1. Using Information Technology
Chapter 9
The Challenges of the Digital Age
To the instructor:
This presentation attempts to cover every term in the text, sometimes via a slide, sometimes via the Notes page.
Additional material beyond what is in the text is presented via:
Occasional “FACTOID” notations on the Notes page, and;
Occasional hyperlinks in the slides themselves. ScreenTip text has been added to each hyperlink allowing you to see in advance of selecting the hyperlink where that link will take you.
In addition, the last ~20 slides are questions covering the material just presented. They can be used to increase interaction between the instructor and students at the end of each lecture, to ensure students understand the material just presented, etc.
Finally, some of the Notes pages include “Discussion questions” for use in encouraging student interaction during the lecture.

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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?
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3. 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Dirty data - incomplete, outdated, or otherwise inaccurate data.
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4. Natural & Other Hazards
Natural hazards
Civil strife and terrorism
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5. 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.
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6. Crimes Using Computers & Communications
Production of counterfeit money
Investment schemes
Child pornography
Steganography
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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
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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.
Discussion questions:
What does it say about our society and our work ethic that most computer criminals are employees?
What do you think of hackers? Should they be prosecuted even if they do nothing malicious?
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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.
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10. 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
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11. Identification & Access
What you have
What you know
Who you are…
Biometrics - science of measuring individual body characteristics
Fingerprint check
Iris scan
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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
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13. 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.
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14. 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
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9.3 Quality-of-Life Issues: The Environment, Mental Health, & the Workplace
Environmental problems:
Manufacturing by-products
Disposal by-products
Electricity demand
Environmental blight
Discussion question:
Have any of you witnessed “techno-blight?” (The visual pollution represented by the forest of wireless towers, roof antennas, satellite dishes, and all the utility poles topped with transformers and strung with electric, phone, cable-TV, and other wires leading off in all directions.) How big of a problem do you think this is for human beings? For other species?
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16. Mental-Health Problems
Isolation
Gambling
Stress
Internet addiction/dependency
Discussion question:
Turn to page 370 in your book, and look at the “Are You Internet-Dependent?” box at the top. Take a few minutes now to answer these questions, and write down how many “Yes” answers you have. <Instructor may have to read the questions aloud if students do not regularly bring their textbooks to class.>
How many of you are sure you’re NOT Internet-Dependent?
How many of you know somebody whom you’re sure IS Internet-Dependent?
How big of a problem do you think Internet dependency is among college students?
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17. Workplace Problems: Impediments to Productivity
Misuse of technology
Fussing with computers
Information overload
Discussion question:
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18. 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.
Discussion question:
Do you think technology creates or eliminates more jobs? Is technology generally a good or bad thing for the employment situation?
How serious a problem is the digital divide? Has the Information Age made the gap between rich and poor wider or narrower?
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19. 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.
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20. 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.
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Concept Check
What is the science of measuring individual body characteristics called?
Biometrics
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Concept Check
What is an example of biometrics?
Fingerprint, palm print, iris scan, retinal scan
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Concept Check
What non-profit organization was established to regulate Internet domain names?
ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers)
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Concept Check
What is the name for a person who illegally breaks into computers for malicious purposes?
Cracker
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Concept Check
What is the name for a program that copies itself repeatedly into a computer’s memory or onto a disk drive until no space is left?
Worm
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Concept Check
What are the two broad categories of computer crime?
Crimes against computers or telecommunications; and
Crimes using computers or telecommunications.
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Concept Check
What persons make up the largest group of computer criminals?
Employees
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Concept Check
What is the term for data which is incomplete, outdated, or otherwise inaccurate?
Dirty data
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Concept Check
What is the term for the gap between those with and without access to information technology?
Digital divide
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Concept Check
What type of software is used to alter data so that it is not usable unless the changes are undone?
Encryption software
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