Chapter 5: Technology at your service

management information system (MIS)

A set of software tools that enables managers to gather, organize, and evaluate information

decision support system (DSS)

A special application that collects and reports certain types of data, can help managers make better decisions.

Network

Allows users to communicate and share information between computers and various devices.

Bandwith

Amount of data that can be transmitted over a given amount of time (Mbps,Gbps)

Surge protector

An inexpensive product that guards connected equipment against large power spikes or surges.

countermeasure

Any step you take to ward off a threat

Threat

Anything that can cause harm

Node

Basically a connection point.

Router

Complex device that stores the routing information for networks.

information system (IS)

Complex system for acquiring, storing, organizing, using, and sharing data and information

Redundant

Computers have multiple hardware systems performing that same task at the same time to protect against the failure of one system.

WAN

Connection of 2 or more central computers or LAN's, generally across a wide geographical area.

Coaxial cable

Consists of a single copper wire that is surrounded by insulation and a wire mesh shield, all inside a plastic sheath.

Twisted-pair cable

Consists of four pairs of wires that are twisted around each other. All wires are collectively bound together in a layer of plastic that you would refer to as the network cable.

uninterruptible power supply (UPS)

Contains a battery, can keep a system on in the event of a power failure.

Intranet

Contains only private information.

LAN

Data communication system consisting of multiple devices that are relatively near each other and are physically connected using cable or wireless media.

Packets

Data moves though networks in structures known as packets, which are pieces of a message broken down into small units by the sending device and reassembled by the receiving device.

Spyware

Designed to report activity on your computer to another party.

Bridge

Device that connects 2 LANs or 2 segments of the same LAN

strong password

Difficult to guess or crack by thieves

Zombies

Infected computers that are under the external control of a hacker.

Topology

Logical layout of the cables and devices that connect the nodes of the network.

Attenuation

Loss of intensity and clarity of the data signal being transmitted. It is often affected by distance.

Network Media

Means used to link parts of a computer network.

Wireless adapter

Most desktop computers require an internal or external wireless adapter to connect to a WAP.

Ethernet

Most widely-used standard for local area networks.

Gateway

Node on a network that serves as an entrance to another network.

Trojan horse

Program that disguises itself as an interesting, useful, or desirable program in order to gain access to your system.

Hub

Provides multiple ports for connecting nodes.

Protocols

Rules of communication that ensure packets are sent, received, and interpreted properly, and that data integrity, or accuracy, is guaranteed.

Switch

Similar to a hub, but it is aware of the exact address or identity of all the nodes attached to it.

redundant array of independent disks (RAID)

Storage system that links any number of disk drives (a disk array) so that they act as a single disk. This helps guard against data loss if a single disk breaks.

cybercrimes

Such crimes, from creating viruses to disrupting computer networks

NIC

The device at each node that performs translation and transmission.

transaction processing system (TPS)

The information system that handles the processing and tracking of transactions

Wi-Fi

The most popular standard form of wireless networking.

wireless access point (WAP)

To create a wireless LAN, a wireless access point (WAP) is needed. All nodes connect to the device.

expert system

Type of information system that performs analytical tasks traditionally done by a human.

virus

Type of malware that is attached to a host file and has the ability to replicate, or copy, itself.

Worm

Type of malware that self-replicates and spreads through computers and networks.

Wireless networks

Use radio signals that travel through the air to transmit data.

Repeater

Used to prevent attenuation when packets are traveling long distances

Extranet

Used to share some of the company's intranet resources with people outside the organization.

rogue hotspot

Wireless access point that users accidentally connect to.

Interoperability

ability of each organization's information system to work with the other, sharing both data and services.

virtual private network (VPN)

all of your activity will first pass through a VPN server before traveling to the Internet. This is often required by employers if you are connecting to workplace computers from home.

distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)

allows hackers to shut down or block access to websites and other network resources by overwhelming them with requests.

cyberterrorism

attack that seeks to create large-scale chaos and damage to a country's infrastructure.

Botnets

can be used by the hacker to spread malware, send spam, and conduct carefully orchestrated network attacks.

Scalability

capacity to provide increasing amounts of computing power, storage, and/or software.

office automation system

computers and/or networks to perform various office-related operations, such as word processing, accounting, document management, or communications.

Fault-tolerant

computers are able to continue their operation even when problems are present.

Fiber-optic Cable

consists of a thin strand of glass that transmits pulsating beams of light rather than electric current.

data mining

discovery of new patterns or relationships between data.

data warehouse

enormous digital warehouse that contains data gathered from multiple databases

Social engineering

form of hacking that focuses on deceiving individuals into giving away the information that the thief needs.

Pretexting

gaining someone's trust by pretending you are someone else

identity theft

hackers are looking for personal data that will allow them to assume the identity of another individual

hacker

individual who uses a computer and/or network to commit a variety of crimes.

Authorization

individuals a certain level of access based on who they are.

Phishing

luring individuals into entering personal information into a website controlled by the hacker.

Data validation

process of safeguarding against erroneous or duplicate data by checking what is entered and placing restrictions on how the data is entered.

Authentication

requirement that an individual confirm his or her identity.

Malware

several types of malicious computer programs that are created to harm computer systems and their users.

Hacktivism

social or political agenda behind it, has become a popular reason to hack in recent years.

mission-critical

they must run without failure or with nearly instant recovery from failure.

vulnerability

weakness that has not been protected against threats

risk assessment

where you identify and examine possible threats, is critical to being able to safeguard a system.

tape library

which is a large storage unit for magnetic tape drives, to create backups and archives of data.

scareware

which tricks users into following a thief's orders, malware usually tries to remain hidden from users so that it can do its damage for as long as possible.