Evaluate the Computer Malware Case using the

$8$

D Quality Method.

Computer malware

Four Dimensions is a production company that specializes in

$3$

D printing. They operate high

$$

capacity, high

$-$

efficiency industrial

$3$

D printers in the production of spare parts for the airline

industry. To assure efficiency, all machines are interconnected into a production

$-$

wide

standard industry computer

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controlled network system. The system is then connected to the

office computer network to ensure quick utilization of information from the internet for the

smooth operation of day to day activities. Purchase orders, design specifications, and other

vital information from customers and suppliers are received at the main office, relayed to the

engineering, and purchasing sections, etc., and immediately forwarded to production. All

communications are monitored by the accounting department. Quick response and cost

effectiveness have always been the goals of management.

Mr

$.$

$$Dela Cruz is one of the employees of the company working in the HR department. Upon

his arrival in the office, he turns on his desk top computer to check his emails. On one usual

ordinary day, he notices an email from his bank, requesting him to verify his account balance

as an alleged unauthorized money transfer has been made. Mr

$.$

$$Dela Cruz clicks on the link

provided to log on to his account. His first attempt fails, and tries unsuccessfully a second

time. He was about to call his bank when at

$8$

:

$3$

$0$

$$am

$,$

$$he gets a phone call from the HR

manager to proceed to his office. He leaves for the HR manager

$$

s office and thinks of calling

the bank later in the day after his meeting with his manager.

Mr

$.$

$$Dela Cruz hurries to his manager

$$

s office and passes through several high

$-$

efficiency

$3$

D

printers busy producing parts badly needed in two weeks by one of the company

$$

s clients.

Four Dimensions has been quite fortunate recently, winning almost all bids for various airline

industry parts, besting most of their major competitors. The machines which Mr

$.$

$$Dela Cruz

just passed by were producing parts which used to be a major product of a rival competitor.

The competitor recently had financial problems and would be unable to supply for several

months.

At

$1$

$1$

:

$3$

$0$

$$am

$,$

$$the emergency alarm starts ringing and all employees, as per standard operating

procedures, assemble at their designated emergency stations. Mr

$.$

$$Dela Cruz meets Tony, the

production supervisor in charge of the high efficiency printers and tells him that the machines

suddenly speeded up and could not be shut down. A maintenance and safety engineer tells

them that the emergency is likely to continue for some time and all employees are directed

to evacuate the company premises. Mr

$.$

$$Dela Cruz had to go home for the day and forgets

about the bank email.

When Mr

$.$

$$Dela Cruz returns to work the following day, he finds in his desk top computer an

email

$-$

blast to all company employees explaining the incident the previous day.

He reads the email:

$$

Following an investigation conducted by the IT department, it was confirmed that a phishing

attempt was made on our company computer network system. Phishing is a method used by

cyber

$-$

criminals to acquire information through impersonation of a trustworthy entity in an

electronic communication. A piece of malware, a software that is designed for a malicious

purpose, entered an office desk top computer and propagated through the company

computer network system. The malware affected several high

$-$

efficiency

$3$

D printers

operating nearby. The computers operating the printers were compromised and a major

system failure occurred, causing extensive damage and stoppage of production. It is expected

that the said

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D printers will be out of action for at least two weeks. Immediate repair work

will be undertaken by the maintenance crew. The incident was picked up by media and might

come out in the local news in a few days.

$$

Mr

$.$

$$Dela Cruz decides to contact his bank and finds out that the bank does not contact

customers on such issues through emails. The bank said no such communication was sent to

him the previous day.

Mr

$.$

$$Dela Cruz deletes the bank email and goes to his normal work schedule and soon forgets

the whole incident. He checks the newspapers to find out any mention of the production

shutdown. Nothing appears in the papers for the next several weeks.