Tag: Information Systems

  • [Solved] Ris Analysis

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    Today's business environment requires competency in managing risk and selecting business strategies based on a company's internal and external analyses. In this task you will act as a consultant for the company in the given scenario. As you complete the task, think about the materials you encountere…

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    Assignment Prompt & Instructions

    Today's business environment requires competency in managing risk and selecting business strategies based on a company's internal and external analyses.
    In this task you will act as a consultant for the company in the given scenario. As you complete the task, think about the materials you encountered in the course or past projects you may have worked on that required evaluating risks and conducting risk analyses. You will be required to apply your understanding to discuss risks and rewards of the market entry; analyze the company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT); and recommend business strategies.

  • [Solved] SWOT analysis

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    – ## IFSM201_SWOTAnalysisAssignment11.pdf **## IFSM201_SWOTAnalysisAssignment11.pdf** Concepts and Applications of Information Technology (IFSM201) Class Project Purpose of this Assignment The Class Project is the most significant assignment in this course, Concepts and Applications of Information…

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    – ## IFSM201_SWOTAnalysisAssignment11.pdf

    **## IFSM201_SWOTAnalysisAssignment11.pdf**

    Concepts and Applications of Information Technology (IFSM201)
    Class Project

    Purpose of this Assignment

    The Class Project is the most significant assignment in this course, Concepts and Applications of
    Information Technology. As such, it accounts for 58% of the course points. This assignment is
    comprised of two deliverables; a SWOT Analysis and a Presentation. The SWOT Analysis is due
    in Week 4 (worth 33% of course grade), and the Presentation is due in Week 8 (worth 25% of
    course grade).

    This assignment gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to research, evaluate,
    and describe business strategy focused on information technology tools and services. This
    assignment specifically addresses the following course outcomes:

    • Identify the basic components of the information system: hardware, software, data,
    processes, and people, and how these components are used to support strategic
    decision making.

    • Apply information technology tools for research, data gathering and information
    analysis, problem-solving, decision-making, and communicating information that aligns
    with business needs and objectives.

    Start Here

    The Class Project for this course focuses on the evaluation of a business or organization and
    how they might strengthen their operations through technology, including their information
    systems. There are two parts to the Class Project; the SWOT Analysis and the Presentation. You
    will use the same business/organization for both parts; however, the grade received on the
    SWOT Analysis will not affect the grade for the Presentation (they are separate assignments).

    Step 1: Choose a Business or Organization

    To begin, choose a business or organization that you would like to evaluate – it can be where
    you work, a school (UMGC), a place of worship, government entity (e.g., DMV, Secretary of
    State, courthouse, etc.), or any other type of organization. Since the focus of the analysis will
    involve information technology, the best type of organization to choose is one where you can
    envision technology playing a key role in improving products, processes, or services.

    *From this point on, the instructions focus on the first deliverable, the SWOT Analysis*

    Step 2: The SWOT Analysis (due week 4)
    Now that you have chosen a business or organization for your Class Project, it is time to
    complete the first deliverable – the SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis is a framework for
    identifying and analyzing an organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats —
    SWOT stands for: Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat. Commonly used by businesses, this
    tool focuses on factors that are important to strategic decision making. These factors include
    both internal and external influences on the viability of the organization.

    For more explanations on a SWOT Analysis, go to:

    • YouTube “How to Perform a SWOT Analysis”

    • Forbes: What Is A SWOT Analysis?

    • SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

    • Refer to the SWOT examples on Heineken and Walt Disney World (below)

    You will use a SWOT analysis to help analyze the current health of your organization, and (in
    week 8), you will identify possible ways the information technology could be used to make it
    stronger.

    The SWOT analysis offers a visual way of identifying both the positive attributes of an
    organization, and areas that need to be recognized and addressed. Thinking of the organization
    you chose, start by filling out a simple table listing its internal strengths and weaknesses, and
    external opportunities and threats.

    SWOT Table:

    Task: List 2-3 Strengths and 2-3 Weaknesses
    Strengths and weaknesses are associated with internal resources and experiences and include:

    • Characteristics of the business that give it an advantage over others in the industry.

    • Positive tangible and intangible attributes, internal to an organization. ▪ Human
    resources – staff, volunteers, board members, target population

    [https://youtu.be/I_6AVRGLXGA](https://youtu.be/I_6AVRGLXGA)

    [https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/what-is-swot-analysis/](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/what-is-swot-analysis/)

    [https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/swot-analysis/main](https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/swot-analysis/main)

    • Physical resources – location, building, equipment

    • Financial – products/services, other sources of income

    • Activities and processes – programs and processes, online presence

    • Past experiences – building blocks for learning and success, your reputation in the
    community

    Task: List 2-3 Opportunities and 2-3 Threats
    Opportunities and threats are factors outside of business operations that can contribute to
    either the make the organization stronger or be troublesome. The ability of a business to
    identify, control, and adapt to these external factors can make it more profitable:

    • Market expansion

    • Complacent/aggressive competition

    • Changing customer needs and tastes

    • Economic swings

    • Changing government deregulations

    Step 3: Write the SWOT Analysis
    Now that you have identified the organization you will analyze and completed a SWOT table
    listing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the organization, it is time to
    write the analysis paper that will be submitted to your instructor/classroom.

    The paper should include all of the following:

    1. Title page – the title of paper, company/organization name, your name, course, and
    date of submission.

    2. Purpose – briefly describe what the SWOT methodology is and the
    business/organization you are focusing on.

    3. SWOT Analysis – include a SWOT Analysis table and describe each quadrant
    (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) for your organization. Each quadrant
    should be clearly identified in the analysis and the description should include the
    importance of the attributes to the organization.

    4. Conclusion – synthesize the findings from the SWOT analysis.

    5. References – cite at least two resources with APA formatted citation and reference.

    Format
    • Double spaced. Any 11- or 12-point font.

    • Paper should be approximately 3-4 pages in length, excluding title page and
    references.

    • Cite at least two resources with APA formatted citation and reference. Incorporate at
    least two resources correctly; one reference should be from the course materials and
    one reference should be external. An external resource is a resource other than those
    provided in the class or textbook. Incorporate properly formatted APA citations in the

    text of your document for each reference used. Then, place an APA style reference page
    at the end of your document.

    • Consider your audience – you are writing in the role of a business analyst and your
    audience is upper management of the organization.

    • Compare your work to the Grading Rubric below to be sure you have met content and
    quality criteria.

    • Submit your paper as a Word or PDF document to the appropriate folder under
    Activities and Assessments > Assignments in the classroom.

    SWOT Analysis – Examples

    Read the following: Heineken and Walt Disney World SWOT Analysis

    Now, let’s take the information from the article and create SWOT tables for Heineken and Walt
    Disney World.

    SWOT Table – Heineken:

    SWOT Table – Disney World:

    [https://bizfluent.com/about-6849194-walt-disney-world-swot-analysis.html](https://bizfluent.com/about-6849194-walt-disney-world-swot-analysis.html)

    GRADING RUBRIC:

    **## IFSM201_SWOTAnalysisAssignment11.pdf**

    Concepts and Applications of Information Technology (IFSM201)
    Class Project

    Purpose of this Assignment

    The Class Project is the most significant assignment in this course, Concepts and Applications of
    Information Technology. As such, it accounts for 58% of the course points. This assignment is
    comprised of two deliverables; a SWOT Analysis and a Presentation. The SWOT Analysis is due
    in Week 4 (worth 33% of course grade), and the Presentation is due in Week 8 (worth 25% of
    course grade).

    This assignment gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to research, evaluate,
    and describe business strategy focused on information technology tools and services. This
    assignment specifically addresses the following course outcomes:

    • Identify the basic components of the information system: hardware, software, data,
    processes, and people, and how these components are used to support strategic
    decision making.

    • Apply information technology tools for research, data gathering and information
    analysis, problem-solving, decision-making, and communicating information that aligns
    with business needs and objectives.

    Start Here

    The Class Project for this course focuses on the evaluation of a business or organization and
    how they might strengthen their operations through technology, including their information
    systems. There are two parts to the Class Project; the SWOT Analysis and the Presentation. You
    will use the same business/organization for both parts; however, the grade received on the
    SWOT Analysis will not affect the grade for the Presentation (they are separate assignments).

    Step 1: Choose a Business or Organization

    To begin, choose a business or organization that you would like to evaluate – it can be where
    you work, a school (UMGC), a place of worship, government entity (e.g., DMV, Secretary of
    State, courthouse, etc.), or any other type of organization. Since the focus of the analysis will
    involve information technology, the best type of organization to choose is one where you can
    envision technology playing a key role in improving products, processes, or services.

    *From this point on, the instructions focus on the first deliverable, the SWOT Analysis*

    Step 2: The SWOT Analysis (due week 4)
    Now that you have chosen a business or organization for your Class Project, it is time to
    complete the first deliverable – the SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis is a framework for
    identifying and analyzing an organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats —
    SWOT stands for: Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat. Commonly used by businesses, this
    tool focuses on factors that are important to strategic decision making. These factors include
    both internal and external influences on the viability of the organization.

    For more explanations on a SWOT Analysis, go to:

    • YouTube “How to Perform a SWOT Analysis”

    • Forbes: What Is A SWOT Analysis?

    • SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

    • Refer to the SWOT examples on Heineken and Walt Disney World (below)

    You will use a SWOT analysis to help analyze the current health of your organization, and (in
    week 8), you will identify possible ways the information technology could be used to make it
    stronger.

    The SWOT analysis offers a visual way of identifying both the positive attributes of an
    organization, and areas that need to be recognized and addressed. Thinking of the organization
    you chose, start by filling out a simple table listing its internal strengths and weaknesses, and
    external opportunities and threats.

    SWOT Table:

    Task: List 2-3 Strengths and 2-3 Weaknesses
    Strengths and weaknesses are associated with internal resources and experiences and include:

    • Characteristics of the business that give it an advantage over others in the industry.

    • Positive tangible and intangible attributes, internal to an organization. ▪ Human
    resources – staff, volunteers, board members, target population

    [https://youtu.be/I_6AVRGLXGA](https://youtu.be/I_6AVRGLXGA)

    [https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/what-is-swot-analysis/](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/what-is-swot-analysis/)

    [https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/swot-analysis/main](https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/swot-analysis/main)

    • Physical resources – location, building, equipment

    • Financial – products/services, other sources of income

    • Activities and processes – programs and processes, online presence

    • Past experiences – building blocks for learning and success, your reputation in the
    community

    Task: List 2-3 Opportunities and 2-3 Threats
    Opportunities and threats are factors outside of business operations that can contribute to
    either the make the organization stronger or be troublesome. The ability of a business to
    identify, control, and adapt to these external factors can make it more profitable:

    • Market expansion

    • Complacent/aggressive competition

    • Changing customer needs and tastes

    • Economic swings

    • Changing government deregulations

    Step 3: Write the SWOT Analysis
    Now that you have identified the organization you will analyze and completed a SWOT table
    listing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the organization, it is time to
    write the analysis paper that will be submitted to your instructor/classroom.

    The paper should include all of the following:

    1. Title page – the title of paper, company/organization name, your name, course, and
    date of submission.

    2. Purpose – briefly describe what the SWOT methodology is and the
    business/organization you are focusing on.

    3. SWOT Analysis – include a SWOT Analysis table and describe each quadrant
    (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) for your organization. Each quadrant
    should be clearly identified in the analysis and the description should include the
    importance of the attributes to the organization.

    4. Conclusion – synthesize the findings from the SWOT analysis.

    5. References – cite at least two resources with APA formatted citation and reference.

    Format
    • Double spaced. Any 11- or 12-point font.

    • Paper should be approximately 3-4 pages in length, excluding title page and
    references.

    • Cite at least two resources with APA formatted citation and reference. Incorporate at
    least two resources correctly; one reference should be from the course materials and
    one reference should be external. An external resource is a resource other than those
    provided in the class or textbook. Incorporate properly formatted APA citations in the

    text of your document for each reference used. Then, place an APA style reference page
    at the end of your document.

    • Consider your audience – you are writing in the role of a business analyst and your
    audience is upper management of the organization.

    • Compare your work to the Grading Rubric below to be sure you have met content and
    quality criteria.

    • Submit your paper as a Word or PDF document to the appropriate folder under
    Activities and Assessments > Assignments in the classroom.

    SWOT Analysis – Examples

    Read the following: Heineken and Walt Disney World SWOT Analysis

    Now, let’s take the information from the article and create SWOT tables for Heineken and Walt
    Disney World.

    SWOT Table – Heineken:

    SWOT Table – Disney World:

    [https://bizfluent.com/about-6849194-walt-disney-world-swot-analysis.html](https://bizfluent.com/about-6849194-walt-disney-world-swot-analysis.html)

    GRADING RUBRIC:

  • [Solved] PPT VII

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    Executive Solution Overview

    See attached – ## UnitVIPowerPointPresentation.docx – ## UnitVIStudyGuide.pdf **## UnitVIPowerPointPresentation.docx** **Unit VI PowerPoint Presentation** **Harnessing the Power of AI for Strategic Decision- Making: Opportunities and Challenges** The objective of this assignment is to understand and…

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    Assignment Prompt & Instructions

    See attached

    – ## UnitVIPowerPointPresentation.docx

    – ## UnitVIStudyGuide.pdf

    **## UnitVIPowerPointPresentation.docx**

    **Unit VI PowerPoint Presentation**

    **Harnessing the Power of AI for Strategic Decision- Making: Opportunities and Challenges**

    The objective of this assignment is to understand and analyze the role of artificial intelligence (AI), business intelligence (BI), and business analytics (BA) in enhancing organizational decision-making processes, while also considering the ethical and social implications.

    Using PowerPoint, create a fictional organization facing a strategic decision (e.g., market expansion, product launch, process optimization). Develop a detailed scenario including the hypothetical organization’s background, industry, and specific decision-making challenges.

    Propose a plan for how AI, BI, and BA can be integrated to address the organization’s decision-making challenges, by creating visual aids like charts, graphs, or infographics. Create your visuals answering the following:

    · Explain the value added to the organization you introduced by implementing advanced information systems solutions.

    · Explore the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in business and how your organization could benefit from adopting it.

    · Analyze how business intelligence and business analytics can support decision-making in your organization.

    · Examine ethical and social issues presented by automated machines.

    Your presentation should include at least four visuals. Use the speaker notes to expand upon and explain your visuals.

    Include a title page and a references page. You are required to use at least two peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old (one may be your eTextbook). All sources used, must have citations and references properly formatted in APA Style.

    **## UnitVIStudyGuide.pdf**

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 1

    Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VI

    Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

    3. Explain how information technology systems influence organizational strategies.
    3.4 Explore the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in business.
    3.5 Analyze how business intelligence and business analytics can support decision-making.

    4. Evaluate the prevailing ethical issues of information systems.

    4.2 Examine ethical and social issues presented by automated machines.

    Required Unit Resources

    Chapter 11: Managing Knowledge and Artificial Intelligence

    Chapter 12: Enhancing Decision Making

    Unit Lesson

    What Is Knowledge?

    Most of us, at some point in our educational journey, have learned the difference between data, information,
    and knowledge. We have discussed data in great detail in this course, so we know that data include the base
    transactions of our systems. Those transactions mean little unless we use tools and turn the data into
    information. We can discern sales information and inventory information, for example, via organized
    categories. What do we do with that information? If we need a simple question answered, we can simply
    query the information. For example, we may query a database to see what a specific customer’s annual sales
    were for 2014. Also, we may pull a simple report. For example, if you manage all of the customers in New
    York City, your report may list the annual sales for all of those customers in New York City. That is
    information.

    Knowledge is an asset to an organization and can take the form of information that has been put into some
    sort of context. It can also take the form of tacit knowledge in the minds of employees. Regardless of the type
    of knowledge, organizations need to manage it.

    In many organizations, knowledge management is not a high priority, but for those who realize the value,
    there are systems that can be used for enterprise-wide management. They help us to manage information
    and have capabilities for capturing, storing, retrieving, distributing, and preserving knowledge. There is also
    the opportunity for accessing internal information, such as reports, documents, and e-mails. What purpose is
    it to have an enterprise knowledge management system? Where is the value for businesses? The answer is
    better business processes and decisions!

    The Business Value of Decision-Making

    We use much of the information and knowledge captured in organizations for the purpose of decision-making.
    Sales data are used to make decisions about inventory levels, the purchase of new products, credit levels,
    and so on. Not only can you make decisions about an individual customer, but you can also make decisions
    about a specific store or make organization-wide decisions. There are decisions made at all levels of the
    organization, and some may be small with little impact or large with a business-wide impact. The actual value

    UNIT VI STUDY GUIDE
    Managing Knowledge, Artificial Intelligence,
    and Enhancing Decision-Making

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 2

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    to the business is based on many different factors. Regardless, it is important to note that information systems
    will likely be involved in almost every decision in some way.

