Management information system Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Management information system - Research Paper Example The unparalleled progresses in calculation and communication technologies have made such requirements adaptable into attainable objectives. Thus, a large portion of the world population has its stake in information systems. Invariably, such systems are computer based. Today, more than ever before in the history of human kind, we have an unquenchable thirst for information. The society has changed significantly from the Barbarian to the Agrarian Society, from Agrarian to the Industrial society and from the industrial society to a society dominated by the service sector. People have witnessed the industrial revolution, the advent of automobile and introduction of telephones. Today, people are all living in an information society. It goes without saying that we describe the present times as the information era or the IT age. Underneath this is a tacit acceptance of the fact that not since the advent of the automobile and the introduction of the telephone has an invention, had such wide spread impact on our lives and society as the computer, which has ushered in the information era. ... Notably, organizational management systems that pertain functioning, planning, and running of an organization are very significant. In reference to Lucey (2004), management information system implies chiefly â€Å"organizational information systems which are generally large, sophisticated, structured, and dynamically evolving and of immense commercial value†. In addition, Lucey (2004) notes that computer data structures required to aid administration of a business structure the primary subject of this transcript. Description of the information system and its functions Management information system is a familiar term to most of the managers working in both public and private organizations. These systems are used widely by administrators at central, functioning and superior degrees in an organization. Organizations employ a high number of system analysts and programmers and systems analysts to build numerous management information systems (Lucey, 2004). Obviously, in the educati on of system analysts and programmers in addition to general executives, the subject management information system occupies a key position. A TECOM investments organization in Dubai is no exception. TECOM investment organization develops and manages business parks under Dubai Holdings. TECOM investment holding is a conglomeration of more than four thousand companies. This organization uses information systems in its management and provides information system services to its clients through the Dubai internet city business park. TECOM investment has installed management information systems in different departments which have different goals and objectives. Though Management Information system was envisioned as a single

Why do we need medical interpreters Research Paper

Why do we need medical interpreters - Research Paper Example Of all the articles that were selected and analyzed by the comparative use of ad hoc interpreters, there was a unanimous outcome which showed that using medical interpreters yield improved outcomes with utilization, clinical outcomes, communication, and patient satisfaction than when ad hoc interpreters are used. Writing on utilization, Fiscella et al (2012) noted that medical interpreters guarantee a high sense of utilization of the medical process. Evidence was given from various works of literature and the outcomes of various studies have should that medical interpreter are indeed needed in the healthcare delivery program. This is because when the roles of medical interpreters have assessed from the perspective of the four evaluation areas namely utilization, clinical outcomes, communication (errors and comprehension), and patient satisfaction, it was seen that having professional medical interpreters as against ad hoc interpreters ensured that there was improved performance. It would, therefore, be concluded that having and using medical interpreters is very important for ensuring improved outcomes for all individuals. By the use of medical interpreters, all people, regardless of the level of their English proficiency can be assured that they will receive health care outcomes that are well tailored to meet their needs. It will be appreciated that where there is inadequate training, the work of medical interpreters could be co nsequential. The need to continue emphasizing on the training of medical interpreters is therefore strongly recommended.

