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Term
Definition
Computer hardware
1
1
Computer-based information
system
Data
One of the five fundamental components of an
information system.
An information system that includes a computer.
1
Five-component framework
1
Information system (IS)
1
Information technology (IT)
1
1
Management information
system (MIS)
Moore’s Law
1
People
1
Procedures
1
Software
2
Accurate information
2
Activity
2
Alternative formulation step
2
Automated system
2
Business process
Recorded facts or figures. One of the five
fundamental components of an information
system.
The five fundamental components of an
information system—computer hardware,
software, data, procedures, and people—that are
present in every information system, from the
simplest to the most complex.
A group of components that interact to produce
information.
The products, methods, inventions, and standards
that are used for the purpose of producing
information.
An information system that helps businesses
achieve their goals and objectives.
A law, created by Gordon Moore, stating that the
number of transistors per square inch on an
integrated chip doubles every 18 months. Moore’s
prediction has proved generally accurate in the 40
years since it was made. Sometimes this law is
understood to mean that the performance of a
computer doubles every 18 months. While not
strictly true, this version gives the gist of the idea.
As part of the five-component framework, one of
the five fundamental components of an
information system; includes those who operate
and service the computers, those who maintain
the data, those who support the networks, and
those who use the system.
Instructions for humans. One of the five
fundamental components of an information
system.
Instructions for computers. One of the five
fundamental components of an information
system.
Information that is based on correct and complete
data and that has been processed correctly as
expected.
The part of a business process that transforms
resources and information of one type into
resources and information of another type; can be
manual or automated.
A step in the decision-making process in which
decision makers lay out various alternatives.
An information system in which the hardware and
software components do most of the work.
A network of activities, resources, facilities, and
information that interact to achieve some business
function; sometimes called a business system.
Sound
2
2
Business system
Choice step
2
2
2
Executive information system
(EIS)
Facilities
Implementation step
2
Information
2
Intelligence gathering step
2
2
Just-barely-sufficient
information
Management information
system (MIS)
Managerial decision
2
Manual system
2
Operational decisions
2
Relevant information
2
Resources
2
Review step
2
Strategic decision
2
Structured decision
2
Timely information
2
2
Transaction processing system
(TPS)
Unstructured decision
2
Worth-its-cost information
3
Competitive strategy
2
Another term for “Business process.”
A step in the decision-making process in which
decision makers analyze their alternatives and
select one.
An information system that supports strategic
decision making.
Structures used within a business process.
A step in the decision-making process in which
decision makers implement the alternative they
have selected.
(1) Knowledge derived from data, where “data” is
defined as recorded facts or figures (2) Data
presented in a meaningful context; (3) Data
processed by summing, ordering, averaging,
grouping, comparing, or other similar operations;
(4) A difference that makes a difference.
The first step in the decision-making process in
which decision makers determine what is to be
decided, what the criteria for selection will be, and
what data are available.
Information that meets the purpose for which it is
generated, but just barely so.
An information system that helps businesses
achieve their goals and objectives.
Decision that concerns the allocation and use of
resources.
An information system in which the activity of
processing information is done by people, without
the use of automated processing.
Decisions that concern the day-to-day activities of
an organization.
Information that is appropriate to both the context
and the subject.
Items of value, such as inventory or funds,that are
part of a business process.
The final step in the decision-making process, in
which decision makers evaluate results of their
decision, and if necessary repeat the process to
correct or adapt the decision.
Decision that concerns broader-scope,
organizational issues.
A type of decision for which there is a formalized
and accepted method for making the decision.
Information that is produced in time for its
intended use.
An information system that supports operational
decision making.
A type of decision for which there is no agreed-on
decision-making method.
When an appropriate relationship exists between
the cost of information and its value.
The strategy an organization chooses as the way
it will succeed in its industry. According to Porter,
there are four fundamental competitive strategies:
cost leadership across an industry or within a
3
Disruptive technologies
3
Five forces model
3
3
Margin
Primary activities
3
Productivity paradox
3
Support activities
3
Sustaining technologies
3
Switching costs
3
4
Value chain
Thick client
4
Thin client
4
Antivirus programs
4
Application software
4
Basic Input/Output System
(BIOS)
4
Binary digits
4
Bit
particular industry segment, and product
differentiation across an industry or within a
particular industry segment.
Products that introduce a very new package of
attributes from the accepted mainstream products.
A model proposed by Michael Porter that
assesses industry characteristics and profitability
by means of five competitive forces: bargaining
power of suppliers, threat of substitution,
bargaining power of customers, rivalry among
firms, and threat of new entrants.
The difference between value and cost.
In Porter’s value chain model, the fundamental
activities that create value: inbound logistics,
operations, outbound logistics, marketing/sales,
and service.
The lack of evidence of an increase in worker
productivity associated with the massive increase
in investment in information technology.
In Porter’s value chain model, the activities that
contribute indirectly to value creation:
procurement, technology, human resources, and
the firm’s infrastructure.
Changes in technology that maintain the rate of
improvement in customer value.
Difficulty or expense associated with changing
from one product to another.
A network of value-creating activities.
A software application that requires programs
other than just the browser on a user’s computer;
that is, that requires code on both a client and
server computers.
A software application that requires nothing more
than a browser and can be run on only the user’s
computer.
Software that detects and possibly eliminates
viruses.
Programs that perform a business function. Some
application programs are general purpose, such
as Excel or Word. Other application programs are
specific to a business function, such as accounts
payable.
An important piece of firmware used when a
computer is initially booted up: the first thing the
computer does is to load BIOS from ROM and run
through the commands provided by the firmware.
BIOS checks to make sure the memory and input
devices are functional. Once these are working,
the operating system will be loaded.
The means by which computers represent data;
also called “bits.” A binary digit is either a zero or
a one.
The means by which computers represent data;
also called “binary digit.” A bit is either a zero or a
one.