    Information Systems in Management Decision-Making

    There are different types of decisions used at different levels of management. For example, structured
    decisions are fairly routine and not considered to be very risky; lower-level management uses them.
    Unstructured decisions require a good amount of insight and judgment. They are more likely to be riskier
    decisions and tend to be made by senior management. There are also semi-structured decisions that contain
    some of both characteristics and are usually made by middle management. Regardless of the decision type
    and role, information systems can support the decision-making process. In fact, in many cases, computer
    technology is relied upon pretty heavily for decision-making.

    Within the opening case of Chapter 11, “Artificial Intelligence Beats Radiologists in Reading Mammograms” is
    a good example that demonstrates how organizations use new tools and technologies to improve their
    business performance.

    This case study reveals that in 2019, the American Cancer Society reported 268,600 new cases of invasive
    breast cancer and predicted 41,760 deaths from breast cancer among women in the United States. Globally,
    breast cancer is a leading source of death among women, with 2 million deaths reported. Mammography is
    the primary tool used to detect breast cancer. It usually involves two or more x-ray pictures or images of each
    breast. Doctors use mammograms to check for breast tumor in women who have no signs or symptoms of the
    disease. There are about 33 million screening mammograms performed each year. However, manual tests
    miss 20 percent of breast cancers due to false negatives. There is also a seven to 12 percentile of false
    positives reported (American Cancer Society, 2019, as cited in Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Researchers from Google Health, Northwestern University in Chicago, and Britain’s Cancer Research
    Imperial Centre and Royal Surrey County Hospital developed a computer algorithm using AI technology to
    read the X-ray images. The result is that the new AI-based system was more accurate than the radiologists.
    The system was able to reduce false negatives by 9.4 percent and false positives by 5.7 percent. This
    research is not yet ready for widespread clinical use. However, it demonstrated the potential advantages of
    using AI to assist radiologists in reading mammograms as part of their routine practice (Grady, 2020;
    Lichtenstein, 2020, as cited in Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Decision-making Technologies

    Decision support system (DSS). A DSS is an information system that is utilized to assist in the decision-
    making process. A DSS consists of several different components, but the most important thing to understand
    is that the DSS accepts information from both internal and external sources to make quick decisions under
    rapidly changing conditions. The DSS technology provides easy graphical user interfaces and models to aid
    in decision-making processes (Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Business intelligence (BI). BI is a broad term used to describe an infrastructure designed to store, integrate,
    process, analyze, and report data. All types of data that are included in this definition include what is referred
    to as big data. Big data is simply a term to describe data so large that it does not fit effectively in standard
    databases. BI information can be stored in transactional databases, especially as database management
    systems improve and become more efficient. More likely, though, the data will be moved to a data warehouse
    built appropriately for the organization and its needs. A part of the BI infrastructure includes tools for analytics
    and handy user interfaces such as dashboards, reports, and scorecards.

    BI offers rich information quickly to the decision makers, and the analytic tools help them to make sense of
    that information. You might even say that the analytic tools help us to turn information into knowledge.

    One of the more valuable uses for analytics involves forecasting or predictive analytics. Many times,
    managers need to be able to use models to predict the outcome of future events. Predictive analytics use
    statistical tools and data mining, for example, to predict future trends. One or more predictors may be
    changed to see what the outcome might be. A good example might be marketing expenditures. If your
    marketing budget is $100,000 per year and you have four product lines, what might be the best way to
    allocate those funds? If you have historical data, you can use it along with your predictive variable to predict

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 3

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    what the outcome will be. For example, if you spend $50,000 of the marketing allowance on product line A,
    what will be your predicted net profits?

    The opening case study in Chapter 12, “Big Data and the Internet of Things Drive Precision Agriculture,”
    demonstrates how data analytics can be used to help organizations make better decisions more effectively. At
    Purdue University’s College of Agriculture, students are learning about data-driven farming. Students and
    researchers can study and learn how to improve plant growth and food production processes using an
    agriculture-oriented network with advanced Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and devices. This technology has
    the potential to improve every process from farm to table.

    The IoT network oversees a 1,408-acre farm, analyzing and storing terabytes of data gathered daily from
    sensors, cameras, and manual data inputs. With the use of Wi-Fi hotspots, the data from the farm is sent to a
    supercomputer. Data is also collected by automated drones and rovers that examine the farm plots and
    capture real-time data that are sent to the supercomputer. This project is an example of precision agriculture,
    where data collected are analyzed with digital tools to assist with decision-making such as fertilizer
    distribution, planting depth, watering cycles, and optimal harvesting times. This project demonstrates that
    farmers can produce higher crop yields with less energy and waste.

    Information systems are also used for other types of decision support. For example, senior management may
    use executive support systems (ESS) to fully understand the performance of the organization. The balanced
    scorecard methodology allows for the organization’s strategy and objectives to be operationalized into four
    dimensions. This just means it breaks them down into four areas to be measured more effectively. The four
    dimensions are financial, customers, business process, and learning and growth.

    Another management method is business performance management (BPM), which allows management to
    translate an organization’s objectives into operational targets. This means that management will have
    understandable and achievable targets to measure against. Finally, there are group decision-support systems
    (GDSS), which are interactive systems that allow decision makers to work together to solve problems. It is a
    collaborative system that focuses on decision-making tools (Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Ethical Issues of Information Systems

    In March 2018, a self-driving Uber Volvo XC90 operating in autonomous mode struck and killed a woman in
    Tempe, Arizona. Since the crash, Arizona has suspended autonomous vehicle testing in the state, and Uber
    is not renewing its permit to test self-driving cars in California. The company has also stopped testing
    autonomous cars in Pittsburgh and Toronto, and it is unclear when it will be revived.

    Even before the accident, Uber’s self-driving cars were having trouble driving through construction zones and
    next to tall vehicles like big truck rigs. Uber’s drivers had to intervene far more frequently than drivers in other
    autonomous car projects. The Uber accident raised questions about whether autonomous vehicles were even
    ready to be tested on public roads and how regulators should deal with this.

    While proponents of self-driving cars like Tesla’s Elon Musk envision a self-driving world where almost all
    traffic accidents would be eliminated and the elderly and disabled could travel freely, most Americans think
    otherwise. A Pew Research Center survey found that most people did not want to ride in self-driving cars and
    were unsure if they would make roads more dangerous or safer. In fact, 87% wanted a person always behind
    the wheel and ready to take over if something went wrong.

    Some pundits predict that in the next few decades, driverless technology will add $7 trillion to the global
    economy and save hundreds of thousands of lives. At the same time, it could devastate the auto industry
    along with gas stations, taxi drivers, and truckers. People might stop buying cars because services like Uber
    using self-driving cars would be cheaper.

    This could cause mass unemployment of taxi drivers and large reductions in auto sales. It would also cut
    down the need for many parking garages and parking spaces, freeing up valuable real estate for other
    purposes. More people might decide to live further from their workplaces because autonomous vehicles
    linked to traffic systems would make traffic flow more smoothly and free riders to work, nap, or watch videos
    while commuting.

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 4

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    Some people will prosper. Most will probably benefit, but many will be left behind. Driverless technology is
    estimated to change one in every nine U.S. jobs, although it will also create new jobs. Another consideration
    is that the tremendous investment in autonomous vehicles, which is estimated to be around $32 billion
    annually, might be better spent on improving public transportation systems like trains and subways. Does
    America need more cars in sprawling urban areas where highways are already jammed?

    Summary

    As you can see from the list of available technologies and decision support tools, information systems are a
    key component in their development and use. Technology is ever-changing, and the benefits are evident in
    the tools that are available to assist managers.

    Reference

    Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. L. (2022). Management information systems: Managing the digital firm (17th ed.).

    Pearson.

    Suggested Unit Resources

    In order to access the following resources, click the links below.

    To reinforce the concepts from this unit, you are encouraged to review the following:

    • Chapter 11 PowerPoint Presentation
    (PDF for Chapter 11 PowerPoint presentation)

    • Chapter 12 PowerPoint Presentation
    (PDF for Chapter 12 PowerPoint presentation)

    The following video cases mentioned in your eTextbook augment the information presented in the assigned
    chapter readings. You are encouraged to review the Chapter 11 and 12 video cases linked below.

    A transcript can be accessed for each video within the YouTube player by clicking on the three dots below the
    video title on the right. Closed-captioning can be turned on by clicking the “cc” icon at the bottom of each
    video.

    Alfresco. (2012, June 7). Alfresco tour video [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p266dTL6oJQ

    Alfresco. (2012, April 25). Alfresco case study: The New York Philharmonic [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWI5RZRC56A

    IBM. (2011, July 18). IBM Watson: The science behind an answer [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st-_yEvQeK0

    IBM Watson. (2014, October 7). IBM Watson: How it works [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6rvaWaiZNg

    Learning Activities (Nongraded)

    Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit
    them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.

    Review the following case study, FreshDirect Uses Business Intelligence to Manage its Online Grocery, which
    discusses how FreshDirect adopted a comprehensive enterprise data base system from SAP utilizing a
    number of business intelligence applications to track orders and customers. There is a link within the case
    study to an accompanying video. (A transcript can be accessed for the video within the YouTube player by

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632003_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632003_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605739_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605739_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632005_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632005_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605741_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605741_1)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p266dTL6oJQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p266dTL6oJQ)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWI5RZRC56A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWI5RZRC56A)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st-_yEvQeK0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st-_yEvQeK0)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6rvaWaiZNg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6rvaWaiZNg)

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 5

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    clicking on the three dots below the video title on the right. Closed-captioning can be turned on by clicking the
    “cc” icon at the bottom of the video.)

    After watching the video and reviewing the case study, answer the video case questions at the end.

    – Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VI
    – Required Unit Resources
    – Unit Lesson

    – What Is Knowledge?
    – The Business Value of Decision-Making
    – Information Systems in Management Decision-Making
    – Decision-making Technologies
    – Ethical Issues of Information Systems
    – Summary
    – Reference

    – Suggested Unit Resources
    – Learning Activities (Nongraded)

    **## UnitVIStudyGuide.pdf**

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 1

    Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VI

    Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

    3. Explain how information technology systems influence organizational strategies.
    3.4 Explore the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in business.
    3.5 Analyze how business intelligence and business analytics can support decision-making.

    4. Evaluate the prevailing ethical issues of information systems.

    4.2 Examine ethical and social issues presented by automated machines.

    Required Unit Resources

    Chapter 11: Managing Knowledge and Artificial Intelligence

    Chapter 12: Enhancing Decision Making

    Unit Lesson

    What Is Knowledge?

    Most of us, at some point in our educational journey, have learned the difference between data, information,
    and knowledge. We have discussed data in great detail in this course, so we know that data include the base
    transactions of our systems. Those transactions mean little unless we use tools and turn the data into
    information. We can discern sales information and inventory information, for example, via organized
    categories. What do we do with that information? If we need a simple question answered, we can simply
    query the information. For example, we may query a database to see what a specific customer’s annual sales
    were for 2014. Also, we may pull a simple report. For example, if you manage all of the customers in New
    York City, your report may list the annual sales for all of those customers in New York City. That is
    information.

    Knowledge is an asset to an organization and can take the form of information that has been put into some
    sort of context. It can also take the form of tacit knowledge in the minds of employees. Regardless of the type
    of knowledge, organizations need to manage it.

    In many organizations, knowledge management is not a high priority, but for those who realize the value,
    there are systems that can be used for enterprise-wide management. They help us to manage information
    and have capabilities for capturing, storing, retrieving, distributing, and preserving knowledge. There is also
    the opportunity for accessing internal information, such as reports, documents, and e-mails. What purpose is
    it to have an enterprise knowledge management system? Where is the value for businesses? The answer is
    better business processes and decisions!

    The Business Value of Decision-Making

    We use much of the information and knowledge captured in organizations for the purpose of decision-making.
    Sales data are used to make decisions about inventory levels, the purchase of new products, credit levels,
    and so on. Not only can you make decisions about an individual customer, but you can also make decisions
    about a specific store or make organization-wide decisions. There are decisions made at all levels of the
    organization, and some may be small with little impact or large with a business-wide impact. The actual value

    UNIT VI STUDY GUIDE
    Managing Knowledge, Artificial Intelligence,
    and Enhancing Decision-Making

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 2

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    to the business is based on many different factors. Regardless, it is important to note that information systems
    will likely be involved in almost every decision in some way.

    Information Systems in Management Decision-Making

    There are different types of decisions used at different levels of management. For example, structured
    decisions are fairly routine and not considered to be very risky; lower-level management uses them.
    Unstructured decisions require a good amount of insight and judgment. They are more likely to be riskier
    decisions and tend to be made by senior management. There are also semi-structured decisions that contain
    some of both characteristics and are usually made by middle management. Regardless of the decision type
    and role, information systems can support the decision-making process. In fact, in many cases, computer
    technology is relied upon pretty heavily for decision-making.

    Within the opening case of Chapter 11, “Artificial Intelligence Beats Radiologists in Reading Mammograms” is
    a good example that demonstrates how organizations use new tools and technologies to improve their
    business performance.

    This case study reveals that in 2019, the American Cancer Society reported 268,600 new cases of invasive
    breast cancer and predicted 41,760 deaths from breast cancer among women in the United States. Globally,
    breast cancer is a leading source of death among women, with 2 million deaths reported. Mammography is
    the primary tool used to detect breast cancer. It usually involves two or more x-ray pictures or images of each
    breast. Doctors use mammograms to check for breast tumor in women who have no signs or symptoms of the
    disease. There are about 33 million screening mammograms performed each year. However, manual tests
    miss 20 percent of breast cancers due to false negatives. There is also a seven to 12 percentile of false
    positives reported (American Cancer Society, 2019, as cited in Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Researchers from Google Health, Northwestern University in Chicago, and Britain’s Cancer Research
    Imperial Centre and Royal Surrey County Hospital developed a computer algorithm using AI technology to
    read the X-ray images. The result is that the new AI-based system was more accurate than the radiologists.
    The system was able to reduce false negatives by 9.4 percent and false positives by 5.7 percent. This
    research is not yet ready for widespread clinical use. However, it demonstrated the potential advantages of
    using AI to assist radiologists in reading mammograms as part of their routine practice (Grady, 2020;
    Lichtenstein, 2020, as cited in Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Decision-making Technologies

    Decision support system (DSS). A DSS is an information system that is utilized to assist in the decision-
    making process. A DSS consists of several different components, but the most important thing to understand
    is that the DSS accepts information from both internal and external sources to make quick decisions under
    rapidly changing conditions. The DSS technology provides easy graphical user interfaces and models to aid
    in decision-making processes (Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Business intelligence (BI). BI is a broad term used to describe an infrastructure designed to store, integrate,
    process, analyze, and report data. All types of data that are included in this definition include what is referred
    to as big data. Big data is simply a term to describe data so large that it does not fit effectively in standard
    databases. BI information can be stored in transactional databases, especially as database management
    systems improve and become more efficient. More likely, though, the data will be moved to a data warehouse
    built appropriately for the organization and its needs. A part of the BI infrastructure includes tools for analytics
    and handy user interfaces such as dashboards, reports, and scorecards.

    BI offers rich information quickly to the decision makers, and the analytic tools help them to make sense of
    that information. You might even say that the analytic tools help us to turn information into knowledge.

    One of the more valuable uses for analytics involves forecasting or predictive analytics. Many times,
    managers need to be able to use models to predict the outcome of future events. Predictive analytics use
    statistical tools and data mining, for example, to predict future trends. One or more predictors may be
    changed to see what the outcome might be. A good example might be marketing expenditures. If your
    marketing budget is $100,000 per year and you have four product lines, what might be the best way to
    allocate those funds? If you have historical data, you can use it along with your predictive variable to predict

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 3

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    what the outcome will be. For example, if you spend $50,000 of the marketing allowance on product line A,
    what will be your predicted net profits?

    The opening case study in Chapter 12, “Big Data and the Internet of Things Drive Precision Agriculture,”
    demonstrates how data analytics can be used to help organizations make better decisions more effectively. At
    Purdue University’s College of Agriculture, students are learning about data-driven farming. Students and
    researchers can study and learn how to improve plant growth and food production processes using an
    agriculture-oriented network with advanced Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and devices. This technology has
    the potential to improve every process from farm to table.

    The IoT network oversees a 1,408-acre farm, analyzing and storing terabytes of data gathered daily from
    sensors, cameras, and manual data inputs. With the use of Wi-Fi hotspots, the data from the farm is sent to a
    supercomputer. Data is also collected by automated drones and rovers that examine the farm plots and
    capture real-time data that are sent to the supercomputer. This project is an example of precision agriculture,
    where data collected are analyzed with digital tools to assist with decision-making such as fertilizer
    distribution, planting depth, watering cycles, and optimal harvesting times. This project demonstrates that
    farmers can produce higher crop yields with less energy and waste.

