Read the case study titled, “Why Does Cryptographic Software Fail? A Case Study and Open Problems,” located in Week 6 of the course shell (original article located at http://people.csail.mit.edu/nickolai/papers/lazar-cryptobugs.pdf). Use the Internet to research The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Data Breach. Also, research the results that multiple organizations have experienced when they have implemented cryptographic software.
Write a three to four (3-4) page paper in which you:
- Examine two (2) major mistakes The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) made with cryptographic software. Recommend two (2) actions that companies can take in order to avoid these common mistakes and vulnerabilities with cryptographic software
- Briefly describe The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and its experience with cryptographic software. Analyze the company’s actions (or lack thereof) following the mistake and / or vulnerability
- Provide your opinion on The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) actions or plans to correct the mistake and / or vulnerability to avoid it from reoccurring. If The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has not corrected or does not have a plan to correct the mistake and / or vulnerability, suggest one (1) action that it should take in order to correct the mistake and / or vulnerability. Provide a rationale for your response
- Examine the most common results that The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) have experienced when they implemented cryptographic software. Speculate two (2) reasons why organizations see such results. Provide a rationale for your response
- Use at least three (3) quality references in this assignment
Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
- Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions
- Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
- Examine the challenges of computer security, including different threats and types of attacks
- Describe computational security and symmetric encryption techniques and adoption to modern organizations
- Use technology and information resources to research issues in cryptography
- Write clearly and concisely about cryptography using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions
