Abstract
NIKE is one of the biggest institutions that operate online platforms in diverse ways. They provide sporting materials to different parties that may need apparels. Their online forums are part of information technology elements that contribute to appropriate development in business activities. This calls for appropriate cyber security policies that would enhance protection of activities of the end user in relation to cyber attacks. The company has policies that have shown completeness and compliance to governmental interest in achieving quality operations. Other factors, however, show some given levels of weaknesses to the policies. These include stability and third party knowledge concerning the cyber policies. Sound recommendations such as process formulation review of the cyber policies would assist in increasing cyber security competitiveness.
Nike Policy Evaluation
Introduction
Cybersecurity is one of the most pervasive processes within numerous organizations. This implies that organizations that attempt to explore and enlarge their participation within the business arena must tighten their policies related to cyber security. This is essential in meeting organizational needs relating to security of cyber issues. Evaluation of security standards and performance of an organization is essential in providing recommendations that would be applicable in enhancing quality development. It allows for elimination of risks within the cybersecurity sectors in various organizations. This paper focuses on assessment of cybersecurity policies within NIKE organization. Assessment of cybersecurity policies in terms of completeness and compliance with some of judicial requirements in the area of operation of organization would be useful in coming out with clear thoughts concerning cybersecurity policy performance.
Methodology
Several scholarly works have contributed to research and studies on performance assessment of cyber security policies in different institutions. The study would centrally take the secondary sources in investigating various aspects of cyber security policies in organizations. The peer-reviewed journals are some of the examples of the secondary sources that would apply in ensuring the progress of research work. Articles on existence of threats and cyber security factors would also be beneficial in elaborating the idea relevant to the subject of discussion. The study of NIKE as an organization in providing different platforms of operation would be beneficial in highlighting the weaknesses and strengths of the policies adopted.
Strengths of NIKE Cyber Security System
NIKE is one of the organizations that apply cyber security policies in its operations in order to promote user protection. There are many perspectives and principles that apply in obtaining the level of strengths and weaknesses within the cyber security policies. In this regard, the strengths of cyber security policies focus on issues such as completeness, compliance and other organizational interest factors that attempt to boost cyber security policies. One of the strengths that NIKE has in formation of its policies is existence of flexibility in the formation of the cyber security policies. According to the company website, the organization highlights some of the conditions that suggest performance of cyber security policies. Flexibility is strength to operation of cyber security procedures existing within an organization (Hashimoto, Rosa, Filho, & Machado, 2010). For example, NIKE posts on their websites that a change of security measures would be changed at any time without notifications. This implies that a new standard or cyber security procedure that comes in the course of operation of a given measure may be given consideration. This would enhance an appropriate consideration in the expected results that exist within the company missions. Flexibility in cyber policy formulation allows for incorporation of change that would enhance better performance in the activities related to cyber security within NIKE as an organization. This strength is also important in enhancing achievable results that are available to organization. Incorporation of better standards in terms of flexibility would allow for formulation of new measures that would support the goals that the organization would wish to achieve in its operations.
Another key strength in cyber security policies in NIKE involves the level of authenticity that is applicable in using the website. This is a key strategic measure of identifying efficiency in the levels of operations involved in advocating for cyber security policies (Maynard, & Ruighaver, n.d.). Cyber security is one of the most influential determinants of operation of a given company that intends to participate in adopting the information technology factors. This implies that they have to establish efficiency measures that aid in development of key strategic cyber policies. Authenticity is one of the central factors that would apply in development of efficient functioning cyber security policies. This is one of the strengths, which NIKE has placed in enhancing quality operations within its business activities. NIKE website provides individual details that must be applied in order to access various platforms in the websites. The platforms are organized in such a way that the users must have some credentials that enhance security in operation. This is one of the strengths, which NIKE has shown in development of key cyber policies within operation. Authenticity has also been encrypted appropriately to allow management to monitor quality aspects that relate to cyber security policies and maintenance. This fact explains the best practices in cyber security policies applicable in current information technology systems.
Cyber security policiy involved in the study of NIKE is efficient given it considers all the diversified groups that would use the platform for several functions and follows all the steps involved in policy formulation. This implies that the policies used within the organization reflect the characteristics of groups that would be engaged in NIKE platforms (Nike, 2014). . All these aim at establishing given levels of policies that would bring the websites to one common ground. The website touches on all the key factors that would be necessary in enhancing development in terms of secure information technology use and integration. For example, the terms of use involved in development of cyber security issues explain some of the essential aspects of cyber security policies in terms of their completeness. Cyber security measures applied in the case of NIKE cover all the fields and sectors that would be affected by operation of information technology platforms (NIKE, 2014). For example, the information technology platform elaborates all the boundaries and ways in which the platform would apply to various users. This is one of the most relevant sectors since it ensures that cyber security policies shield the necessary aspects of information technology. According to the National Institute of Standard and Technology, completeness of a given cyber security policy ensures that there is a full coverage of all the aspects of cyber security as depicted within all the possible areas of influence. In formulation of cyber security policies, there are stages pertaining to identification of key problems that can lead to formulation of a new policy. Such triggers identify various areas of concern that affect information technology. In this context, completeness of cyber security policies implies that the formulation stages of the policies were properly carried out.
