The Controversial Topic Of Stem Cell Research Essay

Stem Cell Research is still the most controversial topic in science today. The idea behind the experiment involves the development, use, and destruction of human embryos. The research method mainly focuses on embryonic stem cells, which involves taking tissue from an aborted embryo to get a better look at the cell and obtain information for the fundamental properties of the cells. Embryonic stem cells play a major role in the research because the cell provides information for cell development to create new drugs for medical disorders. Although stem cell research seems like that this perception could help cure precarious diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson s, and even diabetes, which would help the United States heavily, many consider the procedure unethical and dangerous. Stem cell research could help bring further advancement to the medical field, it can also transfer destruction. Many argue that stem cell procedure is unethical due to the fact that we are using a human embryo as a test subject. Regarding that scientists would be implementing a cell that once belonged to a human being, made people feel that the procedure would lead to the act of â€Å"playing God†. â€Å"Embryonic stem cell research takes away the chance of an embryo to become a human being† (Embryonic Stem Cell Research: an ethical dilemma). Embryos are in a stage that they have the possibility to develop into a human being and using them for inquiry is taking away this probability and therefore, it is examined,Show MoreRelatedThe Controversial Topic of Stem-Cell Research in the United States993 Words   |  4 PagesStem cell research is a fairly controversial topic in the United States. Stem cells are cells that have the potential to become certain types of cells throughout a human body. There are a few types of stem cells, which are embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are the most controversial due to the manner from which they are obtained. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells gathered from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, which is anRead MoreStem Cell Research : A Controversial Topic Discussing Life Or Death865 Words   |  4 PagesKegley Health Science- 4th period 22 September 2015 Stem Cell Research Stem cell research is a controversial topic discussing life or death. Stem cells have the capability to turn into many different cell types essentially saving lives that may need specific parts that the stem cell can create. The embryo being used dies which makes this topic very controversial because the unborn child is being killed for research. Although stem cell research treats people from chronic diseases which thereforeRead MoreEssay on Stem Cell Research: Should it be Permitted?868 Words   |  4 PagesStem cell related diseases affect over 100 million americans (White). Right now, there are plenty of government funds for stem cell research, and if we continue on the same path as we are now, stem cell research should be successful; however, the ethics used for embryonic stem cell research are incomprehensibly horrific (Stem cell policy). If this continues to be funded, it could have answers to numerous major diseases, including why they are caused, prevention, and cures for t he diseases. MoreRead MoreEssay about Embryonic Stem Cell Research1357 Words   |  6 PagesHuman Embryonic Stem Cell Research Embryonic stem cell research is a highly controversial topic in todays society, this kind of stem cell commits to regenerate any type of tissue. Unfortunately, Embryonic Stem Cell Research has a dark side. To obtain these cells will kill the embryo automatically. In other words, the acquirement of the Human Embryonic Stem Cell includes performing an abortion. To obtain these cells, it would kill the embryo. This has created controversy since abortion is suchRead MoreThe Heated Debate Concerning Stem Cell Research Essay787 Words   |  4 PagesThe Controversy Over Stem Cell Research In a lab at the University of California, a scientist carefully isolates several cells and locates them to a petry dish. A few days later, he returns to find the cells pulsating like a human heart (Gorman 58). This account has actually been occurring at several scientific labs across the nation. These cells, known as stem cells, produce nearly all the other cells and tissues found in the human body (Sobel Sep 4, 22). Intensive research has found that whenRead MoreThe Debate Of Stem Cell Technology Essay1441 Words   |  6 Pagesfocus on the topic of stem cell technology. Stem cells are nonspecialized cells that have the ability to divide for an indefinite length of time and develop into a variety of cell types. This process primarily occurs early in a person’s life while they are still growing. Stem cells are also used regularly in some organs to repair damaged or worn out tissue. Stem cells have been found to have many more clinical uses in recent years, though. Stem cells have been the subject of much research in the scientificRead MoreThe Ethics of Stem Cell Research Essay741 Words   |  3 Pages Embryonic stem cell research can be easily defined. A stem is defined as something that is developed from. A cell is defined as a microscopic living organism. According to Dennis Hollinger, Embryonic stem cell research uses from the embryos inner cell mass that give rise to each of the human bodys many different tissue types(1). In our