The Impact of Weak System Security
In addition to this, it is not just the organization itself that can feel the brunt of the impact of weak security. Employees whose responsibility it is to ensure that there are no weaknesses an also be hit hard. Generally, it is up to managers to ensure that there are no weaknesses in a systems security; or at least to reduce the risk of negative impact/damage on the company. This means that if there is a major weakness is found in the system of an organization, managers could lose their jobs as a result of negligence etc.
This then puts the managers in a situation where they are losing money, not just the company. Loss of Customers- Weak system security can also result in the loss of customers as people will not want to use a business that has problems with their security s their personal details or information may be at risk. For example, if a bank has a weakness in its security, and this weakness is exploited by hackers; then customers’ information may be stolen and used to purchase goods under their name.
This goes against the organization’s key responsibilities to its customers as they have a responsibility to keep their customers data safe and hidden from unrestricted access. This means that if people’s data is stolen or lost then they will more than likely move to a rival organization where they think that their data will be safer. This will result in the loss of customers from the company and a massive lost in trust; possibly resulting in the loss of jobs as there aren’t enough customers to make a profit for the company.
Increased Costs- An increase in costs can also be incurred from the weakness in a systems security. This can be caused as a result Of needing a specialist engineer etc to come in to the company to see where the weakness in the systems security is. This may cost a lot of money as it is; and more money will need to be spent in order to get another specialist to come out and fix the problems that are there. In addition to this, customers may wish to receive mom sort of compensation as payment for the information that the company has lost about them. Or Image- A poor company image can be another nasty effect of weak system security. If a major company has even one or two system weaknesses it can reflect very badly on its image as people will start to lose trust in the overall protection that the company offers to its customers. A poor company image can have a massive impact on the ability for a company to make enough money to actually make a profit on the goods they are making/selling. A poor image may then result in the loss of customers and earnings from the many.
It is therefore vital that the company ensures that there are no weaknesses in its security so that their company image stays strong. All of the above impacts can be related to the organizations key responsibilities to their Customers. The Organization has a massive responsibility to ensure that all of their customers’ personal data is kept secure, and that only the people who are authorized to access it are able to and only at the right times. This links in with the data protection act of 1998, as companies must provide suitable means of protecting customers’ data.
