IT Textbook Test #2
What is a data warehouse?
- stores current and historical data from many core operational transaction systems - consolidates and standardizes information for use across an enterprise, but data cannot be altered - provides analysis and reporting tools
How can TCO be reduced?
- switch to cloud services - greater centralization and standardization of hardware and software resources - minimize components
What are the 3 main capabilities of a database management system and explain?
1) Data definition - specify structure of content of the database 2) Data dictionary - automated or manual file stores definitions of data elements and their characteristics 3) Querying and reporting - accessing and manipulating information in databases
What is a byte?
A group of bits
What is a web browser?
An easy-to-use software tool with a graphical user interface for displaying webpages and for accessing the web and other Internet resources [e.g. Microsoft Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc]
What is Hadoop?
An open source framework managed by Apache Software Foundation that enables distributed parallel processing of big data across inexpensive computers. It's key services are: - HDFS (Hadoop Distributed File System) which takes care of data storage - MapReduce which breaks data into clusters for work - Hbase which is a noSQL database
Why are information systems so vulnerable?
Because information is stored on a network and in different locations of servers. This means that there are countless ways of entry into the system Vulnerabilities can exist at each layer of a business, such as technical, organizational, and environmental
What makes information system security so valuable?
Because systems tend to store extremely valuable information. - I.e. military targets, financial information, patient data, intangible assets Company's aren't only responsible for protecting their own information, but they can be liable if information about their customers, suppliers and business partners get out
What is Hyptertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)?
Communications standard that transfers pages ont he web.
What are unified communications?
Communications systems that integrate voice, data, e-mail and conferencing
What are analytic platforms?
Developed by commercial database vendors, these are high-speed platforms that use both relational and non-relational tools optimized for large datasets
What is a field?
Group of characters as word(s) or number(s)
What is malware?
Malicious software, which includes viruses, worms, and trojan horses
Describe the evolving mobile platform
Mobile digital computing platforms (iPhone & Android smartphones, for example) have emerged as alternatives to PCs and larger computers. Tablet computers, iPads, digital e-book readers, etc, are being used by consumers and companies on a daily basis, as well as wearable technology
Describe Moore's Law and the Law of Mass Digital Storage
Moore's Law is the observation that the number of components per square inch on integrated circuits had doubled each year since their invention. The number of components (or transistors) is directly related to the number of instructions a processor can handle. A growth in transistors is also directly related to a decline in computing costs, though it is not sustainable forever. The Law of Mass Digital Storage is the observation that the amount of digital information is roughly doubling every year, however the cost of storing digital information is also falling at an exponential rate of 100% per year.
What is a security policy?
Statements ranking information risks, identifying acceptable security goals, and identifying mechanisms to achieve these goals
Describe consumerization of IT
The consumerization of IT is when information technology that first emerges in the consumer market spreads into business organizations. This includes mobile personal devices, business uses of software such as Facebook and Twitter, etc.
Define a multitiered client/server architecture
The work of an entire network is balanced over several different levels of servers [Client --Internet --Web Server --Application Server --Data]
What are application controls? What are the 3 classifications?
They are unique to each computer application (i.e. payroll or sales processing), that ensure only authorized data are processed by that application. Classifications: 1) Input controls 2) Processing controls 3) Output controls
What are SQL injection attacks?
They take advantage of vulnerabilities in poorly coded web applications to introduce malicious program codes into a company's systems
What are non-relational (NoSQL) database systems?
They use a more flexible data model and are designed for managing systems with large amounts of data across many machines. They are more easily scaled and are useful for accelerating simple queries against large volumes of structured and unstructured data.
What is spoofing?
When a hacker tried to hide their identity by misrepresenting themselves, using a fake email address or posing as someone else.
What are the common types of threats against information systems?
- Client: unauthorized access, errors - Communication/transmissions: tapping, message alteration, theft or fraud, radiation - Corporate servers: hacking, malware, vandalism - Corporate systems: theft or copying of data, system failure
What could happen if you try to link to the Internet without a firewall or antivirus software?
- Computer would likely be disabled within a few minutes - Cannot sell to customers - Cannot place orders with suppliers - Data could be stolen by hackers - Confidential data could be destroyed - Hard to recover
What are common kinds of computer crime?
- Confidentiality breach - Unauthorized access - Knowingly accessing a protected computer - Threatening to damage a computer - Theft of trade secrets - Using email for threats/harassment - Child pornography distribution or storage
What are examples of internet services?
- Email - chatting and instant messaging - newsgroups - Telnet (logging on to one computer system and doing work on another) - File transfer protocol (transferring files from computer to computer) - world wide web
How do worms and viruses spread?