modern day society, stem cell research has become a controversial topic. Several people strongly oppose the idea of the research, but many are struggling forRead MoreStem Research On Stem Cell Research1530 Words   |  7 PagesHiga Capstone 2 October, 2014 Stem Cell Beats Ethic Issues Stem cell research is the most controversial topic in the health field since abortion. Stem cell research however, has the potential to unlock an infinite amount of possibilities as well be the key to curing patients with terminal illnesses. Many people from around the world have their opinions on this type of research dealing with ethics, politics, and religion. The most efficient way to study stem cells is taking them from donated embryosRead MoreFederal Funding With Stem Cell Research706 Words   |  3 PagesStem cell research is extremely prevalent in today’s society, and on the other hand controversial. When thinking of stem cell research many questions, and challenges arise from it. Some problems that arise from the topic of stem cell research involves, religious beliefs, personal, and ethical beliefs. In the next few paragraphs the facts of stem cell research will be mentioned, and questions will be answered with factual evidence. When the topic of stem cell research, and/ or treatment, peopleRead MoreRights Based Ethics And Stem Cell Research878 Words   |  4 Pages Rights Based Ethics and Stem Cell Research When talking about ethics, we have theoretical ethics and applied ethics. Those these two are different they, are also connected. Theoretical ethics can be defined as the theoretical study of the main concepts and methods of ethics(Ward). This is, basically, studying the ethical language, the concepts, beliefs, and the reasoning of certain ethical theories. Applied ethics are defined as the application and evaluation of the principles that guide

Strategic Management Ansoff Matrix Free Essays

string(59) " the relative potential for growth within the new segment\." 1. INTRODUCTION Corporate strategic decisions are usually based on the methods through which an organization could leverage its existing competitive advantage in promoting value and ensuring growth (Lynch, 2009), while sustainable competitive advantage depends largely on how well a company performs these actions (Porter, 2008). The need for companies to grow and expand has been known to drive product and marketing innovation, which in turn prompts them into adopting different organisational strategies, based on the products they sell and markets they target (Ansoff, 1984). We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Management Ansoff Matrix or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Ansoff Matrix, developed by Igor Ansoff in 1957 highlights four major strategic options (Figure 1) through which an organisation could adapt its new or existing products into a new or existing marketplace. The matrix is employed by businesses in decision-making processes surrounding product offerings and market growth strategies. The matrix is also known as the Product/Market growth matrix and it major function is to help organisations in evaluating available options for growth given their product and market mix. Johnson et al (2008) also depict it as a method of ascertaining the benefits or risks associated with each strategic option. The major strategic options available, as depicted in Figure 1, are for an organisation to penetrate its existing market, develop its market, develop its products or diversity completely with a new product into a new market. Ansoff matrix Figure 1: Ansoff Matrix. Source: Ansoff (1957), adapted from Lynch (2009) 2. QUADRANTS 2.1. MARKET PENETRATION As stated earlier, there are four output options for the Ansoff Matrix. The first of which is market penetration. This is a strategic option for an organisation seeking to expand its market share in an existing market, with an existing product. Mercer (1996) states that the growth strategy inherent in the Market Penetration option is for an organisation seeking to maintain or increase share of its existing products within the market place, gain market leadership, change competitive processes within a matured market, or increase awareness amongst existing consumers. According to Hooley et al (2004), the option to penetrate deeper within the marketplace is a low risk option that makes use of existing resources. A typical example of an organisation using this strategy would be Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines aggressively offers low cost flights within small distance cities. The company’s existing product is low cost travel, which is an industry dominated by several companies and witnessing high competitive pressures across all major markets. However, through its combination of aggressive marketing and low cost pricing, the company is able to dominate the market within Southwest United States (Shaw, 2007). Another example of market penetration strategy would be that of Pakistan State Oil. The company experiences competition from local and foreign oil companies that sell petroleum through retail petrol stations. However, it has been able to increase its market share from 40% to 65% over a period of 4 years by opening new retail outlets and investing in external advertisement (Economic Review, 2005). The strategy adopted by Pakistan State Oil is similar to that of Southwest Airlines, in that they operate within competitive markets, but by investing competitively, they are able to maintain market share and grow within their respective industries. This strategy also illustrates the low risk advantage of market penetration. The companies utilise existing products in an already known market. They do not have to invest in research and development or excessively advertise within a new market in order to create awareness. Adopting this strategy would cement the organisation’s position within the industry and increase the barriers for entry for new competitors (Porter, 2008). Since market penetration is focused on retaining existing customers, it is a lot cheaper than acquiring new customers in an unknown market. However, a major disadvantage of this strategy is that it does not promote corporate growth into other potentially higher earning sectors (Watts et al, 1998). By focusing simply on retaining existing customers, Watts et al argue that the company loses out on the new investment potential, while Fifield (1998) also depicts that expanding market share within an existing industry poses a significant risk as the industry growth may decline and the organisation has lower growth potential. 2.2. MARKET DEVELOPMENT The option to develop a market is recommended by Ansoff to organisations that aim to offer an existing product into a new market. The various alternatives available would be to leverage an existing product into a new geographical region, using different product dimensions, distributing the products through new channels, or adopting different pricing strategies (Proctor, 2000). The major goal of market development would be to attract a new customer segment, using a slightly different strategy, into consuming an existing product (Ansoff, 1984). The risk associated with this strategy has been depicted by Watts et al (1998) to be moderate, due to the risks associated with entering a new market. According to a case study in Christensen et al (2005, p.51), Arm and Hammer owned a small business selling baking soda product and were able to attract a new segment of customers by identifying new uses for baking soda. They realised that apart from being used solely for baking, the products could be used as a household cleaning and deodorizing product, so they repackaged its contents and marketed them to supermarkets and corner shops as effective cleaning agents. Due to the relative infancy of the market, they had to engage in a series of advertisement that helped to communicate the relevance of their product and methods through which it could be used for other purposes. Through this strategy, they were able to increase revenue and adapt one product to different market segments. This case study confirms previous assumptions that through market development, a company could leverage an existing product into a new market (Collis and Montgomery, 2008). The market development actions they engaged in were essential in building product awareness amongst the new customers. According to Fifield (1998), companies engaging in market development would gain new customers, increase turnover and profits, and ensure corporate growth due to the relative potential for growth within the new segment. You read "Strategic Management Ansoff Matrix" in category "Essay examples" However, Hooley et al (2004) also discuss the risks associated with market development. The option to foray into a new market segment entails the cost of developing this new market, which consists of market costs and a potential change to the company’s marketing mix. If the strategy fails, then the company would have lost the substantial capital utilised in marketing and pushing this product into the new market. 2.3. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT The product development strategy is directed at organisations seeking to offer a new product into an existing market. This definition entails any new or modified product aimed at an existing market. Lynch (2009) asserts that the decisions to develop the product prior to delivery into the market is based on the company’s intention to exploit new technology, protect market share by introducing innovative products and also to utilise excess production capacity. This strategy entails a moderately high risk due to the level of product development and research required to develop a new product for a market that is already used to an existing product (Watts et al, 1998). The Apple iPod is a real life example of a new product delivery into an existing market. Prior to its introduction, most individuals usually listened to music on cassette players, desktop computers and the Sony Walkman (CNet, 2008). There was no innovative product in the market that allowed individuals to carry their music library on a digital device without the need for cassettes or compact discs. The iPod is a typical example of product development due to its innovative approach to playing music. It consisted of the sleek wheel navigation system that was relatively easy to use and display methods, which made scrolling through vast amounts of music much easier. Due to the product innovation method employed during its development, the Apple iPod quickly gained market share and is now the market leader in music devices (CNet, 2008). In accordance to Johnson et al’s (2008), the product development strategy associated with the delivery of the Apple iPod enabled the organisation to increase its customer base, brand awareness, brand into the music business, and utilise the iPod’s