What are the most important security issues facing companies today? Have these changed in the past five years and, in your opinion, will they continue to change? How should organizations prepare themselves for security threats today in order to be able to handle new threats in the future?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
The Evolving Landscape of Security Issues for Companies
Introduction
In today’s digital age, companies face an ever-increasing number of security threats that can jeopardize their operations, reputation, and financial stability. As technology evolves, so do the tactics employed by malicious actors seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in organizational systems. In this essay, we will explore the most significant security issues facing companies today, considering how these challenges have changed over the past five years and discussing the potential for further evolution in the future. Furthermore, we will provide insights into how organizations can prepare themselves to effectively handle both current and emerging security threats.
Current Security Issues
- Cyberattacks: Cyberattacks, such as data breaches and ransomware attacks, have become a pervasive threat to organizations across industries. Attackers exploit vulnerabilities in networks, systems, or applications to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or disrupt business operations.
- Social Engineering: Human manipulation techniques, like phishing and pretexting, are on the rise. Attackers trick individuals into divulging confidential information or granting unauthorized access by impersonating trusted entities or exploiting human vulnerabilities.
- Cloud Security: As more companies adopt cloud computing, securing cloud environments becomes crucial. Misconfigurations, insider threats, and insecure APIs present risks that can lead to data breaches or unauthorized access.
- Internet of Things (IoT) Vulnerabilities: With the proliferation of IoT devices, security concerns have grown exponentially. Poorly secured IoT devices can serve as entry points for hackers to infiltrate networks or launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.
- Third-Party Risks: Organizations often rely on third-party vendors or partners for various services. However, these external relationships introduce additional security risks if proper due diligence is not conducted on the third-party’s security practices.
- Compliance and Regulatory Challenges: Meeting industry-specific compliance standards, such as GDPR or HIPAA, is an ongoing challenge for organizations. Failure to comply not only exposes companies to legal consequences but also increases the risk of data breaches.
Changes in the Past Five Years
Over the past five years, there have been notable shifts in the security landscape that have impacted companies. Some key changes include:
- Increased Sophistication of Attacks: Hackers have become more sophisticated in their techniques, leveraging advanced tools and tactics to bypass traditional security measures.
- Focus on Insider Threats: Organizations now recognize the significance of insider threats, whether intentional or accidental, and are implementing measures to mitigate these risks.
- Rapid Adoption of Cloud Computing: The accelerated adoption of cloud services has necessitated a shift in focus towards securing cloud environments and data stored in them.
- Growing Awareness of Privacy: Heightened awareness surrounding privacy and data protection has prompted increased scrutiny on how organizations handle user data, resulting in stricter regulations and consumer demands for transparency.
Future Trends and Preparedness
Looking ahead, it is evident that the security landscape will continue to evolve, presenting new challenges for organizations. To prepare for these changes, companies should consider the following:
- Implement a Comprehensive Security Strategy: Organizations should adopt a holistic approach to security, combining technical controls, employee training, and incident response plans to address a wide range of threats.
- Invest in Advanced Technologies: Companies should leverage emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance threat detection and response capabilities.
- Regular Security Assessments: Conducting regular security assessments helps identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses, allowing organizations to proactively address potential threats before they are exploited.
- Employee Education and Awareness: Continuous training programs can help employees recognize and respond to social engineering attacks, reducing the likelihood of falling victim to such tactics.
- Establish Strong Partnerships: Collaborating with industry peers and sharing threat intelligence can strengthen an organization’s security posture, enabling faster identification and mitigation of emerging threats.
- Stay Up-to-Date with Regulations: Organizations must closely monitor changes in regulatory requirements to ensure compliance and avoid penalties.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the security issues facing companies today are multifaceted and ever-evolving. Cyberattacks, social engineering, cloud security, IoT vulnerabilities, third-party risks, and compliance challenges are among the key concerns. Over the past five years, the security landscape has undergone significant changes driven by increased attack sophistication, cloud adoption, and privacy awareness. To prepare for future threats, organizations should adopt a comprehensive security strategy, invest in advanced technologies, conduct regular assessments, educate employees, establish partnerships, and stay abreast of evolving regulations. By proactively addressing security challenges, companies can protect their assets and maintain a strong defense against emerging threats in the future.