- From internet files - From downloaded software - From email attachments - From online ads - From IMs - From infected disks
What is a database management system (DBMS)?
- Interfaces between applications and physical data files - separates logical and physical views of data - solves problems of traditional file environment (controls & eliminates redundancy and inconsistency; uncouples programs and data; enables organization to centrally manage data)
What US laws protect from computer crime?
- Wiretap Act - Wire Fraud Act - Economic Espionage Act - Electronic Communictions Privacy Act - CAN-SPAM Act - Protect Act These cover crimes such as intercepting communications, illegally accessing systems, using email for threats, etc
What are the advantages of using the web for database access?
- ease of use of browser software - web interface requires few or no changes to the database - inexpensive
What are the problems with the traditional file environment?
- files maintained separately by different departments - data redundancy (duplicate data in multiple files so the same data is stored in more than one place) - data inconsistency (same attribute has different values) - program-data dependence (coupling data stored in files and the programs required to update and maintain the files) - lack of flexibility (can only deliver routine scheduled reports after extensive programming) - poor security - lack of data sharing and availability
What components are seen in a network for a large company?
- hundreds of local area networks (LANs) linked to firm-wide corporate network - different powerful servers - mobile wireless LANs (wifi networks) - videoconferencing systems - telephone networks, wireless cell phones
What is relational DBMS?
- represent data as two-dimensional tables - each table contains data on entity and attributes
What are the various ways to search for information on the web?
- search engines (Google) - Mobile search - semantic search (goal to build a search engine that can understand human language and behaviour) - social search (effort to provide fewer, more relevant and trustworthy search results based on a person's network of social contacts)
What are examples of physical transmission media?
- twisted pair wire (CAT5) = copper wire twisted in pairs for voice and data communications - coaxial cable = thickly insulated copper wire capable of high speed data transmission - fiber-optic cable = strands of clear glass fibre that transmit data as pulses of light - wireless transmission media - based on radio signals of various frequencies and includes both terrestrial and satellite microwave systems
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What are the two layers of TCP/IP?
1) Application layer - enables access to other layers and defines protocols for data exchange 2) Transport layer - responsible for providing application layer with communication and packet services 3) Internet layer - responsible for addressing, routing and packaging data packets 4) Network interface layer - places packets on and receives them from the network medium
List and describe the components of IT infrastructure that firms need to manage
1) Computer Hardware Platforms - Dell, IBM, Oracle Sun, HP, Apple - mainframes, servers, PCs, tablets, smartphones 2) Operating System Platforms - Microsoft, Android, iOS, Linux, MacOSX - operating system to manage the resources and activities of the computer 3) Enterprise Software Applications - SAP, Oracle, IBM, Microsoft - user interface for database systems; linking firm's existing application systems 4) Networking/Telecommunications - Microsoft Windows Server, AT&T, Verizon - provide telecommunications/telephone services and data connectivity 5) Consultants and System Integrators - HP, IBM, Accenture - assist with implementation of new infrastructure 6) Data Management and Storage - Oracle, Apache, EMC, SQL Server - organizing and managing firm data so it can be efficiently used 7) Internet Platforms - Java, Cisco, Unix, Apache - support firm's website and hosting servers
What are the three networking and communication trends and explain?
1) Convergence - telephone networks and computer networks converging into single digital networks using Internet standards 2) Broadband - high-speed connections provided by telephone and cable TV companies running at 1 to 15 million bits per second 3) Broadband wireless - voice, data communication and other wireless services are increasingly being offered
What are the 3 elements of establishing an information policy?
1) Data administration - establishes policies and procedures to manage data 2) Data governance - managing availability, usability, integrity and security of data 3) Database administration - creating and maintaining a database
What are the challenges of managing IT infrastructure and management solutions?
1) Dealing with platform and infrastructure change - as firms grow, they outgrow their infrastructure - if IT infrastructure is a fixed cost purchase, scalability is difficult (the ability to expand to a large number of users) - firms using mobile computing can better deal with this change but they will need new policies and procedures to manage these platforms 2) Management and Governance - who controls and manages the firm's IT infrastructure? - can be impacted by lack of competence, or the difficulty of giving departments and divisions the responsibilty over their own info - how is this managed? 3) Making Wise Infrastructure Investments - IT infrastructure is a major investment - the question of how much to spend (more = idle, less = inability to deliver services) is a difficult one
List each of the eras in IT infrastructure evolution and describe its distinguishing characteristics
1) General Purpose Mainframe and Minicomputer Era (1959 to present) - introduction of IBM systems = widespread commercial use of computers - highly centralized computing under professional programmers and systems operators - introduction of minicomputers allowing more decentralized computing to meet specific needs 2) Personal Computer Era (1981 to Present) - PC in 1981 considered the beginning of this era - widely accepted and adopted by businesses - Wintel PC becomes the standard desktop computer - early 1990s saw the introduction of software tools (MS Word, spreadsheets, etc.) 3) Client/Server Era (1983 to Present) - laptop computers called "clients" are networked to powerful servers that provide a variety of services and capabilities - client uses server to process and store data - "server" = both software application and physical computer on which the network software runs - expansion to include "multitiered" client/server systems for a host of users 4) Enterprising Computing Era (1992 to Present) - took servers/software tools and integrated them into a large enterprise-wide structure - Internet becomes trusted communications environment - major characteristic of this era was linking all of these software/systems to each other to form a giant web 5) Cloud and Mobile Computing Era (2000 to Present) - access to shared pool of resources over the network (Internet) - clouds can be accessed on an as-needed basis from any connecting devise
What are some of the legislation pertaining to privacy in various industries?
