Notesale: Turn your study into money

Document Preview

Extracts from the notes are below, to see the PDF you'll receive please use the links above

---

Question 2
Besides performance and price what other considerations will be made in the
hardware and software selection
...

1
...
Does the case support the standards of motherboards, for example, the
ATX motherboard standard?
3
...
Will the drives be accessible or will they be positioned the way you wish
them to be positioned?
CD Media
The type of CD drive in the computer is becoming an important consideration
when purchasing a computer
...

1
...

3
...


Is it a standard drive? If so what speed?
Or is it a DVD / CD-R / CD-RW drive?
If the drive is a DVD, is it hardware or software decoding?
If the drive is a CD-R / CD-RW drive, does it include software?

Hard Drive
Hard drives have and always will be an important consideration to think about
when purchasing a new computer or used computer
...
When looking at the space of the hard drive, always get the
maximum size hard drive, considering you will eventually always run out of
space
...
Determine the amount of memory included in the
computer as well as verify if that memory can be upgraded in the future
...

Modem
The modem is becoming not as important as it has been in the past with the
upcoming spread of broad band
...
Today, all new and most used computers are equipped
with at least a 56k modem, which should be the only speed looked at with the
demand of bandwidth with Internet use
Network Card
With the increase with more than one computer in the house and with broad
band solutions sometimes requiring a network card, a network card is becoming
an important consideration when purchasing a computer
...
This allows for data transfer, file sharing, Internet connection sharing,
printer sharing, and various other helpful uses
...
Today, with multiple CPU/Processor manufacturers, it
may be more confusing as well as more cost efficient to look at the different
processor manufactures as well as the type of computer processors
...
However, some users may enjoy purchasing more advanced
sounds cards that will increase the amount of speakers that can be used, and in
some games and programs, the sound quality and capabilities
Video Card
Video cards are becoming an extremely important factor when purchasing a
computer
...
Most games today
require additional video memory as well as special video modes such as
OpenGL
...
In addition, the advances in

video cards can dramatically increase the user enjoyment of the game being
played
BRAND OF COMPUTER
When looking at purchasing different types of computers, you will likely hear
different stories, some good and some bad
...
While it
may be true that the user had a bad or terrible experience with that computer,
all computer manufacturers have had users who have had a bad experience and
there is no such thing as a bad or perfect computer manufacturer
...
Granted there is
software that we highly recommend looking for when purchasing a computer,
such as word processor or spread sheet program, some computer companies
may over hype the software package
...

1)Does the software include Microsoft Office or Corel Suite? These packages
allow you to have a word processor and/or a spread sheet
...

2)Is the software full versions of the software or is the software demo programs
or shareware programs?
Upgrade ability
While this option may not be considered at first when purchasing a computer,
it is an important consideration
...

1
...
Does the computer have on-board hardware, such as an on-board video
card? If yes, can these be disabled with a jumper or through CMOS
...
However, this does not always work and may cause
future issues
...


3
...

Most commonly this occurs with the video card
...
It has been known that computer companies
may list a processor being a specific speed, however, actually have a
totally different speed of processor in the computer
...

For example, you may buy a 733MHz processor but instead get a 500MHz
...
Do not look at the processor through a software
program or through BIOS as these values can be changed or tricked
...
Many end-users or small computer companies who build
or sell computers may not provide you with legal copies of the software
that is illegal
...
A burnt or home-made CD will
generally be a different looking CD and have a gold or green bottom
...
An example of software that includes
these certificates is Microsoft Office and Windows
...


A recommendation of a combination of software and hardware that work together
to allow computers to exchange data and to share software and devices such as
printers to be networked is Bluetooth
...


Total cost of ownership is the cost required to maintain and support a
hardware or software product and/or service
...

1
...

2
...

3
...
In some cases if upgrading from
older computer or older monitors to new LCDs your power costs may be
reduced
...
Support and training - With new computers and likely new software
you'll need support capable of handling questions as well as training for
the support staff and employees
...
Downtime - It's likely during the migration of the new computers that
you, your company, or school will experience downtime, if the
computers are used to make you or your company money this may
increase the overall cost
...
" Theft can
occur when outsiders gain access to your information, but it can also occur through
internal theft
...

Devote time to information privacy concerns


Appoint someone, or assume the responsibility yourself, to oversee the
management and security of information you collect
...




The protection of your information technology systems, such as firewalls and
audit trails
...




How to communicate with clients and the public about your policies and what to
say in the case of a breach
...
Do you gather data on clients? Identify
the purpose(s) for which the information is collected, inform customers
accordingly and obtain their consent
...