Developing an Online Banking Application

Developing an Online Banking Application This report details the importance of securely developing a software and the best practices to implement throughout the development lifecycle. Using the Microsoft Secure Development Lifecycle Model, a software can be developed with sufficient security measures throughout each stage from the beginning of development until its eventual release and even responding to incidents that may follow its release. Creating an online banking application without thoroughly considering the security of the banks assets and customers information would be virtually impossible. Due to the vital importance of the assets a bank contains, large security measures while developing any aspect of its services must always be implemented. Developing this online banking application must include various steps as can be seen in the Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle (Such as Security Requirements, Risk Assessment and Threat Modelling). Banks and financial businesses are large targets for malicious attackers who target the online services provided by these companies. It is for this reason that the threats posed to a bank with an online banking service are vast and development of such an application should be treated as such. Considering the OWASP Top 10 is a good initial security measure as mitigating the threats of the top 10 most common vulnerabilities found in web applications will give a good foundation in avoiding attacks. The application works by having the user access the website through their browser, navigating through the two step authentication and then gaining access to various options relating to their account such as viewing statements, transferring money to other accounts and viewing the amount currently in their account. The first of the two step verification is an 8 digit pin that the user will have decided upon earlier when first creating their account for their online banking service. The second step verification will either be the users date of birth or occasionally it will be the users contact number. This second step verification will change randomly so as to avoid use of an automated tool attempting to access a users account. When the user creates an online banking account, they will be required to give their home address and account number. A letter will then be sent to the user giving them a code that is specific to them which they can then use to verify their identity on their first use of the online banking application and complete creating their account. This means that the only people who can use the service are those who already have full access to the users account details and their post. This is an effective security measure as implementing security into a software that can be compromised simply by having any person impersonate another user signing up for the service would be redundant. Another way that the login process will be secured is by using a counter in which if a user enters details incorrectly three consecutive times then they will be unable to make another attempt for a short period of time. The reason behind this two step verification process is to hinder the use of tools that would continuously attempt to crack the login system, possibly with the use of a tool such as John the Ripper or THC Hydra. The limited amount of login attempts is also used to avoid brute-force attacks from occurring. Having already been authenticated, a user will then have access to their account details including their balance, their previous statements and also they will be able to transfer funds from their account. All of this information will be stored in a database which will be encrypted and salted meaning that a leak of this information should not cause for the information to be decipherable by an attacker. The Secure SDL (Software Development Lifecycle) as implemented by Microsoft is a development process which assists developers in creating secure software and looks at complying with security requirements whilst reducing the overall development cost. The Lifecycle is separated into 7 different SDL practices as can be seen in the figure below. These practices are used to highlight security implementations in the various stages of a softwares development. For example, in the designing of a developing software, it is necessary to create accurate threat models which can be used to easily locate different possible vulnerabilities that the software may be subject to. (stan.gr, 2012). (Microsoft, 2016). Establishing Security Requirements One of the first steps to be taken in developing the banking software is to establish what security and privacy requirements will be implemented in the software. This will make it easier to identify the direction of the development and assist in keeping to the schedule. The team developing the banking software will primarily look at the OWASP Top 10 as the main vulnerabilities that may occur in the application and attempt to secure against these. One of the security requirements that will be present in the software is to secure the software against Injection. As the information that is shown when a user logs in is sensitive, the software must protect against malicious users attempting to login by using injection. In order to avoid SQL injection, the software will be developed using prepared statements in order to sanitise the input of the user. Validation methods will be included in the software to ensure that each user has the correct authority to use the functions that they attempt to use and that all inputs that are entered into the application will be acceptable so as to avoid cross site scripting and other such threats. Create Quality Gates / Bug Bars In the early stages of development, deciding what the minimum acceptable level of quality should be present in the security of the software is vital. Without this step, oversights may exist such as users private information not being totally secure as the development team did not focus on protecting this over a different area. Having a minimum acceptance level also helps the development team to correct security bugs as they are to follow the standard set and will be given some concept as to what risks are associated with various issues. For this software, it will not be acceptable that any bug that could be related to the leaking of information may be present. Strict security measures will be put in place to ensure that the privacy of the banks customers will be protected. Security Privacy Risk Assessment This stage of the development will involve examining the software design and locating areas that are potentially prone to more threats or perhaps possess more risks than other areas. For example, the database being protected, as it contains vital information, is of higher risk of a malicious attack than the website hosting the application. Identifying these risks and what they are susceptible to will improve the security of the software. This will be further developed in the threat modelling step as this step determines which parts of the project will require threat modelling. This stage is vital in the development process as the likelihood of protecting against a risk that has been overlooked in the development of the software is far less than if it had been analyzed throughout the development. Design (Microsoft, 2016). Establish Design Requirements Establishing the Design Requirements will ensure that the software will function in the intended way while also allowing to minimise cost and improve security throughout the development. This stage will guarantee that the software will be user friendly and will also assist in ensuring that there is no way that a user may accidentally gain access to information that they are not authorised to do so. Analyze Attack Surface This step involves analyzing which parts of the software presents opportunities for attackers and can assist developers in reducing these vulnerabilities. This may involve disabling or restricting certain access to services. This stage is another stage that will be a large part of the threat modeling stage in that it will allow the developers to identify aspects of the software that are viable to be attack targets. Threat Modeling This step will allow the developers to look at exactly what happens when a user is using the service and to anticipate what aspects are vulnerable to threats. From here, developers can decide the feasibility of reducing these threats and how this may be achieved. This can be done by identifying vulnerable areas and ensuring that they are secured against the attacks that they are susceptible to. The importance of this stage is highlighted by the importance of protecting the sensitive information that the application will be using. The figure below shows a threat model created with the Microsoft Threat Modelling Tool 2016 in regards to the online banking service. (Microsoft, 2016). Use Approved Tools Using approved tools throughout the development process will assist in ensuring that correct security procedures will be used in the software. This includes using a compiler which will flag security warnings if the software is being compiled and contains a known security risk. These tools may include the IDE (Integrated Development Environment) for the developers to programme the software on, such as Eclipse. Deprecate Unsafe Functions Banning functions that are deemed to be unsafe will reduce potential bugs in the software. Detecting these can be done by using automated tools or manually checking the code and ensuring that none of the functions are present on the banned list which can be found at https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb288454.aspx>. Static Analysis Analyzing the source code before compiling it is a good way of ensuring that the code has been developed in a secure manner. This stage will involve the developers to look at the code and check that the correct security protocols have been put in place such as prepared statements and sanitisation of inputs. (Microsoft, 2016). This stage of the Software Development Lifecycle involves testing the software to ensure that the software is functioning as it is intended and also allows for web application penetration testing to be carried out in order to confirm that the security functions put in place are working correctly. This penetration testing can be done by the business if they have their own department or it can be outsourced to an outside specialist company such as Offensive Security. Offensive Security offers more accurately simulate real-world hacking situations to audit network, web, and application security programs (Offensive Security, 2016). (Microsoft, 2016). Perform Dynamic Analysis Using various tools to monitor things such as user privilege issues will assist in verifying how secure the software is when being used. It is at this stage that the software can be looked at for any possible security oversights. This stage is similar to the testing stage and can be used to verify what devices the web application works on and also if there are any errors with how to application performs. An example of this would be that the application may work as intended on a Firefox browser from an android device but may not work entirely as intended on Safari on an iOS device. Fuzz Testing This step involves attempting to make the program fail by introducing random data. This testing is used to verify how the software handles errors and if there is any weakness in the security of how the software does this. This may involve an error occurring which gives sensitive data about the softwares database. This testing will ensure that the sanitisation of the user inputs is working correctly by handling these errors rather than executing code that is input. Attack Surface Review Reviewing the attack surface when the code has been completed will help ensure that any future changes to the design or functionality of the software has been considered and that these changes will not compromise the security of the software. An example of this could be that considering making the web application into a mobile device application may present difficulties as different vulnerabilities may be present. (Microsoft, 2016). Create an Incident Response Plan Creating an Incident Response Plan is crucial in order to combat any threats that may appear over the softwares lifecycle. It involves identifying security emergency contacts in the event that a security breach occurs. The incident response plan can be broken down into six phases: Preparation Detection Containment Investigation Remediation Recovery The Preparation phase involves having implemented the correct controls in order to recover following an incident. It states the policies, tools and contact information that is necessary in order to respond efficiently to an incident. Detection is a phase which involves the discovery of the incident. This can be through use of logging or may come in the form of a consumer alerting the business. In this phase, the incident will be declared and the severity of it will be determined. The containment phase will be where the affected part of the software will be isolated or mitigated if possible. If the incident affects the software in its entirety, it must be determined whether or not the entire software is to be taken offline so as to avoid any more users to be affected by it. The investigation phase will involve looking at the incident and