Chapter 4

4. As the information systems manager for a small manufacturing plant, you are responsible for anything relating to the use of information technology. A new inventory control system is being implemented to track the quantity and movement of all finished products stored in a local warehouse. Each time a forklift operator moves a case of product, he or she must first scan the product identifier code on the case. The product information is captured, as is the day, time, and forklift operator identification number. This data is transmitted over a local area network (LAN) to the inventory control computer, which then displays information about the case and where it should be placed in the warehouse.

The warehouse manager is excited about using case movement data to monitor worker productivity. He will be able to tell how many cases per shift each operator moves and he plans to use this data to provide feedback that could result in pay increases or termination. He has asked you if there are any potential problems with using the data in this manner and, if so, what should be done to avoid them. How would you respond?

ANSWER: Being a systems manager I am responsible for the system and how it was being used. In this case, we are task to develop an inventory control system that could monitor the quantity and movement of all finished product stored in a warehouse. The warehouse manager then wants to use the system to monitor the worker productivity. As a result, it could arise some problems because the case inventory system functions not that suitable for monitoring the productivity of the workers. However, if the warehouse manager really wants that kind of feature for the system which could also improve their organization, we can put some additional features that would know the workers productivity.

5.You have been ask to help develop a company policy on what should be done in the event of a data breach, such as unauthorized access to your firm’s customer database, which contains some 1.5 million records. What sort of process would you use to develop such a policy? What resources would you call on?

ANSWER: Base on the definition, data breach is the intentional or unintentional release of secure information to an untrusted environment. Other terms for this phenomenon include unintentional information disclosure, data leak and also data spill. In this event I would follow the proper security procedures in developing such policy because failure to follow this will result to data breaches of large databases. Aside from that, I would also develop a process that from the perspective of security prevention, the risk analysis process is an appropriate method of identifying threats and vulnerabilities to medical information and determining if existing privacy and security controls are sufficient to prevent security breach from occurring. A proper risk analysis involves a three-step process identifying, evaluating, and eliminating or reducing risk.    

6. You are a new brand manager for a product line of coach purses. You are considering purchasing customer data from a company that sells a large variety of women products online. In addition to providing a list of names, mailing addresses, and email addresses the data includes an approximate estimate of customer’s annual income based on the z code in which they live, census data and highest level of education achieved. You could use the estimate of annual income to identify likely purchasers of your high-end purses, and use email addresses to send emails announcing the new product line and touting its many features. List the advantages and disadvantages of such a marketing strategy. Would you recommend this means of promotion in this instance? Why or why not?

ANSWER: The advantage of this is the fact that it is less time consuming for promoting or making an advertisement for their product because when they somehow ‘endorse’ their product together with its new features, the information of it will automatically be sent to those customers. The disadvantage of this is that if there are only few customers’ data that they’d buy, there are also few people that could know their new product. Also, the customer data that I bought are obviously more on women, therefore, it just simply mean that the promotion of products are limited to women only because they are only the ones who could view the ‘ad’ on their emails. As a brand manager, I will not recommend this means of promotion because aside from the fact that it is not ethical because this is a sort of data breaching, it is not also practical and effective for making promotions for product since this marketing strategy depends on the customer data that you have been purchased and comparing its relation or connection to your product.

7. Your company is rolling out a training program to ensure that everyone is familiar with the company’s IT usage policy. As a member of the Human Resources department, you have been asked to develop a key piece of the training relating to why this policy is needed. What kind of concerns can you expect your audience to raise? How can you deal with the anticipated resistance to the policy?

ANSWER: Being a part of the human resources department, I could anticipate that not all of the employees would agree to the policy, but in order for them to better understand the said policy, I would give them further explanations that this policy could help them to perform effectively and responsibly. This training could also develop their personality and working ability in the workplace and not just that, it could also help improve the organization.

Chapter 5

1. A former high school classmate of yours who has returned to China, emails you that he has offered a part-time job monitoring a Chinese Web site and posting comments favorable to the government. How would you respond?

ANSWER: As a response, I will tell her that it is nice that she has that kind of job but as a friend I will suggest that she must be aware what she was writing on her comments. She should see to it that her comments will not harm other people’s feelings or the other party involved. Though we have the thing we called freedom of expression we should still take responsible of the things we are expressing. I will also tell her that she should think  many times before writing any comments.

2. Your 15-year-old nephew exclaims “Oh wow!” and proceeds to tell you about a very revealing photo attachment he just received in a text message from his 14-year-old girlfriend of three months. He can’t wait to forward the message to others in his school. What would you say to your nephew? Are further steps needed beside a discussion on sexting?

ANSWER: I would tell my nephew that what he plans to do was unethical that it could destroy someone’s life. Also I would discuss to him the risk if he will do such thing, that it may cause his girlfriend to encounter social consequences. Images can easily escape their control through being shared more broadly than they had anticipated. This can have a long-term impact on their digital reputation. Those images can also potentially be used for cyber bullying or cyber stalking, or they may attract unwanted attention from others.

3. A college friend of yours approaches you about an idea to start a PR firm that would specialize in monitoring the internet for “Bad PR” about a company and “fixing” it. One tactic the firm would use is to threaten negative posters with a libel lawsuit unless they remove their posting.  Should that fail, the Pr firm will generate dozens of positive postings to outweigh the negative posting.  What would you say to your friend about her idea?

ANSWER: As a friend, I am going to tell her that I commend her idea because of its good intention for the company since it could monitor the internet for “Bad PR” and try to fix it. But somehow, there should also be limitations on her actions regarding threatening negative posters. She should also observe ethical values in this kind of job.

4. You are the computer technical resource for country’s public library system. The library is making plans to install internet Filtering Software so that it will conform to the children’s Internet Protection Act and be eligible for federal funding. What sort of objections can you expect regarding implementation of internet filters? How might you deal with such objections?

ANSWER:Pornography on public library computers is a real problem, but a seemingly obvious solution, filtering technology, comes with issues of its own.

When Internet access came to public libraries, the issue of whether and how to filter out access to pornography followed close behind – and just won’t go away.But there are some parties who recommends against the use of automated filters, arguing they make too many mistakes and are inconsistent with a library’s commitment to intellectual freedom. But while many library directors fight to keep filters out, or minimize their use, others have had to fight to defend their Internet filtering policies. As a computer technical resource for country’s public library system I will weigh both sides’ opinion involved in the issue. I will see to it that whatever my decision is, it is for the betterment and welfare of the children. With these, I will still consider internet filtering software to conform the Children’s Internet Protection Act.

5. Imagine that you received a hate email at your school or job. What would you do? Does your school or workplace have a policy that covers such issues?

ANSWER:  The thing that I would do is to know who sends hate email to me. Then, I would tell my parents about this email. And at school, there might be a policy that covers this issue since they care about our welfare and so, I will tell my teachers about it so that the one who have been sending the emails could be tracked and this problem will be solved.

6. A worker confides to you that he is going to begin sending emails to your employer’s internal corporate blog site, which serves as a suggestion box. He plans to use an anonymous remailer and sign the message “Anonymous”. Your friend is afraid of retribution from superiors but wishes to call attention to instances of racial and sexual discrimination observed during his five years as an employee with him. What would you say to your friend?

ANSWER: I would tell my friend that he could express his feelings by sending emails to our employer’s internal corporate blog but still hiding his identity by signing his message as “Anonymous”. In this way, he could protect himself and his identity from the possible retribution from the superiors. I support his eagerness to expose his observance on racial and sexual discrimination that happened in their workplace and I think sending his emails was a right move for the concerns to take an action to this kind of problem in the organization.