The ACME Yearbook Company has an existing desktop application that allows customers to create school yearbooks. The desktop application imports a portrait template containing a text document with student and faculty names, grades, and filenames. The filenames identify the yearbook photo for the respective individual. The application then allows the customer to edit the portrait database and design the school’s yearbook, including the ability to import additional photographs and lay out each yearbook page. When the yearbook is completed, the application uploads a data set to the portrait database “in the cloud” and all of the layout data for each yearbook page.
Note: Their previous product used CD ROMSs, and there was no Internet access for development, viewing, or purchase.
The company uses this data set to produce a high-resolution PDF of the yearbook, which is then used to produce the printed hardcopy yearbooks for the school. Additionally, the schools can request electronic copies of the yearbook on CDs for record-keeping or for direct sale to students to accompany their hard copies.
The ACME Yearbook Company has hired you to help them develop an Internet-based product to complement the existing desktop application. Write a report to the company explaining what features need to be added to their product to make it secure.
The Internet-based product should include the following additional features:
Allow all yearbook data to be stored on ACME’s servers, rather than on the customer’s local computer.
Allow the desktop product to be used to edit the yearbook and any new Internet version of the product.
Allow multiple people to edit the yearbook at the same time (including any students who are working on the yearbook).
Allow people to purchase copies of the completed yearbook using a credit card.
Allow a low-resolution PDF of the completed yearbook to be available to the school for proofing. Also, make available a high-resolution PDF that can only be accessed by ACME’s printing facilities and partners.
Security concerns include:
Licensing of the application client on school PCs.
Security for the output designs on the cloud and on CDs.
Secure storage of multiple yearbooks from multiple clients at ACME and in the cloud.
Online purchasing of electronic copies of yearbooks.
Communications security.
You must do the following:
Identify and list RISKS to be addressed.
Design a solution or a solution set.
Full Answer Section
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Security of Yearbook Designs:
- Risk: Unauthorized access to yearbook designs in the cloud or on CDs could result in data breaches or tampering.
- Risk: Accidental deletion or overwriting of designs could cause delays and frustration.
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Secure Storage of Multiple Yearbooks:
- Risk: Data breaches at ACME or in the cloud could expose sensitive student and faculty information.
- Risk: Unauthorized access to other schools' yearbook data could be a privacy concern.
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Online Purchasing Security:
- Risk: Credit card information theft during online purchases.
- Risk: Payment processing system vulnerabilities could compromise financial data.
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Communications Security:
- Risk: Interception of data transmissions between the desktop application and ACME's servers.
- Risk: Man-in-the-Middle attacks could compromise data integrity.
Proposed Solutions
1. Licensing and Client Application Security:
- Implement a robust licensing system with unique identifiers for each school's application installation.
- Utilize secure communication protocols (HTTPS) for all application updates and data transfers.
- Consider implementing digital rights management (DRM) on the application to prevent unauthorized copying.
2. Security of Yearbook Designs:
- Employ strong access controls for cloud storage and CDs. Utilize multi-factor authentication for administrators and editors.
- Implement role-based access control (RBAC) to restrict access to yearbook designs based on user roles (e.g., editor, faculty advisor).
- Utilize version control systems to track design changes and allow for rollback in case of accidental deletions.
3. Secure Storage of Multiple Yearbooks:
- Implement data encryption for yearbook data both at rest and in transit (e.g., AES-256).
- Segregate yearbook data for different schools within the cloud storage system.
- Regularly backup yearbook data to a secure offsite location for disaster recovery purposes.
4. Online Purchasing Security:
- Partner with a reputable payment processor that adheres to industry security standards (e.g., PCI-DSS).
- Employ secure sockets layer (SSL) technology to encrypt credit card information during transactions.
- Implement tokenization to avoid storing sensitive credit card data on ACME's servers.
5. Communications Security:
- Utilize secure communication protocols (HTTPS) for all data transmissions between the desktop application and ACME's servers.
- Implement encryption for all data transfers to prevent unauthorized interception of yearbook data.
Additional Considerations
- Security Awareness Training: Conduct regular security awareness training for all users (school administrators, editors, students) to educate them on best practices for password management, phishing attacks, and online security.
- Penetration Testing: Regularly conduct penetration testing of the internet-based application and server infrastructure to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
- Incident Response Plan: Develop a comprehensive incident response plan to deal with security breaches and data leaks effectively.
Conclusion
By implementing the proposed solutions, ACME Yearbook Company can significantly enhance the security of its internet-based yearbook application. Prioritizing security will ensure the privacy of student and faculty information, protect intellectual property, and maintain user trust. Remember, security is an ongoing process, and it's essential to continuously monitor and improve the security posture of the application.