1) Healthcare: HIPAA outlines medical security and privacy rules to govern the billing, administrative and payment functions 2) Financial services: Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act requires confidentiality of customer data on a secure server 3) Public companies: SOX requires accuracy and integrity of financial information and internal controls
What are the components of a framework for security and control?
1) Information system controls 2) Risk assessment 3) Security policy 4) Disaster recovery planning 5) Auditing
What are the three different types of cloud computing services?
1) Infrastructure as a service (IaaS): - use processing, storage, networking and other services from cloud providers to run their full IT systems 2) Software as a service (SaaS): - use software hosted by a vendor over a network (generally charged a subscription fee) 3) Platform as a service (PaaS): - use infrastructure and programming tools to develop your own applications remotely
What are the four major themes in contemporary software platform evolution? [List]
1) Linux and open source software 2) Java, HTML and HTML5 3) Web services and service-oriented architecture 4) Software outsourcing and cloud services
What are the 5 differences between cyber warfare and traditional warfare?
1) Most power = more vulnerable 2) The government cannot go it alone 3) The virtual attack surface is huge 4) Victims often don't know they are victims until it is too late 5) There is very little warning for a cyber attack, whereas traditional warfare generally gives the victim a lot of time to prepare. Cyber warfare is hard to recover from, since they might not know they were attacked until a while later
What are the major components in a simple network? Explain them
1) Network Operating Systems (NOS) - routes and manages communications on the network and coordinates network resources 2) Hubs - simple devices that connect network components, sending a packet of data to all other connected devices 3) Switches - more intelligent than a hub - can filter and forward data to a specified destination on a network 4) Routers - communication pocessor that routes packets of data through different networks, ensuring data sent gets to the correct address
What are the three different cloud computing models?
1) Public cloud - third-party service offers services to multiple customers, available publicly 2) Private Cloud - operated soley for a single organization and hosted either internally or externally 3) Hybrid cloud - combination of both that remains separate entities
What are the three basic operations of a relational DBMS?
1) SELECT - creates subset of data of all records that meet the stated criteria 2) JOIN - combines relational tables to provide user with more information than available in individual tables 3) PROJECT - creates subset of columns in table, creating tables with only information specified
What are the 2 methods of encryption?
1) Symmetric key encryption Sender and receiver create a single encryption key and they share it. Drawback is that they need to share it somehow, which leaves it vulnerable to interception 2) Public key encryption Uses 2 keys, one that is shared and one that is private. The public key cannot be used without the private key, which is used to decrypt the message
What is required to design a database?
1) a physical and a conceptual (or logical) design 2) Normalization - streamlining complex groupings of data to minimize redundant data elements and awkward many-to-many relationships 3) Referential integrity - rules used to ensure relationships between tables remain consistent 4) An entity-relationship diagram (with keys for each entity) 5) A correct data model
Before new databases are put in place, a firm must...
1) identify and correct faulty data 2) establish better routines for editing data once database is in operation
What percentage of critical data in Fortune 1000 companies' databases is inaccurate or incomplete?
25% +
What is the difference between 3G and 4G networks?
3G = transmission speeds from 144 Kbps to 2Mbps; too slow for video 4G = much higher speeds of 100 Mbps for download and 50 Mbps upload, which enough capacity for watching HD videos on mobile devices
What is a hertz?
= one cycle of the medium (number of cycles per second that can be sent through the medium)
Define a web server
A "web server" will serve a webpage to a client in response to a request for service. Responsible for locating and managing stored webpages
What is the Competitive Forces Model for IT Infrastructure Investment?
