CS507 Information System looks at how organizations protect their systems and data. Assignment 1 for Fall 2026 carries 20 marks and the due date is 3 November 2026, and it is based on the NorthStar scenario. The assignment asks you to identify security risks, recommend access-control and authentication mechanisms, explain how they reduce the risks, and state one benefit of separate user accounts.
The solution file linked below answers all four parts in full. It names two major security risks from the scenario, recommends two specific mechanisms, explains how each mechanism reduces the risks, and gives the benefit of assigning separate accounts instead of a shared account.
What Does the Solution File Cover?
The file covers the complete security analysis for the NorthStar scenario. The risks come directly from the scenario details: supplier accounts reaching sensitive customer contact details, employees sharing one account, and remote logins without extra verification. The recommendations are standard, practical controls that address exactly those weaknesses.
What Are the Two Major Security Risks?
The first risk is unauthorized access: supplier accounts can access sensitive customer contact details, and an unauthorized user can misuse these accounts to access or modify information. The second risk is weak authentication and shared accounts: employees share a common account, and remote logins do not require additional verification, which makes it difficult to identify responsible users and increases the risk of unauthorized access.
Which Mechanisms Should NorthStar Implement?
NorthStar should implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). RBAC assigns permissions according to employee roles, such as hospital staff, warehouse employees, suppliers, and administrators. MFA requires an additional verification step, such as an OTP, when users log in, especially from remote locations.
How Do These Mechanisms Reduce the Risks?
RBAC ensures that suppliers can only access information related to their work and cannot view unnecessary customer details or change delivery records without permission, which directly limits the unauthorized access risk. MFA makes it harder for unauthorized users to access accounts even if they obtain someone’s password, which helps prevent unauthorized changes to delivery quantities, especially on remote logins.
What Is the Benefit of Separate User Accounts?
Separate user accounts make it possible to identify which employee performed a particular action. This improves accountability and makes it easier to investigate security incidents, which is impossible with a shared account because everyone looks the same in the logs.
How Do You Download the Solution File?
You can download the complete solution file from Google Drive using the link below. Read it alongside your own question file on VULMS, and make sure you understand each answer before submitting, since scenario-based questions are often reworded in quizzes and exams.
How Should You Use This Solution?
A solution file helps most when you use it to learn, not just to submit. First, connect each risk to a detail in the scenario, so you can spot similar risks in new scenarios. Then learn RBAC and MFA as a pair: one controls what an account can do, the other proves who is using the account. Also check your work against the exact assignment file on VULMS, since question wording can vary.
- Connect each risk to a specific scenario detail.
- Learn RBAC and MFA as a pair: permission and identity.
- Remember the accountability benefit of separate accounts.
- Check every answer against your own question file on VULMS.
For more study material, you can download course handouts from the VU handouts page and compact revision notes from the VU short notes page. Past papers are also useful for scenario-based practice, and you can find them on the VU midterm past papers page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the complete solution for CS507 Assignment 1 Fall 2026?
Yes. The file answers all four parts: two security risks, two recommended mechanisms, how each mechanism reduces the risks, and one benefit of separate user accounts. The assignment carries 20 marks and the due date is 3 November 2026.
What is the difference between RBAC and MFA?
RBAC controls what an account is allowed to do, based on the user’s role. MFA proves who is using the account, by requiring an extra verification step beyond the password, such as an OTP.
Why is a shared account a security problem?
Because every action looks the same in the logs, so you cannot tell which employee did what. Separate accounts give accountability, which makes investigation possible after an incident.
Last updated: October 2026.
