Critiquing Potential Violations Using Information Technology

Critiquing Potential Violations Using Information Technology
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Critiquing Potential Violations Using Information Technology
Executive Summary
In the era of information technology (IT), companies are integrating IT into their operations to reap the benefits associated with IT. However, the integration of IT also exposes companies to online security threats that disrupt business operations. Therefore, more companies are assessing the available solutions to minimize security threats associated with the use of IT. This executive report explores a security breach that occurred last year to a telecommunication company and presents findings that can help Northcentral University safeguard its information systems.
Security Breach
On August 2021, the giant telecommunication company T-Mobile’s IT servers were breached. The breach occurred after a malicious party used brute force attacks to gain entry into the server and access personal information from millions of customers (T-Mobile, 2021). While the breach did not leak any financial-related information, it exposed customers’ addresses, driver’s licenses, names, and other personally identifiable information. This breach left customers vulnerable and exposed because they had shared their information with the company, hoping their information would be protected. According to Posey et al. (2017), when individuals share their information with organizations, their data privacy depends on the organization's information privacy safeguards and security measures. Therefore, when security breaches occur, it is implied that the organization lacks adequate safeguards and data protection mechanisms. T-Mobile's security breach makes a good case study because the company is multinational and has access to a lot of personal information. In addition, T-mobile has faced some legal ramifications following the breach. Northcentral University can learn from this organization about how to respond after a security breach and the potential ramifications of such a breach.
Implications of the Breach
The effects of a security breach are far and wide, ranging from reputational to legal consequences. The company was left vulnerable to some legal ramifications when the hacker gained access to customers' information during the security breach at T-Mobile. For instance, the company had to settle a class action lawsuit in 2022. According to Kurth (2022), affected customers raised claims that T-Mobile had violated privacy laws by inadequately notifying impacted individuals about the breach. In addition, the customers claimed that the company had failed to adequately safeguard the privacy of customers’ data. Posey et al. (2017) state that despite existing breach notification laws, companies sometimes fail to adequately notify customers about data breaches due to the fear of the negative publicity associated with such notifications. However, failure to adhere to these laws can have legal consequences, such as lawsuits.
In addition to the lawsuit, T-Mobile received legal scrutiny from federal agencies. In particular, T-Mobile was investigated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ...