Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
TEAM ACTIVITIES
1.
Visit your school's library and interview the librarians about
the use of Internet software filters. What level and kinds of
complaints are made about the use of filtering software?
Who is responsible for updating the list of sites that are
deemed “off limits” for minors? What is their opinion about
the need for and effectiveness of the software filter?
2.
Have each member of your team access ten different Web
sites and summarize their findings in terms of the existence
of data privacy policy statements: Did the site have such a
policy? Was it easy to find? Was it complete and easy to
understand? Did you find any sites using the P3P standard
or ICRA rating method?
WEB EXERCISES
1.
The Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination
Center (CERT/CC) is located at the Software Engineering
Institute (SEI), a federally funded research and develop-
ment center at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. Do research on the center and write a brief
report summarizing its activities.
2.
Search the Web for a site that provides software to detect
and remove spyware. Write a short report for your instruc-
tor summarizing your findings.
3.
Do research on the Web to discover what role the Business
Software Alliance plays in the protection of software. Doc-
ument some of the tactics it uses to identify and punish
organizations that it determines to practice software piracy.
CAREER EXERCISES
1.
You are a senior member of a marketing organization for a
manufacturer of children's toys. A recommendation has
been made to develop a Web site to promote and sell your
firm's products as well as learn more about what parents
and their children are looking for in new toys. Develop a
list of laws and regulations that will affect the design of the
Web site. Describe how these will limit the operation of
your new Web site.
2.
You have just begun a new position in customer relations
for a mid-sized bank. Within your first week on the job,
several customers have expressed concern about potential
theft of customer data from the bank's computer databases
and identity theft. Who would you talk with to develop a
satisfactory response to address your customers' concerns?
What key points would you need to verify with bank
employees?
CASE STUDIES
systems analysts. This is a trend that some refer to as IT con-
sumerization. Unfortunately, consumer devices and systems
are introducing a host of new systems vulnerabilities.
A big concern regarding IT consumerization is the free
flow of communications and data sharing. Today's Web 2.0
technologies make it all too easy for employees to share
information that they shouldn't. A study in the United Kingdom
revealed that three-quarters of U.K. businesses have banned
the use of instant messaging services such as AIM, Windows
Live Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger. The primary concern
is the loss of sensitive business information. Even though the
In recent years, the direction of investment in information
technologies has shifted. The shift is in reaction to the fact
that in 2004, independent consumers passed business and
government in their consumption of digital electronics
devices. More digital devices, such as notebooks, cell phones,
and media players, are being designed for consumers rather
than businesses. New and popular technologies are now
being introduced into the workplace by employees rather than