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Bus
4
4
Byte
Cache memory
4
Central processing unit (CPU)
4
Client
4
Data channel
4
4
E-cycling
Firmware
4
4
Gigabyte (GB)
Hardware
4
Horizontal-market application
4
Input hardware
4
Instruction set
4
4
Kilobyte (K)
Licence
4
Linux
4
Mac OS
Means by which the CPU reads instructions and
data from main memory and writes data to main
memory.
An 8-bit chunk of data.
A file on a domain name resolver that stores
domain names and IP addresses that have been
resolved. Then, when someone else needs to
resolve that same domain name, there is no need
to go through the entire resolution process.
Instead, the resolver can supply the IP address
from the local file.
The CPU selects instructions, processes them,
performs arithmetic and logical comparisons, and
stores results of operations in memory.
A computer that provides word processing,
spreadsheets, database access, and usually a
network connection.
Means by which the CPU reads instructions and
data from main memory and writes data to main
memory. Also called “bus.”
Recycling of electronic hardware
Computer software that is installed into devices
like printers, print services, and various types of
communication devices. The software is coded
just like other software, but it is installed into
special, programmable memory of the printer or
other device.
1024MB.
Electronic components and related gadgetry that
input, process, output, store, and communicate
data according to instructions encoded in
computer programs or software.
Software that provides capabilities common
across all organizations and industries; examples
include word processors, graphics programs,
spreadsheets, and presentation programs.
Hardware devices that attach to a computer;
includes keyboards, mouse, document scanners,
and barcode (Universal Product Code) scanners.
The collection of instructions that a computer can
process.
1024 bytes.
Agreement that stipulates how a program can be
used. Most specify the number of computers on
which the program can be installed and
sometimes the number of users that can connect
to and use the program remotely. Such
agreements also stipulate limitations on the
liability of the software vendor for the
consequences of errors in the software.
A version of Unix that was developed by the opensource community. The open-source community
owns Linux, and there is no fee to use it. Linux is
a popular operating system for web servers.
An operating system developed by Apple
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Macro virus
4
Main memory
4
Mainframes
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Microcomputer
4
4
Megabyte (MB)
Memory swapping
4
Nonvolatile memory
4
One-of-a-kind application
4
Open-source community
4
Operating system (OS)
4
Output hardware
4
Patch
4
Payload
Computer, Inc., for the Macintosh. The current
version is Mac OS X. Macintosh computers are
used primarily by graphic artists and workers in
the arts community. Mac OS was developed for
the PowerPC, but as of 2006 will run on Intel
processors as well.
Virus that attaches itself to a Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, or other type of document. When the
infected document is opened, the virus places
itself in the startup files of the application. After
that, the virus infects every file that the application
creates or processes.
A set of cells in which each cell holds a byte of
data or instruction; each cell has an address, and
the CPU uses the addresses to identify particular
data items.
The first digital computing machines used in
business and government.
Early pre-PC computer which often had no
monitor and required user to develop his or her
own programs.
1024KB.
The movement of programs and data into and out
of memory. If a computer has insufficient memory
for its workload, such swapping will degrade
system performance.
Memory that preserves data contents even when
not powered (e.g., magnetic and optical disks).
With such devices, you can turn the computer off
and back on, and the contents will be unchanged.
Software that is developed for a specific, unique
need, usually for a particular company’s
operations.
A loosely coupled group of programmers who
mostly volunteer their time to contribute code to
develop and maintain common software. Linux
and MySQL are two prominent products
developed by such a community.
A computer program that controls the computer’s
resources: It manages the contents of main
memory, processes keystrokes and mouse
movements, sends signals to the display monitor,
reads and writes disk files, and controls the
processing of other programs.
Hardware that displays the results of the
computer’s processing. Consists of video
displays, printers, audio speakers, overhead
projectors, and other special-purpose devices,
such as large flatbed plotters.
A group of fixes for high-priority failures that can
be applied to existing copies of a particular
product. Software vendors supply patches to fix
security and other critical problems.
The program code of a virus that causes
unwanted or hurtful actions, such as deleting
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Server farm
4
Server
4
Special function cards
4
Storage hardware
4
4
Terabyte (TB)
Unix
4
Vertical-market application
4
Virus
4
Volatile memory
4
Windows
4
Worm
5
Access
5
5
Byte
Columns
5
Content management systems
5
Database application system
programs or data, or even worse, modifying data
in ways that are undetected by the user.
A large collection of server computers that
coordinate the activities of the servers, usually for
commercial purposes.
A computer that provides some type of service,
such as hosting a database, running a blog,
publishing a website, or selling goods. Server
computers are faster, larger, and more powerful
than client computers.
Cards that can be added to the computer to
augment the computer’s basic capabilities.
Hardware that saves data and programs.
Magnetic disk is by far the most common storage
device, although optical disks, such as CDs and
DVDs, also are popular.
1024GB.
An operating system developed at Bell Labs in the
1970s. It has been the workhorse of the scientific
and engineering communities since then.
Software that serves the needs of a specific
industry. Examples of such programs are those
used by dental offices to schedule appointments
and bill patients, those used by auto mechanics to
keep track of customer data and
customers’automobile repairs, and those used by
parts warehouses to track inventory, purchases,
and sales.
A computer program that replicates itself;
unchecked replication is like computer cancer by
which ultimately the virus consumes the
computer’s resources. Many viruses also take
unwanted and harmful actions.
Data that will be lost when the computer or device
is not powered.
An operating system designed and sold by
Microsoft. It is the most widely used operating
system.
A virus that propagates itself using the Internet or
some other computer network. Worm code is
written specifically to infect another computer as
quickly as possible.
A popular personal and small workgroup DBMS
product from Microsoft.
A character of data
Also called “fields” or groups of bytes. A database
table has multiple columns that are used to
represent the attributes of an entity. Examples are
“PartNumber,” “EmployeeName,” and
“SalesDate.”
Information systems that track organizational
documents, web pages, graphics, and related
materials.