A 6 force model that can be used to address the question of how much the firm should spend on IT infrastructure: 1) Market demand for firm's customer services, supplier services, and enterprise services - survey each group and determine if meeting their needs or if additional services are required 2) Firm's business strategy - five-year business strategy analysis to assess what new services will be required to achieve strategic goals 3) Firm's IT strategy, Infrastructure and Cost - five-year examination of how the IT strategy aligns with business plans 4) Information technology - is the firm behind or ahead of the curve for IT development and utilization? 5) Competitor firms' IT services - assess whether more investment is necessary to keep up with competitor's services 6) Competitor Firms' IT infrastructure investments - benchmark expenditures for IT against competition to determine appropriate level
What are keyloggers?
A form of spyware that records every key stroke made on a computer to steal serial numbers, launch internet attacks, gain access to email accounts, to obtain passwords, etc.
What is a service level agreement (SLA)?
A formal contract between customers and their service providers that defines the specific responsibilities of the service provider and the level of service expected by the customer. SLAs typically specify the nature and level of services provided, criteria for PM, and conditions for terminating the agreement, among others.
What is an intrusion detection system?
A full-time monitoring tool placed at the most vulnerable points to detect and deter intruders. It generates an alarm if it find suspicious activity
What is packet switching?
A method of slicing digital messages into parcels called packets, sending the packets along different communication paths as they become available and then reassembling the packets once they arrive at their destinations. This is a more efficient use of a network's communications capacity
What is IPv6?
A new addressing scheme for IP numbers. It will provide more than a quadrillion new addresses and is not compatible with current IPv5 addressing.
What is software-defined networking (SDN)?
A new networking approach in which many of these control functions are managed by one central program, which can run inexpensive commodity servers separate from the network devices themselves
What is a hacker?
A person who intends to gain unauthorized access to a computer system
What are evil twins?
A phishing technique that involves wireless networks pretending to offer trustworthy wifi in public places. It looks identical to a legitimate network. Hackers can then steal credit card or other personal information
What is a software package?
A prewritten commercially available set of software programs that elimintates the need for a firm to write its own software programs for certain functions, such as payroll processing or order handling
What is a bug and what is a patch?
A program code defect It's virtually impossible to remove all bugs from large amounts of code A patch is a small piece of software to repair the flaws without disturbing the rest of the original software
What is a computer virus?
A rogue software program that attaches itself to other software programs or files, typically without user knowledge or permission. Can cause programs to be destroyed, clog computer memory, damage to hard drives, or make programs run improperly Viruses can spread from one computer to another when humans send an email or copy an infected file
What are web services?
A set of loosely coupled software components that exchange information with each other using universal web communication standards and languages. They can exchange information between two different systems regardless of the operating systems or programming languages on which the systems are based
What is a protocol?
A set of rules and procedures governing the transmission of information between two points in a network
What is a trojan horse?
A software program that appears to be benign, but then does something other than expected. The trojan horse itself is not a virus, since it does not replicate. But it is often a way for viruses to be introduced into a computer system
What is spyware?
A software that installs itself on computers to monitor user web-surfing activity and serve up advertising
What is data manipulation language?
A specialized language used to add, change, delete, and retrieve the data in the database. This language also contains commands that permit end users and programming specialists to extract data from the database to satisfy information requests and develop applications
What is cyberwarefare?
A state-sponsored activity designed to cripple and defeat another state by penetrating its computers to cause damage or disruption Generally targets military, power grids, financial systems, and communications networks
What is biometric authentication?
A system that reads a person's traits, such as their fingerprint, iris, or voice to grant access
What is a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)?
A technology that operates over existing telephone lines to carry voice, data and video at transmission rates ranging from 385 Kbps all the way to 40 Mbps
What is a sniffer?
A type of eavesdropping program that monitors information traveling over a network. They can help to identify potential network trouble spots (i.e. vulnerable to attacks) when used legitimately
What is an Internet Protocol (IP) Address?
A unique address or 32-bit nuber represented by four strings of numbers ranging form 0 to 255 separated by periods, assigned to each computer on the internet.
What is TCP/IP and Connectivity?
A worldwide standard developed in the 1970's to support efforts to help scientists transmit data among different types of computers over long distances. Uses a suite of protocols, the main ones being TCP and IP. TCP = transmission control protocol which handles the movement of data between computers. IP = internet protocol which is responsible for delivering packets and disassembling and reassembling packets during transmission
What is data cleansing?
AKA data scrubbing - consists of activities for detecting and correcting data in a database that are incorrect, incomplete, improperly formatted or redundant
Define an application server
An "application server" receives a request for access to a system and handles all operations between the user and an organization's business system.
What is the Internet2?
An advanced networking consortium representing more than 500 U.S. Universities, private businesses and government agencies working to create a high-capacity, 100 Gbps network that is a test bed for leading-edge technologies.
What is Business Intelligence Infrastructure?