success as a platform in establishing the iTunes Music Store. Also confirming Hooley et al (2004) view that if a product development strategy for entry into a new market is successful, it may lead the company into introducing more innovative products into the same market or parallel markets, such as in the introduction of iPhone into the smart phone market, and most recently the iPad into the slate PC market. However, the benefits associated with such a strategy seem to be limited to strong brands with an already existing brand image in similar markets. Watts et al (1998) depict that smaller firms aiming to introduce a new product into an existing market may face shortfalls in marketing the product and investing in product development. Doyle (1997) also states that the high costs and time related in developing a new product for an existing market may be discouraging. Lynch (2009) thereby concludes that careful research needs to be undertaken before an organisation can implement a product development strategy, due to the lack of guarantee regarding market success. 2.4. DIVERSIFICATION The final quadrant in the Ansoff’s Matrix is a diversification strategy. Such a strategy entails offering a new product in a new market and is often used when a market has become saturated and profits are limited (Lynch, 2009). Doyle (1997) asserts that diversification strategies are usually in three forms: full diversification, backward diversification, or forward diversification. The diversification form adopted by the organisation usually depends on whether they are entering a completely new market, integrating backward and competing with suppliers or integrating forward and competing with buyers. Diversification, whatever form it entails has a generally high risk due the fact that the company would be offering an entirely new product in a new market. The Virgin Group is a typical example of a company that has consistently diversified into new markets. It forayed into the credit card industry with Virgin Money offering competitive credit card rates to customers; it diversified into travel and offers holiday packages to holiday goers, it also diversified into the mobile phone market with Virgin Mobile and most recently into Fitness with its range of Fitness centres. Forward diversification is being utilised in all these business ventures and have proved successful for the company. It is able to consistently leverage its brand image across different market segments. Johnson et al (2008) argues that Virgin’s main product is its brand, which it sells across different markets, and not necessarily the businesses its runs. Holbrook and Schindler (1996) state that companies that consistently practice diversification strategies are usually large with a reputable brand image such as Apple, General Electric and Virgin. They are able to leverage their brands across different markets due to high customer loyalty (Hooley et al, 2004). Therefore it seems that this strategy, just like that of Product Development is practised best by organisations with a reputable brand and resources required to develop and market a product effectively, be it an actual product or a brand. Lynch (2009) highlights that the potential benefits of diversification could be numerous. The company enjoys the benefits of operating within diverse markets, thereby ensuring improving profitability and customer loyalty. The company is also able to attain market leadership if the market is not crowded and if it has a unique product to sell. However Mercer (1996) criticises diversification strategies as a jack of all trade practice of venturing into several markets and not being the master of one, a statement that is typical of Virgin’s position. It is not a market leader in any of its markets. 3. CONCLUSION The Ansoff matrix has proved useful, and with the use of real life evidence, it accurately depicts the most effective strategies that businesses could use depending on their market and customer segment. Though the four strategies apply differently to companies depending on their market and product intentions, it also depends hugely on firm specific capabilities such as brand image and research capabilities. Organisations seeking to adopt its usage when seeking strategic direction should therefore do so in due consideration of their firm specific strengths and benefits and how these could also be applied to the products being offered and markets being targeted. Word Count: 2,063 4. REFERENCES Ansoff, I. H. (1957) Strategies for Diversification, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 35 (5), pp.113-124 Ansoff, H. I. (1984) Implanting Strategic Management, Prentice-Hall: NJ, 455pp Economic Review (2005) ‘Performance of Oil and Gas Sector.’ Economic Review, Vol. 36, pp4- 13 Christensen, C., Cook, S., and Hall, T. (2005) ‘Marketing malpractice: The cause and the cure.’ Harvard Business Review, Vol. 14(3), pp56-73 CNet (2008) The complete history of Apple’s iPod [online], www.crave.cnet.co.uk, [accessed: 30/03/10] Collis, D. and Montgomery, C. A. (2008) Competing on Resources, Harvard Business Review, Jul-Aug p140-150 Doyle, P. (1997) Marketing Management and Strategy, Prentice Hall: NJ, 4334pp Fifield, P. (1998). Marketing Strategy, 2nd Ed, Butterworth Heinemann: NJ, 344pp Hitt, M.A., Ireland, R.D., and Hoskisson, R.E. (2009) Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization (Concepts and Cases). 8th edition. Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning. Holbrook M, and Schindler R. (1996) Market Segmentation Based on Age and Attitude Toward the Past: Concepts, Methods, and Findings Concerning Nostalgic Influences on Customer Tastes. Journal of Business Research, 37 (1): p27-39 Hooley, G. J., Saunders, J. A. and Piercy, N. (2004) Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning, 3rd Ed, Pearson Education: London, 622pp Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2008) Exploring corporate strategy: text cases. 8th Ed. Pearson Education Limited: Essex, UK. 878pp Lynch, R. L. (2009) Strategic management, 5th ed, Pearson Education Limited: UK, 826 pp Mercer, D. (1996) Marketing. 2nd edition. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Porter, M. E. (2008) The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review, Jan, Vol. 86 (1), p78-93 Proctor, T. (2000) Strategic Marketing: An Introduction, London: Routledge. Shaw, S. (2007) Airline Marketing and Management. 6th edition. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Company. Watts, G., Cope, J., and Hulme, M. (1998) Ansoff’s Matrix, pain and gain, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research, Vol. 4 (2), pp101 – 111 How to cite Strategic Management Ansoff Matrix, Essay examples

European Union Agency for Network and Information Security Security I

Question: Discuss about theEuropean Union Agency for Network and Information Securityfor Security Infrastructure. Answer: ENISA An Overview of Case Study ENISA is a centre for the maintenance and implementation of security policies in the European Union and the associated organizations and agencies. It is referred to as European Union Agency for Network and Information Security and came up with the ENISA Technology Landscape (ETL) in 2014. The case study covers the current threats that exist and also lists the top threats for the year 2014 along with a comparison from the ones that were present in 2013. There were a number of measures that were taken to control the threats and ETL was designed with an aim to put a check on all the security loopholes. However, in spite of so many efforts and attempts, there were a number of occurrences. The case study covers the description of the top threats such as data breaches, insider threats, phishing, ransomware and many others. The case study also covers the threat agents that are involved in the execution of these threats and these agents are the cyber based agents such as cyber criminals, cyb er terrorists and many others. Technology is something that is changing at a rapid rate and the emerging technology trends and landscape has also been covered in the case study. The areas to focus upon in order to improve the security have been concluded in the end (Enisa, 2016). ENISA - Security Infrastructure Diagram The diagram depicts the various security areas that must be present in the security infrastructure so that the overall security of the system and its associated components can be enhanced. There are a huge number of entities that are present under ENISA and the same are required to be safeguarded against all the security loopholes. These levels and the sub-parts to be covered in the security aspect of ENISA has been shown in the security infrastructure diagram below. ENISA Security Infrastructure Diagram ENISA Steps to Deal with Insider Threats Administrative Controls The employees should be communicated about the policies and the list of dos and donts as far as the security mechanisms are concerned so that there may be no instances of mistakes or inadequate due diligence. Also, there must be trainings and administrative checks that must take place in a frequent manner to keep the internal employees aware about the security parameters to be followed (Musthaler, 2016). Physical Controls Physical security is something that is mostly overlooked and is not paid due attentions. However, physical controls must be applied such as display of identity cards, checking of the employee bags and likewise at all the entry and exit points (Cert, 2016). Technical Controls There are a number of technical controls and checks that must be applied and installed to make sure that the insider threats are prevented. Technical and automated identity and access management with the use of multi layer authentication and similar measures should be applied. There should also be maintenance of the technical logs and records so that the activities can be scanned and monitored at a non-stop basis. Risk assessment, network monitoring, network scans and many other technical measures should also be adopted. ENISA Data Breaches as Most Significant Threat There are a number of threats that have been listed in the case study as the top threats that were encountered in the year 2014. Data breaches that took place make up the threat that is most significant since its impact, likelihood and the risk ranking as well (Ko Dorantes, 2016). As per the data that has been recorded and analyzed in the case study, data breaches made up for the major portion of the threats that took place in 2014. Also, there were scenarios wherein the impact was extremely severe in nature. This threat has been judged and evaluated to be the most significant threat since it has the potential to hamper the confidentiality, availability and the privacy of the data. The information types that are associated with ENISA can be private or confidential such as there is a lot of healthcare information