Data security and data privacy protection are key aspects of the cybersecurity domain. To address the concerns of data security and privacy concerns, a practitioner must account for several competing drivers, including regulatory compliance, operational impact, cost, and customer and employee satisfaction.

As a practitioner, you will be called upon to identify requirements and make recommendations for technology-, policy, and workforce-related approaches to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to adequately secure data and protect individual privacy in a constantly changing threat environment. In addition, in this project, you will be able to recommend an approach to address the legal and ethical aspects of a security-relevant business decision.

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course competency: Make recommendations regarding legal and ethical issues in cybersecurity appropriate for the organizational environment

Scenario

Fit-vantage Technologies is a quickly growing competitor in the personal fitness-tracking industry. As the company gets closer to launching its newest device, the Flame watch, the Fit-vantage executives have been approached by Helios Health Insurance Inc. to form a partnership. This partnership proposes a program allowing Helios subscribers to purchase a Fit-vantage Flame at a discount in exchange for access to the anonymous data collected from participating customers.

An internal stakeholder board has been formed to determine whether the partnership is in the best interest of Fit-vantage. Discussions at the stakeholder meetings have raised the following questions for consideration:

What are the concerns around customer data privacy, including the data of Helios subscribers and Flame owners who are not part of the Helios program?

As health insurance companies are covered entities under HIPAA, what new legal compliance requirements does this partnership require?

How profitable will this partnership be? What is the likely effect on the companys value to stockholders?

What effects will this partnership have on the current customer base?

How would this partnership align with Fit-vantages mission and core values?

In this scenario, you will assume the role of an executive-level security consultant with the primary responsibility of advising senior management in cybersecurity matters since you are a member of the internal stakeholder board for the proposed partnership.

In addition, a customer survey and financial outlook have been prepared to help you make your recommendations.

To complete this project, review the following documents which your instructor has provided:

(attachment below)

Fit-vantage company profile, which contains the mission statement, core values, and draft of the Fit-vantage privacy statement

Financial outlook based on the Helios partnership

Summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule

This scenario places you back in the role of an executive-level security consultant for the organization. In addition, the scenario will provide additional details surrounding the organizations decisions on the proposal you addressed in Project One.

To complete this task, you will need to prepare a legal and ethical recommendation brief for the internal stakeholder board to identify an approach to meeting the scenario's privacy protection, data security, and ethical needs.

Write a brief memorandum to the internal leadership board outlining your recommendations for meeting the needs of the scenario.

Be sure to address the critical elements listed below.

Recommend an approach to protecting data privacy. Support your recommendation with evidence from applicable laws or the corporate mission and values.

Recommend an approach to ensuring data security. Support your recommendation with evidence from applicable laws or the corporate mission and values.

Describe how ethical considerations about data use influenced your recommendations for security-enhancing safeguards.