Applications, having the standard five
components, that make database data more
5
Database application
5
5
5
Database management system
(DBMS)
Database
DB2
5
Enterprise DBMS
5
Fields
5
File
5
Foreign keys
5
Form
5
Intellectual property
5
Key
5
Lost-update problem
5
5
Metadata
Multiuser processing
5
MySQL
accessible and useful. Users employ a database
application that consists of forms, formatted
reports, queries, and application programs. Each
of these, in turn, calls on the database
management system (DBMS) to process the
database tables.
A collection of forms, reports, queries, and
application programs that process a database.
A program used to create, process, and
administer a database.
A self-describing collection of integrated records.
A popular, enterprise-class DBMS product from
IBM.
A product that processes large organizational and
workgroup databases. These products support
many users, perhaps thousands, and many
different database applications. Such DBMS
products support 24/7 operations and can
manage databases that span dozens of different
magnetic disks with hundreds of gigabytes or
more of data. IBM’s DB2, Microsoft’s SQL Server,
and Oracle’s Oracle are examples of enterprise
DBMS products.
Also called “columns” or groups of bytes. A
database table has multiple columns that are used
to represent the attributes of an entity. Examples
are “PartNumber,” “EmployeeName,” and
“SalesDate.”
A group of similar rows or records. In a database,
sometimes called a “table.”
A column or group of columns used to represent
relationships. Values of the foreign key match
values of the primary key in a different (foreign)
table.
Data entry forms are used to read, insert, modify,
and delete database data.
A form of creative endeavour that can be
protected through a trademark, patent, copyright,
industrial design, or integrated circuit topography.
(1) A column or group of columns that identifies a
unique row in a table. (2) A number used to
encrypt data. The encryption algorithm applies the
key to the original message to produce the coded
message. Decoding (decrypting) a message is
similar; a key is applied to the coded message to
recover the original text.
An issue in multiuser database processing, in
which two or more users try to make changes to
the data but the database cannot make all the
changes because it was not designed to process
changes from multiple users.
Data that describe data.
When multiple users process the database at the
same time.
A popular open-source DBMS product that is
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Oracle
5
Personal DBMS
5
5
Query
Records
5
5
Relation
Relational database
5
Report
5
Rows
5
SQL Server
5
5
Structured Query Language
(SQL)
Table
5
Attribute
5
Crow’s foot
5
Crow’s-foot diagram
5
Data integrity problem
5
Data model
5
Entity-relationship
(E-R) diagrams
5
Entity-relationship data model
(E-R model)
5
Relationship
licence-free for most applications.
A popular, enterprise-class DBMS product from
Oracle Corporation.
DBMS products designed for smaller, simpler
database applications. Such products are used for
personal or small workgroup applications that
involve fewer than 100 users, and normally fewer
than 15. Today, Microsoft Access is the only
prominent personal DBMS.
A request for data from a database.
Also called “rows,” groups of columns in a
database table.
The more formal name for a database table.
Database that carries its data in the form of tables
and that represents relationships using foreign
keys.
A presentation of data in a structured,or
meaningful context.
Also called “records,” groups of columns in a
database table.
A popular enterprise-class DBMS product from
Microsoft.
An international standard language for processing
database data.
Also called a “file,” a group of similar rows or
records in a database.
(1) A variable that provides properties for an
HTML tag. Each attribute has a standard name.
For example, the attribute for a hyperlink is href
and its value indicates which web page is to be
displayed when the user clicks the link. (s)
Characteristics of an entity. Example attributes of
“Order” would be “OrderNumber, OrderDate,
SubTotal, Tax, Total,” and so forth. Example
attributes of “Salesperson” would be
“SalespersonName, Email, Phone,”> and so forth.
A line on an entity-relationship diagram that
indicates a 1:N relationship between two entities.
A type of entity-relationship diagram that uses a
crow’s foot symbol to designate a 1:N relationship.
In a database, the situation that exists when data
items disagree with one another. An example is
two different names for the same customer.
A logical representation of the data in a database
that describes the data and relationships that will
be stored in the database. Akin to a blueprint.
A type of diagram used by database designers to
document entities and their relationships to each
other.
Popular technique for creating a data model, in
which developers define the things that will be
stored and the relationships among them.
An association among entities or entity instances
in an E-R model or an association among rows of
a table in a relational database.
5
Many-to-many (N:M)
relationship
5
Minimum cardinality
5
Maximum cardinality
5
Normal forms
5
Normalization
5
One-to-many (1:N) relationship
5
Entity
5
Identifier
5
Unified Modelling Language
(UML)
6
10/100/1000 Ethernet
6
Access control list (ACL)
6
Access point (AP)
6
Advanced Research Projects
Agency Network (ARPANET)
Relationships involving two entity types in which
an instance of one type can relate to many
instances of the second type, and an instance of
the second type can relate to many instances of
the first. For example, the relationship between
Student and Class is N:M. One student may enroll
in many classes and one class may have many
students. Contrast with one-to-many relationships.
The minimum number of entities that must be
involved in a relationship.
The maximum number of entities that can be
involved in a relationship. Common examples of
maximum cardinality are 1:N, N:M, and 1:1.
A classification of tables according to their
characteristics and the kinds of problems they
have.
The process of converting poorly structured tables
into two or more well-structured tables.
Relationships involving two entity types in which
an instance of one type can relate to many
instances of the second type, but an instance of
the second type can relate to at most one
instance of the first. For example, the relationship
between Department and Employee is 1:N. A
department may relate to many employees, but an
employee relates to at most one department.
In the E-R data model, a representation of some
thing that users want to track. Some entities
represent a physical object; others represent a
logical construct or transaction.
An attribute (or group of attributes) whose value is
associated with one and only one entity instance.
A series of diagramming techniques that facilitates
OOP development. UML has dozens of different
diagrams for all phases of system development.
UML does not require or promote any particular
development process.
A type of Ethernet that conforms to the IEEE
802.3 protocol and allows for transmission at a
rate of 10, 100, or 1000 Mbps (megabits per
second).
A list that encodes the rules stating which packets
are to be allowed through a firewall and which are
to be prohibited.
A point in a wireless network that facilitates
communication among wireless devices and
serves as a point of interconnection between
wireless and wired networks. The AP must be
able to process messages according to both the
802.3 and 802.11 standards, because it sends
and receives wireless traffic using the 802.11
protocol and communicates with wired networks
using the 802.3 protocol.