that the centre deals with. Any violation of the privacy of this category of data can be fatal for the organization and can result in some serious legal punishments. It is b ecause of this reason that the threat has been evaluated to be the most significant out of all (Amato, 2016). ENISA- Threat Agents and their Impact Cyber Criminals: These are the entities that make use of cyber platforms to introduce the web based attacked or inject the malicious code to the machine of the user. The intent behind these agents is to cause severe damage and also to gain unauthorized access. Online social hackers: Social hacking is the issue that is very commonly seen in the current era and these agents are the primary entities behind the execution of the same. Hacktivists: These are the threat agents that make use of a political motive to give shape to a particular threat or attack. Employees: The employees that are associated with a particular firm also add up to the major number of the threat agents and are involved in giving shape to the insider threats. These employees can be current or the ex-employees of a firm (Casey, Koeberl, Vishik, 2010). Script Kiddies: There is a great interest of technology among the young individuals and in their attempt to play with the technology; they may often result in being the part of a threat as a threat agent. These threat agents have a huge impact on the security architecture as these are the prime entities involved in the execution of a threat. It is therefore necessary to control their impact and the same can be done by improving the security infrastructure. Employees as threat agents can be controlled by implementing the administrative, physical and technical controls as described earlier. The other threat agents can be controlled by making sure that the security loopholes do not exist and there is advanced security mechanism applied across all the entry and exit points. ENISA Issues with Social Hacking Social hacking is a type of security assault that is executed by the social programmers as the operators of the dangers and incorporates the endeavor to change the social conduct of a client through various diverse means and methods. The present period is the time of social media and the nearness on this stage is right around an order for each and every person. The social programmers pick up favorable position through this wonder by performing dumpster making a plunge which the disposed of client profiles and information is gotten to recover imperative data and examples, for example, client name, contact data, email address and in like manner. Pretending is additionally a typical type of the social hacking issue that incorporates the pantomime of a specific client or association on a social stage to pick up data. Social hacking has come up a simple approach to break the web and system security as the nearness of the clients on the stage is enormous and it gets to be less demanding fo r the programmers to recover noteworthy data through various instruments. The effect of these social hacking issues can be moderate to amazingly extreme as these can possibly increase touchy and classified data through the medium. Such unapproved instrument of picking up the data can then be abused by the social programmers (Wood, 2016). ENISA- Common trends in the Threat Probability The table displays the comparison between the threats that occurred in the year 2013 and the threats that took place in the year 2014. The inclination and decline of the threats has also been displayed through the medium of the table. The threats that are seen to be more probable in 2014 and in the upcoming years are as listed below: Malicious Codes Web Based Attacks Injection Attacks Denial of Service Phishing Data Breaches Loss and Theft Information Leakage Identity Theft Cyber Espionage (Nichols, 2016) There are also attacks that have been seen and analyzed as less probable in the current era such as those associated with the botnets, spam, explore kits and scareware. There is a newer form of attacks which has been categorized as the insider attack and the probability that is associated with these threats is very high. It is because of the reason that there are lesser control and prevention measures that have been developed in order to put a check on them. The threat probability can therefore be defined as highly probable for the attacks that are on a rise as listed in the points above along with the insider threats. It would be lesser for the threats that are on a decline. ENISA Required Improvements in the ETL Processes The ENISA Technology Landscape was designed and implemented to make sure that the occurrences of the security threats and incidents could be minimized. However, in spite of so many efforts and measures there were still many threats that were seen with low o very severe impact. It is therefore necessary to bring about certain sets of improvements in the ETL processes which are as listed below (Microsoft, 2016). The design and implementation of the security policies must be done throughout the entities that are involved in ENISA rather than doing the same in a step by step manner. The policies that exist around the employee management and the processes involved with the same need to be improved. As soon as an employee quits an organization, the access and credentials allocated to the same must be dissolved. In case of missing the step, there may be access of information to the employee