An array of tools for obtaining information from separate systems and from big data
What is a multicore processor?
An integrated circuit to which two or more processor cores have been attached for enhanced performance, reduced power consumption, and more efficient simultaneous processing of multiple tasks. It enables two or more processing engines with reduced power requirements and heat dissipation to perform tasks faster than a resource-hungry chip with a single processing core.
What is Java?
An operating system-independent, processor-independent, object-oriented programming language created by Sun Microsystems that is now a leader in interactive programming for the web. The Java platform is now used in mobile phones, smartphones, cars, and many more. It is designed to run on any computer or computing device.
What is a hybrid cloud strategy and why was this an essential part of Easy Jet's strategy?
An organization maintains part of its IT infrastructure itself and part using cloud computing services. Easy Jet was a low-cost airline, under pressure to keep these costs down. However, since competitors offered services like online seat selection, EasyJet had to find a way to do the same. Using cloud computing for part of its IT structure enabled EasyJet to expand and offer new services but it was at a much more afordable price
Difference between digital and analog signal?
Analog - represented by continuous waveform passing through a communications medium Digital - discrete, binary waveform (not continuous)
What is "In-memory" Computing?
Another way of facilitating big data analysis which relies primarily on a computer's main memory (RAM) for data storage. It can reduce hours/days of processing time to seconds but requires optimized hardware
What is computer crime?
Any violations of criminal law that involve a knowledge of computer technology for their perpetration, investigation, or prosecution
What are the types of information obtainable from data mining and explain?
Associations - occurrences linked to a single event Sequences - events linked over time Classification - patterns that describe the group to which an item belongs by examining existing items that have already been classified & using rules Clustering - similar to classiciation but when no groups have been defined Forecasting - uses set of existing values to forecast what other values will be
What is identity management software?
Automates the process of keeping track of all of the users and their system privileges
When a corporation uses the Internet in their information system, why is it even more vulnerable?
Because virtually anyone can access the internet. And any abuses occur, they have a widespread impact
What is identity management?
Business processes and software tools for identifying the valid users of a system and controlling their access to resources
What is the best practice for data administration?
Centralizing data governance, standardizing organizational data, data quawlity maintenance and accessibility to data sets
What are Wikis?
Collaborative websites on which visitors can add, delete or modify content, including the work of previous authors
What is an Internet Service Provider (ISP)?
Commercial organization with a permanent connection to the Internet that sells temporary connections to retail subscribers
Describe cloud computing and list its major characteristics
Companies and individuals can perform all their computing work using a virtualized IT infrastructure in a remote location. Cloud computing allows for processing, storage, software and other services to be accessed online (primarily over the Internet). Characteristics: - on-demand service - access using multiple platforms - pooled resources - rapid elasticity (increase or decrease to meet user demand)
What is Network Address Translation?
Conceals IP addresses of organization's host computer, so that outside hackers cannot find and use it to get into the system
What is a Domain Name System (DNS)?
Converts domain names to IP addresses.
What is a digital certificate?
Data files used to establish the identity of users and electronic assets for protection of online transactions
What is an acceptable use policy?
Defines the acceptable uses of a firm's information resources and computing equipment, including computers, phones, and the Internet It also defines the consequences if the rules are not followed
What is a local area network (LAN)?
Designed to connect personal computers and other digital devices within a half-mile or 500-metre radius
What is a risk assessment?
Determines the level of risk to the firm if a specific activity or process is not properly controlled
What is Web Mining?
Discovery and analysis of useful patterns and information from the web (web content mining, web structure mining, web usage mining)
What is client/server computing?
Distributed computing model in which some of the processing power is located within small, inexpensive client computers and resides literally on desktops or laptops or in handheld devices. Has largely replaced centralized mainframe computing
What is voice over IP (VoIP)?
Ditigal voice communications technology that delivers voice information in digital form using packet switching, avoiding tolls charged by telephone networks. Calls that would usually be transmitted over public phone networks can be transmitted over the Internet
What is an attribute?
Each characteristic, or quality, describing an entity
How has emailing increased vulnerability?
Email can contain attachments that serve as malicious software or allow unauthorized access into corporate systems. Employees use email to transmit confidential information, trade secrets and financial data. All of which is prone to attack.
What is software outsourcing?
Enables a firm to contract custom software development or maintenance of existing legacy programs to outside firms, which often operate offshore in low wage areas of the world [e.g. UK communications regulator signed a deal to outsource application adn infrastruction to an Indian firm specializing in application development)
What is multidimensional data analysis? (OLAP)
Enables users to view the same data in different ways, using multiple dimensions (think of a rubix cube). It enables rapid, online answers to ad hoc queries
What is a Domain Name?
