Offshore Outsourcing/Social Networking

During this session we discussed offshore outsourcing as one of the topics and whether or not this is beneficial to the company. Well, I think that depending on what is being outsourced determines whether or not it is a good route to take. There are certainly some areas of business that I think does not need to be considered for an offshore outsourcing contract. Maybe a contract that is local, but not international...such as a company's HR department. I mentioned this in one our classroom discussions. I do know someone whose HR department was outsourced and it turned out that it did not work well. There was great customer service dissatisfaction. Check out the current event article that I posted in this week's discussion:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/11/AR2008031100044.html

We also discussed social networking websites. www.ning.com is a social networking website that is new to me (may not be so new to you). This site appears to be similar to other sites such as facebook and myspace. I think that social networking websites are okay as long as you don't publish sensitive information on the site. If you are using it as a general discussion forum where you are just reconnecting with old friends or with family members, then I think it is okay...What I like about facebook, you can set it where only your friends can view your profile, that way you will not have any and everybody over the Internet accessing your page. It is sad to say, but there are people that can use the information that you post for fraudulent activity.

Case Study - Sutter Health

This week I really worked on my case study with my group. I think that it turned out good. We did our case study on Sutter Health, which is a organization of hospitals that have implemented various information systems to provide health care. The link to our case study is: http://tinyurl.com/3fcce8 (You will have to view it using the Internet Explorer Browser).

Research Paper and Datamining

This session I continued to work on my research paper. My paper topic was about the differences and similarities in SSL and IPSec VPNs. Also, one of the topics that was discussed during this class session was the issue about data mining and whether it affects our privacy. I think that as long as the site is using the information to better help our shopping experience by offering products that we would be interested, then I don't think that it would be a problem. But as some of my class mates mentioned, and I agree as well, if they start to sell that information to another entity, then there is a problem and an invasion of privacy.

E-Commerce

During this session we discussed e-commerce websites and one of the conference sessions went into detail about what we thought our ideal e-commerce would consist of. I mentioned that all communication between the site would have to be secure and that the site would need to be user friendly and easy to navigate through. Also, their should be a help desk available in which you can access someone in real time in case you come across any problems.

The current event article that I use is here, which discusses a change that EBay made in regards to their website.

Identity Theft

During this session, identity theft was discussed this is a topic that everyone should be made aware of even if it hasn't happened to them. During the class discussions, several students indicated that either themselves or a family member has been a victim of identity theft or fraud. With the evolution of the Internet, almost anything can be purchased online, as well as person can have access to all sorts of information. Sometimes, even though we may practice secure online habits, we are still trusting our personal information with other entities such as banks. We just need to stay aware of all of these issues and watch out for fraudulent activities within our accounts.

Computer Security

This week we discussed different aspects of computer security. I must say that keeping a network that has connectivity to the Internet will always be an ongoing task to manage. There is encryption, passwords, antivirus scanners, firewalls, and all sorts of technologies to mitigate vulnerabilities as well as protect the data that we have out there. We also have to take on the task to protect our networks against natural disasters that can also have an impact on security.

The current event article that I used this week that relates to reading material in class is indicated here. It discusses cyber attacks against a Pro-Tibet organization.

Session 3 - hardware and future technologies

During this session, the book reading material and lecture notes focused on the different types of computer hardware. The current event article that I used in conjunction with this week's reading was based on the input device of touch screens being used by voters during the election. The link to the article can be found here. Also, I really enjoyed reading everyone's "diary entry" in regards to technology 10 years from now. I was amazed at how advanced the students indicated that the technology would be in a 10 year time frame. I wonder as well about how far technology will go and if it would really be a good thing. Especially with the issue of information security and our privacy. I guess time will tell.