Parsons Corporation is an American multinational technology-focused defense, intelligence, and infrastructure engineering firm. Founded in 1944, Parsons is headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia , and serves both government and private sector organizations in more than 30 countries.
99-427: Parsons operates in two primary segments: Federal Solutions and Critical Infrastructure. The company provides services in various sectors including cybersecurity , intelligence , defense , transportation , environmental remediation , and urban development . As of 2023, Parsons employs approximately 18,500 professionals worldwide. Parsons became a public company after its initial public offering (IPO) in 2019. It
198-586: A $ 29.5 million contract was given to both Parsons and Gilbert Southern/Massman Construction to redo a portion of the Escambia Bay Bridge near Pensacola, FL after Hurricane Ivan made landfall and knocked off 58 spans of the original bridge and misaligned 66 other spans. Traffic destined for the bridge was rerouted onto US 90 (exit 17 on I-10 ) for 2 months while construction was taking place, which caused severe traffic jams. The westbound bridge opened to traffic on October 4, six days ahead of schedule, while
297-759: A 4-year design-build turnkey program to build the Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia (also known as the King Abdulaziz International Airport ). In 1978, Parsons developed facilities criteria for assembly, testing, and system support of the U.S. Air Force's MX missile system at Vandenberg Space Force Base . In addition, as a subcontractor to Martin Marietta , Parsons supported development of the Space Shuttle ground system at Vandenberg. Parsons support to
396-587: A big impact on information security in organizations. Cultural concepts can help different segments of the organization work effectively or work against effectiveness toward information security within an organization. Information security culture is the "...totality of patterns of behavior in an organization that contributes to the protection of information of all kinds." Andersson and Reimers (2014) found that employees often do not see themselves as part of their organization's information security effort and often take actions that impede organizational changes. Indeed,
495-476: A colleague, which, when listened to by an attacker, could be exploited. Data transmitted across an "open network" allows an attacker to exploit a vulnerability and intercept it via various methods. Unlike malware , direct-access attacks, or other forms of cyber attacks, eavesdropping attacks are unlikely to negatively affect the performance of networks or devices, making them difficult to notice. In fact, "the attacker does not need to have any ongoing connection to
594-412: A consequence make a Cold boot attack possible, to hardware implementation faults that allow for access or guessing of other values that normally should be inaccessible. In Side-channel attack scenarios, the attacker would gather such information about a system or network to guess its internal state and as a result access the information which is assumed by the victim to be secure. The target information in
693-445: A feature of modern computers that allows certain devices, such as external hard drives, graphics cards, or network cards, to access the computer's memory directly." Eavesdropping is the act of surreptitiously listening to a private computer conversation (communication), usually between hosts on a network. It typically occurs when a user connects to a network where traffic is not secured or encrypted and sends sensitive business data to
792-476: A malicious code inside a particular HTML or web page. HTML files can carry payloads concealed as benign, inert data in order to defeat content filters . These payloads can be reconstructed on the other side of the filter. When a target user opens the HTML, the malicious code is activated; the web browser then "decodes" the script, which then unleashes the malware onto the target's device. Employee behavior can have
891-439: A new class of multi-vector, polymorphic cyber threats combine several types of attacks and change form to avoid cybersecurity controls as they spread. Multi-vector polymorphic attacks, as the name describes, are both multi-vectored and polymorphic. Firstly, they are a singular attack that involves multiple methods of attack. In this sense, they are “multi-vectored (i.e. the attack can use multiple means of propagation such as via
990-546: A private, employed-owned company. On September 1, 2023, Parsons announced the move of its headquarters to Chantilly, VA. Discussing the company's business outlook in February 2024, CEO Carey Smith stated that the company believes it will continue to see strong demand for its solutions, including cyber, electronic warfare, signals collection, space, missile defense and critical Infrastructure protection given world-wide geopolitical outlook. 1940s Less than 2 months after Parsons
1089-586: A separate machine filtering network traffic. Firewalls are common amongst machines that are permanently connected to the Internet. Some organizations are turning to big data platforms, such as Apache Hadoop , to extend data accessibility and machine learning to detect advanced persistent threats . Continental Divide of the Americas The Continental Divide of the Americas (also known as
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#17328451395831188-601: A side channel can be challenging to detect due to its low amplitude when combined with other signals Social engineering , in the context of computer security, aims to convince a user to disclose secrets such as passwords, card numbers, etc. or grant physical access by, for example, impersonating a senior executive, bank, a contractor, or a customer. This generally involves exploiting people's trust, and relying on their cognitive biases . A common scam involves emails sent to accounting and finance department personnel, impersonating their CEO and urgently requesting some action. One of
1287-705: A standard computer user may be able to exploit a vulnerability in the system to gain access to restricted data; or even become root and have full unrestricted access to a system. The severity of attacks can range from attacks simply sending an unsolicited email to a ransomware attack on large amounts of data. Privilege escalation usually starts with social engineering techniques, often phishing . Privilege escalation can be separated into two strategies, horizontal and vertical privilege escalation: Any computational system affects its environment in some form. This effect it has on its environment can range from electromagnetic radiation, to residual effect on RAM cells which as
1386-485: A way of filtering network data between a host or a network and another network, such as the Internet . They can be implemented as software running on the machine, hooking into the network stack (or, in the case of most UNIX -based operating systems such as Linux , built into the operating system kernel ) to provide real-time filtering and blocking. Another implementation is a so-called physical firewall , which consists of
1485-447: A wrong password enough consecutive times to cause the victim's account to be locked, or they may overload the capabilities of a machine or network and block all users at once. While a network attack from a single IP address can be blocked by adding a new firewall rule, many forms of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are possible, where the attack comes from a large number of points. In this case, defending against these attacks
1584-654: Is considered part of the Atlantic, then the triple point is at an unimportant-looking, permanently snow and ice covered hump on the border between Alberta and British Columbia , on the southern slope of Snow Dome at 3,456 metres (11,300 ft). The exact location of this potential triple point is somewhat indeterminate because the Columbia Icefield and the snow on top of it shifts from year to year. The snow that falls on it (about 10 metres (33 ft) per year) does not actually flow downhill as water, but creeps downhill in
1683-471: Is much more difficult. Such attacks can originate from the zombie computers of a botnet or from a range of other possible techniques, including distributed reflective denial-of-service (DRDoS), where innocent systems are fooled into sending traffic to the victim. With such attacks, the amplification factor makes the attack easier for the attacker because they have to use little bandwidth themselves. To understand why attackers may carry out these attacks, see
1782-508: Is not a perfect subset of information security , therefore does not completely align into the security convergence schema. A vulnerability refers to a flaw in the structure, execution, functioning, or internal oversight of a computer or system that compromises its security. Most of the vulnerabilities that have been discovered are documented in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database. An exploitable vulnerability
1881-439: Is one for which at least one working attack or exploit exists. Actors maliciously seeking vulnerabilities are known as threats . Vulnerabilities can be researched, reverse-engineered, hunted, or exploited using automated tools or customized scripts. Various people or parties are vulnerable to cyber attacks; however, different groups are likely to experience different types of attacks more than others. In April 2023,
1980-494: Is protected by standard security measures, these may be bypassed by booting another operating system or tool from a CD-ROM or other bootable media. Disk encryption and the Trusted Platform Module standard are designed to prevent these attacks. Direct service attackers are related in concept to direct memory attacks which allow an attacker to gain direct access to a computer's memory. The attacks "take advantage of
2079-425: Is spear-phishing which leverages personal or organization-specific details to make the attacker appear like a trusted source. Spear-phishing attacks target specific individuals, rather than the broad net cast by phishing attempts. Privilege escalation describes a situation where an attacker with some level of restricted access is able to, without authorization, elevate their privileges or access level. For example,
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#17328451395832178-478: Is still used today. In 1968, Parsons began work to upgrade the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by providing plans, specifications, and standards to upgrade air traffic controls in 19 facilities. Today, Parsons provides 24/7/365 technical support services in all nine FAA regions and two specialized FAA centers. Again in 2001, Parsons was the prime contractor to implement modernization plans for
2277-455: Is the main reason behind the designation of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park as the "Crown of the Continent" of North America. The summit of the peak is the world's only oceanic triple divide point. Discounting Antarctica and its ice sheets, only one other continent ( Asia ) borders three oceans, but the inward-draining Endorheic basin area of Central Asia from western China to
2376-655: Is the world's only oceanic triple divide, there are secondary triple divide points wherever any two continental divides meet. North America has five major drainage systems: into the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans, plus Hudson Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Other sources such as the International Hydrographic Organization add a sixth: Canada's Northwest Passage basin. Using just the five, there are four secondary continental divides and three secondary triple points,