    Information systems are also used for other types of decision support. For example, senior management may
    use executive support systems (ESS) to fully understand the performance of the organization. The balanced
    scorecard methodology allows for the organization’s strategy and objectives to be operationalized into four
    dimensions. This just means it breaks them down into four areas to be measured more effectively. The four
    dimensions are financial, customers, business process, and learning and growth.

    Another management method is business performance management (BPM), which allows management to
    translate an organization’s objectives into operational targets. This means that management will have
    understandable and achievable targets to measure against. Finally, there are group decision-support systems
    (GDSS), which are interactive systems that allow decision makers to work together to solve problems. It is a
    collaborative system that focuses on decision-making tools (Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Ethical Issues of Information Systems

    In March 2018, a self-driving Uber Volvo XC90 operating in autonomous mode struck and killed a woman in
    Tempe, Arizona. Since the crash, Arizona has suspended autonomous vehicle testing in the state, and Uber
    is not renewing its permit to test self-driving cars in California. The company has also stopped testing
    autonomous cars in Pittsburgh and Toronto, and it is unclear when it will be revived.

    Even before the accident, Uber’s self-driving cars were having trouble driving through construction zones and
    next to tall vehicles like big truck rigs. Uber’s drivers had to intervene far more frequently than drivers in other
    autonomous car projects. The Uber accident raised questions about whether autonomous vehicles were even
    ready to be tested on public roads and how regulators should deal with this.

    While proponents of self-driving cars like Tesla’s Elon Musk envision a self-driving world where almost all
    traffic accidents would be eliminated and the elderly and disabled could travel freely, most Americans think
    otherwise. A Pew Research Center survey found that most people did not want to ride in self-driving cars and
    were unsure if they would make roads more dangerous or safer. In fact, 87% wanted a person always behind
    the wheel and ready to take over if something went wrong.

    Some pundits predict that in the next few decades, driverless technology will add $7 trillion to the global
    economy and save hundreds of thousands of lives. At the same time, it could devastate the auto industry
    along with gas stations, taxi drivers, and truckers. People might stop buying cars because services like Uber
    using self-driving cars would be cheaper.

    This could cause mass unemployment of taxi drivers and large reductions in auto sales. It would also cut
    down the need for many parking garages and parking spaces, freeing up valuable real estate for other
    purposes. More people might decide to live further from their workplaces because autonomous vehicles
    linked to traffic systems would make traffic flow more smoothly and free riders to work, nap, or watch videos
    while commuting.

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 4

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    Some people will prosper. Most will probably benefit, but many will be left behind. Driverless technology is
    estimated to change one in every nine U.S. jobs, although it will also create new jobs. Another consideration
    is that the tremendous investment in autonomous vehicles, which is estimated to be around $32 billion
    annually, might be better spent on improving public transportation systems like trains and subways. Does
    America need more cars in sprawling urban areas where highways are already jammed?

    Summary

    As you can see from the list of available technologies and decision support tools, information systems are a
    key component in their development and use. Technology is ever-changing, and the benefits are evident in
    the tools that are available to assist managers.

    Reference

    Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. L. (2022). Management information systems: Managing the digital firm (17th ed.).

    Pearson.

    Suggested Unit Resources

    In order to access the following resources, click the links below.

    To reinforce the concepts from this unit, you are encouraged to review the following:

    • Chapter 11 PowerPoint Presentation
    (PDF for Chapter 11 PowerPoint presentation)

    • Chapter 12 PowerPoint Presentation
    (PDF for Chapter 12 PowerPoint presentation)

    The following video cases mentioned in your eTextbook augment the information presented in the assigned
    chapter readings. You are encouraged to review the Chapter 11 and 12 video cases linked below.

    A transcript can be accessed for each video within the YouTube player by clicking on the three dots below the
    video title on the right. Closed-captioning can be turned on by clicking the “cc” icon at the bottom of each
    video.

    Alfresco. (2012, June 7). Alfresco tour video [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p266dTL6oJQ

    Alfresco. (2012, April 25). Alfresco case study: The New York Philharmonic [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWI5RZRC56A

    IBM. (2011, July 18). IBM Watson: The science behind an answer [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st-_yEvQeK0

    IBM Watson. (2014, October 7). IBM Watson: How it works [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6rvaWaiZNg

    Learning Activities (Nongraded)

    Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit
    them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.

    Review the following case study, FreshDirect Uses Business Intelligence to Manage its Online Grocery, which
    discusses how FreshDirect adopted a comprehensive enterprise data base system from SAP utilizing a
    number of business intelligence applications to track orders and customers. There is a link within the case
    study to an accompanying video. (A transcript can be accessed for the video within the YouTube player by

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632003_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632003_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605739_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605739_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632005_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632005_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605741_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605741_1)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p266dTL6oJQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p266dTL6oJQ)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWI5RZRC56A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWI5RZRC56A)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st-_yEvQeK0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st-_yEvQeK0)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6rvaWaiZNg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6rvaWaiZNg)

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 5

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    clicking on the three dots below the video title on the right. Closed-captioning can be turned on by clicking the
    “cc” icon at the bottom of the video.)

    After watching the video and reviewing the case study, answer the video case questions at the end.

    – Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VI
    – Required Unit Resources
    – Unit Lesson

    – What Is Knowledge?
    – The Business Value of Decision-Making
    – Information Systems in Management Decision-Making
    – Decision-making Technologies
    – Ethical Issues of Information Systems
    – Summary
    – Reference

    – Suggested Unit Resources
    – Learning Activities (Nongraded)

    **## UnitVIPowerPointPresentation.docx**

    **Unit VI PowerPoint Presentation**

    **Harnessing the Power of AI for Strategic Decision- Making: Opportunities and Challenges**

    The objective of this assignment is to understand and analyze the role of artificial intelligence (AI), business intelligence (BI), and business analytics (BA) in enhancing organizational decision-making processes, while also considering the ethical and social implications.

    Using PowerPoint, create a fictional organization facing a strategic decision (e.g., market expansion, product launch, process optimization). Develop a detailed scenario including the hypothetical organization’s background, industry, and specific decision-making challenges.

    Propose a plan for how AI, BI, and BA can be integrated to address the organization’s decision-making challenges, by creating visual aids like charts, graphs, or infographics. Create your visuals answering the following:

    · Explain the value added to the organization you introduced by implementing advanced information systems solutions.

    · Explore the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in business and how your organization could benefit from adopting it.

    · Analyze how business intelligence and business analytics can support decision-making in your organization.

    · Examine ethical and social issues presented by automated machines.

    Your presentation should include at least four visuals. Use the speaker notes to expand upon and explain your visuals.

    Include a title page and a references page. You are required to use at least two peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old (one may be your eTextbook). All sources used, must have citations and references properly formatted in APA Style.

    **## UnitVIStudyGuide.pdf**

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 1

    Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VI

    Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

    3. Explain how information technology systems influence organizational strategies.
    3.4 Explore the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in business.
    3.5 Analyze how business intelligence and business analytics can support decision-making.

    4. Evaluate the prevailing ethical issues of information systems.

    4.2 Examine ethical and social issues presented by automated machines.

    Required Unit Resources

    Chapter 11: Managing Knowledge and Artificial Intelligence

    Chapter 12: Enhancing Decision Making

    Unit Lesson

    What Is Knowledge?

    Most of us, at some point in our educational journey, have learned the difference between data, information,
    and knowledge. We have discussed data in great detail in this course, so we know that data include the base
    transactions of our systems. Those transactions mean little unless we use tools and turn the data into
    information. We can discern sales information and inventory information, for example, via organized
    categories. What do we do with that information? If we need a simple question answered, we can simply
    query the information. For example, we may query a database to see what a specific customer’s annual sales
    were for 2014. Also, we may pull a simple report. For example, if you manage all of the customers in New
    York City, your report may list the annual sales for all of those customers in New York City. That is
    information.

    Knowledge is an asset to an organization and can take the form of information that has been put into some
    sort of context. It can also take the form of tacit knowledge in the minds of employees. Regardless of the type
    of knowledge, organizations need to manage it.

    In many organizations, knowledge management is not a high priority, but for those who realize the value,
    there are systems that can be used for enterprise-wide management. They help us to manage information
    and have capabilities for capturing, storing, retrieving, distributing, and preserving knowledge. There is also
    the opportunity for accessing internal information, such as reports, documents, and e-mails. What purpose is
    it to have an enterprise knowledge management system? Where is the value for businesses? The answer is
    better business processes and decisions!

    The Business Value of Decision-Making

    We use much of the information and knowledge captured in organizations for the purpose of decision-making.
    Sales data are used to make decisions about inventory levels, the purchase of new products, credit levels,
    and so on. Not only can you make decisions about an individual customer, but you can also make decisions
    about a specific store or make organization-wide decisions. There are decisions made at all levels of the
    organization, and some may be small with little impact or large with a business-wide impact. The actual value

    UNIT VI STUDY GUIDE
    Managing Knowledge, Artificial Intelligence,
    and Enhancing Decision-Making

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 2

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    to the business is based on many different factors. Regardless, it is important to note that information systems
    will likely be involved in almost every decision in some way.

    Information Systems in Management Decision-Making

    There are different types of decisions used at different levels of management. For example, structured
    decisions are fairly routine and not considered to be very risky; lower-level management uses them.
    Unstructured decisions require a good amount of insight and judgment. They are more likely to be riskier
    decisions and tend to be made by senior management. There are also semi-structured decisions that contain
    some of both characteristics and are usually made by middle management. Regardless of the decision type
    and role, information systems can support the decision-making process. In fact, in many cases, computer
    technology is relied upon pretty heavily for decision-making.

    Within the opening case of Chapter 11, “Artificial Intelligence Beats Radiologists in Reading Mammograms” is
    a good example that demonstrates how organizations use new tools and technologies to improve their
    business performance.

    This case study reveals that in 2019, the American Cancer Society reported 268,600 new cases of invasive
    breast cancer and predicted 41,760 deaths from breast cancer among women in the United States. Globally,
    breast cancer is a leading source of death among women, with 2 million deaths reported. Mammography is
    the primary tool used to detect breast cancer. It usually involves two or more x-ray pictures or images of each
    breast. Doctors use mammograms to check for breast tumor in women who have no signs or symptoms of the
    disease. There are about 33 million screening mammograms performed each year. However, manual tests
    miss 20 percent of breast cancers due to false negatives. There is also a seven to 12 percentile of false
    positives reported (American Cancer Society, 2019, as cited in Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Researchers from Google Health, Northwestern University in Chicago, and Britain’s Cancer Research
    Imperial Centre and Royal Surrey County Hospital developed a computer algorithm using AI technology to
    read the X-ray images. The result is that the new AI-based system was more accurate than the radiologists.
    The system was able to reduce false negatives by 9.4 percent and false positives by 5.7 percent. This
    research is not yet ready for widespread clinical use. However, it demonstrated the potential advantages of
    using AI to assist radiologists in reading mammograms as part of their routine practice (Grady, 2020;
    Lichtenstein, 2020, as cited in Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Decision-making Technologies

    Decision support system (DSS). A DSS is an information system that is utilized to assist in the decision-
    making process. A DSS consists of several different components, but the most important thing to understand
    is that the DSS accepts information from both internal and external sources to make quick decisions under
    rapidly changing conditions. The DSS technology provides easy graphical user interfaces and models to aid
    in decision-making processes (Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Business intelligence (BI). BI is a broad term used to describe an infrastructure designed to store, integrate,
    process, analyze, and report data. All types of data that are included in this definition include what is referred
    to as big data. Big data is simply a term to describe data so large that it does not fit effectively in standard
    databases. BI information can be stored in transactional databases, especially as database management
    systems improve and become more efficient. More likely, though, the data will be moved to a data warehouse
    built appropriately for the organization and its needs. A part of the BI infrastructure includes tools for analytics
    and handy user interfaces such as dashboards, reports, and scorecards.

    BI offers rich information quickly to the decision makers, and the analytic tools help them to make sense of
    that information. You might even say that the analytic tools help us to turn information into knowledge.

    One of the more valuable uses for analytics involves forecasting or predictive analytics. Many times,
    managers need to be able to use models to predict the outcome of future events. Predictive analytics use
    statistical tools and data mining, for example, to predict future trends. One or more predictors may be
    changed to see what the outcome might be. A good example might be marketing expenditures. If your
    marketing budget is $100,000 per year and you have four product lines, what might be the best way to
    allocate those funds? If you have historical data, you can use it along with your predictive variable to predict

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 3

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    what the outcome will be. For example, if you spend $50,000 of the marketing allowance on product line A,
    what will be your predicted net profits?

    The opening case study in Chapter 12, “Big Data and the Internet of Things Drive Precision Agriculture,”
    demonstrates how data analytics can be used to help organizations make better decisions more effectively. At
    Purdue University’s College of Agriculture, students are learning about data-driven farming. Students and
    researchers can study and learn how to improve plant growth and food production processes using an
    agriculture-oriented network with advanced Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and devices. This technology has
    the potential to improve every process from farm to table.

    The IoT network oversees a 1,408-acre farm, analyzing and storing terabytes of data gathered daily from
    sensors, cameras, and manual data inputs. With the use of Wi-Fi hotspots, the data from the farm is sent to a
    supercomputer. Data is also collected by automated drones and rovers that examine the farm plots and
    capture real-time data that are sent to the supercomputer. This project is an example of precision agriculture,
    where data collected are analyzed with digital tools to assist with decision-making such as fertilizer
    distribution, planting depth, watering cycles, and optimal harvesting times. This project demonstrates that
    farmers can produce higher crop yields with less energy and waste.

    Information systems are also used for other types of decision support. For example, senior management may
    use executive support systems (ESS) to fully understand the performance of the organization. The balanced
    scorecard methodology allows for the organization’s strategy and objectives to be operationalized into four
    dimensions. This just means it breaks them down into four areas to be measured more effectively. The four
    dimensions are financial, customers, business process, and learning and growth.

    Another management method is business performance management (BPM), which allows management to
    translate an organization’s objectives into operational targets. This means that management will have
    understandable and achievable targets to measure against. Finally, there are group decision-support systems
    (GDSS), which are interactive systems that allow decision makers to work together to solve problems. It is a
    collaborative system that focuses on decision-making tools (Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Ethical Issues of Information Systems

    In March 2018, a self-driving Uber Volvo XC90 operating in autonomous mode struck and killed a woman in
    Tempe, Arizona. Since the crash, Arizona has suspended autonomous vehicle testing in the state, and Uber
    is not renewing its permit to test self-driving cars in California. The company has also stopped testing
    autonomous cars in Pittsburgh and Toronto, and it is unclear when it will be revived.

    Even before the accident, Uber’s self-driving cars were having trouble driving through construction zones and
    next to tall vehicles like big truck rigs. Uber’s drivers had to intervene far more frequently than drivers in other
    autonomous car projects. The Uber accident raised questions about whether autonomous vehicles were even
    ready to be tested on public roads and how regulators should deal with this.

    While proponents of self-driving cars like Tesla’s Elon Musk envision a self-driving world where almost all
    traffic accidents would be eliminated and the elderly and disabled could travel freely, most Americans think
    otherwise. A Pew Research Center survey found that most people did not want to ride in self-driving cars and
    were unsure if they would make roads more dangerous or safer. In fact, 87% wanted a person always behind
    the wheel and ready to take over if something went wrong.

    Some pundits predict that in the next few decades, driverless technology will add $7 trillion to the global
    economy and save hundreds of thousands of lives. At the same time, it could devastate the auto industry
    along with gas stations, taxi drivers, and truckers. People might stop buying cars because services like Uber
    using self-driving cars would be cheaper.

    This could cause mass unemployment of taxi drivers and large reductions in auto sales. It would also cut
    down the need for many parking garages and parking spaces, freeing up valuable real estate for other
    purposes. More people might decide to live further from their workplaces because autonomous vehicles
    linked to traffic systems would make traffic flow more smoothly and free riders to work, nap, or watch videos
    while commuting.

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 4

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    Some people will prosper. Most will probably benefit, but many will be left behind. Driverless technology is
    estimated to change one in every nine U.S. jobs, although it will also create new jobs. Another consideration
    is that the tremendous investment in autonomous vehicles, which is estimated to be around $32 billion
    annually, might be better spent on improving public transportation systems like trains and subways. Does
    America need more cars in sprawling urban areas where highways are already jammed?

    Summary

    As you can see from the list of available technologies and decision support tools, information systems are a
    key component in their development and use. Technology is ever-changing, and the benefits are evident in
    the tools that are available to assist managers.

    Reference

    Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. L. (2022). Management information systems: Managing the digital firm (17th ed.).

