Firewall Decisions You are the CEO of Inverness Investments, a medium-size venture capital firm that specializes in investing in high-tech companies. The company receives more than 30,000 email messages per year.
On average, there are two viruses and three successful hackings against the company each year, which result in losses to the company of about $250,000. Currently, the company has antivirus software installed but does not have any firewalls. Your CIO is suggesting implementing 10 firewalls for a total cost of $80,000. The estimated life of each firewall is about three years. The chances of hackers breaking into the system with the firewalls installed are about 3 percent. Annual maintenance costs on the firewalls are estimated around $15,000.
Create an argument for or against supporting your CIO's recommendation to purchase the firewalls. Are there any considerations in addition to finances?