The organization has decided to outsource the majority of the IT department with a vendor that is hosting servers in a foreign country.
Of the following, which is the MOST critical security consideration?
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A. B. C. D.A.
A company is held to the local laws and regulations of the country in which the company resides, even if the company decides to place servers with a vendor that hosts the servers in a foreign country.
A potential violation of local laws applicable to the company might not be recognized or rectified (i.e., prosecuted) due to the lack of knowledge of the local laws that are applicable and the inability to enforce the laws.
Option B is not a problem.
Time difference does not play a role in a 24/7 environment.
Pagers, cellular phones, telephones, etc.
are usually available to communicate notifications.
Option C is a manageable problem that requires additional funding, but can be addressed.
Option D is a problem that can be addressed.
Most hosting providers have standardized the level of physical security that is in place.
Regular physical audits or a SAS 70 report can address such concerns.
Outsourcing the IT department and hosting servers in a foreign country can introduce various security considerations that must be taken into account. Among the four options, the MOST critical security consideration is likely to be A. Laws and regulations of the country of origin may not be enforceable in the foreign country.
Here is a detailed explanation of why option A is the most critical security consideration:
A. Laws and regulations of the country of origin may not be enforceable in the foreign country: The laws and regulations that govern the protection of information in one country may not be enforceable in another country. Different countries have different laws, regulations, and standards for information security and data privacy. The laws in the foreign country may be weaker or non-existent, leaving the organization's information vulnerable to unauthorized access, theft, or misuse. The organization needs to ensure that the laws and regulations of the foreign country are adequate for protecting the sensitive information that the organization is entrusting to the vendor. This may require a thorough legal review of the contract and an assessment of the legal and regulatory environment in the foreign country.
B. A security breach notification might get delayed due to the time difference: A security breach is always a possibility, whether the servers are hosted in the organization's own data center or by a vendor in a foreign country. However, the time difference between the foreign country and the organization's location can result in a delay in notification, which may give the attacker more time to exploit the breach. While this is a significant concern, it is not as critical as the legal and regulatory implications of hosting data in a foreign country.
C. Additional network intrusion detection sensors should be installed, resulting in an additional cost: It is always a good practice to have network intrusion detection sensors in place to detect and respond to potential security threats. However, the cost of installing additional sensors should not be the MOST critical security consideration when deciding to outsource the IT department and hosting servers in a foreign country.
D. The company could lose physical control over the server and be unable to monitor the physical security posture of the servers: When hosting servers with a vendor in a foreign country, the organization may lose physical control over the servers. However, this concern can be addressed through contractual agreements and physical security audits of the vendor's data center. While it is a significant consideration, it is not as critical as ensuring that the laws and regulations of the foreign country are adequate for protecting the organization's sensitive information.
In conclusion, while all four options are valid security considerations, option A is likely to be the MOST critical security consideration when outsourcing the IT department and hosting servers in a foreign country. The organization needs to ensure that the laws and regulations of the foreign country are adequate for protecting the sensitive information that the organization is entrusting to the vendor.