Securing Company Z’s critical trade information

• Main Author: Chua, Aimee Rose G.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2018
• Subjects: Confidential business information
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/6442; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_masteral/article/13512/viewcontent/Chua__Aimee_Rose_Final_Draft2.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

With the need to gain competitive advantage in the automotive spare parts buy-and-sell industry comes the pressure to enhance the use of technology in conducting business. In the case of Company Z, pursuing a technological leadership strategy has opened itself up to various information security issues that are both technical and people-related. As the operations manager of the company, I have the burden to resolve these issues. This paper explores the information security of Company Z through the use of the action research method and other conceptual frameworks. With the help of my collaborator, we implemented two cycles of action research. In the first cycle, we highlighted our critical trade information, identified its threats and vulnerabilities and devised countermeasures. In the second cycle, we supplemented what we have done in the first cycle. The result is that we minimized the risk of the critical trade information from being breached. Furthermore, concepts of awareness, responsibility and accountability helped transform the company culture. At the end of the paper is a developmental framework, which could help other information security officers or operations managers, based on our experience in this action research.