English-like name that corresponds to the unique 32-bit numeric IP address for each computer connected to the Internet.
What is an information system audit?
Examination of the firm's overall security environment as well as controls governing individual information systems. The auditor traces the flow of a sample through the system
What is Text Mining?
Extracting key elements from large unstructured data sets (sentiment analysis software - able to mine text comments in an e-mail message, blog, etc.)
What is Data Mining?
Finding hidden patterns, relationships in datasets (e.g. customer buying patterns). It infers rules to predict future behaviour
What is business continuity planning?
Focuses on how a company can restore business operations after disaster strikes. IDs critical business processes and determines actions plans for handling critical functions if systems go down
Outline several examples for and against the idea of net neutrality
For: - it is a basic human right (preserves our right to browse freely and communicate openly over the Internet) - Internet would be unrecognizable without net neutrality - no different than a bad cable TV service with limited number of channels, all bad picture and quality - too much control - could decide who is heard over the internet and who isn't (crucial for online social movements) Against: - gives government more control over internet (government would have the right to monitor broadband connections of companies) - disrupts growth and development (free market) - would not achieve intended effect (nothing provides the authority for saying that all Web services have to be treated the same)
What is a file?
Group of records of the same type
What is a record?
Group of related files
What is a database?
Group of related files Serves many applications by centralizing data and controlling redundant data
What is deep-packet inspection?
Helps to solve the problem of internet slowing down due to too many users. It examines all files and sorts out low-priority material. Based on priority, it decides whether the low-priority requests can be made, or if they will be blocked from their destination
What is included in the actual cost of owning technology assets? (Total cost of ownership - TCO)
Includes original cost of acquiring and installing hardware and software, as well as ongoing administration costs for upgrades, maintenance, technical support, training and even utility and real estate costs for running and housing the technology
What are worms?
Independent computer programs that copy themselves from one computer to another over a network. They can operate on their own (unlike viruses) without attaching to another program or file. Worms rely less on human behaviour to spread, and spread more quickly. They destroy data and can even halt the operation of an information system
What is phishing?
Involves setting up fake websites or sending emails that look like those of legitimate businesses that ask for confidential data
What is application proxy filtering?
It blocks certain packets from coming through the firewall because it detects a problem with it
What is open source software?
It is a saoftware produced by a community of several hundred thousand programmers around the world. It is free and can be modified by users. Even the works derived from the original code must be free and the software can be redistributed by the user without additional licensing
What is a service-oriented architecture? (SOA)
It is a set of self-contained services that communicate with each other to create a working software application. Business tasks are accomplished by executing a series of these services. Software developers reuse these services in other combinations to assemble other applications as needed
What is disaster recovery planning?
Making plans for the restoration of disrupted computing and communication services. The focus on technical issues involved in keeping a system up and running (back-ups, maintenance)
What are drive-by downloads?
Malware that comes with a downloaded file that a user intentionally or unintentionally requests
What is the relationship between databases and the web?
Many companies use the web to make some internal databases available to customers or partners. This is typically seen in configurations: - web servers - application servers - database servers (hosting DBMS)
What is Big Data?
Massive sets of unstructured/semi-structured data from web traffic, social media, sensors, etc.
What are information system controls?
Methods, policies, and organizational procedures that ensure the safety of an organization's assets, the accuracy and reliability of its records, and operational adherence to management standards
What is Micro-blogging? What is the blogosphere?
Microblogging is used in Twitter - type of blogging that features short posts of 140 characters or fewer The "blogosphere" is the totality of blog-related websites
Describe how network economics, delining communication costs, and technology standards affect IT infrastructure
Network economics is the idea that the value or power of a network grows exponentially as a function of the number of network members (supply and demand). Returns to scale are increasing as more and more people join the network, thus expanding the IT infrastructure. Declining communication costs cause utilization of communication and computing facilities to increase exponentially as well, thus expanding IT infrastructure at a rapid rate. Technology standards are the specifications that establish the compatibility of products and the ability to communicate in a network. As technology standards are discovered and expanded, IT infrastructure expands as well.
What is a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)?
Network that spans a metropolitan area
What are wireless sensor networks (WSNs)?
Networks of hundreds of thousands of interconnected wireless devices. Used to monitor building security, detect hazardous substances in the air, monitor environmental changes, traffic or military activity. Devices have built in processing, storage and radio frequency sensors and antennas.
What are T1 lines?
Offer guaranteed delivery at 1.54 Mbps (T3 lines are even faster at 45 Mbps)
What are Hotspots?
One or more access points in public place to provide maximum wireless coverage for a specific area (weak security features)
What are network service providers?
