Can we ensure that Open Data is useful AND secure?, writing assignment help

Paper #1: Can we ensure that Open Data is useful AND secure?Scenario:A federal agency has asked your cybersecurity consultingfirm to provide it with a white paper that discusses the issues of usefulnessand security in regards to Open Data. The white paper is intended for a groupof executives at the agency who are opposed to the planned conversion of itscurrent controlled distribution for several highly valuable and frequentlyrequested datasets (DVDs purchased through the Government Printing Office) toOPEN Data distribution via the governments Data.Gov portal (website).Currently, these data sets are purchased by businesses and academicinstitutions and are used for a variety of purposes. A customer satisfaction survey revealed that purchasers arewilling to change over to the new Open Data distribution method for data sets.But, the agency head has received phone calls from several large andpolitically well-connected customers who expressed concerns about potentialissues with the integrity and authenticity of downloaded data. The agencys executiveswere also surveyed and they provided the following security-related items in alist of concerns for the planned conversion to an Open Data delivery method:a. Confidentiality/ Privacy (ensuring proper redaction)b. Dataintegrityc. Data authenticityd. Availability(reliability) of the Open Data service (website)e. Non-repudiationof data setsResearch:1. Read / Review the weekly readings.2. Research the federal governments OPEN Data mandate. Hereare some sources that you may find useful:a. https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2013/m-13-13.pdf(includes significant discussion of security issues and policy solutionsincluding references to FIPS 199 and NIST SP-800-53)b. https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/us_open_data_action_plan.pdfc. http://www.data.gov d. http://www.data.gov/privacy-policy#data_policy e. https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2014/m-14-06.pdf3. Research how government information, e.g. OPEN Data, isused by businesses and the general public. Here are some sources to get youstarted:a. 7 Ways Companies Are Using the Government's Open Datahttp://mashable.com/2013/05/30/7-ways-government-open-data/ b. Government open data proves a treasure trove for savvybusinesseshttp://www.computerworld.com/article/2488683/business-intelligence-government-open-data-proves-a-treasure-trove-for-savvy-businesses.htmlc. Open data: Unlocking innovation and performance withliquid information http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/business_technology/open_data_unlocking_innovation_and_performance_with_liquid_information4. Research the issues that can arise when businesses dependupon the confidentiality, integrity, availability, authenticity, andnon-repudiation of government provided Open Data. Suggested sources include:a. Authenticating Digital Government Informationhttp://scholarship.richmond.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1954&context=law-faculty-publicationsb. Legal and Institutional Challenges for Opening DataAcross Public Sectorshttp://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=iih&AN=97430297&site=eds-live&scope=sitec. Risk Analysis to Overcome Barriers to Open Datahttp://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=poh&AN=93550378&site=eds-live&scope=sited. Reconciling Contradictions of Open Data RegardingTransparency, Privacy, Security and Trust http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=iih&AN=97430299&site=eds-live&scope=site5. Find five or more best practice recommendations forensuring the security (confidentiality, integrity, availability, authenticity,non-repudiation) of information provided by the federal government through itsOPEN Data initiative. N.B. For thepurposes of this assignment, you may treat licensing concerns as anavailability issue.Write:Write a five (5) to eight (8) page summary of your research.You should focus upon clarity and conciseness more than length when determiningwhat content to include in your paper. At a minimum, your summary must includethe following:1. An introduction or overview of OPEN Data which providesdefinitions and addresses the laws, regulations, and policies which require federalagencies to identify and publish datasets and information collections. Discussthe role of the executive branchs Open Data / Open Government policies inmaking data available via Data.Gov. This introduction should be suitable for anexecutive audience.2. A separate section in which you discuss the value(benefits) of Open Data. This section should provide several specific examplesof how government provided Open Data is being used by businesses and thegeneral public. 3. A separate section in which you address security issues(confidentiality, integrity, availability, authenticity, and non-repudiation )which can impact the usefulness of Open Data and how these issues are currentlybeing addressed by the federal policies and plans for Open Data. Again, youshould provide examples of issues and mitigations or solutions.4. A section in which you address best practicerecommendations for ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, availability,authenticity, and non-repudiation of Open Data. Additional Information1. Your white paper should use standard terms anddefinitions for cybersecurity concepts. The following sources are recommended: ISACA Glossary http://www.isaca.org/pages/glossary.aspx  Guidelines on Security and Privacy in Public Cloud Computinghttp://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/SP/nistspecialpublication800-144.pdf 2. You are expected to credit your sources using in-textcitations and reference list entries. Both your citations and your referencelist entries must comply with APA 6th edition Style requirements. Failure tocredit your sources will result in penalties. 3. Use APA 6th edition style (formatting) for theorganization and appearance of the MS Word document that you submit to yourassignment folder. This includes margins, section headings, and consistent useof fonts (Times New Roman 12 in black), paragraph styles (first line indent by inch), and line spacing (double). Your file should contain both a title pageand a separate References page. Use page breaks to ensure that the title pageand references page are separate from the body of the paper. 4. You are expected to write grammatically correct Englishin every assignment that you submit for grading. Do not turn in any workwithout (a) using spell check, (b) using grammar check, (c) verifying that yourpunctuation is correct and (d) reviewing your work for correct word usage andcorrectly structured sentences and paragraphs. These items are graded underProfessionalism and constitute 15% of the assignment grade.