If you don't need it, don't collect it
Many businesses collect more information than they need, particularly when
asking customers to fill out forms
...

Only Collect the Data You Need *
Provide customers with a simple one-page description of their privacy policy and
information security practices
...
Turn computer screens so they cannot be viewed by anyone
other than the operator
...
Place shields on point-of-service terminals and check
the terminals regularly to verify that equipment has not been tampered with
...

Be card smart
Staff should verify that customers are who they say they are by checking
signatures on cards, and, as appropriate, photo ID
...
e
...
Don't copy down any card
number you don't need
...
Take extra measures to ensure the identity of the person, for example,
by asking for additional identification
...

Secure online sales
...

"Brand spoofing" can occur when the identities of legitimate organizations are
used to create fake Web sites or "spoof" emails, to trick customers into providing
their personal and financial information
...
"
Best Practices for combating these risks include:
Minimizing fraud when requesting credit card payments by using encryption
software recommended by experts who know the best technologies and devices
...

Informing customers as to exactly what information the company will, and will
not ask for, on Web sites or via e-mail
...

Ensuring that you are listed as the registrant and responsible entity for your
corporate Web site, rather than the Web designer
...

Registering variations of your corporate Web site domain URLs to keep others
from using them
...

Limit access
Once you have taken an inventory of the data you collect, decide who should have
the rights to access it
...
Only let your system administrator handle back-up and other tasks that
touch the company's network
...


Encrypt your data
Stand-alone encryption packages can work with individual applications, and good
software is available commercially
...
Encrypt
company laptops and devices used from remote locations, such as wireless
devices (e
...
Blackberries)
...
Check the merchant agreements your company signs with payment
card issuers for any encryption requirements
...

Passwords are essential
Require that employees use a combination of upper and lower case letters,
numbers and symbols
...
g
...

Check for suspicious activity online and offline
Almost all firewalls, encryption programs, and password schemes include audit
functions that record activities on the network
...
g
...


Disclosure
Know who you are talking to
Convicted thieves tell authorities how easily they can obtain valuable information
just by asking for it
...

Authority
If your organization discloses personal information to someone other than the
owner, be sure that you have the legal authority to do so
...

Third parties
Ensure that organizations with which you share client information (suppliers,
contractors, clients, etc
...
e
...

Be open about your policy and practices
Under privacy legislation, you are required to make your policies and practices
readily available for anyone who requests them
...


Data Security and Storage
If you keep it, physically secure it
...

Place your computer server(s) in a secure, controlled location, and keep other
devices (e
...
back-up CDs or tape drives) locked away
...

Keep customers and other non-authorized personnel out of private and secure
areas
...
Should someone steal the
hard drive, information stored on network drives remains protected
...

Do not put modems/local area network (LAN) cards in computers that do not
need them
...
Your
business insurer may be able to assist you with a security assessment of your
operations
...

When You Upgrade the System, Upgrade the Security Process*
where hard drives would be disposed, the office should decided to remove the
hard drives altogether and have them destroyed
...
Never disable anti-virus software, and update it frequently
...
They protect against unauthorized access to information
...

Install security "patches"
Most software manufacturers release updates and patches to their software to fix
bugs that can allow would-be attackers to gain access to your computer
...


Disposal
Know which documents to shred
When obtaining information (paper or electronic) for a single transaction or
temporary use, separate it from other files and safely destroy it
...

ID thieves know there's valuable information in paper bins and dumpsters
...
Companies
can be hired to shred disposed paper, or office shredders can be purchased
inexpensively
...

Destroying Data
Establish a timetable for retention of data based on legal, contractual or any
redress requirements
...
When disposing of equipment, it may be best to physically destroy
the hard drive, CDs, tapes, diskettes, etc
...

Employees and Information Security
Screen employees
To protect your business against internal fraud, consider background checks for
employees who have access to sensitive information
...
Consider conducting regular clearance
checks for employees in high-risk areas (e
...
with employees' annual performance
review) to ensure staff remain free of criminal records
...
Post the following requirements as a checklist
recommending that everyone:
Log-on to computers using alphanumeric passwords, and change them regularly
...

Check signatures and verify that customers are who they say they are
...

Keep customer information under lock and key
...

Clean desktops every night
...

Lock systems when not in use
...

Fraudulent document training
Train employees how to detect fraudulent identity documents
...
When an
employee leaves, remove their network access immediately
...
So will your computer
technology, databases and personnel
...

* Sidebar stories in this document are based on actual breaches, but all names, places and
other details depicted are fictitious

---