    Pearson.

    Suggested Unit Resources

    In order to access the following resources, click the links below.

    To reinforce the concepts from this unit, you are encouraged to review the following:

    • Chapter 11 PowerPoint Presentation
    (PDF for Chapter 11 PowerPoint presentation)

    • Chapter 12 PowerPoint Presentation
    (PDF for Chapter 12 PowerPoint presentation)

    The following video cases mentioned in your eTextbook augment the information presented in the assigned
    chapter readings. You are encouraged to review the Chapter 11 and 12 video cases linked below.

    A transcript can be accessed for each video within the YouTube player by clicking on the three dots below the
    video title on the right. Closed-captioning can be turned on by clicking the “cc” icon at the bottom of each
    video.

    Alfresco. (2012, June 7). Alfresco tour video [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p266dTL6oJQ

    Alfresco. (2012, April 25). Alfresco case study: The New York Philharmonic [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWI5RZRC56A

    IBM. (2011, July 18). IBM Watson: The science behind an answer [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st-_yEvQeK0

    IBM Watson. (2014, October 7). IBM Watson: How it works [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6rvaWaiZNg

    Learning Activities (Nongraded)

    Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit
    them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.

    Review the following case study, FreshDirect Uses Business Intelligence to Manage its Online Grocery, which
    discusses how FreshDirect adopted a comprehensive enterprise data base system from SAP utilizing a
    number of business intelligence applications to track orders and customers. There is a link within the case
    study to an accompanying video. (A transcript can be accessed for the video within the YouTube player by

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632003_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632003_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605739_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605739_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632005_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632005_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605741_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605741_1)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p266dTL6oJQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p266dTL6oJQ)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWI5RZRC56A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWI5RZRC56A)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st-_yEvQeK0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st-_yEvQeK0)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6rvaWaiZNg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6rvaWaiZNg)

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 5

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    clicking on the three dots below the video title on the right. Closed-captioning can be turned on by clicking the
    “cc” icon at the bottom of the video.)

    After watching the video and reviewing the case study, answer the video case questions at the end.

    – Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VI
    – Required Unit Resources
    – Unit Lesson

    – What Is Knowledge?
    – The Business Value of Decision-Making
    – Information Systems in Management Decision-Making
    – Decision-making Technologies
    – Ethical Issues of Information Systems
    – Summary
    – Reference

    – Suggested Unit Resources
    – Learning Activities (Nongraded)

    **## UnitVIPowerPointPresentation.docx**

    **Unit VI PowerPoint Presentation**

    **Harnessing the Power of AI for Strategic Decision- Making: Opportunities and Challenges**

    The objective of this assignment is to understand and analyze the role of artificial intelligence (AI), business intelligence (BI), and business analytics (BA) in enhancing organizational decision-making processes, while also considering the ethical and social implications.

    Using PowerPoint, create a fictional organization facing a strategic decision (e.g., market expansion, product launch, process optimization). Develop a detailed scenario including the hypothetical organization’s background, industry, and specific decision-making challenges.

    Propose a plan for how AI, BI, and BA can be integrated to address the organization’s decision-making challenges, by creating visual aids like charts, graphs, or infographics. Create your visuals answering the following:

    · Explain the value added to the organization you introduced by implementing advanced information systems solutions.

    · Explore the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in business and how your organization could benefit from adopting it.

    · Analyze how business intelligence and business analytics can support decision-making in your organization.

    · Examine ethical and social issues presented by automated machines.

    Your presentation should include at least four visuals. Use the speaker notes to expand upon and explain your visuals.

    Include a title page and a references page. You are required to use at least two peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old (one may be your eTextbook). All sources used, must have citations and references properly formatted in APA Style.

    **## UnitVIStudyGuide.pdf**

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 1

    Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VI

    Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

    3. Explain how information technology systems influence organizational strategies.
    3.4 Explore the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in business.
    3.5 Analyze how business intelligence and business analytics can support decision-making.

    4. Evaluate the prevailing ethical issues of information systems.

    4.2 Examine ethical and social issues presented by automated machines.

    Required Unit Resources

    Chapter 11: Managing Knowledge and Artificial Intelligence

    Chapter 12: Enhancing Decision Making

    Unit Lesson

    What Is Knowledge?

    Most of us, at some point in our educational journey, have learned the difference between data, information,
    and knowledge. We have discussed data in great detail in this course, so we know that data include the base
    transactions of our systems. Those transactions mean little unless we use tools and turn the data into
    information. We can discern sales information and inventory information, for example, via organized
    categories. What do we do with that information? If we need a simple question answered, we can simply
    query the information. For example, we may query a database to see what a specific customer’s annual sales
    were for 2014. Also, we may pull a simple report. For example, if you manage all of the customers in New
    York City, your report may list the annual sales for all of those customers in New York City. That is
    information.

    Knowledge is an asset to an organization and can take the form of information that has been put into some
    sort of context. It can also take the form of tacit knowledge in the minds of employees. Regardless of the type
    of knowledge, organizations need to manage it.

    In many organizations, knowledge management is not a high priority, but for those who realize the value,
    there are systems that can be used for enterprise-wide management. They help us to manage information
    and have capabilities for capturing, storing, retrieving, distributing, and preserving knowledge. There is also
    the opportunity for accessing internal information, such as reports, documents, and e-mails. What purpose is
    it to have an enterprise knowledge management system? Where is the value for businesses? The answer is
    better business processes and decisions!

    The Business Value of Decision-Making

    We use much of the information and knowledge captured in organizations for the purpose of decision-making.
    Sales data are used to make decisions about inventory levels, the purchase of new products, credit levels,
    and so on. Not only can you make decisions about an individual customer, but you can also make decisions
    about a specific store or make organization-wide decisions. There are decisions made at all levels of the
    organization, and some may be small with little impact or large with a business-wide impact. The actual value

    UNIT VI STUDY GUIDE
    Managing Knowledge, Artificial Intelligence,
    and Enhancing Decision-Making

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 2

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    to the business is based on many different factors. Regardless, it is important to note that information systems
    will likely be involved in almost every decision in some way.

    Information Systems in Management Decision-Making

    There are different types of decisions used at different levels of management. For example, structured
    decisions are fairly routine and not considered to be very risky; lower-level management uses them.
    Unstructured decisions require a good amount of insight and judgment. They are more likely to be riskier
    decisions and tend to be made by senior management. There are also semi-structured decisions that contain
    some of both characteristics and are usually made by middle management. Regardless of the decision type
    and role, information systems can support the decision-making process. In fact, in many cases, computer
    technology is relied upon pretty heavily for decision-making.

    Within the opening case of Chapter 11, “Artificial Intelligence Beats Radiologists in Reading Mammograms” is
    a good example that demonstrates how organizations use new tools and technologies to improve their
    business performance.

    This case study reveals that in 2019, the American Cancer Society reported 268,600 new cases of invasive
    breast cancer and predicted 41,760 deaths from breast cancer among women in the United States. Globally,
    breast cancer is a leading source of death among women, with 2 million deaths reported. Mammography is
    the primary tool used to detect breast cancer. It usually involves two or more x-ray pictures or images of each
    breast. Doctors use mammograms to check for breast tumor in women who have no signs or symptoms of the
    disease. There are about 33 million screening mammograms performed each year. However, manual tests
    miss 20 percent of breast cancers due to false negatives. There is also a seven to 12 percentile of false
    positives reported (American Cancer Society, 2019, as cited in Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Researchers from Google Health, Northwestern University in Chicago, and Britain’s Cancer Research
    Imperial Centre and Royal Surrey County Hospital developed a computer algorithm using AI technology to
    read the X-ray images. The result is that the new AI-based system was more accurate than the radiologists.
    The system was able to reduce false negatives by 9.4 percent and false positives by 5.7 percent. This
    research is not yet ready for widespread clinical use. However, it demonstrated the potential advantages of
    using AI to assist radiologists in reading mammograms as part of their routine practice (Grady, 2020;
    Lichtenstein, 2020, as cited in Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Decision-making Technologies

    Decision support system (DSS). A DSS is an information system that is utilized to assist in the decision-
    making process. A DSS consists of several different components, but the most important thing to understand
    is that the DSS accepts information from both internal and external sources to make quick decisions under
    rapidly changing conditions. The DSS technology provides easy graphical user interfaces and models to aid
    in decision-making processes (Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Business intelligence (BI). BI is a broad term used to describe an infrastructure designed to store, integrate,
    process, analyze, and report data. All types of data that are included in this definition include what is referred
    to as big data. Big data is simply a term to describe data so large that it does not fit effectively in standard
    databases. BI information can be stored in transactional databases, especially as database management
    systems improve and become more efficient. More likely, though, the data will be moved to a data warehouse
    built appropriately for the organization and its needs. A part of the BI infrastructure includes tools for analytics
    and handy user interfaces such as dashboards, reports, and scorecards.

    BI offers rich information quickly to the decision makers, and the analytic tools help them to make sense of
    that information. You might even say that the analytic tools help us to turn information into knowledge.

    One of the more valuable uses for analytics involves forecasting or predictive analytics. Many times,
    managers need to be able to use models to predict the outcome of future events. Predictive analytics use
    statistical tools and data mining, for example, to predict future trends. One or more predictors may be
    changed to see what the outcome might be. A good example might be marketing expenditures. If your
    marketing budget is $100,000 per year and you have four product lines, what might be the best way to
    allocate those funds? If you have historical data, you can use it along with your predictive variable to predict

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 3

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    what the outcome will be. For example, if you spend $50,000 of the marketing allowance on product line A,
    what will be your predicted net profits?

    The opening case study in Chapter 12, “Big Data and the Internet of Things Drive Precision Agriculture,”
    demonstrates how data analytics can be used to help organizations make better decisions more effectively. At
    Purdue University’s College of Agriculture, students are learning about data-driven farming. Students and
    researchers can study and learn how to improve plant growth and food production processes using an
    agriculture-oriented network with advanced Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and devices. This technology has
    the potential to improve every process from farm to table.

    The IoT network oversees a 1,408-acre farm, analyzing and storing terabytes of data gathered daily from
    sensors, cameras, and manual data inputs. With the use of Wi-Fi hotspots, the data from the farm is sent to a
    supercomputer. Data is also collected by automated drones and rovers that examine the farm plots and
    capture real-time data that are sent to the supercomputer. This project is an example of precision agriculture,
    where data collected are analyzed with digital tools to assist with decision-making such as fertilizer
    distribution, planting depth, watering cycles, and optimal harvesting times. This project demonstrates that
    farmers can produce higher crop yields with less energy and waste.

    Information systems are also used for other types of decision support. For example, senior management may
    use executive support systems (ESS) to fully understand the performance of the organization. The balanced
    scorecard methodology allows for the organization’s strategy and objectives to be operationalized into four
    dimensions. This just means it breaks them down into four areas to be measured more effectively. The four
    dimensions are financial, customers, business process, and learning and growth.

    Another management method is business performance management (BPM), which allows management to
    translate an organization’s objectives into operational targets. This means that management will have
    understandable and achievable targets to measure against. Finally, there are group decision-support systems
    (GDSS), which are interactive systems that allow decision makers to work together to solve problems. It is a
    collaborative system that focuses on decision-making tools (Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Ethical Issues of Information Systems

    In March 2018, a self-driving Uber Volvo XC90 operating in autonomous mode struck and killed a woman in
    Tempe, Arizona. Since the crash, Arizona has suspended autonomous vehicle testing in the state, and Uber
    is not renewing its permit to test self-driving cars in California. The company has also stopped testing
    autonomous cars in Pittsburgh and Toronto, and it is unclear when it will be revived.

    Even before the accident, Uber’s self-driving cars were having trouble driving through construction zones and
    next to tall vehicles like big truck rigs. Uber’s drivers had to intervene far more frequently than drivers in other
    autonomous car projects. The Uber accident raised questions about whether autonomous vehicles were even
    ready to be tested on public roads and how regulators should deal with this.

    While proponents of self-driving cars like Tesla’s Elon Musk envision a self-driving world where almost all
    traffic accidents would be eliminated and the elderly and disabled could travel freely, most Americans think
    otherwise. A Pew Research Center survey found that most people did not want to ride in self-driving cars and
    were unsure if they would make roads more dangerous or safer. In fact, 87% wanted a person always behind
    the wheel and ready to take over if something went wrong.

    Some pundits predict that in the next few decades, driverless technology will add $7 trillion to the global
    economy and save hundreds of thousands of lives. At the same time, it could devastate the auto industry
    along with gas stations, taxi drivers, and truckers. People might stop buying cars because services like Uber
    using self-driving cars would be cheaper.

    This could cause mass unemployment of taxi drivers and large reductions in auto sales. It would also cut
    down the need for many parking garages and parking spaces, freeing up valuable real estate for other
    purposes. More people might decide to live further from their workplaces because autonomous vehicles
    linked to traffic systems would make traffic flow more smoothly and free riders to work, nap, or watch videos
    while commuting.

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 4

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    Some people will prosper. Most will probably benefit, but many will be left behind. Driverless technology is
    estimated to change one in every nine U.S. jobs, although it will also create new jobs. Another consideration
    is that the tremendous investment in autonomous vehicles, which is estimated to be around $32 billion
    annually, might be better spent on improving public transportation systems like trains and subways. Does
    America need more cars in sprawling urban areas where highways are already jammed?

    Summary

    As you can see from the list of available technologies and decision support tools, information systems are a
    key component in their development and use. Technology is ever-changing, and the benefits are evident in
    the tools that are available to assist managers.

    Reference

    Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. L. (2022). Management information systems: Managing the digital firm (17th ed.).

    Pearson.

    Suggested Unit Resources

    In order to access the following resources, click the links below.

    To reinforce the concepts from this unit, you are encouraged to review the following:

    • Chapter 11 PowerPoint Presentation
    (PDF for Chapter 11 PowerPoint presentation)

    • Chapter 12 PowerPoint Presentation
    (PDF for Chapter 12 PowerPoint presentation)

    The following video cases mentioned in your eTextbook augment the information presented in the assigned
    chapter readings. You are encouraged to review the Chapter 11 and 12 video cases linked below.

    A transcript can be accessed for each video within the YouTube player by clicking on the three dots below the
    video title on the right. Closed-captioning can be turned on by clicking the “cc” icon at the bottom of each
    video.

    Alfresco. (2012, June 7). Alfresco tour video [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p266dTL6oJQ

    Alfresco. (2012, April 25). Alfresco case study: The New York Philharmonic [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWI5RZRC56A

    IBM. (2011, July 18). IBM Watson: The science behind an answer [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st-_yEvQeK0

    IBM Watson. (2014, October 7). IBM Watson: How it works [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6rvaWaiZNg

    Learning Activities (Nongraded)

    Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit
    them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.

    Review the following case study, FreshDirect Uses Business Intelligence to Manage its Online Grocery, which
    discusses how FreshDirect adopted a comprehensive enterprise data base system from SAP utilizing a
    number of business intelligence applications to track orders and customers. There is a link within the case
    study to an accompanying video. (A transcript can be accessed for the video within the YouTube player by

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632003_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632003_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605739_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605739_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632005_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632005_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605741_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605741_1)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p266dTL6oJQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p266dTL6oJQ)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWI5RZRC56A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWI5RZRC56A)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st-_yEvQeK0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st-_yEvQeK0)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6rvaWaiZNg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6rvaWaiZNg)

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 5

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    clicking on the three dots below the video title on the right. Closed-captioning can be turned on by clicking the
    “cc” icon at the bottom of the video.)

    After watching the video and reviewing the case study, answer the video case questions at the end.

    – Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VI
    – Required Unit Resources
    – Unit Lesson

    – What Is Knowledge?
    – The Business Value of Decision-Making
    – Information Systems in Management Decision-Making
    – Decision-making Technologies
    – Ethical Issues of Information Systems
    – Summary
    – Reference

    – Suggested Unit Resources
    – Learning Activities (Nongraded)

    – 1
    – 2

  • [Solved] PPT VII

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    See attached – ## UnitVIIPowerPointPresentation.docx – ## CaseStudy1.docx – ## UnitVIIStudyGuide.pdf – CaseStudy2.docx **## UnitVIIPowerPointPresentation.docx** **Unit VII PowerPoint Presentation** It is important to understand what information systems are and why they are essential for running and …

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    Assignment Prompt & Instructions

    See attached

    – ## UnitVIIPowerPointPresentation.docx

    – ## CaseStudy1.docx

    – ## UnitVIIStudyGuide.pdf

    – CaseStudy2.docx

    **## UnitVIIPowerPointPresentation.docx**

    **Unit VII PowerPoint Presentation**

    It is important to understand what information systems are and why they are essential for running and managing a business. The case studies below will provide you with an opportunity to review many of the concepts covered in this course thus far. These case studies provide you with an opportunity to critically analyze events that are taking place in real-life organizations. This helps to develop your critical thinking and research skills as you research each of these scenarios.