2475-508: The Aral and Caspian Seas is so vast that any Arctic and Indian Ocean tributaries are never within proximity of each other. Thus, North America's status of having a single location draining into three oceans is unique in the world. Sources differ, however, on whether Hudson Bay, entirely south of the Arctic Circle , is part of the Atlantic or Arctic Ocean. Hudson Bay's water budget connects to
2574-677: The Atlantic and Arctic Ocean , including those that drain into the Gulf of Mexico , the Caribbean Sea , and Hudson Bay . Although there are many other hydrological divides in the Americas, the Continental Divide is by far the most prominent of these because it tends to follow a line of high peaks along the main ranges of the Rocky Mountains and Andes , at a generally much higher elevation than
2673-534: The California Science Center near downtown. The effort was completed at no cost to NASA or the science center and was delivered by a team of local consultants that contributed expertise and resources for the effort. The activity brought to a close Parsons support for the Space Shuttle program; efforts that began in 1970 when NASA hired Parsons to perform an independent evaluation of facilities options for
2772-629: The DC Washington Metro in Washington, D.C., which is a $ 11 billion, 103-mile rapid transit rail system connecting Washington, D.C., to its many suburbs. In 1968, Parsons designed and constructed the entire Honolulu Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii (which is now referred to as the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport ), including a 12,000-foot runway on an offshore reef to minimize noise in Honolulu. The runway
2871-636: The Don Welge Memorial Bridge . In April 1996, Parsons CEO at the time, Leonard Pieroni, was killed in a U.S. Air Force plane crash in the Balkans along with U.S. Commerce Secretary Ron Brown. In October 2004, Parsons sold its hydrocarbons focused business, Parsons E&C Inc, to Australian firm Worley . In 2012, Parsons developed the logistics strategy for movement of the Space Shuttle Endeavour from Los Angeles International Airport to
2970-803: The Great Divide , the Western Divide or simply the Continental Divide ; Spanish : Divisoria continental de las Américas, Gran Divisoria ) is the principal, and largely mountainous , hydrological divide of the Americas . The Continental Divide extends from the Bering Strait to the Strait of Magellan , and separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain into
3069-617: The Great Divide Basin , through the Sierra Madre Range into Colorado where it reaches its highest point in North America at the summit of Grays Peak at 4,352 metres (14,278 ft). It crosses US Hwy 160 in southwestern Colorado at Wolf Creek Pass , where a line symbolizes the division. The Divide then proceeds south into western New Mexico , passing along the western boundary of the endorheic Plains of San Agustin. Although
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3168-803: The Hudson Bay - Arctic Ocean drainage region from the Atlantic watershed region. Secondary divides separate the watersheds that flow into the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River (ultimately into the Atlantic) from watersheds that flow to the Gulf of Mexico (also part of the Atlantic Ocean) via the Missouri-Mississippi-Ohio river system . Another secondary divide follows the Appalachian chain, which separates those streams and rivers that flow directly into
3267-705: The Isthmus of Rivas at 47 metres (154 ft) in Nicaragua. In Panama, the Canal cuts through it at 26 metres (85 ft). The Divide continues into South America , where it follows the peaks of the Andes Mountains , traversing western Colombia , central Ecuador , western and southwestern Peru , and eastern Chile (essentially conforming to the Chile- Bolivia and Chile- Argentina boundaries), southward to Cabo San Diego at
3366-538: The Mackinac Bridge (Steinman, 1957), Tagus River Bridge , and Brooklyn Bridge . Parsons continues to provide inspection, maintenance, and upgrades for these bridges to this day. The company has also secured numerous design, design-build, and/or construction management jobs delivering new bridges such as the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (2007) , John James Audubon Bridge , Windsor-Detroit (Gordie Howe) Bridge , and
3465-819: The Northwest Territories in the Mackenzie Mountains . It then proceeds through the Northern British Columbia Interior via the Cassiar Mountains , Omineca Mountains and northern Nechako Plateau to Summit Lake , north of the city of Prince George and just south of the community of McLeod Lake . From there the Divide traverses the McGregor Plateau to the spine of the Rockies, following
3564-676: The Port of Los Angeles selected Parsons to design the Pier 300 $ 60 million dry bulk terminal for international commodities such as coal and petroleum coke. Also in 1992, Parsons provided engineering cleanup services to the Department of Energy for its uranium enrichment facilities in Ohio. The project was worth $ 125 million. In 1993, The Southern Nevada Water Authority selected Parsons as PM/CM for their $ 2 billion capital improvement program to increase water capacity for
3663-694: The Tacoma Narrows Bridge , a design-build project, originally scheduled to be constructed in 55 months. The bridge was completed and opened in 2007. In June 2003, a joint-venture team led by Bechtel National, Inc. and Parsons Corporation was selected to destroy chemical weapons at the Bluegrass Army Depot in Kentucky. The final munition was destroyed in July 2023. In 2004, Parsons served as project manager to cleanup and restore Onondaga Lake in New York. Also in 2004,
