Information Technology Topics

There have been huge advances in the development of storage technologies since the early days of computing. Explain the benefits of two mass storage technologies namely: storage area network and network-attached storage.

Real-time operating systems are used to serve real-time applications which process data as it comes in, without buffering delays. Provide specific examples on the use of specific real-time operating systems that are not mentioned in the textbook.

Cloud computing has gained a wide acceptance for organisations as well as individuals by introducing computation, storage and software based services. Explain the security and privacy issues in relation to the use of the cloud computing in the health sector.

In TCP/IP, the application layer contains the set of protocols used in the process-to-process communications across a computer network. Discuss the common standards at the application layer.

Adware is one of the top malicious threats today and has become from being merely an annoyance to a major security threat for organizations. This malware program is designed to render advertisements on end user systems. Provide specific examples of adware attacks and their implications.

Internet of Things (IoT) is a paradigm that is rapidly gaining ground in the scenario of modern wireless telecommunications. IoT is used to connect networked information systems and business processes. "Availability" and "Reliability requirements" are some of the key quality of service (QoS) metrics. Explain the impacts of Availability and Reliability requirements on IoT performance.

A mobile crowdsourcing system is a new form of commercial crowdsourcing system. Provide specific examples of organizations which use mobile crowdsourcing system to successfully improve their business operation.

The adoption of big data technology by organizations has led to better value creation at the customer and enterprise ends. Provide specific examples on the use of big data for value creation in sustainable organizations.

Software development activities such as requirement analysis, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance are carried out within a software development life cycle in an organization. Discuss the main benefits of using agile process over incremental process.

Information technology is perceived as a potential solution for healthcare organizations to improve their services in the face of increased demand. Discuss organizational issues, with examples, in the adoption and implementation of information technology.

The text discusses conventional binary computing architecture.  However, an emerging field of research focuses on the development of quantum computers.  Find and summarize a resource that explains why there is so much interest in this type of computing (for example, the potential applications).

Quantum computing is a type of computing that is based on the subatomic particles which may exist in more than one forms or states at the same time. The computing technologies are being modified and transformed with each passing day and quantum computing is the latest trend in the list that is expanding and gaining popularity among the users at a rapid rate. There are numerous benefits and advantages that are provided to the end users with the implementation of quantum computers which have made them popular and much in demand. There are a number of complex tasks that are required to be performed through the computer systems and computing technologies in terms of excessive calculations such as those related to breaking down of codes, fractioning and likewise. These complexities are converted in to easy execution with accurate results and ultra-fast processing speed with the aid of quantum computers. Another major reason that has led to the popularity of quantum computers is the security mechanism that comes built-in with the systems. Basic and advanced security features and mechanisms are installed to fight out the security risks, threats and vulnerabilities that are otherwise associated with the computer systems and technologies in the present times. The resource that was selected to understand the details of the topic was very useful as it provided with the adequate details which led to the enhancement of knowledge and deeper understanding associated with the topic.

The text briefly makes mention of the Linux operating system, an open-source Unix variant developed in the 1990s.  There are many popular Linux distributions (look up “Linux Distribution” if you don’t know what that means).  Find and summarize a resource that describes the features and advantages of ONE of these distributions.

Operating systems are necessary for every computing device to function as it acts as an interface between the computer and the user. Among the several operating systems that are available, Linux is one of the operating systems that have proved to have great utility along with several applications that are compatible with it. There are further offerings that are present and commercially available for Linux. There are numerous Linux distributions that have been created and are available in the present times and Ubuntu is one such distribution that is extremely popular among the home and professional users. There are several features that make Ubuntu as a much in demand Linux distribution among the customers. The first and the foremost feature and reason is that Ubuntu is open source in nature and therefore there is no cost involved in obtaining the same for usage. There are numerous add-ons and customization features available with Ubuntu which can be availed by the customers at any point of time as per the needs and requirements. With the expansion in the use of Ubuntu, there are several applications that have been designed that are now compatible with the architecture and framework of Ubuntu. Also, the usability and performance that comes with these apps is extremely high. The user interface that is offered to the customers in case of Ubuntu is also excellent leading to higher levels of customer satisfaction. The resource that was selected to understand the details of the topic was very useful as it provided with the adequate details which led to the enhancement of knowledge and deeper understanding associated with the topic.

Week 2

The text discusses the concept of virtualisation.  There are several “type 2” or hosted virtualisation products (software) on the market (both commercial and open source).  Find and summarise a resource that describes the features and advantages of ONE of these products.