    For this assignment, you will review two case studies. Then, in a PowerPoint presentation, you will evaluate the studies and address each of the requirements listed below, using both critical thinking and theory as well as supporting documentation.

    Review and analyze the Chapter 1 Case Study “Will the Coronavirus Pandemic Make Working from Home the New Normal?” and address the following in a minimum of four slides:

    · Define the problem described in this case. What are the management, organization, and technology issues raised by this problem?

    · Identify the information systems used to provide a solution to this problem. Was this a successful solution? Why, or why not?

    · Will working from home become the dominant way of working in the future? Why, or why not?

    · Analyze how information systems aligned with organizational goals and strategies is necessary.

    Review and analyze the Chapter 8 Case Study “Is the Equifax Hack the Worst Ever—and Why?” and address the following in a minimum of four slides:

    · Identify and discuss the security and control issues that resulted from flaws in Equifax security and control.

    · What management, organization, and technology factors contributed to these problems?

    · Explain how an organization’s information systems are vulnerable to internal and external threats.

    · Discuss the impact of the Equifax hack.

    · Explain why data management has a tremendous impact on an organization’s survival.

    · How can future data breaches like this one be prevented? Discuss information systems solutions.

    In formatting your PowerPoint presentation, do not use the question-and-answer format; instead, use bullets, graphs, and/or charts in your slides to identify important points, and then discuss those points in the speaker notes of each slide. The speaker notes section of each slide should not repeat slide information, but serve as an area in which you augment or elaborate on slide information so that your audience has a better understanding of the material. You must have a minimum of 100 words in the Speaker Notes section of each content slide.

    Your PowerPoint presentation should be at least eight slides in length (not counting the title and reference slides). You are required to use at least two peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old to support each case study. You may use your eTextbook once in each case study. All sources used, including the eTextbook, must be referenced; all paraphrased material must have accompanying in-text citations in APA Style. At least two sources must come from the CSU Online Library.

    **## CaseStudy1.docx**

    **Case Study 1:**

    **Will the Coronavirus Pandemic Make Working from Home the New Normal?**

    As COVID-19 continued to spread around the globe, companies large and small started to make changes to the way they work, shuttering their offices and requiring most or all of their employees to work remotely from their homes.

    During the pandemic, ClearRisk, which offers integrated, cloud-based software solutions for claims, fleet, incident, and insurance certificate management had its entire staff working from home.

    Many large law firms, including Reed Smith, Baker McKenzie, and Nixon Peabody, closed offices and required work at home during the pandemic. The law firms emphasized that they could continue to serve clients despite office closings and remote work.

    OpenText Corp., a Canadian provider of enterprise information management products, plans to eliminate more than half of its 120 offices globally, with 2000 of its 15,000-person workforce working from home permanently.

    In mid-May 2020, Twitter Inc. notified employees that most of them could work from home indefinitely.

    According to a recent MIT report, 34 percent of Americans who previously commuted to work stated that they were working from home by the first week of April 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak. Prior to the pandemic, the number of people regularly working from home remained in the single digits, with only about 4 percent of the US workforce working from home at least half the time. However, the trend of working from home had been slowly gaining momentum thanks to advances in information technology for remote work and changes in corporate work culture. The coronavirus pandemic may mark a tipping point.

    It’s likely that many people who started working from home for the first time during the pandemic will continue to do so thereafter. New health guidelines about distancing will require some workplaces to expand to accommodate all their employees or to have a significant percentage of employees work permanently from home.

    Information technologies driving these changes include broadband high-speed Internet connections, laptop computers, tablets, smartphones, email, messaging, and videoconferencing tools. As companies shift their work from face-to-face to remote, video conferencing is becoming the new normal for meetings. People are trying to have good conversations, share critical information, generate new ideas, reach consensus, and make decisions quickly on this platform.

    Although less than ideal for face-to-face interactions, videoconferencing is becoming more powerful and affordable. There are many options, including Skype, Skype for Business, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Amazon Chime, BlueJeans, Cisco’s WebEx, GoToMeetings, and Google Meet. Some business people are using the same tools they do in their personal communications, such as FaceTime and Facebook Messenger. (FaceTime now supports group video chat with up to 32 people.)

    Video conference software such as WebEx and BlueJeans appears designed for more corporate uses. Other software such as Microsoft’s Skype and Zoom feels more consumer-friendly and easier to set up, with free or low-cost versions suitable for smaller businesses. Skype works for video chats, calls, and instant messaging and can handle up to 50 people in a single video call. Skype allows calls to be recorded in case someone misses a meeting. Skype also provides file-sharing capabilities, caller ID, voicemail, a split view mode to keep conversations separate, and screen share on mobile devices.

    Up to 1,000 users can participate in a single Zoom video call, and 49 videos can appear on the screen at once. Zoom includes collaboration tools like simultaneous screen-sharing and co-annotation, and the ability to record meetings and generate transcripts. Users can adjust meeting times, select multiple hosts, and communicate via chat if microphones and cameras are turned off.

    There are definite benefits to remote work: lower overhead, more flexible schedules, reductions in employee commuting time and attrition rates, and increases in productivity. (Many companies reported that productivity did not suffer when employees worked at home during the pandemic.) According to Global Workplace Analytics, a typical company saves about $11,000 per half-time telecommuter per year. Working remotely also poses challenges.

    Not all employees have access to the Internet at home, and many work in industries that require on-site work. About 80 percent of American adults have high-speed broadband Internet service at home. However, according to a Pew Research Center study, racial minorities, older adults, rural residents, and people with lower levels of education and income are less likely to have in-home broadband service. In addition, one in five American adults access the Internet only through their smartphones. Employees with little children or small apartments find working at home more difficult.

    Full-time employees are four times more likely to have remote work options than part-time employees. According to Global Workplace Analytics, a typical remote worker is college-educated, at least 45 years old, and earns an annual salary of $58,000 while working for a company with more than 100 employees.

    Although email and text messaging are very useful, they are not effective tools for communication compared to the information exchange and personal connection of face-to-face conversations. Remote work also inhibits the creativity and innovative thinking that take place when people interact with each other face-to-face, and videoconferencing is only a partial solution. Studies have found that people working together in the same room tend to solve problems more quickly than remote collaborators, and that team cohesion suffers when members work remotely.

    Sources: Lindsey Jacobson, “As Coronavirus Forces Millions to Work Remotely, the US Economy May Have Reached a ‘Tipping Point’ in Favor of Working from Home,” CNBC, March 23, 2020; Rita Zeidner, “Coronavirus Makes Work from Home the New Normal,” All Things Work, March 21, 2020; Dana Mattioli and Konrad Putzier, “The End of the Office,” Wall Street Journal, May 16-17, 2020; Cate Pye, “Coronavirus: What Does the ‘New Normal’ Mean for How We Work?” Computer Weekly, April 3, 2020; Josh Lowy, “Overcoming Remote Work Challenges,” MIT Sloan Management Review, April 9, 2020; Derek Thompson, “The Coronavirus Is Creating a Huge, Stressful Experiment in Working from Home,” The Atlantic, March 13, 2020; Kevin Roose, “Sorry, but Working from Home Is Overrated,” New York Times, March 10, 2020; Rani Molla, “This Is the End of the Office as We Know It,” Vox, April 14, 2020.

    **## UnitVIIStudyGuide.pdf**

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 1

    Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VII

    Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

    1. Analyze the use of information systems in business.
    1.2 Discuss information systems solutions that can be applied to business problems.

    3. Explain how information technology systems influence organizational strategies.

    3.6 Analyze how information systems projects are aligned with organizational goals and strategies.

    Required Unit Resources

    Chapter 13: Building Information Systems

    Chapter 14: Making the Business Case for Information Systems and Managing Projects

    Unit Lesson

    Information Systems

    No organization will remain the same for too long if it wants to be effective, efficient, and competitive. The
    concept of organizational change goes hand-in-hand with implementing new systems, regardless of whether
    you purchase new systems or develop them in-house. There is a whole discipline of quality management
    based on organizational change, process improvement, and business process redesign that supports the use
    of technology to improve business processes. For many organizations, the concept of business process
    redesign is never ending due to the continual need for evaluating current processes, designing new
    processes, implementing new processes, and seeking to optimize processes (Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Let’s look at an office environment as an example. An office environment is not generally set up to be
    process-efficient like an assembly line in an automobile assembly plant. However, people in office
    environments often get new information systems. Why is that? There are always ways of being more efficient
    in every type of workplace. There are always new ways to automate manual tasks—even just being able to
    access data faster is a plus. Most systems development comes from a desire to solve a problem. For
    example, how can we gather some specific data, manipulate the data, and output the data into information
    that makes sense to us or that we can use to make good business decisions?

    The opening case in Chapter 13, “Vinci Energies Builds a New Mobile Employee Time Sheet App” (Laudon &
    Laudon, 2022), illustrates how important it is for an organization to assess its business processes and strive
    to improve them continually. Between 2009 and 2019, the company tripled in size and found that its existing
    systems that were once sufficient now cumbersome. The systems were heavily manual, making them difficult
    and time-consuming to maintain. The highlighted company implemented a single instance of SAP S/4HANA
    Cloud as-a-Service (PaaS). This ERP system simplifies its information technology (IT) systems and financial
    reporting processes. One of the applications in the suite is a new employee timesheet application named
    MOBITIME that could capture worker time sheets as well as project costs and activities for multiple projects
    from any location. Other authorized users would be able to view the time sheet and project data online

    Developing a New Information System

    There are some core activities involved in systems development. These activities or steps in the process
    might actually be common sense to some of us. Different theorists can break the development process into

    UNIT VII STUDY GUIDE
    Building Information Systems and
    Managing Projects

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 2

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    different steps, but for the purpose of this course, we will say that there are six basic activities, according to
    Laudon and Laudon (2022).

    1. Systems analysis: How do you know how to solve the problem unless you do some analysis first?
    What is the exact problem? What are the causes? What are the requirements? What are some
    potential solutions? Are these solutions feasible? Based on many factors including time, cost,
    benefits, and impacts, management will choose a solution.

    2. Systems design: How do you get written user requirements into technical requirements? What are the
    system specifications? What is the functionality? What should the user involvement be? The systems
    design document should lay out the entire solution so that the developers can create the new system.

    3. Programming: This is where a lot of the work happens because the developer has to take the
    technical document and create an operational system. In many cases, organizations will purchase
    software packages from a vendor. If the tasks are standard or customizable, then purchasing a
    system may be a good option.

    4. Testing: There are different forms of testing. The developer will test as he or she goes, making sure
    there is functionality in the system. Then, the developer or a quality assurance (QA) representative
    will perform unit testing on the applications or modules one at a time. The next step would be to test
    the whole system to make sure everything works in unison. There will also likely be some regression
    testing, which means the tester will make sure no other systems are harmed by what this new system
    is doing. The final step is to test with the user to make sure the system is functional.

    5. Conversion: This involves the process of going live with the new system. There are many ways of
    doing this. Two popular ways involve a phased approach or direct cutover. Many times, organizations
    can even run systems in parallel until they are ready to turn off the old system.

    6. Production and maintenance: This step involves a review process over a period of time to make sure
    that there are no bugs that need to be addressed.

    The opening case of Chapter 14, “BDO Canada Selects New Project Management Software,” illustrates how
    important it is to involve users in designing, building, and implementing system changes. BDO replaced its
    internally built project management tool with a user-friendly online software-as-a-service (SaaS) tool that
    would work better with BDO’s growing portfolio of cloud applications. BDO’s senior IT management meets
    regularly, and the PMO team works with IT project managers to help them with product features and
    processes. The PMO team also offers drop-in sessions for stakeholders with questions two or three times per
    month.

    This case study shows that project management can be successful when done right. Unfortunately, too many
    organizations fail to correctly assess the business value of projects or fail to manage the organizational
    change brought on by new projects.

    Management of the Information System

    Just like any process, there are ways to manage the software development process to make sure that the
    rules are followed and that the process is as efficient as possible. Depending on the size of the project,
    managers may need some tools to help document and manage the process. First, it is important to note that
    there are different methodologies for developing systems. Structured methodologies are top-down, step-by-
    step methodologies that use data entities whereby progress flows from one logical step to the next. Object-
    oriented development methodologies are more iterative and incremental. They use objects that are data
    accompanied with information/instructions concerning the data.

    To manage the software development process, most development shops use a software systems
    development life cycle (SDLC) program. The original SDLC was called the waterfall method and was
    characterized by having formal stages where one stage had to be completed before the next one began. That
    sounds a bit rigid, does it not? It works well for smaller, less-complex software projects; however, it does not
    work well for larger, more-complex projects. Since the development of the waterfall SDLC, there have been
    many other approaches that have been developed. For example, prototyping is a popular method where parts
    of the system are created and presented to the user for use and approval. If the user does not approve, then
    adjustments can be made and presented again. This method can be used in conjunction with the waterfall
    method and adds an iterative element. More recently, several methods have been developed that are more
    versatile and iterative in nature. One of the more popular methods is called agile development, which focuses

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 3

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    on the quick delivery of small subprojects, each treated as a full project. Agile is used in many software
    development shops.

    Just as technology has adapted over time to answer the needs of organizations, so have the methods and
    processes been used to support technology advancement and information systems development.

    Role of project management. You might ask yourself why you need project management if you have a
    SDLC. Broadly speaking, a project is a set of activities that work together to achieve a business objective.
    That business objective might be to build a new warehouse, or it might be to build a new system. Either way,
    the project has to be managed. Nowadays, most complex systems go outside the boundaries of just software
    development. There may be hardware, network, server, database, and security considerations. You may even
    have prominent involvement from the business side of the organization. For the actual software development
    portion of the project, you can use an SDLC methodology to manage that process and project management to
    manage the overall project.

    There are some higher-level considerations for organizations and project management as well. How can you
    align your system projects with business goals? The organization’s business strategy drives the selection of
    projects. Many organizations will have a steering committee or similar facsimile to drive this selection process.

    How can organizations link their information systems projects to their business plan? An information systems
    plan will help make the link between specific technology and corporate goals. The plan will list the corporate
    goals and specify how IT will support the achievement of those goals through current systems and new
    development and acquisitions. How can you assess business value in relation to the information systems that
    you are developing? The value of a system is based on whether it provides enough returns to justify its cost.
    However, remember that there are always tangible and intangible benefits when discussing value.

    All of these are important considerations in the process of developing information systems for organizations.

    Reference

    Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. L. (2022). Management information systems: Managing the digital firm (17th ed.).

    Pearson.

    Suggested Unit Resources

    In order to access the following resources, click the links below.

    To reinforce the concepts from this unit, you are encouraged to review the following:

    • Chapter 13 PowerPoint Presentation
    (PDF for Chapter 13 PowerPoint presentation)

    • Chapter 14 PowerPoint Presentation
    (PDF for Chapter 14 PowerPoint presentation)

    The following video cases mentioned in your eTextbook augment the information presented in the assigned
    chapter readings. You are encouraged to review the Chapter 13 and 14 video cases linked below.

    A transcript can be accessed for each video within the YouTube player by clicking on the three dots below the
    video title on the right. Closed-captioning can be turned on by clicking the “cc” icon at the bottom of each
    video.

    leorwebsphere. (2011). IBM business process management [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDfQunJ12Mc

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632007_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632007_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605743_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605743_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632009_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632009_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605745_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605745_1)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDfQunJ12Mc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDfQunJ12Mc)

    – Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VII
    – Required Unit Resources
    – Unit Lesson

    – Information Systems
    – Developing a New Information System
    – Management of the Information System
    – Reference

    – Suggested Unit Resources

    **CaseStudy2.docx**

    This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/casestudy2-docx-10463705)

    **CaseStudy2.docx**

    This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/casestudy2-docx-10463705)

    **## UnitVIIPowerPointPresentation.docx**

    **Unit VII PowerPoint Presentation**

    It is important to understand what information systems are and why they are essential for running and managing a business. The case studies below will provide you with an opportunity to review many of the concepts covered in this course thus far. These case studies provide you with an opportunity to critically analyze events that are taking place in real-life organizations. This helps to develop your critical thinking and research skills as you research each of these scenarios.

    For this assignment, you will review two case studies. Then, in a PowerPoint presentation, you will evaluate the studies and address each of the requirements listed below, using both critical thinking and theory as well as supporting documentation.

    Review and analyze the Chapter 1 Case Study “Will the Coronavirus Pandemic Make Working from Home the New Normal?” and address the following in a minimum of four slides:

    · Define the problem described in this case. What are the management, organization, and technology issues raised by this problem?

    · Identify the information systems used to provide a solution to this problem. Was this a successful solution? Why, or why not?