The world’s first operational packet switching
network, which provided access to many research
6
Analog signal
6
6
Asymmetric digital subscriber
lines (ADSL)
Broadband
6
Browser
6
Cable modem
6
Dial-up modem
6
Domain name system (DNS)
6
DSL modem
6
Ethernet
6
Firewall
6
Global Positioning System
(GPS)
investigators who were geographically separated
from the small number of large, powerful research
computers available at the time.
A wavy signal. A modem converts the computer’s
digital data into analog signals that can be
transmitted over dial-up Internet connections.
DSL lines that have different upload and
download speeds.
Internet communication lines that have speeds in
excess of 256 kbps. DSL and cable modems
provide broadband access.
A program that processes the HTTP protocol;
receives, displays, and processes HTML
documents; and transmits responses.
A type of modem that provides high-speed data
transmission using cable television lines. The
cable company installs a fast, high-capacity
optical fibre cable to a distribution centre in each
neighbourhood that it serves. At the distribution
centre, the optical fibre cable connects to regular
cable-television cables that run to subscribers’
homes or businesses. Cable modems modulate in
such a way that their signals do not interfere with
TV signals. Like DSL lines, they are always on.
A modem that performs the conversion between
analog and digital in such a way that the signal
can be carried on a regular telephone line.
A system that converts user-friendly names into
their IP addresses. Any registered, valid name is
called a domain name.
A type of modem. DSL modems operate on the
same lines as voice telephones and dial-up
modems, but they operate so that their signals do
not interfere with voice telephone service. DSL
modems provide much faster data transmission
speeds than dial-up modems. Additionally, DSL
modems always maintain a connection, so there
is no need to dial in; the Internet connection is
available immediately.
Another name for the IEEE 802.3 protocol,
Ethernet is a network protocol that operates at
Layers 1 and 2 of the TCP/IP–OSI architecture.
Ethernet, the world’s most popular LAN protocol,
is used on WANs as well.
A computing device located between a firm’s
internal and external networks that prevents
unauthorized access to or from the internal
network. A firewall can be a special-purpose
computer or it can be a program on a generalpurpose computer or on a router.
A collection of dozens of satellites orbiting the
earth that transmit precise microwave signals. A
GPS receiver can calculate its position by
measuring the distance between itself and several
of the satellites.
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6
Hypertext transfer protocol
(HTTP)
IEEE 802.3 protocol
6
Internet service provider (ISP)
6
Intranet
6
Internet/internet
6
IP address
6
Local area network (LAN)
6
MAC address
6
Modem
6
Narrowband
6
Network interface card (NIC)
A Layer-5 protocol used to process web pages.
This standard, also called “Ethernet,” is a network
protocol that operates at Layers 1 and 2 of the
TCP/IP–OSI architecture. Ethernet, the world’s
most popular LAN protocol, is used on WANs as
well.
An ISP provides a user with a legitimate Internet
address; it serves as the user’s gateway to the
Internet; and it passes communications back and
forth between the user and the Internet. ISPs also
pay for the Internet. They collect money from their
customers and pay access fees and other
charges on the users’ behalf.
A private version of the Internet that is only
available to employees within the organization
who are behind the firewall.
When spelled with a small “i,” as internet, a
private network of networks. When spelled with a
capital “I,” as Internet, the public network known
as the Internet.
A series of dotted decimals in a format like
192.168.2.28 that identifies a unique device on a
network or internet. With the IPv4 standard, IP
addresses have 32 bits. With the IPv6 standard,
IP addresses have 128 bits. Today, IPv4 is more
common but will likely be supplanted by IPv6 in
the future. With IPv4, the decimal between the
dots can never exceed 255.
A network that connects computers that reside in
a single geographic location on the premises of
the company that operates the LAN. The number
of connected computers can range from two to
several hundred.
Also called “physical address.” A permanent
address given to each network interface card
(NIC) at the factory. This address enables the
device to access the network via a Level-2
protocol. By agreement among computer
manufacturers, MAC addresses are assigned in
such a way that no two NIC devices will ever have
the same MAC address.
Short for “modulator/demodulator,” a modem
converts the computer’s digital data into signals
that can be transmitted over telephone or cable
lines.
Internet communication lines that have
transmission speeds of 56 kbps or less. A dial-up
modem provides narrowband access.
A hardware component on each device on a
network (computer, printer, etc.) that connects the
device’s circuitry to the communications line. The
NIC works together with programs in each device
to implement Layers 1 and 2 of the TCP/IP–OSI
hybrid protocol.
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Network
6
6
Onboard NIC
Optical fibre cable
6
Packet switching network
6
Packet-filtering firewall
6
Port
6
Protocol
6
Router
6
Switch
6
6
Symmetrical digital subscriber
lines (SDSL)
Transmission Control
Program/Internet Protocol
(TCP/IP)
Tunnel
6
Uniform resource locator (URL)
6
Unshielded twisted pair (UTP)
cable
6
Virtual private network (VPN)
6
Voice over IP (VoIP)
6
Web crawler
6
A collection of computers that communicate with
one another over transmission lines.
A built in NIC.
A type of cable used to connect the computers,
printers, switches, and other devices on a LAN.
The signals on such cables are light rays, and
they are reflected inside the glass core of the
optical fibre cable. The core is surrounded by a
“cladding” to contain the light signals, and the
cladding, in turn, is wrapped with an outer layer to
protect it.
System in which messages are first disassembled
into small packets, then sent through the network
and reassembled at the destination.
A firewall that examines each packet and
determines whether to let the packet pass. To
make this decision, it examines the source
address, the destination addresses, and other
data.
A number used to uniquely identify a transaction
over a network.
A standardized means for coordinating an activity
between two or more entities.
A special-purpose computer that moves network
traffic from one node on a network to another.
A special-purpose computer that receives and
transmits data across a network.
DSL lines that have the same upload and
download speeds.
A four-layer scheme created for data transmission
on the Internet.
