Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
The focus as we review these technologies will be from an IS audit perspective. We will
first review the general description and application of the technologies used in an enterprise
and then later look at the possible audit objectives for each type of technology, including
the expected outcomes for auditing such systems. IS auditors should understand the tech-
nologies from the audit perspective as this is what they will be encountering in their every-
day audit work.
This chapter has been structured in such a way that we will first review technologies which
are used to access information, such as desktops, laptops, tablets, and application systems
running on these devices. We will later look at network services, which include network
devices, network systems, and other supporting systems. We will also look at Internet tech-
nologies, which will include web technologies, social media, and other Internet-related ser-
vices. The dependence on Internet services has grown such that we can no longer do away
with such services as individuals, businesses, and public enterprises.
These three areas (information access, network services, and Internet technologies) will
generally give us a good coverage of technologies used in an enterprise.
Information Access
Fifteen to twenty years ago, accessing information for personal or business use was mainly
through personal computers. Today information is accessed using a variety of computing
devices. In this section, we shall review various tools and different ways used to access in-
formation in an enterprise.
a) Workstations
Personal computers and laptops are some of the common devices which are used to
access information in offices and homes. Other devices which are used to access
information include notebooks, tablets, iPads, and smartphones. Terminals with or
without processing power are also used as workstations in offices. Where high-
powered computing is required, users may make use of workstations connected to
minicomputers, mainframe or supercomputers. This is common in research institu-
tions requiring high-powered computing services. Workstations normally would con-
sist of monitors, keyboards, mouse, cameras (i.e. webcams), printers, scanners, and
other forms of input and output devices.
IS auditors should take notice of the type of workstations used in the IT environment
so that they are able to assess risks involved in using these devices. Use of smart-
phones, which are connected to enterprise networks, is a common feature nowadays.
The phones are used to access enterprise information and, in many cases, access en-
terprise systems via customised networks or the Internet. We also have noticed the
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