attempting to identify the source, the scope and the priority of the incident. The remediation phase will be where it is decided which parties to inform about the incident and will confirm that the threat has in fact been contained. The recovery phase will be the phase in which it is determined how the software will ensure that the incident does not happen again and will confirm whether it is necessary to review any of the softwares policies. (Raderman, L. 2015) Conduct Final Security Review Reviewing all of the security checks and measures prior, throughout and post release of the software helps to ensure that they were carried out correctly and that none had been left out. This step can be assisted by using an automated tool such as Vega to scan the application and determine if any known vulnerabilities have been overlooked. Ensuring that the utmost has been done to protect the security and privacy of its users should be one of the banks largest priorities in developing this software as without the trust provided by this, the bank will surely suffer with a loss of assets in the form of customers and finances. Certify Release and Archive Certifying the software before it is released will help to ensure that all of the correct security requirements were met. Archiving the data will allow the developers to do roll backs and to review any future security or privacy breaches in relation to the original software. Without certifying the software upon its full release, the credibility of the software may be questioned and it may cause negative public relations for the business. As a bank, it is important that customers are confident in the security and privacy provided by the business. (Microsoft, 2016). Execute Incident Response Plan The capability of implementing the Incident Response Plan from the Release step will assist in helping users to avoid severe security and privacy breaches and allow for the company to have a quicker response to any exploits that may arise. This step is important as users should feel confident that the bank has their best interests in mind and will ensure that their security, being one of the business key assets, is being frequently and effectively protected. Developing an online application for a bank could prove extremely beneficial and convenient for its customers. However, the importance of the information that a bank retains in regards to its customers and their finances is high and with the nature of cyber security and its ever increasing attacks, especially to a high profile target such as a bank, the development of such an application should be assessed with security in mind throughout the process. Following the Microsoft Secure Development Lifecycle is a very effective way of ensuring that a software is thoroughly analyzed for security threats and vulnerabilities and ensures that a business will have reasonable plans in place in the event that any breach of security may happen. It is also beneficial when developing a software to be secure, to refer to the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities and ensure that the software is as secure against these vulnerabilities as possible. Microsoft (2011) Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) Banned Function Calls [online] available from:ÂÂ   https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb288454.aspx [accessed 27th December 2016]. Microsoft (2016) What is the Security Development Lifecycle? [online] available from: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sdl/ [accessed 27th December 2016]. Offensive Security (2016) Advanced Penetration Testing Services [online] available from: https://www.offensive-security.com/offensive-security-solutions/penetration-testing-services/ [accessed 2nd January 2017]. OWASP.org (2015) Top 10 2013-Top 10 [online] available from: https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Top_10_2013-Top_10 [accessed 27th December 2016]. Raderman, L. (2015) Computer Security Incident Response Plan. Carnegie Mellon Information Security Office [online], 13th Febuary 2015, (pg 8-9), available from: https://www.cmu.edu/iso/governance/procedures/docs/incidentresponseplan1.0.pdf> [accessed 2nd January 2017]. The phases of Microsoft SDL.(2012) [online image] available from: http://www.stan.gr/2012_11_01_archive.html>,[accessed 27th December 2016].

Romeo and Juliet: Imagery of Love :: Romeo and Juliet Essays

William Shakespeare's play, "The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," is the story of two "star crossed" lovers who both meet a tragic end. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy; however, the poetic and vivid manner in which Shakespeare engages the viewer or reader make this a beautiful play. The story of Romeo and Juliet is timeless, and it has provided a model for many other stories. The story line or plot in Romeo and Juliet is well loved by many around the world, but that is not what gives the play its special quality. Just as in most of Shakespeare's plays, words and phrases with double meanings, imagery and poetry are all used to create a play that is not only a pleasure for the eyes, but one for the ears and mind as well. The following statement by Romeo in act one scene one provides a good example of this: Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs, Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lover's eyes, Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with loving tears. What is it else? A madness most discreet, A c hoking gall, and a preserving sweet (Riverside, 1.1.190-193). Shakespeare's use of these components is exquisite and allows for much deeper involvement by the reader or viewer. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses imagery in the forms of lightness and darkness, animals, and plants or herbs to provide the reader or viewer with a more vivid and enjoyable experience. Lightness and Darkness Imagery of lightness and darkness is used extensively throughout Romeo and Juliet to symbolize and/or describe events that take place. Capulet describes the party he is planning with lightness and darkness, "Earth-treading stars that make dark heaven light"(1.2.25). Stars continue to have a role in the play as Juliet mentions her own death she claims, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with the night, And pay no worship to the garish sun(3.2.22-25). It seems that Juliet, unknowingly, is describing the future in a s ymbolic sense. Later in the play, after Romeo is banished from Verona for the slaying of Tybalt, he and Juliet exchange lines that are full of light imagery. As the dawn is approaching, Romeo describes the view, "Look, love, what envious streaks / Do lace the severing clouds in yonder east / Night's candles are burnt out .