A virtual, private pathway over a public or shared
network from the VPN client to the VPN server.
A document’s address on the Web. URLs begin
on the right with a top-level domain, and, moving
left, include a domain name and then are followed
by optional data that locates a document within
that domain.
A type of cable used to connect the computers,
printers, switches, and other devices on a LAN. A
UTP cable has four pairs of twisted wire. A device
called an RJ-45 connector is used to connect the
UTP cable into NIC devices.
A WAN connection alternative that uses the
Internet or a private internet to create the
appearance of private point-to-point connections.
In the IT world, the term “virtual” means
something that appears to exist that does not exist
in fact. Here, a VPN uses the public Internet to
create the appearance of a private connection.
A technology that provides telephone
communication over the Internet.
A software program that browses the web in a
very methodical way.
6
Wide area network (WANs)
6
Wireless NIC (WNIC)
6
MAC address filtering
6
Device access router
6
Printer server
6
SOHO (small office, home
office)
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA
and WPA2)
6
6
Wired Equivalent Privacy
(WEP)
6
7
WPA2
Accounting functional systems
7
Business process design
7
7
Business-to-business (B2B)
Business-to-consumer (B2C)
7
Business-to-government (B2G)
7
Calculation systems
A network that connects computers located at
different geographic locations.
Devices that enable wireless networks by
communicating with wireless access points. Such
devices can be cards that slide into the PCMA slot
or they can be built-in, onboard devices. WNICs
operate according to the 802.11 protocol.
A security device for SOHO LANs that prevents
unauthorized users from accessing the device
access router and the LAN.
A generic term for a communications device that
includes an access point, a switch, and a router.
Normally the device access router provides DHCP
and NAT services.
A network interface card (NIC) that contains a
special-purpose computer with firmware programs
that enable the computers on a LAN to use a
shared printer.
An acronym for small office/home office.
An improved wireless security standard developed
by the IEEE 802.11 committee to fix the flaws of
the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) standard.
Only newer wireless hardware uses this
technique.
A wireless security standard developed by the
IEEE 802.11 committee that was insufficiently
tested before it was deployed in communications
equipment. It has serious flaws.
An improved version of WPA.
Systems that support all of the organization’s
accounting activities. Such systems were some of
the earliest calculation systems, and they have
continued their importance as functional systems
evolved. Examples are general ledger, financial
reporting, accounts receivable, and accounts
payable systems. Other important accounting
systems include cost accounting, budgeting, cash
management, and management of the
organization’s stocks and bonds, borrowings, and
capital investments via treasury management.
The creation of new, usually cross-departmental
business practices during information systems
development. With process design, organizations
do not create new information systems to
automate existing business practices. Rather,
they use technology to enable new, more efficient
business processes.
E-commerce sales between companies.
E-commerce sales between a supplier and a retail
customer (the consumer).
E-commerce sales between companies and
governmental organizations.
The very first information systems. The goal of
such systems was to relieve workers of tedious,
7
Clearinghouse
7
Cross-departmental systems
7
7
Cross-functional systems
Customer life cycle
7
Customer relationship
management (CRM) system
7
Disintermediation
7
E-commerce auctions
7
E-commerce
7
Electronic exchanges
7
Enterprise resource planning
(ERP)
7
Functional systems
7
Industry standard processes
7
Interorganizational system
7
Islands of automation
7
Manufacturing information
repetitive calculations. These systems were
labour-saving devices that produced little
information.
Entity that provides goods and services at a
stated price, prices and arranges for the delivery
of the goods, but never takes title to the goods.
The third era of computing systems. In this era,
systems are designed not to facilitate the work of
a single department or function, but rather to
integrate the activities of a complete business
process.
Synonym for “Cross-departmental systems.”
Taken as a whole, the processes of marketing,
customer acquisition, relationship management,
and loss/churn that must be managed by CRM
systems.
An information system that maintains data about
customers and all their interactions with the
organization.
Elimination of one or more middle layers in the
supply chain.
Applications that match buyers and sellers by
using an e-commerce version of a standard
auction. This e-commerce application enables the
auction company to offer goods for sale and to
support a competitive bidding process.
The buying and selling of goods and services over
public and private computer networks.
Sites that facilitate the matching of buyers and
sellers; the business process is similar to that of a
stock exchange. Sellers offer goods at a given
price through the electronic exchange, and buyers
make offers to purchase over the same exchange.
Price matches result in transactions from which
the exchange takes a commission.
The integration of all the organization’s principal
processes. ERP is an outgrowth of MRP II
manufacturing systems, and most ERP users are
manufacturing companies.
The second era of information systems. The goal
of such systems was to facilitate the work of a
single department or function. Over time, in each
functional area, companies added features and
functions to encompass more activities and to
provide more value and assistance.
Processes built into business applications from
companies like Oracle or SAP.
IS processing of routine transactions between two
or more organizations.
The structure that results when functional
applications work independently in isolation from
one another. Usually problematic because data
are duplicated, integration is difficult, and results
can be inconsistent.
Information systems that support one or more
systems
7
Merchant companies
7
Nonmerchant companies
7
Operations information systems
7
Price elasticity
7
Process blueprint
7
Process-based systems
7
Pull production planning
7
Push production planning
7
Radio frequency identification
tags (RFIDs)
7
SAP R/3
7
Supplier relationship
management (SRM)
Supply chain speed
7
7
7
Supply chain management
(SCM) system
Supply chain
7
Web storefront
aspects of manufacturing processes, including
planning, scheduling, integration with inventory,
quality control, and related processes.
In e-commerce, companies that take title to the
goods they sell. They buy goods and resell them.
E-commerce companies that arrange for the
purchase and sale of goods without ever owning
or taking title to those goods.
Systems that maintain data on finished goods
inventory and the movements of goods from
inventory to the customer.
A measure of the sensitivity in demand to
changes in price. It is the ratio of the percentage
change in quantity divided by the percentage
change in price.
In an ERP product, a comprehensive set of
inherent processes for organizational activities.
