultimately mitigate the present cyber risk by eliminating potential vulnerabilities on the network.

C2. Staying Informed I plan to stay informed by simply maintaining my IT certifications. To maintain once certifications, one must read tech blogs, being involved in the IT community, and attend seminars and training events that provide credits toward your learning hours. The training 6

IT Strategic Solutions – MMT2 Task 1 seminars are a good tool alone being that the latest topics, technologies, and methods in IT are discussed here. C2A. Emerging Technologies Two emerging technologies that will help AEnergy Company gain a competitive edge are 1) 5G networking and 2) AI technology. 5G networking would give AEnergy Company a competitive advantage in that it can provide its workforce with even more mobility. It can also potentially leverage 5G for some of the products and or services currently being developed with the organization. Currently, the “market size was of 5G is 41.48 billion” and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 46.2%”. The utilization and integration of this technology are key for AEnergy Company's future success. The second technology is AI and Machine learning. AI and Machine learning can give AEnergy Company a competitive advantage. AEnergy Company can provide its customers with a unique perspective by leveraging machine learning algorithms. Reports could be run by AI that would show AEnergy client’s data and correlations they haven’t thought about. Currently the “AI Market USD 93.53 billion with a revenue forecast in 2028 of 997.77 billion”. D. Recommendation / D1. Justification My recommendation would be for AEnergy to implement an MSSP. The deployment of an MSSP would significantly reduce the growing risk of a cyber-attack. If deployed AEnergy Company’s Infrastructure would immediately become less susceptible to a cyber-attack. An MSSP would give AEnergy Company the most bang for its buck. An MSSP would 1) immediately extended the Cyber Security Team, 2) Provide insight through the use of a SIEM and Log Management, 3) Secure Assets (i.e., servers workstations and laptops), 4) Automate the vulnerability management program, and 5) assist in the continued management of IT compliance. There are many more applications of this solution and an MSSP will save AEnergy Company money by preventing an even or a data leak. The alternative to an MSSP would be to hire an experienced team of at least 6 individuals to monitor the environment 24/7. The cost of doing so would be astronomical, not only because of salary but because of the need for additional hardware, licensing, and maintenance. The protection of its customer data is AEnergy top objective and having an MSSP would then communicate to all clients and further instilling trust and comfort with the organization and its security. 7

IT Strategic Solutions – MMT2 Task 1

REFERENCES Rob Sobers (March 16 2021) 134 Cybersecurity Statistics and Trends for 2021 Retrieved from: https://www.varonis.com/blog/cybersecurity-statistics/ The 2020 Cybersecurity stats you need to know (February 16, 2020) Retrieved from: https://www.fintechnews.org/the-2020-cybersecurity-stats-you-needto-know/ Artificial Intelligence Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Solution, By Technology (Deep Learning, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Machine Vision), By End Use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 – 2028 (June 2021) Retrieved from: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/artificialintelligence-ai-market 5G Services Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Communication Type (FWA, eMBB, uRLLC, mMTC), By Vertical (Manufacturing, IT & Telecom, BFSI), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 – 2028 (March 2021) Retrieved from: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/5g-services-market

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