Own trunk lines (high-speed backbone networks) that they provide to consumers
What is an entity?
Person, place, thing on which we store information
What is a firewall?
Prevent unauthorized users from accessing private networks. It's a combination of hardware and software that controls the flow of traffic It acts like a gatekeeper and examines each user's credentials (name, IP address) before granting them access to a network
What is a bandwidth?
Range of frequencies that can be accomodated on a particular telecommunications channel
What is RSS
Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary - pulls specified content from websites and feeds it automatically to users' computers
What is meant by the "visual web"
Refers to websites such as Pinterest, where pictures replace text documents, where users search pictures and where pictures of products replace display ads for products
What are cloud databases?
Relational database services provided over the internet. They appeal to start-ups (because of lowered costs) and smaller businesses, and include both private and public clouds
Example of an SQL Query
SELECTPART.Part_Number, PART.Part_Name, SUPPLIER.Supplier_Number, SUPPLIER.Supplier_Name FROM PART, SUPPLIER WHERE PART.Supplier_Number = SUPPLIER.Supplier_Number AND Part_Number = 137 OR Part_Number = 150;
What is Web 2.0?
Second-generation web service with four defining features: interactivity, real-time user control, social participation (sharing) and user-generated content
What is a Virtual Private Network (VPN)?
Secure, encrypted, private network that runs over the Internet. Configured within a public network to take advantage of the economies of scale and management facilities of large networks.
What are apps?
Small specialized software programs that are designed for mobile devices. They provide a streamlined non-browser pathway for users to perform a number of tasks, ranging from reading the newspaper to shopping, searching, playing games and buying.
What is a bit?
Smallest unit of data a computer can handle
What are mashups?
Software components that are mixed and matched to create a customized application in order to share information with others. The idea is to take different sources and produce new work that is greater than the sum of its parts (like a synergy)
What is a wide area network (WAN)?
Span broad geographical distances - entire regions, states, continents or globe (i.e. the Internet)
What is a campus area network (CAN)?
Spans a smaller area such as a campus
What is an information policy?
Specification of the organization's rules for sharing, managing and standardizing data
What is XML?
Stands for "Extensible Markup Language" and is much more powerful than HTML. Where HTML is limited to describing how data should be presented in the form of webpages, XML can perform presentation, communication and storage of data. By tagging selected elements of the content of documents for their meanings, XML makes it possible for computers to manipulate and interpret their data automatically and perform operations on the data without human intervention.
What is HTML?
Stands for "Hypertext Markup Language" and is a page description language that specifies how text, graphics, video, and sound are placed on a webpage and for creating links to other webpages and objects. It was originally designed to create and link static documents composed largely of text, though it has evolved into a much more social and interactive environment.
What is a data quality audit?
Structured survey of the accuracy and level of completeness of the data in an information system
What are data marts?
Subsets of data warehouse that typically focus on single subject or a line of business
What is included in a relational DBMS table and explain each concept
Table = grid of columns and rows Rows (tuples) = Records for different entities Fields (columns) = Represents attribute for entity Key field = field used to uniquely identify each record Primary key = Field in table used for key fields Foreign key = Primary key used in second table as look-up field to identify records from original table
Define IT infrastructure from both a technology and a services perspective
Technology: IT infrastructure consists of a set of physical devices and software applications that are required to operate the enterprise Services: IT infrastructure also includes a set of firmwide services budgeted by management and composed of human AND technical capabilities Examples of these things working together: - computing platforms used to provide computing services that connect employees, customers and suppliers in a coherent digital environment - Application software services that provide enter-rise-wide capabilities such as ERP or customer-relationship management
What is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL)?
Tells the browser software exactly where to look for the information on various web pages
What is Bluetooth?
The 802.15 wireless networking standard, useful for creating small personal area networks. It links up to eight devices within a 10-meter area using low-power, ratio-based communication
How did better data management help the U.S. Posal Service Rebound?
The US postal service had a problem with outdated technology and disruptive technologies. To help rectify these problems, data management helped to: - redesign bar coding - implement intelligent mail scanning devices - implement hadoop (resource management system) - use optimization models
What is authentication?
The ability to know that a person is who they claim to be (generally done using passwords and IDs)
What is the Web 3.0?
The future of the internet. Key features are more tools for individuals to make sense out of trillions of pages on the Internet, or millions of apps available for smartphones, and even three-dimensional (3D) Webs where you can walk through pages in a 3D environment
What is cybervandalism?
The intentional disruption, defacement, or destruction of a website or information system
What is Structured Query Language (SQL)?
The most prominent data manipulation language. It retrieves information needed from the database and is used by many database providers (such as MS Access)
What is Linux?