Technology has been advancing and expanding with every passing day. There are new developments that are being done in the field of technology so that the offerings to the end users are as per the latest concept. Also, innovation has become an important part of technology and one of the most demanded concepts in the present times is that of virtualziation. Virtualization has become a need in the present times and there are numerous virtualization software packages that are now available to avail the benefits that come with virtualization. One of such software that has a huge demand in the market and has developed a strong customer base is VMware. There are numerous exciting features that are offered by VMware such as memory management along with performance that make the software as a highly demanded one. VMware is based upon the architecture as bare-metal and it is because of this reason that there are a number of qualities that get added to the software such as enhanced performance, increased supportability of the software, adaptability along with utmost reliability. Shared storage is one of the distinguishing features of the software that adds to the availability that is offered by the same. There is also no compromise on the security in case of VMware which ensures the complete security and protection of the data and information. The resource that was selected to understand the details of the topic was very useful as it provided with the adequate details which led to the enhancement of knowledge and deeper understanding associated with the topic.

TCP and UDP are examples of two Layer Four (L4) transport protocols that are discussed in the text.  Find and summarise a resource that describes the features and uses of ONE other L4 protocol that is not discussed in the text (i.e. NOT UDP or TCP).

Networking and communication is essential to make sure that the digital connectivity is maintained. There are several layers that have been set up in the networking model with the layer at fourth level is termed as Transport Layer. These layers can function only when there are correct set of norms and guidelines applied to the same. There are a number of standards and protocols that are required in order to establish strong connection in the world of networks and communication. One of the protocols that is used on Layer 4 is the Datagram Congestion Control Protocol which is commonly abbreviated as DCCP. There are several data deliveries that take place in the communication world that are bound by the time period. These particular data deliveries have a lot of advantage with the aid of a protocol such as DCCP. The frequency and type of security attacks have also increased in association with the transport layer and one such form of the attack is the blind attacks. DCCP has the features and attributes that can prevent and put a check on blind attacks. Many of the user-friendly application such as tele-conferencing application, gaming application etc. are also support by this protocol. The resource that was selected to understand the details of the topic was very useful as it provided with the adequate details which led to the enhancement of knowledge and deeper understanding associated with the topic.

Week 3

Cyber-attacks on governments or government assets are receiving increasing publicity and media attention.  Find and summarise a resource that describes ONE recent cyber-attack (within the last 3 years) against a government website or asset.

Information is considered as a key asset for the systems and applications. It is because of the reason that this information comprises of the relevant details and is also sensitive and confidential in nature. Capturing of the information illegally can lead to several damages and there may also be sever impacts that may come out from it. Malevolent incidents associated with the cyber world have increased immensely and the security incidents that take place in association with cyber related processes are termed as cyber crimes and cyber attacks. The attackers target all types of users and applications and one of the categories of websites that get impacted by cyber attacks are the Government websites. There is a lot of critical and sensitive information that is usually present on these websites which is violated and captured by the attackers. One such case of cyber attack took place on the website of Statistics Canada. The attackers succeeded in breaching the information by gaining unauthorized and unauthenticated access to the website leading to exposure of confidential data. There were several steps that were taken to identify the attackers by the Canadian Government but none of the attempts proved to be successful. The resource that was selected to understand the details of the topic was very useful as it provided with the adequate details which led to the enhancement of knowledge and deeper understanding associated with the topic.

Flood, fires and earthquakes are events beyond our control, yet impact heavily on ICT infrastructure.  Find and summarise a resource that describes ONE example of an organisation’s ICT infrastructure being impacted by such an event and the resulting effects on the business and/or its operations.  For example, you might want to search for “data centre fire” or “network cable earthquake” to find suitable resources.

There are certain occurrences in the ICT world that may be controlled and prevented. Such occurrences are man-made in nature and can be controlled by the application of protocols and mechanisms. However, there is no control over nature and the associated hazards can have a huge impact on ICT services. There are several attacks and mis-happenings that take place in association with ICT. One category of disasters that impact the ICT infrastructure adversely is the natural disasters and natural hazards. There have been many occurrences such as earthquakes, landslides, floods, fires and many other disasters that have taken toll on the infrastructure of an ICT firm. One such case that was reported was 2017 in which a massive fire broke out which led to the devastation of the infrastructure of a data centre in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More than seventy percent of the entire data sets were completely damaged because of the fire and there were some that were slightly impacted. Along with the data sets, there were surveillance tools such as security cameras that were also damaged in the occurrence of the disaster. The resource that was selected to understand the details of the topic was very useful as it provided with the adequate details which led to the enhancement of knowledge and deeper understanding associated with the topic.

Week 4

The text briefly mentions crowdsourcing which is a form of social business that organisations employ to engage with the public to achieve a goal.  Find and summarise a resource that describes ONE example of an organisation using crowdsourcing and the outcomes of the engagement.