3762-630: The Titan III Integrate, Transfer, and Launch (ITL) launch complex at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station . Upon completion, the complex became known as Launch Complex 40 and Launch Complex 41 . Features of the ITL design included the Vertical Integration Building (VIB) and Solid Rocket Motor Assembly Building (SMAB). The complex supported its first launch in June 1965. In February 1963, Parsons
3861-642: The United Kingdom Department for Science, Innovation & Technology released a report on cyber attacks over the last 12 months. They surveyed 2,263 UK businesses, 1,174 UK registered charities, and 554 education institutions. The research found that "32% of businesses and 24% of charities overall recall any breaches or attacks from the last 12 months." These figures were much higher for "medium businesses (59%), large businesses (69%), and high-income charities with £500,000 or more in annual income (56%)." Yet, although medium or large businesses are more often
3960-436: The "practice of designing computer systems to achieve security goals." These goals have overlap with the principles of "security by design" explored above, including to "make initial compromise of the system difficult," and to "limit the impact of any compromise." In practice, the role of a security architect would be to ensure the structure of a system reinforces the security of the system, and that new changes are safe and meet
4059-407: The 'attacker motivation' section. A direct-access attack is when an unauthorized user (an attacker) gains physical access to a computer, most likely to directly copy data from it or steal information. Attackers may also compromise security by making operating system modifications, installing software worms , keyloggers , covert listening devices or using wireless microphones. Even when the system
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4158-724: The 25 de Abril Bridge ) in Lisbon, Portugal. The company continues to support bridge improvements and maintenance. In 1998, Parsons was hired by the U.S. Navy to manage UXO removal in Hawaii. The unexploded ordinances had accumulated in the island of Kaho`olawe . In 1999, Parsons completed the design for the New Baiyun Airport (now called the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport ) in Guangzhou, China. Also in 1999, Parsons
4257-794: The Atlantic Ocean from those that exit via the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Triple Divide Peak in Glacier National Park , Montana, is the point where two of the principal continental divides in North America converge, the primary Continental Divide and the Northern or Laurentian Divide. From this point, waters flow to the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean via the Gulf of Mexico, and the Arctic Ocean via Hudson Bay . Most geographers, geologists, meteorologists, and oceanographers consider this point
4356-626: The Atlantic more than to the Arctic Ocean. The channels to the north of Hudson Bay are largely cut off by Baffin Island from the Arctic, so much of the water that enters it mixes with the Atlantic to the east via Hudson Strait rather than north into the Arctic. The result is that most of the ice flowing down the Saskatchewan Glacier eventually ends up as water in the Atlantic Ocean. If Hudson Bay
4455-504: The Continental Divide in Wyoming. The Panama Canal has this same feature, but is man-made. Both the Chagres and Gatun rivers flow into Gatun Lake , which empties to both oceans. Several small lakes along the Divide in the Rocky Mountains between Alberta and British Columbia flow into both provinces and thus into both the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. An example is the " Committee's Punch Bowl ",
4554-470: The Divide or the other by their lowest perimeter pass; in other words, an assignment is made by determining how the drainage would occur if the basin were to be progressively filled with water until it overflowed. Large-scale maps, such as those on this page, often show double divide lines when endorheic basins are involved. However, the detailed USGS topographic maps of the United States generally show only
4653-697: The Divide represents the height of land between watersheds, it does not always follow the highest ranges/peaks within each state or province. In Mexico , it passes through Chihuahua , Durango , Zacatecas , Aguascalientes , Jalisco , Guanajuato , Querétaro , México , the Federal District , Morelos , Puebla , Oaxaca , and Chiapas . In Central America, it continues through southern Guatemala , southwestern Honduras , western Nicaragua , western/southwestern Costa Rica , and southern Panama . The divide reaches its lowest natural point in Central America at
4752-560: The Las Vegas Valley. The company continues to provide program and construction management services to SNWA most recently being awarded $ 150M contract in July 2023. In 1995, Parsons designed, engineered and managed infrastructure elements of the National Ignition Facility's (NIF) construction. This facility houses the world's most powerful laser. Additionally in 1995, Parsons paid the U.S. $ 3.2 million to settle fraud claims,
4851-465: The Petromin-Shell petrochemical design-build project, the company's largest petrochemical project ever, valued at $ 1.5 billion. In 1985, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority hired a Parsons joint venture to provide commuter rail services and construction management of what would become the MTA's Red Line. Also in 1985, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers selected Parsons to furnish design, systems integration, engineering, and procurement for
4950-419: The Space Transportation System. In late February 2019, Parsons announced the move of its headquarters from Pasadena, California to Centreville, Virginia . On May 8, 2019, Parsons executed an Initial Public Offering of approximately $ 500 million on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PSN. When the transaction was conducted, Parsons returned to public status after leaving 35 years before to become
