It’s 5:30 AM on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. You’re aware that your company’s retail stores will be opening at 6:00 AM and that millions of dollars of revenue will be flowing through the point of sale system that you administer.

 

While monitoring the server that manages all of the remote cash registers, you notice a malware warning message that appears suggesting that you update the server’s security software ASAP. Oddly, the warning is not displayed in the standard Microsoft dialog box format.

 

Downloading and updating the system’s security software requires that the entire point of sales system must be offline, probably for four hours or more.

 

Do you delay the stores ability to process sales or do you address the malware warning at some other time? Do you delay the receipt of a large amount of revenue or do you risk infecting the cash registers?

 

 

 

1. What research do you need to perform quickly? For example, since the malware warning was not displayed in the standard Microsoft dialog box format, does it require further investigation? Do fake infection warnings exist?

2. Who do you need to contact for additional input? What kind of information are you seeking from specific individuals?

 

Write a memo to management making a case for your decision. Detail the input that would likely influence your thinking.

Argue the alternative case. Can an argument be made for executing the opposite of what you originally recommended?