The third era of computing systems. In this era,
systems are designed not to facilitate the work of
a single department or function, but rather to
integrate the activities in an entire business
process.
A manufacturing process whereby products are
pulled through manufacturing by demand. Items
are manufactured in response to signals from
customers or other production processes that
products or components are needed.
A plan for producing products whereby the
company analyzes past sales levels, makes
estimates of future sales, and creates a master
production schedule. Products are produced
according to that schedule and pushed into sales
(and customers).
A computer chip that transmits data about the
container or product to which it is attached. RFID
data include not just product numbers, but also
data about where the product was made, what the
components are, special handling requirements,
and, for perishable products, when the contents
will expire. RFIDs facilitate inventory tracking by
signalling their presence to scanners as they are
moved throughout the manufacturing facility.
A software product licensed by German company
SAP that integrates business activities into
“inherent processes” across an organization.
A business process for managing all contacts
between an organization and its suppliers.
The dollar value of goods exchanged in a given
period of time.
An IS that integrates the primary inbound logistics
business activity.
A network of organizations and facilities that
transforms raw materials into products delivered
to customers.
In e-commerce, a web-based application that
8
Knowledge management (KM)
8
Business intelligence (BI)
system
8
Clickstream data
8
Cluster analysis
8
Data marts
8
Data mining
8
Data resource challenge
8
Data warehouses
8
Data-mining system
8
8
Decision support systems
(DSS)
Dirty data
8
Drill down
8
8
Exabyte
Expert system
8
Granularity
enables customers to enter and manage their
orders.
The process of creating value from intellectual
capital and sharing that knowledge with
employees, managers, suppliers, customers, and
others who need that capital.
A system that provides the right information, to the
right user, at the right time. A tool produces the
information, but the system ensures that the right
information is delivered to the right user at the
right time.
E-commerce data that describe a customer’s
clicking behaviour. Such data include everything
the customer does at the website.
An unsupervised data-mining technique whereby
statistical techniques are used to identify groups
of entities that have similar characteristics. A
common use for cluster analysis is to find groups
of similar customers in data about customer
orders and customer demographics.
Facilities that prepare, store, and manage data for
reporting and data mining for specific business
functions.
The application of statistical techniques to find
patterns and relationships among data and to
classify and predict.
Occurs when data are collected in OLTP but are
not used to improve decision making.
Facilities that prepare, store, and manage data
specifically for reporting and data mining.
IS that processes data using sophisticated
statistical techniques like regression analysis and
decision-tree analysis to find patterns and
relationships that cannot be found by simpler
operations like sorting, grouping, and averaging.
Systems that focus on making data collected in
OLTP useful for decision making.
Problematic data. Examples are a value of “B” for
customer gender and a value of “213” for
customer age. Other examples are a value of
“999-999-9999” for a North American phone
number, a part colour of “green” and an email
address of [email protected]. All these values are problematic when
data mining.
With an OLAP report, to further divide the data
into more detail.
1018 bytes.
Knowledge-sharing system that is created by
interviewing experts in a given business domain
and codifying the rules used by those experts.
The level of detail in data. Customer name and
account balance is large granularity data.
Customer name, balance, and the order details
and payment history of every customer order is
8
Knowledge management
system (KMS)
8
Market-basket analysis
8
Neural networks
8
Online analytic processing
(OLAP)
8
8
8
Online transaction processing
(OLTP)
Petabyte
Regression analysis
8
Reporting system
8
Supervised data mining
8
Unsupervised data mining
9
Alignment
9
Budget Measures Act (Bill 198)
9
Certified Information Systems
Auditor (CISA)
9
Competitive strategy
9
Control Objectives for
Information and Related
Technology (COBIT)
smaller granularity.
An information system for storing and retrieving
organizational knowledge, whether that
knowledge is in the form of data, documents, or
employee know-how.
A data-mining technique for determining sales
patterns. A market-basket analysis shows the
products that customers tend to buy together.
A popular supervised data-mining technique used
to predict values and make classifications, such
as “good prospect” or “poor prospect.”
A dynamic type of reporting system that provides
the ability to sum, count, average, and perform
other simple arithmetic operations on groups of
data. Such reports are dynamic because users
can change the format of the reports while viewing
them.
Collecting data electronically and processing
transactions online.
1015 bytes.
A type of supervised data mining that estimates
the values of parameters in a linear equation.
Used to determine the relative influence of
variables on an outcome and also to predict future
values of that outcome.
A system that creates information from disparate
data sources and delivers that information to the
proper users on a timely basis.
A form of data mining in which data miners
develop a model prior to the analysis and apply
statistical techniques to data to estimate values of
the parameters of the model.
A form of data mining whereby the analysts do not
create a model or hypothesis before running the
analysis. Instead, they apply the data-mining
technique to the data and observe the results.
With this method, analysts create hypotheses
after the analysis to explain the patterns found.
The ongoing, continually evolving challenge of
fitting IT architecture to business objectives.
Law enforcing compliance with standards for
collecting, reporting, and disclosing information.
A globally recognized certification earned by more
than 50 000 professionals; members have job
titles like IS auditor, consultant, IS security
professional, regulator, chief information officer,
and internal auditor.
The strategy an organization chooses as the way
it will succeed in its industry.
A framework of best practices designed for IT
management; provides board members,
managers, auditors, and IT users with a set of
generally accepted measures, indicators,
processes, and best practices to assist in getting
the best from organizational IT investments.
9
Enterprise architect
9
Governance
9
Information systems ethics
9
9
Information Systems Audit and
Control Association (ISACA)
Information systems audit
9
IT architecture
9
Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act
9
Zachman framework
10
Business analysts
10
Chief information officer (CIO)
10
Chief technology officer (CTO)
10
Information Technology
Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
10
Intangible benefit
Manages the company’s complex information
systems.
Using a committee to decide on expectations for
performance, to authorize appropriate resources
and power to meet expectations, and perhaps
eventually to verify whether expectations have
been met.
Understanding our own behaviour with information
systems when our choices affect others; knowing
what’s right and what’s not right.