5049-520: The U.S. Navy to support the launch of MIDAS and SAMOS programs using Atlas missiles . The facility was renamed Launch Complex 3 when the Air Force assumed control of the base from the Navy. In 1958, Parsons began fabrication of electronics and instrumentation including miss-distance indicators for the Pershing Medium Range Ballistic Missile . In June 1959, Parsons was awarded a contract for Titan ICBM facility design to be constructed near Moses Lake Washington. 1960s In 1961, Parsons designed
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#17328451395835148-514: The US bisects Glacier National Park. Further south, the Divide forms the backbone of the Rocky Mountain Front (Front Range) in the Bob Marshall Wilderness , heads south towards Helena and Butte , then west past the namesake community of Divide, Montana , through the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness to the Bitterroot Range , where it forms the eastern third of the state boundary between Idaho and Montana. The Divide crosses into Wyoming within Yellowstone National Park and continues southeast around
5247-424: The Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report 2020, which examined 3,950 security breaches, discovered 30% of cybersecurity incidents involved internal actors within a company. Research shows information security culture needs to be improved continuously. In "Information Security Culture from Analysis to Change", authors commented, "It's a never-ending process, a cycle of evaluation and change or maintenance." To manage
5346-512: The Web, email and applications." However, they are also multi-staged, meaning that “they can infiltrate networks and move laterally inside the network.” The attacks can be polymorphic, meaning that the cyberattacks used such as viruses, worms or trojans “constantly change (“morph”) making it nearly impossible to detect them using signature-based defences.” Phishing is the attempt of acquiring sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details directly from users by deceiving
5445-449: The best form of encryption possible for wireless networks is best practice, as well as using HTTPS instead of an unencrypted HTTP . Programs such as Carnivore and NarusInSight have been used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and NSA to eavesdrop on the systems of internet service providers . Even machines that operate as a closed system (i.e., with no contact with the outside world) can be eavesdropped upon by monitoring
5544-623: The company in 1974. Also in 1974, Parsons opened the first part of its headquarters in Pasadena. In 1985, Parsons finalized an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP), allocating shares in proportion to employees’ salaries. The ESOP program continues today. Parsons interest in bridge projects grew through the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s leveraging credentials enabled by acquisition of firms including DeLeuw, Cather, and Company in 1977 and Steinman, Boynton, Gronquist and Birdsall (SBGB) in 1988. These acquisitions brought experience and pedigree for design and/or refurbishment of iconic bridge structures including
5643-403: The crest of the Canadian Rockies southeast to the 120th meridian west , from there forming the boundary between southern British Columbia and southern Alberta . The Divide crosses into the United States in northwestern Montana , at the boundary between Waterton Lakes National Park and Glacier National Park . In Canada, it forms the western boundary of Waterton Lakes National Park, and in
5742-421: The disruption or misdirection of the services they provide. The significance of the field stems from the expanded reliance on computer systems , the Internet , and wireless network standards . Its importance is further amplified by the growth of smart devices , including smartphones , televisions , and the various devices that constitute the Internet of things (IoT). Cybersecurity has emerged as one of
5841-405: The early 1950s, Parsons efforts in oil and petrochemical process plants came into focus with design/build efforts supporting both Shell and Gulf Oil in Texas. Parsons delivered systems that would also recover sulfur products for later use in industrial processes. Facilities came on line in 1952. In 1961, Parsons founded the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. The foundation became entirely independent from
5940-493: The early 1960s to support Saturn V engine testing. Parsons rebuilt the facility again after a 1991 test failure of a Titan IV SRMU motor that caused significant facility damage. In 1988, Parsons was hired to expand the Dulles (IAD) and Ronald Reagan (DCA) airports. Parsons also continued to oversee rehabilitation of the Brooklyn Bridge that had been started by bridge firm Steinman, Boynton, Gronquist, and Birdsall which had been acquired by Parsons that year. 1990s In 1992,
6039-538: The eastbound lanes opened to traffic on November 20, 66 days after Ivan made landfall and 27 days ahead of schedule. Both contractors received $ 1.5 million in bonuses for the early completion. Computer security Computer security (also cybersecurity , digital security , or information technology (IT) security ) is the protection of computer software , systems and networks from threats that can lead to unauthorized information disclosure, theft or damage to hardware , software , or data , as well as from
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#17328451395836138-426: The eight chemical weapons incineration plants throughout the continental United States. In 1986, Parsons designed, engineered, and managed construction of the Red Dog mine air and sea ports along with the entire complex. In 1987, Parsons engineered, designed and delivered the Titan solid booster rocket test stand at Edwards Air Force Base in California . The test stand facility was originally designed by Parsons in