    · Will working from home become the dominant way of working in the future? Why, or why not?

    · Analyze how information systems aligned with organizational goals and strategies is necessary.

    Review and analyze the Chapter 8 Case Study “Is the Equifax Hack the Worst Ever—and Why?” and address the following in a minimum of four slides:

    · Identify and discuss the security and control issues that resulted from flaws in Equifax security and control.

    · What management, organization, and technology factors contributed to these problems?

    · Explain how an organization’s information systems are vulnerable to internal and external threats.

    · Discuss the impact of the Equifax hack.

    · Explain why data management has a tremendous impact on an organization’s survival.

    · How can future data breaches like this one be prevented? Discuss information systems solutions.

    In formatting your PowerPoint presentation, do not use the question-and-answer format; instead, use bullets, graphs, and/or charts in your slides to identify important points, and then discuss those points in the speaker notes of each slide. The speaker notes section of each slide should not repeat slide information, but serve as an area in which you augment or elaborate on slide information so that your audience has a better understanding of the material. You must have a minimum of 100 words in the Speaker Notes section of each content slide.

    Your PowerPoint presentation should be at least eight slides in length (not counting the title and reference slides). You are required to use at least two peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old to support each case study. You may use your eTextbook once in each case study. All sources used, including the eTextbook, must be referenced; all paraphrased material must have accompanying in-text citations in APA Style. At least two sources must come from the CSU Online Library.

    **## CaseStudy1.docx**

    **Case Study 1:**

    **Will the Coronavirus Pandemic Make Working from Home the New Normal?**

    As COVID-19 continued to spread around the globe, companies large and small started to make changes to the way they work, shuttering their offices and requiring most or all of their employees to work remotely from their homes.

    During the pandemic, ClearRisk, which offers integrated, cloud-based software solutions for claims, fleet, incident, and insurance certificate management had its entire staff working from home.

    Many large law firms, including Reed Smith, Baker McKenzie, and Nixon Peabody, closed offices and required work at home during the pandemic. The law firms emphasized that they could continue to serve clients despite office closings and remote work.

    OpenText Corp., a Canadian provider of enterprise information management products, plans to eliminate more than half of its 120 offices globally, with 2000 of its 15,000-person workforce working from home permanently.

    In mid-May 2020, Twitter Inc. notified employees that most of them could work from home indefinitely.

    According to a recent MIT report, 34 percent of Americans who previously commuted to work stated that they were working from home by the first week of April 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak. Prior to the pandemic, the number of people regularly working from home remained in the single digits, with only about 4 percent of the US workforce working from home at least half the time. However, the trend of working from home had been slowly gaining momentum thanks to advances in information technology for remote work and changes in corporate work culture. The coronavirus pandemic may mark a tipping point.

    It’s likely that many people who started working from home for the first time during the pandemic will continue to do so thereafter. New health guidelines about distancing will require some workplaces to expand to accommodate all their employees or to have a significant percentage of employees work permanently from home.

    Information technologies driving these changes include broadband high-speed Internet connections, laptop computers, tablets, smartphones, email, messaging, and videoconferencing tools. As companies shift their work from face-to-face to remote, video conferencing is becoming the new normal for meetings. People are trying to have good conversations, share critical information, generate new ideas, reach consensus, and make decisions quickly on this platform.

    Although less than ideal for face-to-face interactions, videoconferencing is becoming more powerful and affordable. There are many options, including Skype, Skype for Business, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Amazon Chime, BlueJeans, Cisco’s WebEx, GoToMeetings, and Google Meet. Some business people are using the same tools they do in their personal communications, such as FaceTime and Facebook Messenger. (FaceTime now supports group video chat with up to 32 people.)

    Video conference software such as WebEx and BlueJeans appears designed for more corporate uses. Other software such as Microsoft’s Skype and Zoom feels more consumer-friendly and easier to set up, with free or low-cost versions suitable for smaller businesses. Skype works for video chats, calls, and instant messaging and can handle up to 50 people in a single video call. Skype allows calls to be recorded in case someone misses a meeting. Skype also provides file-sharing capabilities, caller ID, voicemail, a split view mode to keep conversations separate, and screen share on mobile devices.

    Up to 1,000 users can participate in a single Zoom video call, and 49 videos can appear on the screen at once. Zoom includes collaboration tools like simultaneous screen-sharing and co-annotation, and the ability to record meetings and generate transcripts. Users can adjust meeting times, select multiple hosts, and communicate via chat if microphones and cameras are turned off.

    There are definite benefits to remote work: lower overhead, more flexible schedules, reductions in employee commuting time and attrition rates, and increases in productivity. (Many companies reported that productivity did not suffer when employees worked at home during the pandemic.) According to Global Workplace Analytics, a typical company saves about $11,000 per half-time telecommuter per year. Working remotely also poses challenges.

    Not all employees have access to the Internet at home, and many work in industries that require on-site work. About 80 percent of American adults have high-speed broadband Internet service at home. However, according to a Pew Research Center study, racial minorities, older adults, rural residents, and people with lower levels of education and income are less likely to have in-home broadband service. In addition, one in five American adults access the Internet only through their smartphones. Employees with little children or small apartments find working at home more difficult.

    Full-time employees are four times more likely to have remote work options than part-time employees. According to Global Workplace Analytics, a typical remote worker is college-educated, at least 45 years old, and earns an annual salary of $58,000 while working for a company with more than 100 employees.

    Although email and text messaging are very useful, they are not effective tools for communication compared to the information exchange and personal connection of face-to-face conversations. Remote work also inhibits the creativity and innovative thinking that take place when people interact with each other face-to-face, and videoconferencing is only a partial solution. Studies have found that people working together in the same room tend to solve problems more quickly than remote collaborators, and that team cohesion suffers when members work remotely.

    Sources: Lindsey Jacobson, “As Coronavirus Forces Millions to Work Remotely, the US Economy May Have Reached a ‘Tipping Point’ in Favor of Working from Home,” CNBC, March 23, 2020; Rita Zeidner, “Coronavirus Makes Work from Home the New Normal,” All Things Work, March 21, 2020; Dana Mattioli and Konrad Putzier, “The End of the Office,” Wall Street Journal, May 16-17, 2020; Cate Pye, “Coronavirus: What Does the ‘New Normal’ Mean for How We Work?” Computer Weekly, April 3, 2020; Josh Lowy, “Overcoming Remote Work Challenges,” MIT Sloan Management Review, April 9, 2020; Derek Thompson, “The Coronavirus Is Creating a Huge, Stressful Experiment in Working from Home,” The Atlantic, March 13, 2020; Kevin Roose, “Sorry, but Working from Home Is Overrated,” New York Times, March 10, 2020; Rani Molla, “This Is the End of the Office as We Know It,” Vox, April 14, 2020.

    **## UnitVIIStudyGuide.pdf**

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 1

    Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VII

    Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

    1. Analyze the use of information systems in business.
    1.2 Discuss information systems solutions that can be applied to business problems.

    3. Explain how information technology systems influence organizational strategies.

    3.6 Analyze how information systems projects are aligned with organizational goals and strategies.

    Required Unit Resources

    Chapter 13: Building Information Systems

    Chapter 14: Making the Business Case for Information Systems and Managing Projects

    Unit Lesson

    Information Systems

    No organization will remain the same for too long if it wants to be effective, efficient, and competitive. The
    concept of organizational change goes hand-in-hand with implementing new systems, regardless of whether
    you purchase new systems or develop them in-house. There is a whole discipline of quality management
    based on organizational change, process improvement, and business process redesign that supports the use
    of technology to improve business processes. For many organizations, the concept of business process
    redesign is never ending due to the continual need for evaluating current processes, designing new
    processes, implementing new processes, and seeking to optimize processes (Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Let’s look at an office environment as an example. An office environment is not generally set up to be
    process-efficient like an assembly line in an automobile assembly plant. However, people in office
    environments often get new information systems. Why is that? There are always ways of being more efficient
    in every type of workplace. There are always new ways to automate manual tasks—even just being able to
    access data faster is a plus. Most systems development comes from a desire to solve a problem. For
    example, how can we gather some specific data, manipulate the data, and output the data into information
    that makes sense to us or that we can use to make good business decisions?

    The opening case in Chapter 13, “Vinci Energies Builds a New Mobile Employee Time Sheet App” (Laudon &
    Laudon, 2022), illustrates how important it is for an organization to assess its business processes and strive
    to improve them continually. Between 2009 and 2019, the company tripled in size and found that its existing
    systems that were once sufficient now cumbersome. The systems were heavily manual, making them difficult
    and time-consuming to maintain. The highlighted company implemented a single instance of SAP S/4HANA
    Cloud as-a-Service (PaaS). This ERP system simplifies its information technology (IT) systems and financial
    reporting processes. One of the applications in the suite is a new employee timesheet application named
    MOBITIME that could capture worker time sheets as well as project costs and activities for multiple projects
    from any location. Other authorized users would be able to view the time sheet and project data online

    Developing a New Information System

    There are some core activities involved in systems development. These activities or steps in the process
    might actually be common sense to some of us. Different theorists can break the development process into

    UNIT VII STUDY GUIDE
    Building Information Systems and
    Managing Projects

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 2

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    different steps, but for the purpose of this course, we will say that there are six basic activities, according to
    Laudon and Laudon (2022).

    1. Systems analysis: How do you know how to solve the problem unless you do some analysis first?
    What is the exact problem? What are the causes? What are the requirements? What are some
    potential solutions? Are these solutions feasible? Based on many factors including time, cost,
    benefits, and impacts, management will choose a solution.

    2. Systems design: How do you get written user requirements into technical requirements? What are the
    system specifications? What is the functionality? What should the user involvement be? The systems
    design document should lay out the entire solution so that the developers can create the new system.

    3. Programming: This is where a lot of the work happens because the developer has to take the
    technical document and create an operational system. In many cases, organizations will purchase
    software packages from a vendor. If the tasks are standard or customizable, then purchasing a
    system may be a good option.

    4. Testing: There are different forms of testing. The developer will test as he or she goes, making sure
    there is functionality in the system. Then, the developer or a quality assurance (QA) representative
    will perform unit testing on the applications or modules one at a time. The next step would be to test
    the whole system to make sure everything works in unison. There will also likely be some regression
    testing, which means the tester will make sure no other systems are harmed by what this new system
    is doing. The final step is to test with the user to make sure the system is functional.

    5. Conversion: This involves the process of going live with the new system. There are many ways of
    doing this. Two popular ways involve a phased approach or direct cutover. Many times, organizations
    can even run systems in parallel until they are ready to turn off the old system.

    6. Production and maintenance: This step involves a review process over a period of time to make sure
    that there are no bugs that need to be addressed.

    The opening case of Chapter 14, “BDO Canada Selects New Project Management Software,” illustrates how
    important it is to involve users in designing, building, and implementing system changes. BDO replaced its
    internally built project management tool with a user-friendly online software-as-a-service (SaaS) tool that
    would work better with BDO’s growing portfolio of cloud applications. BDO’s senior IT management meets
    regularly, and the PMO team works with IT project managers to help them with product features and
    processes. The PMO team also offers drop-in sessions for stakeholders with questions two or three times per
    month.

    This case study shows that project management can be successful when done right. Unfortunately, too many
    organizations fail to correctly assess the business value of projects or fail to manage the organizational
    change brought on by new projects.

    Management of the Information System

    Just like any process, there are ways to manage the software development process to make sure that the
    rules are followed and that the process is as efficient as possible. Depending on the size of the project,
    managers may need some tools to help document and manage the process. First, it is important to note that
    there are different methodologies for developing systems. Structured methodologies are top-down, step-by-
    step methodologies that use data entities whereby progress flows from one logical step to the next. Object-
    oriented development methodologies are more iterative and incremental. They use objects that are data
    accompanied with information/instructions concerning the data.

    To manage the software development process, most development shops use a software systems
    development life cycle (SDLC) program. The original SDLC was called the waterfall method and was
    characterized by having formal stages where one stage had to be completed before the next one began. That
    sounds a bit rigid, does it not? It works well for smaller, less-complex software projects; however, it does not
    work well for larger, more-complex projects. Since the development of the waterfall SDLC, there have been
    many other approaches that have been developed. For example, prototyping is a popular method where parts
    of the system are created and presented to the user for use and approval. If the user does not approve, then
    adjustments can be made and presented again. This method can be used in conjunction with the waterfall
    method and adds an iterative element. More recently, several methods have been developed that are more
    versatile and iterative in nature. One of the more popular methods is called agile development, which focuses

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 3

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    on the quick delivery of small subprojects, each treated as a full project. Agile is used in many software
    development shops.

    Just as technology has adapted over time to answer the needs of organizations, so have the methods and
    processes been used to support technology advancement and information systems development.

    Role of project management. You might ask yourself why you need project management if you have a
    SDLC. Broadly speaking, a project is a set of activities that work together to achieve a business objective.
    That business objective might be to build a new warehouse, or it might be to build a new system. Either way,
    the project has to be managed. Nowadays, most complex systems go outside the boundaries of just software
    development. There may be hardware, network, server, database, and security considerations. You may even
    have prominent involvement from the business side of the organization. For the actual software development
    portion of the project, you can use an SDLC methodology to manage that process and project management to
    manage the overall project.

    There are some higher-level considerations for organizations and project management as well. How can you
    align your system projects with business goals? The organization’s business strategy drives the selection of
    projects. Many organizations will have a steering committee or similar facsimile to drive this selection process.

    How can organizations link their information systems projects to their business plan? An information systems
    plan will help make the link between specific technology and corporate goals. The plan will list the corporate
    goals and specify how IT will support the achievement of those goals through current systems and new
    development and acquisitions. How can you assess business value in relation to the information systems that
    you are developing? The value of a system is based on whether it provides enough returns to justify its cost.
    However, remember that there are always tangible and intangible benefits when discussing value.

    All of these are important considerations in the process of developing information systems for organizations.

    Reference

    Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. L. (2022). Management information systems: Managing the digital firm (17th ed.).

    Pearson.

    Suggested Unit Resources

    In order to access the following resources, click the links below.

    To reinforce the concepts from this unit, you are encouraged to review the following:

    • Chapter 13 PowerPoint Presentation
    (PDF for Chapter 13 PowerPoint presentation)

    • Chapter 14 PowerPoint Presentation
    (PDF for Chapter 14 PowerPoint presentation)

    The following video cases mentioned in your eTextbook augment the information presented in the assigned
    chapter readings. You are encouraged to review the Chapter 13 and 14 video cases linked below.

    A transcript can be accessed for each video within the YouTube player by clicking on the three dots below the
    video title on the right. Closed-captioning can be turned on by clicking the “cc” icon at the bottom of each
    video.

    leorwebsphere. (2011). IBM business process management [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDfQunJ12Mc

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632007_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632007_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605743_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605743_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632009_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632009_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605745_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605745_1)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDfQunJ12Mc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDfQunJ12Mc)

    – Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VII
    – Required Unit Resources
    – Unit Lesson

    – Information Systems
    – Developing a New Information System
    – Management of the Information System
    – Reference

    – Suggested Unit Resources

    **CaseStudy2.docx**

    This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/casestudy2-docx-10463705)

    **## UnitVIIPowerPointPresentation.docx**

    **Unit VII PowerPoint Presentation**

    It is important to understand what information systems are and why they are essential for running and managing a business. The case studies below will provide you with an opportunity to review many of the concepts covered in this course thus far. These case studies provide you with an opportunity to critically analyze events that are taking place in real-life organizations. This helps to develop your critical thinking and research skills as you research each of these scenarios.

    For this assignment, you will review two case studies. Then, in a PowerPoint presentation, you will evaluate the studies and address each of the requirements listed below, using both critical thinking and theory as well as supporting documentation.

    Review and analyze the Chapter 1 Case Study “Will the Coronavirus Pandemic Make Working from Home the New Normal?” and address the following in a minimum of four slides:

    · Define the problem described in this case. What are the management, organization, and technology issues raised by this problem?

    · Identify the information systems used to provide a solution to this problem. Was this a successful solution? Why, or why not?

    · Will working from home become the dominant way of working in the future? Why, or why not?

    · Analyze how information systems aligned with organizational goals and strategies is necessary.

    Review and analyze the Chapter 8 Case Study “Is the Equifax Hack the Worst Ever—and Why?” and address the following in a minimum of four slides:

    · Identify and discuss the security and control issues that resulted from flaws in Equifax security and control.

    · What management, organization, and technology factors contributed to these problems?

    · Explain how an organization’s information systems are vulnerable to internal and external threats.

    · Discuss the impact of the Equifax hack.

    · Explain why data management has a tremendous impact on an organization’s survival.

    · How can future data breaches like this one be prevented? Discuss information systems solutions.

