Identify ethical, security, and privacy considerations in conducting data and information analysis and selecting and using information technology.

Professional Memo
Before you begin this assignment, be sure you have read the Small Merchant Guide to Safe
Payments documentation from the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS)
organization. PCI Data Security Standards are established to protect payment account data
throughout the payment lifecycle, and to protect individuals and entities from the criminals who
attempt to steal sensitive data. The PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) applies to all entities
that store, process, and/or transmit cardholder data, including merchants, service providers, and
financial institutions.
Purpose of this Assignment
You work as an Information Technology Consultant for the Greater Washington Risk Associates
(GWRA) and have been asked to write a professional memo to one of your clients as a follow-up
to their recent risk assessment (RA). GWRA specializes in enterprise risk management for state
agencies and municipalities. The county of Anne Arundel, Maryland (the client) hired GWRA to
conduct a risk assessment of Odenton, Maryland (a community within the Anne Arundel
County), with a focus on business operations within the municipality.
This assignment specifically addresses the following course outcome to enable you to:
• Identify ethical, security, and privacy considerations in conducting data and information
analysis and selecting and using information technology.
Assignment
Your supervisor has asked that the memo focus on Odenton’s information systems, and
specifically, securing the processes for payments of services. Currently, the Odenton Township
offices accept cash or credit card payment for the services of sanitation (sewer and refuse),
water, and property taxes. Residents can pay either in-person at township offices or over the
phone with a major credit card (American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa). Over the
phone payment involves with speaking to an employee and giving the credit card information.
Once payment is received, the Accounting Department is responsible for manually entering it
into the township database system and making daily deposits to the bank.
The purpose of the professional memo is to identify a minimum of three current controls
(e.g., tools, practices, policies) in Odenton Township (either a control specific to Odenton
Township or a control provided by Anne Arundel county) that can be considered best
practices in safe payment/data protection. Furthermore, beyond what measures are
currently in place, you should highlight the need to focus on insider threats and provide a
minimum of three additional recommendations. Below are the findings from the Risk
Assessment:
• The IT department for Anne Arundel County requires strong passwords for users to
access and use information systems.
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• The IT department for Anne Arundel County is meticulous about keeping payment
terminal software, operating systems and other software (including anti-virus software)
updated.
• Assessment of protection from remote access and breaches to the Anne Arundel network:
Odenton Township accesses the database system for the County when updating resident’s
accounts for services. It is not clear whether a secure remote connection (VPN) is
standard policy.
• Assessment of physical security at the Odenton Township hall: the only current form of
physical security are locks on the two outer doors; however, the facility is unlocked
Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm (EST), excluding federal holidays.
• Employee awareness training on data security and secure practices for handling sensitive
data (e.g., credit card information) are not in place.
• The overarching conclusion of the risk assessment was that Odenton Township is not
fully compliant with the PCI Data Security Standards (v3.2).
Note: The Chief Executive for Anne Arundel County has asked for specific attention be paid
to insider threats, citing a recent article about an administrator from San Francisco (see
Resources). Anne Arundel County wants to understand insider threats and ways to mitigate
so that they protect their resident’s personal data as well as the County’s sensitive
information. These are threats to information systems, including malware and insider threats
(negligent or inadvertent users, criminal or malicious insiders, and user credential theft).
Expectations and Format
Using the resources listed below, you are to write a 2-page Professional Informational Memo to
the Chief Executive for Anne Arundel County that addresses the following:
• Risk Assessment Summary: Provide an overview of your concerns from the risk
assessment report. Include broad ‘goal’ of the memo, as a result of the risk assessment,
the broad recommendations. Specific Action Steps will come later. The summary should
be no more than one paragraph.
• Background: Provide a background for your concerns. Briefly highlight why the
concerns are critical to the County of Anne Arundel and Odenton Township. Clearly
state the importance of data security and insider threats when dealing with personal credit
cards. Be sure to establish the magnitude of the problem of insider threats.
• Concerns, Standards, Best Practices: The body of the memo needs to justify your
concerns and clarify standards, based on the resources listed below, at minimum. The
PCI DSS standards are well respected and used globally to protect entities and
individual’s sensitive data. The body of the memo should also highlight three current
controls that are considered best practice; that is, you should highlight the positive,
what is currently in place, based on the risk assessment.
• Action Steps: Provide a conclusion establishing why it is important for Anne Arundel
County to take steps to protect residents and county infrastructure from insider threats
based on your concerns. Recommend a minimum of three (3) practical action steps,
including new security controls, best practices and/or user policies that will mitigate the
concerns in this memo. Be sure to include cost considerations so that the County is
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getting the biggest bang for the buck. The expectations are not for you to research and
quote actual costs, but to generalize potential costs. For instance, under the category of
physical security, door locks are typically less expensive than CCTV cameras.
• Be sure to review the PowerPoint presentation (in pdf format) Effective Professional
Memo Writing that accompanies these instructions.
• Use the Professional Memo template that accompanies these instructions.
o Use four section subtitles, in bold.
▪ Risk Assessment Summary
▪ Background
▪ Concerns, Standards, Best Practices
▪ Action Steps