even after quitting the organization which may be dangerous. Cryptography and encryption techniques are still not very strong in the security infrastructure that is associated with ETL. There must be Advanced Data Encryption Standard (AES) that should be utilized to keep the information secure even if the attacker succeeds in the attempt to get hold of the same. Biometrics identity checks should be installed at all the entry and exit points to improve the identity management and keep the entire system automated to prevent any sort of manual intervention in the same. ENISA List of the Challenging Threats There are many of the top threats that have been listed for ENISA in the case study. The most challenging threats out of all are as listed below (Panetta, 2016). Insider Threats: These are the threats that are executed by the staff internal to the organization and thus are often difficult to predict or prevent in advance. The staff members are always aware of the security policies that are associated with the organization and form measures to curb the same. It therefore becomes challenging to put a check on these attacks. Data Braches: The amount of data that is present with the organizations in the current era is huge. It is because of this reason that the policies that are developed to control and prevent the threats associated with data breaches should be as per the type of information. The task can be troublesome to apply varied degree of policy for different type of data. Web Based Attack: The entire world is now using web for one purpose or the other and it is due to this very reason that the number of attacks is also huge from this medium. It is difficult to control these threats due to the amount and the severity of the same. Social Hacking Threat Agents and Issues: Social networking and the information that can be retrieved from these platforms is also an easy way out for the attackers and challenging for the security teams to put a check on the same. ENISA Current State of IT Security ENISA must not be satisfied at all with its present scenario of IT security. The reasons behind this are many such as the technology and the structure of technology is something that is not at all constant. It is changing with every passing second and therefore it would be necessary for ENISA to keep up with the same. There are also a number of security threats and attacks that are introduced in the agencies and organizations that are monitored by ENISA in spite of a number of countermeasures that have been developed. It is necessary to keep up the effort and come up with stronger parameters and mechanisms so that the attackers do not success in security breaches of any kinds and the number of threats also get reduced by a good margin. The effort that is required towards the support, maintenance and updates regarding the security measures must never be put to rest and it is essential to involve an element of innovation and technical advancement with the same to not allow the attacker s to succeed in their attempts (Aws, 2016). References Amato, N. (2016). The hidden costs of a data breach. Journal of Accountancy. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2016/jul/hidden-costs-of-data-breach-201614870.html Aws,. (2016). Overview of Security Processes. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://d0.awsstatic.com/whitepapers/aws-security-whitepaper.pdf Casey, T., Koeberl, P., Vishik, C. (2010). Threat agents. Proceedings Of The Sixth Annual Workshop On Cyber Security And Information Intelligence Research - CSIIRW '10. https://dx.doi.org/10.1145/1852666.1852728 Cert,. (2016). Insider Threat Best Practices. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://www.cert.org/insider-threat/best-practices/ Enisa,. (2016). ENISA draws the Cyber Threat Landscape 2014: 15 top cyber threats, cyber threat agents, cyber-attack methods and threat trends for emerging technology areas ENISA. Enisa.europa.eu. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://www.enisa.europa.eu/news/enisa-news/enisa-draws-the-cyber-threat-landscape-2014 Ko, M. Dorantes, C. (2016). The impact of information security breaches on financial performance of the breached firms: An empirical investigation. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://jitm.ubalt.edu/XVII-2/article2.pdf Microsoft,. (2016). Microsoft Core Infrastructure Optimization: IT Security Processes - Best Practices for Business IT. Microsoft.com. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://www.microsoft.com/india/infrastructure/capabilities/itprocesses.mspx Musthaler, L. (2016). 13 best practices for preventing and detecting insider threats. Network World. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://www.networkworld.com/article/2280365/lan-wan/13-best-practices-for-preventing-and-detecting-insider-threats.html Nichols, A. (2016). A Perspective on Threats in the Risk Analysis Process. Sans.org. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/auditing/perspective-threats-risk-analysis-process-63 Panetta, K. (2016). Gartner's Top 10 Security Predictions 2016 - Smarter With Gartner. Smarter With Gartner. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/top-10-security-predictions-2016/ Wood, P. (2016). Social hacking: The easy way to breach network security. ComputerWeekly. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://www.computerweekly.com/tip/Social-hacking-The-easy-way-to-breach-network-security