Heathcliff and Cathy (Wuthering Heights) Essay

Through the duration of Heathcliff’s life, he encounters many tumultuous events that affects him as a person and transforms his rage deeper into his soul, for which he is unable to escape his nature. Love, however, seems to be at the centre of his rage. From the beginning of the novel (and most likely from the beginning of Heathcliff’s life) he has suffered pain and rejection. When Mr. Earnshaw brings him to Wuthering Heights, he is viewed as a thing rather than a child. Mrs. Earnshaw was ready to fling it out the doors, while Nelly put it on the landing of the stairs hoping that it would be gone the next day. Hindley had a deep sibling rivalry for the child. Without having done anything to deserve rejection, Heathcliff is made to feel like an outsider. Following the death of Mr. Earnshaw, Heathcliff suffers cruel mistreatment at the hands of Hindley. It seems that in these tender years, he is deprived of love, friendship, and education. He is separated from the family, reduced to the status of a servant, undergoes regular beatings, but most of all, he is forcibly separated from his soul mate, Catherine. The personality that Heathcliff develops in his adulthood has been formed in response to these hardships of his childhood. The most implicating sense of alienation occurs with Catherine’s marriage to Edgar, Heathcliff considers this a betrayal of his love for her, since she wants the social status and existence at the Grange. Heathcliff is however proud and determined and does not cower when opposed by those consider themselves to be superiors. Finally, when he realizes that Catherine has chosen status, wealth and position over him, he disappears for three years and returns in the manner of a gentleman. â€Å"Nelly, I see now you think me a selfish wretch; but did it never strike you that if Heathcliff and I married, we should be beggars? whereas, if I marry Linton I can aid Heathcliff to rise, and place him out of my brother’s power.'† The problem, however, is the nature behind Catherine Linton’s romantic ideology. She boldly loves Heathcliff for who he is, it seems she is quite selfish in some ways and cares equally about status since her stay at Thrushcross Grange. While she weighs the options of either being with the wild but alluring Heathcliff over the wealthy but displeasing Edgar Linton, she decides that her own needs and wants could be fulfilled. How wrong she was. These lines show her struggle, they show her ignorance, and give the reader the sense that her whole life revolves around herself. She liked the attention that she got from this predicament and will continue to get attention until it finally kills her. The passage indicates a dilemma among one self. This type of problem usually centers on the ignorance of the subject. She lead herself into a to a self-inflicting sickness ultimately leading to the deterioration of the mind and the body. It is in this one dialogue that defines her character for the rest of the novel. Good intentioned, but nonetheless has the wrong idea. She is a woman who, in her fatal decision, has killed herself. From then on, Heathcliff is in reality, a man torn between love and hate. Since his depths of his passions, he hates as deeply as he loves. As Heathcliff approaches death and a reunion of Catherine, he no longer has an interest for revenge. He falls deeply into a spiritual torment. He is a powerful villain driven by revenge, and made emotionally unstable by Catherine’s marriage. This later Heathcliff is characterized by coldness; by an incapacity to love and ultimately by getting revenge against those who have disconnected him with his beloved Catherine. Just as he begins life, he ends life as an unloved, lonely outsider.

Benefits of a Database & Information Gathering Techniques

Assignment Three: Benefits of a Database & Information Gathering Techniques Ian Keller Strayer University Introduction to Relational Database Management Systems CIS 111 Professor Jonathan C. Thrall April 26th, 2012 Databases are very important to every person in the world today. Whatever you do in you daily routine you are bound to come in contact with some form of database and our world has become so dependent on it that most people won’t even realize the importance of databases. A database is a bunch of files that are usually integrated electronically together to make up one big file.The database stores all of these files in one location and numerous people can access this information all at the same time if they have the proper access from the database administrator. Things that many people do every day that involve database involvement are things like calling a creditor on the phone to talk about a utility bill, performing transactions with you bank online, over the phone or in person, and also using a credit card to pay for supplies at a local retail store. All of these things require access to some sort of database.Database design is basically separated into categories the first being external where data can have multiple views and how the data can be stored into a physical form. Another category is conceptual where internal and external data communicate between each other (Ricardo, 2012). Accounting, bookkeeping information, personal financial records, stocks and personal property inventories are only some examples of how databases are managed and can be created for a multitude of things and all of these different types of files and data can be managed through a Database Management System (DBMS).The better the DBMS system is the better that system will support the organization. When you have a DBMS that supports the organization, that organization will be able to increase productivity, profits and overall status of business. There are many differe nt DBMS designs and some have been proven to work very well. One of those types is the Relational Database System. A DBMS that falls into this category would have to be a DBMS that is capable of maintaining a good relationship among any new data and generate good communications between it and the existing data already in the system (Differentiating 2012).A DBMS has many benefits which will help to keep the organization’s profits at a continuous incline. A well designed and implemented DBMS can organize accounts, maintain records, process requests and prioritize past, present and future events. It will provide the ability to store millions of files of multiple types in one single location and because all those files are in one location, it will also provide the ability to have multiple employees located in multiple areas and non-employees who may be temporarily working for the said organization for a period of time.With a personalized password and few clicks of the mouse all p ersonnel mentioned above can be given complete or partial access to the database for an indefinite or temporary period of time. As with any system benefits also can be drowned out with some disadvantages as well and one of the disadvantages that have is that with many DBMS structures it can be confusing and difficult to navigate through some of the commands. The complexity is much more advanced than many of the Microsoft programs that many employees may be familiar with.This particular problem also causes the system to be very time consuming to unfamiliar users. Security is also a concern as with any electronic device especially ones with internet capability because nothing in this world of technology is â€Å"hacker proof†, meaning the system just like any other, is vulnerable. Another type of database is a Flat File database. This type of database stores data in the form of plain text meaning just what it says; only text can be stored. Every line contained in this type of d atabase constitutes one record.The fields in this kind of database are separated by commas, tabs or delimiters. A flat file is a database that uses a simple structure but as simple as it is the more data added to it, the less efficient it can become. The benefit of the flat file database is that most Microsoft programs such as Microsoft Access, can imported from a flat file converting it so multiple data as well as data types can be used (Flat File 2012). When creating a database from the beginning it can seem very overwhelming at first.There is so much to think of but there are tools available to you that can help guide you through the process. Many database systems have an important role and if they aren’t customized for that particular organization, then the benefits would not be as great. Tools that are available to the organization that help a great deal with construction a database for the first time are available in many forms. Starter packages such as the CASE (Comput er-Aided Software Engineering) package, is a package that contains information to help.This package contains steps for creating a system analysis, project management, and design plans. If the information is used correctly it will help the organization learn how collect the information and determine what information to collect. There is also Project Management Software that can organize your data once it’s collected so the data is prioritized correctly. Last a system catalog can be implemented to work alongside the other aids mentioned above which all work hand in hand to create, manage and maintain the organization’s information.The advantage about most of these programs is they updated automatically with each other (Ricardo 2012). In the rapidly advancing world today, it really is not practical to not have a database program implemented for whatever activities you frequent. Whether it is a business, organization, government agency, community club or even at personal i nformation at home, having files of multiple types organized and merged into one file location is just a smart way of doing business whether the business be personal or professional.Reference Differentiating a good database design from a bad database design.. (n. d. ). Free management Articles – Management resource guide. Retrieved april 26, 2012, from http://www. management-hub. com/database-design. html Flat file definition. (n. d. ). The tech terms computer dictionary. Retrieved april 26, 2012, from http://www. techterms. com/definition/flatfile Ricardo, c. m. (2012). Databases illuminated (2. ed. ). Sudbury, ma: Jones & bartlett learning.