Using Information Technology Chapter 9 The Challenges of the Digital Age

The Challenges of the Digital Age Society & Information Technology Today 9.1 Security Issues: Threats to Computers & Communications Systems 9.2 Security: Safeguarding Computers & Communications 9.3 Quality-of-Life Issues: The Environment, Mental Health, & the Workplace 9.4 Economic Issues: Employment & the Haves/Have-Nots 9.5 The Digital Environment: Is There a Grand Design? Key Questions (from the text): 9.1: Security Issues: Threats to Computers & Communications Systems. What are some characteristics of the key security issues for information technology? 9.2 Security: Safeguarding Computers & Communications. What are the characteristics of the four components of security? 9.3 Quality-0f-Life Issues: The Environment, Mental Health, & the Workplace. How does information technology create environmental, mental-health, and workplace problems? 9.4 Economic Issues: Employment & the Haves/Have-Nots. How may technology affect the unemployment rate and the gap between rich and poor? 9.5 The Digital Environment: Is There a Grand Design? What are the NII, the new Internet, the Telecommunications Act, the 1997 White House plan, and ICANN?

9.1 Security Issues: Threats to Computers & Communications Systems Errors & Accidents: Human errors Procedural errors Software errors Electromechanical problems “Dirty data” problems Software bug - an error in a program that causes it not to work properly. Also called a “software glitch.” Dirty data - incomplete, outdated, or otherwise inaccurate data.

Natural & Other Hazards Natural hazards Civil strife and terrorism

Crimes Against Computers & Communications Theft of hardware Theft of software and music Theft of time and services Theft of information Crimes of malice and destruction Two types of computer crime: Crimes AGAINST computers & communications. Crimes USING computers & communications.

Crimes Using Computers & Communications Production of counterfeit money Investment schemes Child pornography Steganography

Worms & Viruses Worm - a program that copies itself repeatedly into a computer’s memory or onto a disk drive Virus - a “deviant” program, stored on a computer hard drive, that can cause unexpected and often undesirable effects, such as destroying or corrupting data Anti-virus software - programs that scan a computer’s hard disk, floppy disks, and main memory to detect viruses and, sometimes, to destroy them

Computer Criminals Employees - 80% of all computer criminals! Outside users Hackers Crackers Professional criminals Hackers - people who gain unauthorized access to computer or telecommunications systems, often just for the challenge of it. Crackers - people who illegally break into computers for malicious purposes--to obtain information for financial gain, shut down hardware, pirate software, or alter or destroy data.

9.2 Security: Safeguarding Computers & Communications Identification & Access What you have… What you know Who you are Cards Keys Signatures Badges Security - a system of safeguards for protecting information technology against disasters, systems failure, and unauthorized access that can result in damage or loss.

Identification & Access What you have What you know… Who you are PIN (personal identification number) - the security number known only to you that is required to access the system Password - a special word, code, or symbol required to access a computer system

Identification & Access What you have What you know Who you are… Biometrics - science of measuring individual body characteristics Fingerprint check Iris scan

Encryption Encryption - the altering of data so it is not usable unless the changes are undone PGP - Pretty Good Privacy, a practically unbreakable encryption program DES - Data Encryption Standard, a federal standard adopted in 1976

Protection of Software & Data Control of access - restrict access to data files to those with a need to know Audit controls - tracking which programs and servers have been used, which files have been opened, etc. People controls - check resumé facts; prevent employee wandering within work site; shred papers; etc.

Disaster-Recovery Plan Disaster-recovery plan - a method of restoring information processing operations that have been halted by destruction or accident “Among the countless lessons that computer users have absorbed in the hours, days, and weeks after the [1993 ] World Trade Center bombing, the most enduring may be the need to have a disaster-recovery plan.” --New York Times reporter John Holusha

9.3 Quality-of-Life Issues: The Environment, Mental Health, & the Workplace Environmental problems: Manufacturing by-products Disposal by-products Electricity demand Environmental blight

Mental-Health Problems Isolation Gambling Stress Internet addiction/dependency

Workplace Problems: Impediments to Productivity Misuse of technology Fussing with computers Information overload

9.4 Economic Issues: Employment & the Haves/Have-Nots Technology, the Job Killer? Gap between Rich & Poor Digital divide - gap between those with and without access to information technology.

9.5 The Digital Environment: Is There a Grand Design? The National Information Infrastructure VBNS Internet2 The National Information Infrastructure (NII) - a grand vision for existing networks and technologies, as well as technologies yet to be deployed. NII envisions open access to people of all income levels. VBNS (Very-High-Speed Backbone Network Service) - the main U.S. government component to upgrade the “backbone” or primary hubs of data transmission linking supercomputers and other banks of computers across the nation. Internet2 - a cooperative university/business program to enable high-end users to quickly and reliably move huge amounts of data, using VBNS as the official backbone.

The Digital Environment: Is There a Grand Design? Next Generation Internet 1996 Telecommunications Act 1997 White House Plan for Internet Commerce ICANN Next Generation Internet (NGI) - the U.S. government’s program to parallel the university/business-sponsored effort of Internet2. It is designed to provide money to six government agencies to help tie the campus high-performance backbones into the broader federal infrastructure. 1996 Telecommunications Act - legislation designed to undo the 1934 Communications Act with its federal and state communications regulations. The 1996 Act is designed to let phone, cable, and TV businesses compete and combine more freely. 1997 White House Plan for Internet Commerce - a plan advocating that the government stay out of the way of Internet commerce. ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers) - agency established to regulate Internet domain names.