The most well-known open source software. It was created by Linus Torvalds and is available in free versions dowloadable from the Internet or in low-cost commercial versions that include tools and support from vendors. It is a leading operating system for servers, mainframe computers, and supercomputers.
What is HTML5?
The next evolution of HTML which solves the problem of strains on computer processing by making it possible to embed images, audio, video and other elements directly into a document without requiring processor-intensive add-ons
What is information system security?
The policies, procedures, and technical measures used to prevent unauthorized access, alteration, theft, or physical damage to information systems
What is Search engine optimization?
The process of improving the quality and volume of web traffic to a website by employing a series of techniques that help a website achieve a higher ranking with the major search enjines when certain key words or phrases are used
What are computer forensics?
The scientific collection, examination, authentication, preservation, and analysis of data held on or to be retrieved from a computer in such a way that the information can be used as evidence in a court of law
What is the Internet?
The world's most extensive network, linking millions of individual networks all over the world.
How have smartphones made information systems more vulnerable?
They are so portable, and are therefore easy to lose or steal. They contain a lot of sensitive information on them.
What are analytical tools?
Tools used for consolidating, analyzing, and providing access to vast amounts of data to help users make better business decisions
What is a modem?
Translates digital signals into analog form (and viceee verseee)
What is peer-to-peer architecture?
Treats all processors equally and is used in small networks with 10 or fewer users
What is ransomware?
Tries to extort money from users by taking control of their computers or displaying annoying pop-up messages. You can get it by downloading an infected attachment, clicking an email link, or visiting the wrong website
What is a Computer Network?
Two or more connected computers
What are cable internet connections?
Use digital cable coaxial lines to deliver high-speed internet access to homes and businesses
What are "Intelligent Agent Shopping Bots"?
Use intelligent agent software for searching the Interent for shopping information. They can help people interested in making a purchase filter and retrieve information about products of interest, evaluate competing products according to criteria the users have established, and negotiate with vendors for price and delivery terms
What's the problem with passwords? How can this be fixed?
Users often forget them, share them, or choose passwords that are too easy. It can be fixed by using a token, which is something physical that the person keeps with them, that proves the identity of that person (i.e. a key card)
What is a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack?
Uses numerous computers to inundate and overwhelm the network from numerous launch points
Describe quantum computing
Uses the principles of quantum physics to represent data and perform operations on this data (e.g. boost computer processing power to find answers to problems that originally would've taken a lot longer)
What is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
Uses tiny tags with microchips containing data about an item and location. Tag antennas transmit radio signals over short distances to special RFID readers. Common uses are automated toll collection, tracking goods in a supply chain, used as FOBS in apartments
What is search engine marketing?
Using search engines as major advertising platforms and shopping tools (ads on the side of search engines, for example)
Explain what is meant by virtualization, green computing and multi-core processors?
Virtualization is the process of presenting a set of computing resources so they can all be accessed in ways that are not restricted by physical configuration (e.g. a server can be configured to run on different operating systems so it acts like different machines) Green Computing refers to the practices and technologies for designing technology to have a minimal impact on the environment Multi-core processors are integrated circuits to which two or more processor cores (units that read and execute program instructions) have been attached to enhance performance.
What is the challenge of Big Data?
Volumes are too great for a typical DBMS Can reveal more patterns, relationships and anomalies Requires new tools and technologies to manage and analyze
What is identity theft?
When an impostor obtains key pieces of personal information (SIN, driver's license, credit cards) to impersonate someone else
What is click fraud?
When an individual fraudulently clicks an online ad without any intention of learning more about the advertiser or making a purchase. This results in the company having to pay the platform, since they usually pay a fee per click.
What is a unified threat management system?
When businesses use several different security management systems, such as firewalls, private networks, intrusion detection systems, and wed content filtering.
What is war driving?
When eavesdroppers drive by a building or park outside and try to intercept wireless traffic being transmitted through that building. Wireless technology was made in attempt to make our lives easier and to make transmission more efficient. However, it has opened people up to attacks if their transmissions are not encrypted or secure
What is a denial-of-service (DoS) attack?
When hackers flood a network server with thousands of false communications or requests for services to crash the network. The network cannot keep up with so many queries and cannot ID legitimate requests Such an attack does not destroy any files or data, but it generally causes a website or system to shut down, making it impossible for legitimate users to access the site
What is social engineering?
When intruders seeking system access trick employees into revealing their passwords by pretending to be legitimate members of the company in need of information
What is stateful inspection?
When the firewall monitors only active users to figure out what packets of data to let through the wall (i.e. only lets through what people need)
What is pharming?
When users are redirected to a bogus web page, even when the person typed in the right web page into the browser.
What is net neutrality?
the principle that Internet service providers should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites
