Competency 1 Reflection

Safeguarding Against Security Threats
A critical examination of security threats indicates that there are different types. One of
the common security threats is phishing, which involves cybercriminals attempting to solicit
sensitive information. Most phishing schemes lure individuals into clicking certain links, which
ask for verification of account details and personal information (Verma et al., 2019). Notably,
one of the safeguards against phishing is the installation of the anti-phishing toolbar, which
checks for any malicious sites and alerts the user of a computer. Additionally, regularly updating
browsers helps in preventing phishing. It is vital to acknowledge that the anti-phishing toolbar is
effective all the time once it is installed. From an IT manager’s perspective, installing anti-
phishing toolbar may be tedious, and regular browser updates may be time-consuming for
employees.
The other security threat is malware, which presents itself in different forms and causes
serious damage to a computer. Notably, malware may be in the form of a virus, worm, or a
Trojan. One of the safeguards against malware is anti-virus software, which helps scan any
downloads for malware (Verma et al., 2019). It is vital to acknowledge that regular scans of a
computer are imperative to prevent the spread of malware. Additionally, malware can be
prevented by regular software updates as they contain fixes that can improve the security of the
system. Remarkably, anti-virus software often works when it is up to date and fails to work when
certain updates are missing. Regarding the disadvantages of safeguards against malware, the
installation of anti-virus software is often time-consuming for IT managers.
Also, a botnet is a security threat that enables the hijacking of a network of computers. It
is vital to acknowledge that when the botnet malware is launched on a computer, it recruits the

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infected device into a botnet, which gives the hacker access to the computer (Verma et al., 2019).
Notably, botnets can be prevented by regular software updates and the installation of ant-virus
software. The above safeguards work all the time when they are updated. The major
disadvantage of the safeguards is that they are sometimes costly and require training for
employees.
GDPR
The GDPR offers protection to European citizens in numerous ways. First, the GDPR
ensures that an individual’s personal data can only be processed when they consent to the
process (Mondschein & Monda, 2019). Additionally, the GDPR gives European citizens the
right to erase their personal data, especially when it is no longer needed.
A critical examination of the GDPR indicates that it is beneficial to both businesses and
consumers. One of the benefits to the consumers is that their personal data is protected and
cannot be used for illegal purposes. For businesses, the GDPR helps attain data security for
organizations, which prevents lawsuits due to data breaches (Mondschein & Monda, 2019). The
main disadvantage of the GDPR is that it involves numerous processes, which are tedious for
organizations, and prevents customers from fully enjoying online services.
The GDPR has had a global impact, especially as numerous countries are using it to
guarantee the protection of consumer data. Also, the GDPR has changed the way U.S companies
handle consumer data because the GDPR has certain regulations that have to be adhered to;
otherwise, huge fines are imposed on companies (Mondschein & Monda, 2019).
Notably, companies in the U.S often gather numerous types of information from the
citizens. The companies collect information about where they reside, the products they consume
most, what they search most on the internet, and their posts on social media. Notably, an

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individual’s search history reveals personal information about health, fears, and shopping habits.
Regarding Google’s privacy policy, I do not feel comfortable with the fact that they have access
to the activities on technological devices used by individuals because this gives them detailed
personal data.

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References

Mondschein, C. F., & Monda, C. (2019). The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
in a research context. Fundamentals of clinical data science, 55-71.
Verma, R. M., Zeng, V., & Faridi, H. (2019, November). Data quality for security challenges:
Case studies of phishing, malware and intrusion detection datasets. In Proceedings of the
2019 ACM SIGSAC Conference on Computer and Communications Security (pp. 2605-
2607).