Risks within Tesla

Blake Franzen discusses the growing areas of risk within the progressive automaker industry, of which Tesla and Elon Musk have become synonymous household names. As Tesla has grown, production goals have increased, and their customer base expanded, numerous allegations and control failures within the company have increased the levels of risk within the company.

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Evaluating the Risks to the National Football League

Lukas Guericke discusses the various types of risks that the National Football League (NFL) faces, not only its unique risks to its players and fans, but those that stem from the vast number of employees who have built careers around the operations and broadcast of American football. The author evaluates the risk landscape, including the safety of players, the risks arising from player conduct, and the risks of cyber and physical attacks.

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Facebook and Google Data, Privacy and Transparency

Catherine Bahn discusses how Facebook and Google began to prepare for compliance with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, which began to be enforced in May 2018. The purpose of this new legislation is to “harmonize data privacy laws across Europe”, however, the implications are likely to reach beyond the geopolitical borders of Europe and change the direction of corporate transparency. Facebook and Google have the opportunity to be leaders in building dynamic corporate transparency and considering new economic models with the vast amount of customer data they have and will continue to gather.

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The State Department's Leadership Vacuum

Elizabeth Crooks discusses the implications of President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's key goals of reducing the size of the State Department. The resulting organizational and operational changes have both created a leadership vacuum and greatly increased the risks associated with potential process and control failures.

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The Internet of Things: A Dark Precursor

Kyle McNulty explores the growing risks associated with the spreading web of internet-enabled devices across consumers’ lives. The explosive proliferation of Internet-connected devices has resulted from rapid progress in technology and expanding demand for internet-connected capabilities from consumers. However, this technological advancement and consumer behavior has also created a significant vulnerability

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Operational Risk Challenges to the U.S. Election Infrastructure

Jeff Leonard discusses the risks to the most recently identified critical infrastructure sector, election infrastructure (the facilities, technologies, people, processes, political parties, and legal frameworks required to conduct elections). This paper examines the risks, and identifies a system design, the technologies, and an operational architecture that would mitigates the risks to which modern election processes are currently exposed.

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Information Security in the Rise of E-Commerce

Miranda Lin discusses the rising risks associated with the popularity and frequency of online shopping (also referred to as e-commerce) rises across the globe, companies selling products and services online are also gathering, storing, and processing an increasingly massive collection of financial and personal information on their customers. In order to ward off hackers attempting to access this sensitive data, effective management of information security is increasingly important to prevent cyber-attacks.

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Risks of Fake News to the American Democracy

Lukas Guericke discusses the toxic spread of “fake news” into the landscape of legitimate news organizations, and the rising tide of associated risks to government, news organizations, and ultimately each individual citizen. “Fake News” is not simply an inconvenience or insult, it is a threat to the access of U.S. citizens to accurate information, and the fundamental protections a free and independent press provides to a democratic society.

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The Black Swan by the Festival

Emily Ye discusses the operational risks revealed by the outlier event of the Las Vegas shooting in October 2017 where 58 people were killed and more than 500 people were injured. Black swan events - an extreme outlier that is almost impossible to prepare for – such as this shooting reveal their unique risks typically only after the event has happened. The Las Vegas shooting has resulted in discussions on event, public-space, and hotel security, this paper identifies some possible recommendations in order to address these risks.

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Privacy in the Age of Big Data

Zhuo Shan discusses discusses the various elements surrounding the topic of privacy, particularly in relation to the ever-expanding field of “big data. The content includes a high-level examination of various techniques used to collect users’ data and the associated risks for enterprises and individuals, as well as at the applicable government regulations and laws. The discussion concludes with a presentation of possible risk mitigation recommendations.

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Understanding the SEC’s Inadequate Internal Controls

Miranda Lin discusses recent risk-related incidents at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the apparent lack of adequate internal controls enforced within the organization. The author identifies some of the possible improvements to be made to the SEC’s internal controls environment regarding their people, process, and systems.

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Effective Global Incident Response

Bruno Langevin discusses some of the critical elements of our increasingly global corporate community, and the additional complexities of incident management across global geographies and cultures. In response to these complexities, the author identifies how companies can better prepare for and manage risk programs at the international level, which require additional awareness and adjustments in order to be successful.

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Risks Associated with “Bring Your Own Device” in a Government Agency (BYOD)

Beth Hutchens explores the practice of “bring your own device” (BYOD), specifically within the public sector. Permitting employees to use their personal technological devices (such as smartphones, laptop computers, and tablet PCs) has been an increasingly popular option within organizations. However, there are significant risks associated with the practice, including legal liability, regulatory scrutiny, data exposure, increased costs and expenses, and potential brand and reputation damage.

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An Open Letter to Librarians: Ethical Imperatives in Post-truth America

Alexander George discusses the growing challenge that librarians face due to inaccurate, misleading, and flat-out false news (“fake news”), which is also creating new issues for our democratic societies in the age of 24-hour, instantly accessible, and always-changing news. The author explores the question of a librarian’s ethical responsibilities related to fake news, and the implications for our society.

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Smart Homes: Evaluating Risks and Being Smart in the SmartHome Revolution

Mikhail Savvateev discusses the emerging risks associated with the “Smart Home” technological advances that are becoming increasingly ubiquitous across the human experience. The author examines how these new technologies have created new security and other technological system risks, and provides some suggestions for industry participants.

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Shadow IT and Organizational Risks

Nicholas Montgomery discusses the rising prevalence of and risks associate with shadow IT - the use of unauthorized devices, software, and services - on organizations. After examining these risks, the author goes on to identify recommendations to help prevent shadow IT and allow organizations to enable business units to be able to make smarter purchases.

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