    In formatting your PowerPoint presentation, do not use the question-and-answer format; instead, use bullets, graphs, and/or charts in your slides to identify important points, and then discuss those points in the speaker notes of each slide. The speaker notes section of each slide should not repeat slide information, but serve as an area in which you augment or elaborate on slide information so that your audience has a better understanding of the material. You must have a minimum of 100 words in the Speaker Notes section of each content slide.

    Your PowerPoint presentation should be at least eight slides in length (not counting the title and reference slides). You are required to use at least two peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old to support each case study. You may use your eTextbook once in each case study. All sources used, including the eTextbook, must be referenced; all paraphrased material must have accompanying in-text citations in APA Style. At least two sources must come from the CSU Online Library.

    **## CaseStudy1.docx**

    **Case Study 1:**

    **Will the Coronavirus Pandemic Make Working from Home the New Normal?**

    As COVID-19 continued to spread around the globe, companies large and small started to make changes to the way they work, shuttering their offices and requiring most or all of their employees to work remotely from their homes.

    During the pandemic, ClearRisk, which offers integrated, cloud-based software solutions for claims, fleet, incident, and insurance certificate management had its entire staff working from home.

    Many large law firms, including Reed Smith, Baker McKenzie, and Nixon Peabody, closed offices and required work at home during the pandemic. The law firms emphasized that they could continue to serve clients despite office closings and remote work.

    OpenText Corp., a Canadian provider of enterprise information management products, plans to eliminate more than half of its 120 offices globally, with 2000 of its 15,000-person workforce working from home permanently.

    In mid-May 2020, Twitter Inc. notified employees that most of them could work from home indefinitely.

    According to a recent MIT report, 34 percent of Americans who previously commuted to work stated that they were working from home by the first week of April 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak. Prior to the pandemic, the number of people regularly working from home remained in the single digits, with only about 4 percent of the US workforce working from home at least half the time. However, the trend of working from home had been slowly gaining momentum thanks to advances in information technology for remote work and changes in corporate work culture. The coronavirus pandemic may mark a tipping point.

    It’s likely that many people who started working from home for the first time during the pandemic will continue to do so thereafter. New health guidelines about distancing will require some workplaces to expand to accommodate all their employees or to have a significant percentage of employees work permanently from home.

    Information technologies driving these changes include broadband high-speed Internet connections, laptop computers, tablets, smartphones, email, messaging, and videoconferencing tools. As companies shift their work from face-to-face to remote, video conferencing is becoming the new normal for meetings. People are trying to have good conversations, share critical information, generate new ideas, reach consensus, and make decisions quickly on this platform.

    Although less than ideal for face-to-face interactions, videoconferencing is becoming more powerful and affordable. There are many options, including Skype, Skype for Business, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Amazon Chime, BlueJeans, Cisco’s WebEx, GoToMeetings, and Google Meet. Some business people are using the same tools they do in their personal communications, such as FaceTime and Facebook Messenger. (FaceTime now supports group video chat with up to 32 people.)

    Video conference software such as WebEx and BlueJeans appears designed for more corporate uses. Other software such as Microsoft’s Skype and Zoom feels more consumer-friendly and easier to set up, with free or low-cost versions suitable for smaller businesses. Skype works for video chats, calls, and instant messaging and can handle up to 50 people in a single video call. Skype allows calls to be recorded in case someone misses a meeting. Skype also provides file-sharing capabilities, caller ID, voicemail, a split view mode to keep conversations separate, and screen share on mobile devices.

    Up to 1,000 users can participate in a single Zoom video call, and 49 videos can appear on the screen at once. Zoom includes collaboration tools like simultaneous screen-sharing and co-annotation, and the ability to record meetings and generate transcripts. Users can adjust meeting times, select multiple hosts, and communicate via chat if microphones and cameras are turned off.

    There are definite benefits to remote work: lower overhead, more flexible schedules, reductions in employee commuting time and attrition rates, and increases in productivity. (Many companies reported that productivity did not suffer when employees worked at home during the pandemic.) According to Global Workplace Analytics, a typical company saves about $11,000 per half-time telecommuter per year. Working remotely also poses challenges.

    Not all employees have access to the Internet at home, and many work in industries that require on-site work. About 80 percent of American adults have high-speed broadband Internet service at home. However, according to a Pew Research Center study, racial minorities, older adults, rural residents, and people with lower levels of education and income are less likely to have in-home broadband service. In addition, one in five American adults access the Internet only through their smartphones. Employees with little children or small apartments find working at home more difficult.

    Full-time employees are four times more likely to have remote work options than part-time employees. According to Global Workplace Analytics, a typical remote worker is college-educated, at least 45 years old, and earns an annual salary of $58,000 while working for a company with more than 100 employees.

    Although email and text messaging are very useful, they are not effective tools for communication compared to the information exchange and personal connection of face-to-face conversations. Remote work also inhibits the creativity and innovative thinking that take place when people interact with each other face-to-face, and videoconferencing is only a partial solution. Studies have found that people working together in the same room tend to solve problems more quickly than remote collaborators, and that team cohesion suffers when members work remotely.

    Sources: Lindsey Jacobson, “As Coronavirus Forces Millions to Work Remotely, the US Economy May Have Reached a ‘Tipping Point’ in Favor of Working from Home,” CNBC, March 23, 2020; Rita Zeidner, “Coronavirus Makes Work from Home the New Normal,” All Things Work, March 21, 2020; Dana Mattioli and Konrad Putzier, “The End of the Office,” Wall Street Journal, May 16-17, 2020; Cate Pye, “Coronavirus: What Does the ‘New Normal’ Mean for How We Work?” Computer Weekly, April 3, 2020; Josh Lowy, “Overcoming Remote Work Challenges,” MIT Sloan Management Review, April 9, 2020; Derek Thompson, “The Coronavirus Is Creating a Huge, Stressful Experiment in Working from Home,” The Atlantic, March 13, 2020; Kevin Roose, “Sorry, but Working from Home Is Overrated,” New York Times, March 10, 2020; Rani Molla, “This Is the End of the Office as We Know It,” Vox, April 14, 2020.

    **## UnitVIIStudyGuide.pdf**

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 1

    Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VII

    Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

    1. Analyze the use of information systems in business.
    1.2 Discuss information systems solutions that can be applied to business problems.

    3. Explain how information technology systems influence organizational strategies.

    3.6 Analyze how information systems projects are aligned with organizational goals and strategies.

    Required Unit Resources

    Chapter 13: Building Information Systems

    Chapter 14: Making the Business Case for Information Systems and Managing Projects

    Unit Lesson

    Information Systems

    No organization will remain the same for too long if it wants to be effective, efficient, and competitive. The
    concept of organizational change goes hand-in-hand with implementing new systems, regardless of whether
    you purchase new systems or develop them in-house. There is a whole discipline of quality management
    based on organizational change, process improvement, and business process redesign that supports the use
    of technology to improve business processes. For many organizations, the concept of business process
    redesign is never ending due to the continual need for evaluating current processes, designing new
    processes, implementing new processes, and seeking to optimize processes (Laudon & Laudon, 2022).

    Let’s look at an office environment as an example. An office environment is not generally set up to be
    process-efficient like an assembly line in an automobile assembly plant. However, people in office
    environments often get new information systems. Why is that? There are always ways of being more efficient
    in every type of workplace. There are always new ways to automate manual tasks—even just being able to
    access data faster is a plus. Most systems development comes from a desire to solve a problem. For
    example, how can we gather some specific data, manipulate the data, and output the data into information
    that makes sense to us or that we can use to make good business decisions?

    The opening case in Chapter 13, “Vinci Energies Builds a New Mobile Employee Time Sheet App” (Laudon &
    Laudon, 2022), illustrates how important it is for an organization to assess its business processes and strive
    to improve them continually. Between 2009 and 2019, the company tripled in size and found that its existing
    systems that were once sufficient now cumbersome. The systems were heavily manual, making them difficult
    and time-consuming to maintain. The highlighted company implemented a single instance of SAP S/4HANA
    Cloud as-a-Service (PaaS). This ERP system simplifies its information technology (IT) systems and financial
    reporting processes. One of the applications in the suite is a new employee timesheet application named
    MOBITIME that could capture worker time sheets as well as project costs and activities for multiple projects
    from any location. Other authorized users would be able to view the time sheet and project data online

    Developing a New Information System

    There are some core activities involved in systems development. These activities or steps in the process
    might actually be common sense to some of us. Different theorists can break the development process into

    UNIT VII STUDY GUIDE
    Building Information Systems and
    Managing Projects

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 2

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    different steps, but for the purpose of this course, we will say that there are six basic activities, according to
    Laudon and Laudon (2022).

    1. Systems analysis: How do you know how to solve the problem unless you do some analysis first?
    What is the exact problem? What are the causes? What are the requirements? What are some
    potential solutions? Are these solutions feasible? Based on many factors including time, cost,
    benefits, and impacts, management will choose a solution.

    2. Systems design: How do you get written user requirements into technical requirements? What are the
    system specifications? What is the functionality? What should the user involvement be? The systems
    design document should lay out the entire solution so that the developers can create the new system.

    3. Programming: This is where a lot of the work happens because the developer has to take the
    technical document and create an operational system. In many cases, organizations will purchase
    software packages from a vendor. If the tasks are standard or customizable, then purchasing a
    system may be a good option.

    4. Testing: There are different forms of testing. The developer will test as he or she goes, making sure
    there is functionality in the system. Then, the developer or a quality assurance (QA) representative
    will perform unit testing on the applications or modules one at a time. The next step would be to test
    the whole system to make sure everything works in unison. There will also likely be some regression
    testing, which means the tester will make sure no other systems are harmed by what this new system
    is doing. The final step is to test with the user to make sure the system is functional.

    5. Conversion: This involves the process of going live with the new system. There are many ways of
    doing this. Two popular ways involve a phased approach or direct cutover. Many times, organizations
    can even run systems in parallel until they are ready to turn off the old system.

    6. Production and maintenance: This step involves a review process over a period of time to make sure
    that there are no bugs that need to be addressed.

    The opening case of Chapter 14, “BDO Canada Selects New Project Management Software,” illustrates how
    important it is to involve users in designing, building, and implementing system changes. BDO replaced its
    internally built project management tool with a user-friendly online software-as-a-service (SaaS) tool that
    would work better with BDO’s growing portfolio of cloud applications. BDO’s senior IT management meets
    regularly, and the PMO team works with IT project managers to help them with product features and
    processes. The PMO team also offers drop-in sessions for stakeholders with questions two or three times per
    month.

    This case study shows that project management can be successful when done right. Unfortunately, too many
    organizations fail to correctly assess the business value of projects or fail to manage the organizational
    change brought on by new projects.

    Management of the Information System

    Just like any process, there are ways to manage the software development process to make sure that the
    rules are followed and that the process is as efficient as possible. Depending on the size of the project,
    managers may need some tools to help document and manage the process. First, it is important to note that
    there are different methodologies for developing systems. Structured methodologies are top-down, step-by-
    step methodologies that use data entities whereby progress flows from one logical step to the next. Object-
    oriented development methodologies are more iterative and incremental. They use objects that are data
    accompanied with information/instructions concerning the data.

    To manage the software development process, most development shops use a software systems
    development life cycle (SDLC) program. The original SDLC was called the waterfall method and was
    characterized by having formal stages where one stage had to be completed before the next one began. That
    sounds a bit rigid, does it not? It works well for smaller, less-complex software projects; however, it does not
    work well for larger, more-complex projects. Since the development of the waterfall SDLC, there have been
    many other approaches that have been developed. For example, prototyping is a popular method where parts
    of the system are created and presented to the user for use and approval. If the user does not approve, then
    adjustments can be made and presented again. This method can be used in conjunction with the waterfall
    method and adds an iterative element. More recently, several methods have been developed that are more
    versatile and iterative in nature. One of the more popular methods is called agile development, which focuses

    ITC 5301, Management Information Systems 3

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    on the quick delivery of small subprojects, each treated as a full project. Agile is used in many software
    development shops.

    Just as technology has adapted over time to answer the needs of organizations, so have the methods and
    processes been used to support technology advancement and information systems development.

    Role of project management. You might ask yourself why you need project management if you have a
    SDLC. Broadly speaking, a project is a set of activities that work together to achieve a business objective.
    That business objective might be to build a new warehouse, or it might be to build a new system. Either way,
    the project has to be managed. Nowadays, most complex systems go outside the boundaries of just software
    development. There may be hardware, network, server, database, and security considerations. You may even
    have prominent involvement from the business side of the organization. For the actual software development
    portion of the project, you can use an SDLC methodology to manage that process and project management to
    manage the overall project.

    There are some higher-level considerations for organizations and project management as well. How can you
    align your system projects with business goals? The organization’s business strategy drives the selection of
    projects. Many organizations will have a steering committee or similar facsimile to drive this selection process.

    How can organizations link their information systems projects to their business plan? An information systems
    plan will help make the link between specific technology and corporate goals. The plan will list the corporate
    goals and specify how IT will support the achievement of those goals through current systems and new
    development and acquisitions. How can you assess business value in relation to the information systems that
    you are developing? The value of a system is based on whether it provides enough returns to justify its cost.
    However, remember that there are always tangible and intangible benefits when discussing value.

    All of these are important considerations in the process of developing information systems for organizations.

    Reference

    Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. L. (2022). Management information systems: Managing the digital firm (17th ed.).

    Pearson.

    Suggested Unit Resources

    In order to access the following resources, click the links below.

    To reinforce the concepts from this unit, you are encouraged to review the following:

    • Chapter 13 PowerPoint Presentation
    (PDF for Chapter 13 PowerPoint presentation)

    • Chapter 14 PowerPoint Presentation
    (PDF for Chapter 14 PowerPoint presentation)

    The following video cases mentioned in your eTextbook augment the information presented in the assigned
    chapter readings. You are encouraged to review the Chapter 13 and 14 video cases linked below.

    A transcript can be accessed for each video within the YouTube player by clicking on the three dots below the
    video title on the right. Closed-captioning can be turned on by clicking the “cc” icon at the bottom of each
    video.

    leorwebsphere. (2011). IBM business process management [Video]. YouTube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDfQunJ12Mc

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632007_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632007_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605743_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605743_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632009_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150632009_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605745_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-150605745_1)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDfQunJ12Mc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDfQunJ12Mc)

    – Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VII
    – Required Unit Resources
    – Unit Lesson

    – Information Systems
    – Developing a New Information System
    – Management of the Information System
    – Reference

    – Suggested Unit Resources

    **CaseStudy2.docx**

    This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/casestudy2-docx-10463705)

    – 1
    – 2
    – 3
    – 4

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    see attached. – ## IV.docx – ## UnitIV.pdf **## IV.docx** Discuss the importance of unified interagency operations to ensure emergency responder safety and public safety during a terrorist attack response. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing a multiagency response when it comes to impl…

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    see attached.

    – ## IV.docx

    – ## UnitIV.pdf

    **## IV.docx**

    Discuss the importance of unified interagency operations to ensure emergency responder safety and public safety during a terrorist attack response. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing a multiagency response when it comes to implementing protective measures at the scene of a terrorist attack? Explain your rationale.

    Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

    **## UnitIV.pdf**

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 1

    Course Learning Outcomes for Unit IV

    Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

    5. Determine protective measures for individuals at the scene of a terrorist attack.
    5.1 Explain how responder communications factor into the protective measures taken in response

    to a terrorist attack.
    5.2 Analyze lessons learned regarding communication issues in previous terrorist attack

    responses.
    5.3 Summarize how the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) objectives are enhanced

    through effective communications.

    Required Unit Resources

    Chapter 5: The Department of Homeland Security

    In order to access the following resource, click the link below.

    Read pp. 1–47 of the document below.

    Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (2019, September). National emergency communications

    plan. U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
    https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf

    Unit Lesson

    Department of Homeland Security

    How was the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established? Was developing DHS successful?
    Moreover, was creating such a department even warranted? These are some of the questions that we will
    examine in this unit. Then, we will begin to look at protective measures that can aid in DHS preparation,
    mitigation, and response efforts.

    Oliver et al. (2021) discuss how unexpected the attacks of 9/11 were and that they appeared to have caught
    most everyone by surprise. Many argued that the intelligence community, the federal government, emergency
    responders, and the entire country were unprepared for the events of that day. Consider that the president of
    the United States, who receives daily intelligence briefings and would seemingly be one of the first to be first
    aware of an impending threat or attack, was in a classroom, interacting with elementary school students at the
    time of the attack.