Innovation is something that is required to be presented in every business activity along with all of the organizations. Absence of innovation will lead to decrease in the customer base as the customers will slowly and gradually become bored of the offerings by the organizations. It is also necessary to make sure that the engagement with the customers is only improved and there are no scenarios wherein it shall reduce. The number and categories of business activities and operations that are required to be performed by the organization has increased with the increase in the customers, customer expectations, growth of technology and necessity to gain a competitive edge in the market. One of the concepts that is used by the business organization to make sure that element of innovation is maintained and reflected in their activities is Crowdsourcing. There are several organizations that have included crowdsourcing and have benefitted from it and one such organization is Coca Cola. The decision led to the enhancement of the organization revenues, customer feedback along with the sales and profits. It also led to cost savings for the organization and the share of costs was used in other developmental activities leading to obtaining of better results in terms of overall operations and management. The resource that was selected to understand the details of the topic was very useful as it provided with the adequate details which led to the enhancement of knowledge and deeper understanding associated with the topic.

With the advent of mass data collection and storage has come a surge of instances of data theft.  Find and summarise a resource that describes ONE example where data has been stolen from a private company or corporation and explain the impacts on the customers.

Private firms deal with a lot of information on a daily basis and this information is critical to these firms because there is a lot of data that is stored in the data repository that is relevant to the organization and its associated entities. Any activity that may cause loss or damage to this information may result in a lot of adverse impact. There have been many instances in the past that have taken place wherein security of information has been violated. With the increase in the category, variety and volume of information that the organizations deal with in the present times, there is also an increase in the type and frequency of the security risks and threats that are executed. One of such security violation that is included as one of the worst occurrences ever is the JPMorgan hack case. There were hundreds and millions of records that were breached in the hack case that took place that included the details of the customers such as their demographic details, email addresses and likewise. Also, the similar information of the employees of JPMorgan was also captured. Apart from the organization itself, there were several other stakeholders, third parties, financial corporations and partners that were also hugely damaged because of the security attack. The attackers however could not succeed in obtaining the payment and SSN information of the customers. There were several damages that JPMorgan had to face in terms of legal and regulatory obligations, market performance, customer engagement and monetary losses. The resource that was selected to understand the details of the topic was very useful as it provided with the adequate details which led to the enhancement of knowledge and deeper understanding associated with the topic.

Week 5

The failure to adapt business processes and embrace technology, particularly ICT, has led to the downfall of many previously successful companies.  Find and summarise a resource that describes ONE example of an organisation that failed to adapt to changes in technology and explain what the organisation failed to do/respond to.

The number of IT organizations is huge and there are several organizations that have been set up in every part of the globe. Because of the presence of so many organizations, the competition between the organizations is very high. Organizations therefore take up large projects that they may or may not handle and it results in the event of a failure. Technology is transforming and evolving itself since many decades and the organization have been trying to put all of their efforts to maintain the pace with the technological changes and evolutions. IBM is one such organization that tried to obtain latest technology back in 1970s with the development of a supercomputer that was named as Stretch. The supercomputer and associated technology had not flourished back in 1970s and it was considered to be a revolutionary step being taken by any organization. However, the business aims and goals associated with the project could not be achieved and it turned out to be a big failure that is still considered as a remarkable failure in the history of IT. IBM failed to deliver the promised processing speed and also had to bear the project risks such as the ones associated with overrun of schedule and costs. There were several operational and managerial decisions that were taken incorrectly that led to the failure. The resource that was selected to understand the details of the topic was very useful as it provided with the adequate details which led to the enhancement of knowledge and deeper understanding associated with the topic.

Large, complex ICT projects are more likely to fail than succeed.   Find and summarise a resource that describes ONE example of a large ICT project that failed and explain the impacts of the failure.

There are multiple IT organizations that have been set up. These organizations have their respective set of policies, concepts and methods that are followed. However, in order to gain competitive edge with other competitors in the market, the organizations take up some of the extremely challenging projects which they may be capable or incapable to finish up. Transformation and evolution in the world of technology has been going on since decades and the organization have been trying to put all of their efforts to maintain the pace with the technological changes and evolutions. One of the organizations that attempted to develop and obtain latest technology was IBM back in 1970s with the development of a supercomputer that was named as Stretch. The supercomputer and associated technology had not flourished back in 1970s and it was considered to be a revolutionary step being taken by any organization. However, the business aims and goals associated with the project could not be achieved and it turned out to be a big failure that is still considered as a remarkable failure in the history of IT. IBM failed to deliver the promised processing speed and also had to bear the project risks such as the ones associated with overrun of schedule and costs. The main reasons that were involved with the massive failure were poor management decisions and many of the operation errors. The resource that was selected to understand the details of the topic was very useful as it provided with the adequate details which led to the enhancement of knowledge and deeper understanding associated with the topic.