6237-416: The entire computer." Backdoors can be very hard to detect and are usually discovered by someone who has access to the application source code or intimate knowledge of the operating system of the computer. Denial-of-service attacks (DoS) are designed to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users. Attackers can deny service to individual victims, such as by deliberately entering
6336-419: The faint electromagnetic transmissions generated by the hardware. TEMPEST is a specification by the NSA referring to these attacks. Malicious software ( malware ) is any software code or computer program "intentionally written to harm a computer system or its users." Once present on a computer, it can leak sensitive details such as personal information, business information and passwords, can give control of
6435-457: The following sections: Security by design, or alternately secure by design, means that the software has been designed from the ground up to be secure. In this case, security is considered a main feature. The UK government's National Cyber Security Centre separates secure cyber design principles into five sections: These design principles of security by design can include some of the following techniques: Security architecture can be defined as
6534-420: The form of glacial ice. That ice flows down the Athabasca Glacier to the Arctic Ocean via the Athabasca and Mackenzie rivers. Ice flowing west goes to the Pacific Ocean via Bryce Creek and the Bush and Columbia Rivers . Ice flowing down the Saskatchewan Glacier goes via the North Saskatchewan , Saskatchewan , and Nelson rivers into Hudson Bay . While Triple Divide Peak (or, alternatively, Snow Dome)
6633-408: The ground infrastructure development effort continued into the mid-1980s. 1980s In 1980, Los Angeles selected a Parsons joint venture to provide the Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant with program management, advanced planning, conceptual/detailed design, construction management, and startup services on all of their solids- and gas-handling expansion projects. In 1981, Parsons won a contract for
6732-525: The hydrological apex of North America, as Hudson Bay is generally considered part of the Arctic Ocean. For example, the International Hydrographic Organization (in its current unapproved working edition only of Limits of Oceans and Seas ) defines the Hudson Bay, with its outlet extending from 62.5 to 66.5 degrees north (just a few miles south of the Arctic Circle ) as being part of the Arctic Ocean, specifically "Arctic Ocean Subdivision 9.11." This hydrological apex of North America status of Triple Divide Peak
6831-490: The information security culture, five steps should be taken: pre-evaluation, strategic planning, operative planning, implementation, and post-evaluation. In computer security, a countermeasure is an action, device, procedure or technique that reduces a threat, a vulnerability, or an attack by eliminating or preventing it, by minimizing the harm it can cause, or by discovering and reporting it so that corrective action can be taken. Some common countermeasures are listed in
6930-461: The installation plans for each of the 1,000 Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles , which were used by the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War . In 1964, Ralph M. Parsons managed the design of the U.S. Treasury Philadelphia Mint expansion. Parsons created all construction and equipment specifications, oversaw construction, and prepared operations and maintenance manuals. In 1962, Parsons commenced design efforts as civil architect-engineer for
7029-474: The largest cast-in-place concrete arch ever poured, a span of 3,000 feet. 1950s In 1952, the U.S. Army awarded Parsons a multi-year design and construction contract role for numerous laboratory and test facilities at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama . In January 1953, Parsons began work on the construction of Turkey's first oil refinery near Batman, Turkey. Between 1957 and 1960, Parsons designed Port Arguello Launch Complex 1 under contract to
7128-449: The life-threatening risk of spoofing in the healthcare industry. Tampering describes a malicious modification or alteration of data. It is an intentional but unauthorized act resulting in the modification of a system, components of systems, its intended behavior, or data. So-called Evil Maid attacks and security services planting of surveillance capability into routers are examples. HTML smuggling allows an attacker to "smuggle"
7227-639: The main Divide as determined by the overflow rule. Among other things, this eliminates the need to trace out the boundary for a basin that is very shallow and has a nebulous rim, such as the San Luis Closed Basin in Colorado and the basin of the lost streams of Idaho . Another rare exception occurs when a stream near a divide splits and flows in both directions, or a lake straddling the divide overflows in both directions. Examples of these are, respectively, North Two Ocean Creek and Isa Lake , both located on
7326-515: The main techniques of social engineering are phishing attacks. In early 2016, the FBI reported that such business email compromise (BEC) scams had cost US businesses more than $ 2 billion in about two years. In May 2016, the Milwaukee Bucks NBA team was the victim of this type of cyber scam with a perpetrator impersonating the team's president Peter Feigin , resulting in the handover of all
7425-593: The middle east, Parsons won a contract to design, engineer, and manage the construction of multiple facilities for ARAMCO's Saudi Arabian gas program . In October 1976, the Federal Railroad Administration awarded Parsons, as part of a joint venture, the Northeast Corridor Improvement Program contract, which was to provide a 456-mile, high-speed rail service between Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. In 1977, Parsons completed
