ABSTRACT
In information assurance, vulnerabilities may hide in each level of security, be it information access security, computer and storage security, communications security, or operational and physical security. In the case of information systems, the major components are people, hardware, and software. Media Access Control (MAC), referred to as Physical Address, is a 48-bit number, expressed as 12 hexadecimal digits, that uniquely identifies the network interface of the computer. International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) similarly uniquely identifies devices that utilize mobile telephony and is a number, usually 13 to 15 digits long. In the context of cybersecurity, vulnerability is a deficiency that can result in a performance degradation or system failure. In information systems, threats—potential attacks that may capitalize on a system's vulnerabilities—originate in a variety of sources and bear various levels of gravity. There is a need for a structured approach toward defining and dealing with threats.