A key organization in developing knowledge and
standards relating to IT audit and IT governance.
An audit focusing on information resources that
are used to collect, store, process, and retrieve
information.
The basic framework for all the computers,
systems, and information management that
support organizational services.
Law passed by the U.S. Congress in 2002 that
governs the reporting requirements of publicly
held companies. Among other things, it
strengthened requirements for internal controls
and management’s responsibility for accurate
financial reporting.
Conceived by John Zachman at IBM in the 1980s,
divides systems into two dimensions: one is
based on six reasons for communication (what–
data, how–function, where–network, who–people,
when–time, why–motivation), the other is based
on stakeholder groups (Planner, Owner, Designer,
Builder, Implementer, and Worker). The
intersection of these two dimensions helps to
provide a relatively holistic view of the enterprise.
Analysts who develop the business case for a
newly proposed system and develop the
requirements for the system.
The title of the principal manager of the IT
department. Other common titles are vice
president of information services, director of
information services, and, less commonly, director
of computer services.
The head of the technology group. The CTO sorts
through new ideas and products to identify those
that are most relevant to the organization. The
CTO’s job requires deep knowledge of information
technology and the ability to envision how new IT
will affect the organization over time.
A well recognized collection of books providing a
framework of best practice approaches to IT
operations. ITIL provides a large set of
management procedures that are designed to
support businesses in achieving value from IT
operations.
A benefit of an IS for which it is impossible to
compute a dollar value.
10
IT operations
10
IT projects
10
Project management body of
knowledge (PMBOK)
10
Systems analysts
10
Tangible benefit
10
Tuned
11
11
Custom-developed software
Off-the-shelf software
11
Analysis paralysis
11
Application service providers
(ASPs)
11
Beta testing
11
11
Commercial-off-the-shelf
(COTS)
Component design phase
11
11
Cost feasibility
Implementation phase
11
Information technology project
management (ITPM)
11
IT project risks
11
Maintenance phase
Service, maintenance, protection, and
management of IT infrastructure.
Projects of all shapes and sizes that renew and
adapt IT infrastructure.
Provides project managers, sponsors, and team
leaders with a large array of accepted project
management techniques and practices.
IS professionals who understand both business
and technology. They are active throughout the
systems development process and play a key role
in moving the project from conception to
conversion and, ultimately, maintenance. Systems
analysts integrate the work of the programmers,
testers, and users.
A benefit of an IS that can be measured as a
dollar value.
Adjusting information systems from time to time to
changes in the workload.
Tailor-made software.
Software that can be used without having to make
any changes.
When too much time is spent documenting project
requirements.
A special form of outsourcing in which an
organization contracts with a vendor to “rent”
applications from the vendor company on a feefor-service basis.
The process of allowing future system users to try
out the new system on their own. Used to locate
program failures just prior to program shipment.
Software that is purchased as-is and is not
customized.
The third phase in the SDLC, in which developers
determine hardware and software specifications,
design the database (if applicable), design
procedures, and create job descriptions for users
and operations personnel.
One of four dimensions of feasibility.
The fourth phase in the SDLC, in which
developers build and integrate system
components, test the system, and convert to the
new system.
The collection of techniques and methods that
project managers use to plan, coordinate, and
complete IT projects.
Risks inherent in IT projects, including lack of
experience in the team, lack of support from top
management, unclear and uncertain project
requirements, a high level of technical complexity,
and many others
The fifth and final phase in the SDLC, in which
developers record requests for changes, including
both enhancements and failures, and fix failures
by means of patches, service packs, and new
releases.
11
11
Organizational feasibility.
Outsourcing
11
Parallel installation
11
Patch
11
Phased installation
11
Pilot installation
11
Plunge installation
11
Product quality assurance
(PQA)
11
Requirements analysis phase
11
11
Schedule feasibility
Service pack
One of four dimensions of feasibility.
The process of hiring another organization to
perform a service. Outsourcing is done to save
costs, to gain expertise, and to free up
management time.
A type of system conversion in which the new
system runs in parallel with the old one for a
while. Parallel installation is expensive because
the organization incurs the costs of running both
systems.
A group of fixes for high-priority failures that can
be applied to existing copies of a particular
product. Software vendors supply patches to fix
security and other critical problems.
A type of system conversion in which the new
system is installed in pieces across the
organization(s). Once a given piece works, then
the organization installs and tests another piece of
the system, until the entire system has been
installed.
A type of system conversion in which the
organization implements the entire system on a
limited portion of the business. The advantage of
pilot implementation is that if the system fails, the
failure is contained within a limited boundary. This
reduces exposure of the business and also
protects the new system from developing a
negative reputation throughout the
organization(s).
Sometimes called direct installation, a type of
system conversion in which the organization shuts
off the old system and starts the new system. If
the new system fails, the organization is in
trouble: Nothing can be done until either the new
system is fixed or the old system is reinstalled.
Because of the risk, organizations should avoid
this conversion style if possible.
The testing of a system. PQA personnel usually
construct a test plan with the advice and
assistance of users. PQA test engineers perform
testing, and they also supervise user-test activity.
Many PQA professionals are programmers who
write automated test programs.
The second phase in the SDLC, in which
developers conduct user interviews, evaluate
existing systems, determine new
forms/reports/queries, identify new features and
functions, including security, and create the data
model.
One of four dimensions of feasibility.
A large group of fixes that solve low-priority
software problems. Users apply service packs in
much the same way that they apply patches,
except that service packs typically involve fixes to
hundreds or thousands of problems.
11
System conversion
11
System definition phase
11
System maintenance phase
11
Systems analysis and design
11
Systems analysts
11
Systems development life cycle
(SDLC)
11
Systems development
11
11
Technical feasibility
Test plan
12
12
Spam
Spoofing
12
Spyware
12
Adware
The process of converting business activity from
the old system to the new.
The first phase in the SDLC, in which developers,
with the help of eventual users, define the new
system’s goals and scope, assess its feasibility,
form a project team, and plan the project.
The fifth and final phase in the SDLC, in which
developers record requests for changes, including
both enhancements and failures, and fix failures
by means of patches, service packs, and new
releases.