7524-556: The most significant new challenges facing the contemporary world, due to both the complexity of information systems and the societies they support. Security is particularly crucial for systems that govern large-scale systems with far-reaching physical effects, such as power distribution , elections , and finance . Although many aspects of computer security involve digital security, such as electronic passwords and encryption , physical security measures such as metal locks are still used to prevent unauthorized tampering. IT security
7623-452: The national airspace system. 1970s In 1970, Parsons was hired by BP and ExxonMobil to perform engineering studies in Alaska to determine if the company could overcome the technical and logistical engineering challenges in Arctic oil production. In 1971, Parsons and Union Oil Co. of California demonstrated an improved sulfur recovery process at Union's Los Angeles pilot refinery plant. Based on
7722-473: The nature of backdoors, they are of greater concern to companies and databases as opposed to individuals. Backdoors may be added by an authorized party to allow some legitimate access or by an attacker for malicious reasons. Criminals often use malware to install backdoors, giving them remote administrative access to a system. Once they have access, cybercriminals can "modify files, steal personal information, install unwanted software, and even take control of
7821-529: The new construction on more than 100 major U.S. postal installations. Parsons continues to provide services for the USPS today. In 1975, Parsons was selected to transform Yanbu , Red Sea in Saudi Arabia into a thriving, modern port complex. The company provided the master plan, design, and construction management services for this self-contained industrial city of more that 100,000 people that produces oil, gas, and petrochemical products used worldwide. Continuing work in
7920-560: The openness of the Internet. These strategies mostly include phishing , ransomware , water holing and scanning. To secure a computer system, it is important to understand the attacks that can be made against it, and these threats can typically be classified into one of the following categories: A backdoor in a computer system, a cryptosystem , or an algorithm is any secret method of bypassing normal authentication or security controls. These weaknesses may exist for many reasons, including original design or poor configuration. Due to
8019-520: The other hydrological divisions. Beginning at the westernmost point of the Americas , Cape Prince of Wales , just south of the Arctic Circle, the Continental Divide's geographic path runs through Arctic Alaska , where it reaches its more northerly point close to the U.S.-Canada border near the Beaufort Sea. The Divide zig-zags southwardly over Yukon , and forms part of the boundary between Yukon and
8118-809: The others and its two main triple points are much more prominent. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) follows the Divide through the U.S. from the Mexico–US border to the Canada–US border . The trail itself is a corridor of pathways; that is, dedicated footpaths or back roads, either on or near the Continental Divide. A less-developed Canadian extension called the Great Divide Trail continues through five national parks and six provincial parks , ending at Kakwa Lake in east-central British Columbia. Many endorheic regions in North and South America complicate
8217-467: The proven capacity to extract over 99% of the sulfur contained in the waste gases, the company was contracted to construct a full scale plant to harvest sulfur for industrial uses and reduce pollution. Following arctic oil production study, Parsons was hired in 1974 as managing contractor for all oil and gas facilities for BP and Exxon's east side portion of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Also in 1974, Parsons provided modernization and construction program services for
8316-428: The real website. Preying on a victim's trust, phishing can be classified as a form of social engineering . Attackers can use creative ways to gain access to real accounts. A common scam is for attackers to send fake electronic invoices to individuals showing that they recently purchased music, apps, or others, and instructing them to click on a link if the purchases were not authorized. A more strategic type of phishing
8415-476: The right foundation to systematically address business, IT and security concerns in an organization. A state of computer security is the conceptual ideal, attained by the use of three processes: threat prevention, detection, and response. These processes are based on various policies and system components, which include the following: Today, computer security consists mainly of preventive measures, like firewalls or an exit procedure . A firewall can be defined as
8514-432: The security requirements of the organization. Similarly, Techopedia defines security architecture as "a unified security design that addresses the necessities and potential risks involved in a certain scenario or environment. It also specifies when and where to apply security controls. The design process is generally reproducible." The key attributes of security architecture are: Practicing security architecture provides
8613-511: The settlement comes from allegations that Parsons knowingly overbilled the government on two Air Force contracts. In 1996, Parsons was awarded a contract by the USAID to reconstruct Bosnia-Herzegovina, in the Balkans, after the war. In 1997, Parsons began the structural rehabilitation and catenary designs that incorporated electrifying the railroad tracks of the Tagus River Bridge (also known as
