Suppose you are the Information Security Director at a small software company. The organization currently utilizes a Microsoft Server 2012 Active Directory domain administered by your information security team. Mostly software developers and a relatively small number of administrative personnel comprise the remainder of the organization. You have convinced business unit leaders that it would be in the best interest of the company to use a public key infrastructure (PKI) in order to provide a framework that fosters confidentiality, integrity, authentication, and nonrepudiation. Email clients, virtual private network (VPN) products, Web server components, and domain controllers would utilize digital certificates issued by the certificate authority (CA). Additionally, the company would use digital certificates to sign software developed by the company in order to demonstrate software authenticity to the customer. Write a two to three (2-3) page paper in which you: Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: Purchase the answer to view it Purchase the answer to view it Purchase the answer to view it Purchase the answer to view it Purchase the answer to view it Purchase the answer to view it Purchase the answer to view it

As the Information Security Director at a small software company, the decision to implement a public key infrastructure (PKI) can greatly enhance the organization’s security framework. A PKI is a system that utilizes digital certificates and encryption to provide secure communication and authentication. In this scenario, the company plans to use a PKI to achieve confidentiality, integrity, authentication, and nonrepudiation.

The first step in implementing a PKI is to establish a trust hierarchy. This involves setting up a certificate authority (CA) that will issue digital certificates to the various components within the organization’s IT infrastructure. The CA is responsible for verifying the identity of the entities requesting certificates and signing these certificates to ensure their authenticity.

In the context of this scenario, the email clients, VPN products, Web server components, and domain controllers would all utilize digital certificates issued by the CA. These certificates serve as proof of identity for these components and enable secure communication between them. For example, when a user connects to the company’s VPN, the VPN product will present its digital certificate to authenticate itself to the client. The client will then validate the certificate and establish a secure connection.

Additionally, the company plans to use digital certificates to sign software developed by the company. Digital signatures provide a way for the end users to verify the authenticity and integrity of the software. By signing the software with a digital certificate, the company can demonstrate that the software has not been tampered with and that it indeed comes from a trusted source.

One of the main benefits of implementing a PKI is the ability to achieve confidentiality. Encryption is a key component of a PKI and is used to protect sensitive information as it traverses the network. When a client connects to a secure website, for example, the web server presents its digital certificate, which contains its public key. The client then uses this public key to encrypt the data before sending it to the server. Only the server, with the corresponding private key, can decrypt and access the data.

Integrity ensures that the data has not been altered or tampered with during transmission. By digitally signing the software and using digital certificates for communication, the company can ensure the integrity of its systems and data. If any tampering is detected, the digital signatures will no longer be valid, and the user will be alerted to the potential security breach.

Authentication is another crucial aspect of a PKI. By issuing digital certificates to the components within the organization’s IT infrastructure, the company can establish trust and verify the identity of these components. This prevents unauthorized access and ensures that only legitimate entities can interact with the systems.

Nonrepudiation is the ability to prevent a party from denying their involvement in a transaction. With digital certificates, the company can have evidence of a user’s identity and actions. This is particularly important when the company needs to prove that a certain action was performed by a legitimate user.

In conclusion, implementing a PKI can greatly enhance the security framework of a small software company. By utilizing digital certificates for authentication, encryption for confidentiality, and digital signatures for integrity and nonrepudiation, the company can establish a secure and trusted IT infrastructure.