Compliance
Compliance is also one of the strengths that NIKE has shown in developing its cyber security policies. The sporting products and services are diverse and serve different age groups. The organization has compliance policies relating to gender and age policies that the governments consider essential in enhancing business operations. For example, within the platforms, there is an appropriate distinction of the age group and gender factors in order to implement the level of appropriateness within the policy formulations. The organization has also implemented the user policy agreements as a way of ensuring quality development in operations of the cyber security systems. This complies with the interests of both the governments and consumers in highlighting some of the essential facts in policy formulation (Radack, n.d.).
Weaknesses of NIKE Cyber Security Policies
Security policies of NIKE as a sports company also have some weaknesses that may increase the level of risk pertained to company operations. One of the weaknesses involves expectation of the users of the platform to learn the policies alone. This misconception relates to the progress of cyber policies as indicated in the policy development survey. Inability to influence different elements that contribute to learning of the new cyber security policies is considered a weakness since the users of the platforms are likely to fall victims of cyber attack activities that go on within the information technology arena (UMUC, 2011). In the platforms, NIKE assumes that the users of the websites would be well conversant with the policies of cyber security that go on within the organization. This weakness would still allow for chances of occurrence of cyber attack. The cyber security policies are intended to reach the users in terms of their protection. This implies that the policies would only be complete if they serve the intended purposes. NIKE does not offer any of the acknowledgements towards the necessary knowledge of changes since they are made without any notification. This would affect the criteria of evaluating cyber security measures applied in user protection. This aspect alls under the usability sections that analyzes clearness of the organization policies.
Lack of stability is another issue that shows weakness of cyber security system in NIKE company. Stability refers to the extent to which a given policy can remain functional over a long period. In the case of NIKE, there is no assurance of the levels of endurance of cyber security policies that affect the ways in which the policies would be functional in relation to existing environmental challenges. For example, in the privacy policy sections, the policies are clearly expected to change over a given period. This implies that there are no ultimate levels of predictability in consistency factors related to cyber security policies. This may bring difficulties when evaluating some of the key elements that would enhance self-sustenance in operations of cyber security systems. This fact is also fundamental since it shows some of the issues involved in effectiveness of cyber policy formulation. This serves as a critique to the criteria adopted in formulation of NIKE cyber security policies.
System Failure Prevention and Mitigation Aspects
The cyber security policies are likely to fail on several occasions depending on the disadvantages enlightened in application of the policies. This would lead to system failure which, in turn, would require development of mitigation aspects as a way of promoting fair practices within the policy workability. One of the most profound system failures is the inability of the policy systems to protect the ultimate users of the platforms involved in accessing NIKE products. This has an effect on the levels of activity that would be going on within the organization. One of the common factors leading to this scenario is existence of poor policy delivery towards the third party users. This aspect accounts for some of the central reasons why cyber security policies are always established.
There are several ways leading to failure of the systems involved in operation of NIKE One of the major ways contributing to failure prevention involves an ultimate review of the cyber formulation methods and strategies. This is useful since development of some of the most profound factors that have an ultimate effect on the system failures begins in the stages of policy formulation. This strategy would revise the process whether the needs of cyber policies are accumulated appropriately before their enactment (Tuyikeze & Pottas, 2010). This mitigation aspect existing in development of central policies, which would account for system failure.
Additionally, lack of stability is one of the sound issues that have been elaborated within the NIKE cyber policies. This implies that it is one of the issues, which would lead to failure of cyber security systems adopted by organization. The approaches that would prevent or reduce the instability issues within the organization cyber security policies would account greatly towards development of mitigation aspects. The mitigation aspects should focus on a unitary method that would assist in development of stable policies relating to immense factors of cyber security. This approach and mitigation aspects would allow for foreseeable protection that the cyber security systems would offer in terms of its applicability.
NIKE focuses on sport international activities among all the age groups. This implies that the organization ought to follow regulations of in enhancement of approach towards effectiveness and workability of the issues involved in policy workings. Effectiveness in this case implies the extent to which the policies would appropriately deliver their main functions. The mitigation aspect in this case considers the targeted group relevant for cyber security policies in order to find due processes that would accumulate to effectiveness and efficiency.
Recommendations Towards the Policies of NIKE
The policies adopted by NIKE as an organization have shown a large extent of efficiency in terms of their operations. However, some factors ought to be considered in order to maintain a given level of competitiveness. One of the recommendations that might apply in development of key cyber security policies is inclusion of effective knowledge of cyber security policies to the ultimate users of NIKE online platforms. The knowledge would ensure ability of intended users to articulate the importance of cyber security policies (Tudor, 2001). This implies that the cyber security policies would be able to perform some of the intended missions in achieving end user protection and promotes workability of the policies.
Another essential recommendation to NIKE relates to review of the policies in terms of long-term approach. This implies that the policies are duly scrutinized to establish standard measures that would result to appropriate development (Symantec, 2010). The policies of NIKE show much flexibility in their operations and towards the dynamic environments. This implies that the policies would be responsive to diverse needs of information technology in relation to existing platforms. However, development of sustainable cyber security systems would ensure appropriate development in relation to cost reduction and sustainability factors.