24. Can you give me some additional examples of how lax security measures can impact a company? We seem to have a problem not only with network security but also with overall system security. I would like to use this information when I discuss network security with my supervisor

Good for you. Network and system security should not be treated independently because they are indeed linked to each other. Good network security begins with the stability of each system on the network, and in many cases, network vulnerabilities can increase a company’s risk of data manipulation and destruction. Here are some examples of how data manipulations can harm an organization. On a research site, jealous coworkers might “taint” extensive research data, causing scientists to reach improper conclusions. Financial analysts might find that their carefully crafted spreadsheets produce improper computations on critical budgeting line items due to static, dynamic, or formulaic information being altered. Word processing documents containing standard contracts and procedures might be modified to weaken the document’s meaning and undermine the intent of a contract. Database demographic information may be erased or modified to produce false market data that is critical to a rollout of service or business offerings, causing much time and money to be wasted in the creation of market products and services. The list of opportunities for malicious manipulation goes on and on. Without good system security, the network can increase the opportunity for security breaches.