The process of creating and maintaining
information systems. It is sometimes called
systems development.
IS professionals who understand both business
and technology. They are active throughout the
systems development process and play a key role
in moving the project from conception to
conversion and, ultimately, maintenance. Systems
analysts integrate the work of the programmers,
testers, and users.
The classical process used to develop information
systems. These basic tasks of systems
development are combined into the following
phases: system definition, requirements analysis,
component design, implementation, and system
maintenance (fix or enhance).
The process of creating and maintaining
information systems. It is sometimes called
<i>systems analysis and design</i>.
One of four dimensions of feasibility.
Groups of sequences of actions that users will
take when using the new system.
Unwanted email messages.
When someone pretends to be someone else with
the intent of obtaining unauthorized data. If you
pretend to be your professor, you are spoofing
your professor.
Programs installed on the user’s computer without
the user’s knowledge or permission that reside in
the background and, unknown to the user,
observe the user’s actions and keystrokes, modify
computer activity, and report the user’s activities
to sponsoring organizations. Malicious spyware
captures keystrokes to obtain user names,
passwords, account numbers, and other sensitive
information. Other spyware is used for marketing
analyses, observing what users do, websites
visited, products examined and purchased, and so
forth.
Programs installed on the user’s computer without
the user’s knowledge or permission that reside in
the background and, unknown to the user,
observe the user’s actions and keystrokes, modify
computer activity, and report the user’s activities
12
Authentication
12
Biometric authentication
12
Cold site
12
Data administration
12
Data safeguards
12
Database administration
12
Denial of service
12
Drive-by sniffers
12
Email spoofing
12
Hacking
12
Hardening a site
to sponsoring organizations. Most adware is
benign in that it does not perform malicious acts
or steal data. It does, however, watch user activity
and produce pop-up ads.
The process whereby an information system
approves (authenticates) a user by checking the
user’s password.
The use of personal physical characteristics, such
as fingerprints, facial features, and retinal scans,
to authenticate users.
A remote processing centre that provides office
space, but no computer equipment, for use by a
company that needs to continue operations after a
natural disaster.
A staff function that pertains to all of an
organization’s data assets. Typical data
administration tasks are setting data standards,
developing data policies, and providing for data
security.
Steps taken to protect databases and other
organizational data, by means of data
administration and database administration.
The management, development, operation, and
maintenance of the database so as to achieve the
organization’s objectives. This staff function
requires balancing conflicting goals: protecting the
database while maximizing its availability for
authorized use. In smaller organizations, this
function usually is served by a single person.
Larger organizations assign several people to an
office of database administration.
Security problem in which users are not able to
access an IS; can be caused by human errors,
natural disaster, or malicious activity.
People who take computers with wireless
connections through an area and search for
unprotected wireless networks in an attempt to
gain free Internet access or to gather
unauthorized data.
A synonym for phishing. A technique for obtaining
unauthorized data that uses pretexting via email.
The “phisher” pretends to be a legitimate
company and sends email requests for
confidential data, such as account numbers,
social insurance numbers, account passwords,
and so forth. Phishers direct traffic to their sites
under the guise of a legitimate business.
Occurs when a person gains unauthorized access
to a computer system. Although some people
hack for the sheer joy of doing it, other hackers
invade systems for the malicious purpose of
stealing or modifying data.
The process of taking extraordinary measures to
reduce a system’s vulnerability. Hardened sites
use special versions of the operating system, and
12
Hot site
12
Human safeguards
12
Identification
12
Identity theft
12
IP spoofing
12
Key escrow
12
Malware definitions
12
12
12
Malware
Personal identification number
(PIN)
Phishing
12
Pretexting
12
Security threat
12
Smart card
12
Sniffing
they lock down or eliminate operating system
features and functions that are not required by the
application. Hardening is a technical safeguard.
A remote processing centre, run by a commercial
disaster-recovery service, that provides
equipment a company would need to continue
operations after a natural disaster.
Steps taken to protect against security threats by
establishing appropriate procedures for users to
follow for system use.
The process whereby an information system
identifies a user by requiring the user to sign on
with a user name and password.
Criminal activity by which perpetrators use the
computer maliciously to steal information about
other individuals and then use what they learn to
act as if they were that person. A matter of
personal security, identify theft has claimed
millions of victims across North America, and total
losses measure in the billions of dollars.
A type of spoofing whereby an intruder uses
another site’s IP address as if it were that other
site.
A control procedure whereby a trusted party is
given a copy of a key used to encrypt database
data.
Patterns that exist in malware code. Anti-malware
vendors update these definitions continuously and
incorporate them into their products in order to
better fight against malware.
Viruses, worms, spyware, and adware.
A form of authentication whereby the user
supplies a number that only he or she knows.
A technique for obtaining unauthorized data that
uses pretexting via email. The “phisher” pretends
to be a legitimate company and sends an email
requesting confidential data, such as account
numbers, Social Security numbers, account
passwords, and so forth.
A technique for gathering unauthorized
information in which someone pretends to be
someone else. A common scam involves a
telephone caller who pretends to be from a credit
card company and claims to be checking the
validity of credit card numbers. “Phishing” is also a
form of pretexting.
A problem with the security of information or the
data therein, caused by human error, malicious
activity, or natural disasters.
A plastic card similar to a credit card that has a
microchip. The microchip, which holds much more
data than a magnetic strip, is loaded with
identifying data. Normally requires a PIN.
A technique for intercepting computer
communications. With wired networks, sniffing
12
Technical safeguards
12
Unauthorized data disclosure
12
Usurpation
requires a physical connection to the network.
With wireless networks, no such connection is
required.
Safeguards that involve the hardware and
software components of an information system.
Can occur by human error when someone
inadvertently releases data in violation of policy,
or when employees unknowingly or carelessly
release proprietary data to competitors or the
media.
Occurs when unauthorized programs invade a
computer system and replace legitimate
programs. Such unauthorized programs typically
shut down the legitimate system and substitute
their own processing.