Challenge:
 The Samsung Dream Scholarship Foundation plays a critical role in bridging the educational gap among individuals, regions, and social classes, and in contributing to social integration and national development. However, to fulfill this vision, it is essential to address several security issues. The main security problems of the foundation are as follows:

1. 1. Personal Data Protection
   
   • - As the foundation handles the personal information of scholarship applicants and recipients, protecting this data is a key concern. If this information is leaked or misused, it could result in legal liabilities and significantly damage the foundation’s reputation.
   
   
2. 2. Security of Online Application and Review Systems
   
   • - As the scholarship application and review processes are carried out online, there is a risk of unauthorized access or service disruption due to vulnerabilities in the system or authentication issues.
   
   
3. 3. Security of Donation and Financial Management
   
   • - If donor information or transaction details are leaked during the donation or financial management processes, it could undermine donor trust and have serious repercussions on the foundation's operations.
   
   

 Such security issues could directly affect the reputation of the Samsung Dream Scholarship Foundation and pose legal risks. Therefore, it was crucial to prioritize security reinforcement to prevent these risks and ensure stable service delivery.

How Samsung Dream Scholarship Foundation Resolved with:
SK shieldus proposed the use of WAF and IPS to address the security challenges faced by the Samsung Dream Scholarship Foundation. Additionally, the implementation leveraged AWS services to enhance the security and scalability of their systems.

1. 1. Personal Data Protection
   
   • - WAF plays a role in filtering and blocking attacks on web applications. Specifically, it can prevent web-based attacks such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS), strengthening personal data protection. This ensures the safety of scholarship applicants' and donors’ personal information and prevents data leaks.
   
   
2. 2. Security of Online Application and Review Systems
   
   • - IPS is a system that detects and blocks intrusions in real time. It is particularly effective in defending against attacks on the online application and review systems. For example, it can block malicious traffic or attempts to bypass authentication, ensuring the system remains secure.
   
   
3. 3. Security of Donation and Financial Management
   
   • - WAF protects web applications involved in donation processing and financial transactions. It secures financial data by blocking intended attacks, ensuring that donor and financial transaction information is handled safely. In particular, it protects against potential attacks that could occur on pages handling payment information.
   
   
4. 4. Use of AWS Services
   
   • - VPC Peering:
     • Enabled secure communication between the customer's network and SK shieldus' network resources, ensuring isolated and protected connections.
   • - EC2:
     • Provided the necessary infrastructure to deploy and operate IPS and WAF, supporting the detection and prevention of threats in real-time.
   • - Auto Scaling Group:
     • Ensured optimal resource utilization by dynamically adjusting the number of EC2 instances based on traffic and demand.
   • - ALB (Application Load Balancer):
     • Distributed incoming traffic efficiently across EC2 instances while enhancing security by handling only legitimate requests.
   • - Security Groups:
     • Offered fine-grained control over inbound and outbound traffic within the customer's network to protect network resources from unauthorized access.

 Through SK shieldus' recommendations, including the use of AWS services, the Samsung Dream Scholarship Foundation significantly strengthened its security posture. These measures prevent data leaks and ensure the stability and reliability of their systems, supporting their mission to provide scholarships safely and securely.

Results & Success Metrics:

1. Result

   
   

1. 1. Security Enhancement and Stability
   
   • - SK shieldus strengthened the web application and network security of the Samsung Dream Scholarship Foundation by implementing WAF and IPS.
     This enabled the safe protection of sensitive donor information and scholarship application data.
   
   
2. 2. Increased Trust from Donors and Users
   
   • - By addressing security concerns, the protection of donor information was strengthened, and the foundation’s credibility was enhanced. By blocking unauthorized access during scholarship applications and donations, trust was secured among donors and recipients.
   
   
3. 3. Service Continuity Assurance
   
   • - Improved security through the use of AWS services contributed to the stability of the scholarship application and review processes, preventing service disruptions. Specifically, AWS services such as Auto Scaling Group and ALB helped ensure high availability and seamless performance even during fluctuating demand. As a result, the foundation's services continued to operate smoothly without interruption.
   
   

1. Success Metrics

   
   

1. 1. Fulfillment of Security Requirements
   
   • - All security requirements were met, ensuring the safety of personal and financial data related to the Samsung Dream Scholarship Foundation.
   
   
2. 2. Threat Detection and Blocking
   
   • - WAF and IPS continuously detected and blocked threats, preventing malicious attacks on the online application system and donation management system.
   
   
3. 3. Operational Efficiency Improvement
   
   • - The implementation of security solutions reduced the time and costs associated with the foundation’s management systems. Specifically, by entrusting threat detection and blocking to SK shieldus, the operational efficiency of the foundation was significantly enhanced.
   
   

Lessons Learned:

1. 1. Prioritizing Security to Ensure Trust
   
   • - The Samsung Dream Scholarship Foundation realized that protecting the personal data of applicants and donors is paramount, as it helps build trust and ensure long-term stable services. Strengthening security is essential for establishing the foundation’s credibility.
   
   
2. 2. Applying Security Across All Systems
   
   • - The foundation learned that security should be reinforced not only for the online application and review system but also for donation and financial management systems. Any vulnerability in security can affect the entire service, so it is crucial to thoroughly assess and implement security measures across all systems.
   
   
3. 3. Focusing on Core Business through Specialized Security Management
   
   • - By fully entrusting security management to SK shieldus, the Samsung Dream Scholarship Foundation was able to save resources and time spent on security operations. This allowed the foundation to focus on its core mission of supporting education and fulfilling its social responsibilities. The foundation realized the importance of specialized security management in enabling clients to focus on their core business and avoid disruptions and resource wastage.