8712-782: The simple view of east or west, "ocean-bound" water flow. Several endorheic basins straddle or adjoin the Continental Divide, notably the Great Divide Basin in Wyoming, the Plains of San Agustin and the Animas Valley in New Mexico, the Guzmán Basin in New Mexico and Chihuahua, Mexico, and both the Bolsón de Mapimí and the Llanos el Salado in Mexico. Such basins can be, and routinely are, assigned to one side of
8811-448: The software at all. The attacker can insert the software onto a compromised device, perhaps by direct insertion or perhaps by a virus or other malware, and then come back some time later to retrieve any data that is found or trigger the software to send the data at some determined time." Using a virtual private network (VPN), which encrypts data between two points, is one of the most common forms of protection against eavesdropping. Using
8910-644: The southern end of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego . The Divide passes through the Punta Cancanan Pass in Peru at 4,700 metres (15,420 ft). The Arctic Divide or Northern Divide in northern and western Canada separates the Arctic Ocean watershed from the Hudson Bay watershed. Another, mainly non-mountainous, divide, the Laurentian Divide (also sometimes called the Northern Divide), further separates
9009-672: The system to the attacker, and can corrupt or delete data permanently. Another type of malware is ransomware , which is when "malware installs itself onto a victim's machine, encrypts their files, and then turns around and demands a ransom (usually in Bitcoin ) to return that data to the user." Types of malware include some of the following: Man-in-the-middle attacks (MITM) involve a malicious attacker trying to intercept, surveil or modify communications between two parties by spoofing one or both party's identities and injecting themselves in-between. Types of MITM attacks include: Surfacing in 2017,
9108-428: The team's employees' 2015 W-2 tax forms. Spoofing is an act of pretending to be a valid entity through the falsification of data (such as an IP address or username), in order to gain access to information or resources that one is otherwise unauthorized to obtain. Spoofing is closely related to phishing . There are several types of spoofing, including: In 2018, the cybersecurity firm Trellix published research on
9207-520: The two mentioned previously and a third near Hibbing, Minnesota , where the Northern Divide intersects the Saint Lawrence Seaway divide. Since there is no true consensus on what a continental divide is, there is no real agreement on where the secondary triple points are located. However, the main Continental Divide described in this article is a far more distinctive geological feature than
9306-427: The users. Phishing is typically carried out by email spoofing , instant messaging , text message , or on a phone call. They often direct users to enter details at a fake website whose look and feel are almost identical to the legitimate one. The fake website often asks for personal information, such as login details and passwords. This information can then be used to gain access to the individual's real account on
9405-616: The victims, since larger companies have generally improved their security over the last decade, small and midsize businesses (SMBs) have also become increasingly vulnerable as they often "do not have advanced tools to defend the business." SMBs are most likely to be affected by malware, ransomware, phishing, man-in-the-middle attacks , and Denial-of Service (DoS) Attacks. Normal internet users are most likely to be affected by untargeted cyberattacks. These are where attackers indiscriminately target as many devices, services, or users as possible. They do this using techniques that take advantage of
9504-735: Was contracted to design the Apollo Spacecraft Propulsion System Development Facility at White Sands New Mexico. In 1964, Parsons created a technical and economic blueprint for the North American Water and Power Alliance (NAWAPA) , specifically in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The plan outlined concepts to build an integrated system of dams, channels, tunnels, reservoirs, hydroelectric plants, and pumping stations. The plan ultimately did not move forward due to environmental concerns and cost. In 1966, Parsons has served as general engineering consultant for
9603-668: Was founded, they were hired to provide turnkey engineering, management, and oil well drilling services to the great divide in Colorado, United States. In 1948, Parsons began work to develop naval missile facilities at Point Mugu Missile facility . Also in 1948, the Atomic Energy Commission created the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory reactor so that it could conduct advanced nuclear experiments with civilian and military reactors. Parsons designed all facilities for test and support operations—including
9702-902: Was included in the Fortune 1000 in 2020 and added to the S&;P 400 in 2024. The company is led by Carey Smith, who serves as Chairwoman, President, and CEO. Parsons was founded by Ralph M. Parsons in 1944. Emerging at the end of World War II , Parsons' location in Los Angeles , proximity to organizations such as the Naval Air and Missile Test Center , Air Force Western Development Division (WDD) and Space and Missile Systems Organization (SAMSO) , and partnership with Aerojet Engineering, enabled it acquire early developmental projects including electronics, instrumentation, ground checkout systems design, and engineering for aircraft, missiles and rocket facilities. In
9801-615: Was selected to design the Woodrow Wilson Bridge . 2000s On September 19, 2002, Parsons was awarded a contract to design, build commission and operate the Savannah River Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) in South Carolina by the department of energy. In 2020, the company completed all steps to begin the treatment of radioactive waste at the facility. On October 8, 2002, Parsons proceeded on
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