    Only a week after the attacks of 9/11, a series of anthrax attacks in the United States caused additional fear
    and concern across the United States. In these attacks, letters were mailed out that contained anthrax spores;
    five people died, and 17 additional individuals were injured (Oliver et al., 2021). While no one was ever
    implicated and brought to justice for the anthrax attacks, the attacks further enhanced the need for additional
    protective measures. Congress subsequently introduced the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing
    Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2011 (USA PATRIOT Act) into the
    House of Representatives on October 23, 2001, and it passed through the U.S. Senate on October 25, 2001
    (Oliver et al., 2021).

    The Homeland Security Act of 2002 sought to establish the DHS (Oliver et al., 2021). The establishment of
    the DHS was one of the first national protection measures enacted after 9/11 as it was quickly realized that

    UNIT IV STUDY GUIDE
    U.S. Department of Homeland Security,
    Communication, and Protective Measures

    [https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf](https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf)

    [https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf](https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf)

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 2

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    one department should be charged with overseeing and protecting the homeland. Therefore, it became the
    objective of the DHS to protect the country from terrorist attacks, both foreign and domestic. Although the
    DHS has 22 agencies and various functions, its main objective is to protect the homeland, and it was set up to
    be responsible for the following responsibilities:

    • overseeing policy for preventing terrorist attacks within the United States;
    • passing new laws to reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism;
    • minimizing the damage and assisting in the recovery of a terrorist attack;
    • carrying out all functions of those agencies transferred to DHS;
    • ensuring the functionality of the agencies within DHS, which are not related directly to protecting the

    country, is not diminished;
    • ensuring that the overall U.S. economic security is not diminished by any activities related to

    protecting the nation; and
    • monitoring possible connections between drug trafficking and terrorism (Oliver et al., 2021).

    What were the benefits of creating the DHS? The ability to have various agencies work under one department
    would subsequently foster effective communication, whereas prior to 9/11 agencies were focused on their
    missions and objectives. Establishing the DHS provided a mechanism for these agencies to collaborate and
    work together. Thus far, the DHS has been successful in mitigating and preventing numerous potential
    threats. This is accomplished by DHS-coordinated exercises with all levels of governments that assist in the
    planning stages and the overall function of disaster management.

    But how can we plan for a predicament of this nature? These attacks not only caused injuries and casualties,
    but also caused collateral devastation in areas like the financial markets. This clearly shows that homeland
    security impacts a myriad of sectors; therefore, homeland security should be everyone’s concern. As the DHS
    has evolved, increased emphasis has been placed on mitigation and strengthening preparedness and
    resilience through protective measures that can be taken before, during, and after an incident.

    Community Emergency Response Team

    Many cities and municipalities offer a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. These
    programs are extremely beneficial. It is a voluntary training that allows citizens in the community an
    understanding of how to prepare in the event of a terrorist attack or disaster situation. Additionally, once
    trained, these individuals would have the knowledge to provide their capabilities to their family members,
    neighbors, and community if a disaster situation were to occur.

    One may ask, if CERT is beneficial, should such training be mandatory for citizens within a community?
    CERT focuses on a variety of incidents, ranging from preparing individuals for weather-related events to
    potential terrorist attacks. Communities and local, state, and federal governments may all establish certain
    policies and legislations. So, why can such training not be mandated? Concerns that may be discussed could
    relate to coordination, feasibility, and of course, funding. These may be legitimate concerns, but the benefits
    of having this program could offset the cost. Some argue that there should be no cost associated with safety.

    During the attacks and aftermath of 9/11, were any of these signs of preparedness displayed? There were
    many people looking for their family members as well as friends after the attacks of 9/11. There were many
    images of people carrying signs and pictures, inquiring about the location of their loved ones. Thus, it is
    imperative to have a designated location if an emergency or attack of this magnitude were to occur. In the
    event of an attack or catastrophic incident, family members may not have access to a telephone, and
    communication may be lost. By having this designated location, your family members or friends would know
    exactly where to meet.

    Where may this designated location be? It could be in a myriad of places. For example, it could be at the local
    grocery store or at the neighborhood library. Additionally, this emergency designated location may be at your
    favorite restaurant. It is important to have this designated location discussed and agreed upon in advance so
    that if an attack or devastating event were to occur, the applicable individuals will know where to meet.

    Communication

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 3

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    Another example of protective measures that DHS has championed involves incident communication.
    Responder communication at the scene of a terrorist incident is critical to the safety of all personnel, whether
    they are victims, responders, or citizens in the local area. Consider the examples below.

    • One of the most well-documented lessons learned after 9/11 was the need for dedicated and
    coordinated emergency responder communication systems. Major communications systems were
    destroyed, overloaded, or failed to operate as intended, adding to the confusion and chaos.

    • After the San Bernardino shooting incident in December of 2015, emergency responders testified that
    their response and public safety efforts were impeded by police communications being played in real
    time on YouTube and other social media networks. This lack of radio encryption put responders at
    increased risk.

    • Independent after-action assessments by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community
    Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and the National Police Foundation of the June 2016 Orlando
    Pulse nightclub shooting both praised the overall multiagency response but indicated there were
    serious issues with dispatch and interagency communications as well as outdated communication
    procedures and policies. The communication issues severely impacted on-scene response.

    As numerous after-action assessments have revealed, there have been and still are serious communication
    deficiencies that affect the ability of responders to manage incidents and support responses to disasters, acts
    of terrorism, and other incidents. In 2002, recognizing the need for an overarching emergency
    communications strategy to address discrepancies, Congress mandated the DHS Office of Emergency
    Communications—redesignated in 2018 as the Emergency Communications Division within the Cybersecurity
    & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)—to create and periodically update the National Emergency
    Communications Plan (NECP). The NECP was updated in 2014 and again in 2019. DHS, working with
    stakeholders from federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies, public safety associations, and the
    private sector, developed a strategic plan that establishes a national vision for the future state of emergency
    communications “to enable the Nation’s emergency response community to communicate and share
    information securely across communications technologies in real time, including all levels of government,
    jurisdictions, disciplines, organizations, and citizens impacted by any threats or hazards event” (CISA, 2019,
    p. 3).

    Other efforts include the First Responder Network Authority, which was created as a part of the Middle-Class
    Tax Relief and Job Creation Act (PUBLIC LAW 112–96) and signed into law on February 22, 2012 (FirstNet
    Authority, n.d.). The law allocated 20 megahertz of spectrum and $7 billion to establish a broadband network
    dedicated to the nation's first responders, and it gave the First Responder Network Authority the mandate to
    build, operate, and maintain that network.

    Conclusion

    DHS was created in response to the events of and lessons learned from 9/11. Its goal is defense of the
    nation, and it strives to prevent future attacks against the United States, while responding decisively to both
    natural and manmade disasters as well as strengthening the future American prosperity and economic
    security (DHS, n.d.). However, DHS alone cannot prevent or prepare the nation for a future attack. Mitigation,
    preparedness, and response efforts are the responsibility of many, if not all Americans. Whether national or
    local government officials, emergency responders, or ordinary citizens, there are measures everyone can
    take to further homeland security efforts. It is up to everyone to know the role they play in an incident to
    ensure they are trained and prepared and to stay informed and updated on current information. Everyone
    should understand protective measures in the event of a disaster incident or terrorist attack.

    References

    Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (2019, September). National emergency communications

    plan. U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
    https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf

    FirstNet Authority. (n.d.). Our history. https://www.firstnet.gov/about/history

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 4

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    Oliver, W. M., Marion, N. E., & Hill, J. B. (2021). Introduction to homeland security: Policy, organization, and
    administration (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
    https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284205213

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). Mission. https://www.dhs.gov/mission

    Suggested Unit Resources

    In order to access the following resources, click the links below.

    You are encouraged to review the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s website to learn more
    about the vision, national priorities, and goals of the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP). You
    may also connect to NECP resources and webinars that are designed to provide the public safety community
    with practical solutions intended to help organizations improve their emergency communications.

    Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (n.d.). National emergency communications plan.

    https://www.cisa.gov/necp

    Refer to the following website if you are interested in subscribing to current news and updates and/or if you
    are interested in viewing publications related to preventing terrorism.

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). Preventing terrorism.

    https://www.dhs.gov/topic/preventing-terrorism

    The following PowerPoint presentation provides a summary of the material in this unit’s chapter reading. The
    PowerPoint and PDF versions are provided for your convenience.

    Chapter 5 PowerPoint Presentation (Chapter 5 PDF)

    Learning Activities (Nongraded)

    Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit
    them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.

    Are you REAL ID ready? Secure driver's licenses and identity documentation are a vital component of our
    national security framework. The REAL ID Act, which was passed by Congress in 2005, enacted the 9/11
    Commission’s recommendation that the federal government establish standards for the issuance of
    identification documents. The full enforcement deadline was established as October 1, 2021. After this date,
    REAL ID requirements must be met to access federal facilities, enter nuclear power plants, and board
    federally regulated commercial aircraft.

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to urge Americans to obtain a REAL ID-
    compliant card or acceptable alternative, such as a U.S. passport or passport card prior to the October 1,
    2021 deadline. You can visit the DHS REAL ID webpage below to learn more about the program and get
    answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs).

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). REAL ID frequently asked questions. https://www.dhs.gov/real-

    id/real-id-faqs

    [https://www.cisa.gov/necp](https://www.cisa.gov/necp)

    [https://www.dhs.gov/topic/preventing-terrorism](https://www.dhs.gov/topic/preventing-terrorism)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305354_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305354_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305353_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305353_1)

    [https://www.dhs.gov/real-id/real-id-faqs](https://www.dhs.gov/real-id/real-id-faqs)

    – Course Learning Outcomes for Unit IV
    – Required Unit Resources
    – Unit Lesson

    – Department of Homeland Security
    – Community Emergency Response Team
    – Communication
    – Conclusion
    – References

    – Suggested Unit Resources
    – Learning Activities (Nongraded)

    **## UnitIV.pdf**

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 1

    Course Learning Outcomes for Unit IV

    Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

    5. Determine protective measures for individuals at the scene of a terrorist attack.
    5.1 Explain how responder communications factor into the protective measures taken in response

    to a terrorist attack.
    5.2 Analyze lessons learned regarding communication issues in previous terrorist attack

    responses.
    5.3 Summarize how the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) objectives are enhanced

    through effective communications.

    Required Unit Resources

    Chapter 5: The Department of Homeland Security

    In order to access the following resource, click the link below.

    Read pp. 1–47 of the document below.

    Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (2019, September). National emergency communications

    plan. U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
    https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf

    Unit Lesson

    Department of Homeland Security

    How was the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established? Was developing DHS successful?
    Moreover, was creating such a department even warranted? These are some of the questions that we will
    examine in this unit. Then, we will begin to look at protective measures that can aid in DHS preparation,
    mitigation, and response efforts.

    Oliver et al. (2021) discuss how unexpected the attacks of 9/11 were and that they appeared to have caught
    most everyone by surprise. Many argued that the intelligence community, the federal government, emergency
    responders, and the entire country were unprepared for the events of that day. Consider that the president of
    the United States, who receives daily intelligence briefings and would seemingly be one of the first to be first
    aware of an impending threat or attack, was in a classroom, interacting with elementary school students at the
    time of the attack.

    Only a week after the attacks of 9/11, a series of anthrax attacks in the United States caused additional fear
    and concern across the United States. In these attacks, letters were mailed out that contained anthrax spores;
    five people died, and 17 additional individuals were injured (Oliver et al., 2021). While no one was ever
    implicated and brought to justice for the anthrax attacks, the attacks further enhanced the need for additional
    protective measures. Congress subsequently introduced the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing
    Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2011 (USA PATRIOT Act) into the
    House of Representatives on October 23, 2001, and it passed through the U.S. Senate on October 25, 2001
    (Oliver et al., 2021).

    The Homeland Security Act of 2002 sought to establish the DHS (Oliver et al., 2021). The establishment of
    the DHS was one of the first national protection measures enacted after 9/11 as it was quickly realized that

    UNIT IV STUDY GUIDE
    U.S. Department of Homeland Security,
    Communication, and Protective Measures

    [https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf](https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf)

    [https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf](https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf)

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 2

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    one department should be charged with overseeing and protecting the homeland. Therefore, it became the
    objective of the DHS to protect the country from terrorist attacks, both foreign and domestic. Although the
    DHS has 22 agencies and various functions, its main objective is to protect the homeland, and it was set up to
    be responsible for the following responsibilities:

    • overseeing policy for preventing terrorist attacks within the United States;
    • passing new laws to reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism;
    • minimizing the damage and assisting in the recovery of a terrorist attack;
    • carrying out all functions of those agencies transferred to DHS;
    • ensuring the functionality of the agencies within DHS, which are not related directly to protecting the

    country, is not diminished;
    • ensuring that the overall U.S. economic security is not diminished by any activities related to

    protecting the nation; and
    • monitoring possible connections between drug trafficking and terrorism (Oliver et al., 2021).

    What were the benefits of creating the DHS? The ability to have various agencies work under one department
    would subsequently foster effective communication, whereas prior to 9/11 agencies were focused on their
    missions and objectives. Establishing the DHS provided a mechanism for these agencies to collaborate and
    work together. Thus far, the DHS has been successful in mitigating and preventing numerous potential
    threats. This is accomplished by DHS-coordinated exercises with all levels of governments that assist in the
    planning stages and the overall function of disaster management.

    But how can we plan for a predicament of this nature? These attacks not only caused injuries and casualties,
    but also caused collateral devastation in areas like the financial markets. This clearly shows that homeland
    security impacts a myriad of sectors; therefore, homeland security should be everyone’s concern. As the DHS
    has evolved, increased emphasis has been placed on mitigation and strengthening preparedness and
    resilience through protective measures that can be taken before, during, and after an incident.

    Community Emergency Response Team

    Many cities and municipalities offer a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. These
    programs are extremely beneficial. It is a voluntary training that allows citizens in the community an
    understanding of how to prepare in the event of a terrorist attack or disaster situation. Additionally, once
    trained, these individuals would have the knowledge to provide their capabilities to their family members,
    neighbors, and community if a disaster situation were to occur.

    One may ask, if CERT is beneficial, should such training be mandatory for citizens within a community?
    CERT focuses on a variety of incidents, ranging from preparing individuals for weather-related events to
    potential terrorist attacks. Communities and local, state, and federal governments may all establish certain
    policies and legislations. So, why can such training not be mandated? Concerns that may be discussed could
    relate to coordination, feasibility, and of course, funding. These may be legitimate concerns, but the benefits
    of having this program could offset the cost. Some argue that there should be no cost associated with safety.

    During the attacks and aftermath of 9/11, were any of these signs of preparedness displayed? There were
    many people looking for their family members as well as friends after the attacks of 9/11. There were many
    images of people carrying signs and pictures, inquiring about the location of their loved ones. Thus, it is
    imperative to have a designated location if an emergency or attack of this magnitude were to occur. In the
    event of an attack or catastrophic incident, family members may not have access to a telephone, and
    communication may be lost. By having this designated location, your family members or friends would know
    exactly where to meet.

    Where may this designated location be? It could be in a myriad of places. For example, it could be at the local
    grocery store or at the neighborhood library. Additionally, this emergency designated location may be at your
    favorite restaurant. It is important to have this designated location discussed and agreed upon in advance so
    that if an attack or devastating event were to occur, the applicable individuals will know where to meet.

    Communication

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 3

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    Another example of protective measures that DHS has championed involves incident communication.
    Responder communication at the scene of a terrorist incident is critical to the safety of all personnel, whether
    they are victims, responders, or citizens in the local area. Consider the examples below.

    • One of the most well-documented lessons learned after 9/11 was the need for dedicated and
    coordinated emergency responder communication systems. Major communications systems were
    destroyed, overloaded, or failed to operate as intended, adding to the confusion and chaos.

    • After the San Bernardino shooting incident in December of 2015, emergency responders testified that
    their response and public safety efforts were impeded by police communications being played in real
    time on YouTube and other social media networks. This lack of radio encryption put responders at
    increased risk.

    • Independent after-action assessments by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community
    Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and the National Police Foundation of the June 2016 Orlando
    Pulse nightclub shooting both praised the overall multiagency response but indicated there were
    serious issues with dispatch and interagency communications as well as outdated communication
    procedures and policies. The communication issues severely impacted on-scene response.

    As numerous after-action assessments have revealed, there have been and still are serious communication
    deficiencies that affect the ability of responders to manage incidents and support responses to disasters, acts
    of terrorism, and other incidents. In 2002, recognizing the need for an overarching emergency
    communications strategy to address discrepancies, Congress mandated the DHS Office of Emergency
    Communications—redesignated in 2018 as the Emergency Communications Division within the Cybersecurity
    & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)—to create and periodically update the National Emergency
    Communications Plan (NECP). The NECP was updated in 2014 and again in 2019. DHS, working with
    stakeholders from federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies, public safety associations, and the
    private sector, developed a strategic plan that establishes a national vision for the future state of emergency
    communications “to enable the Nation’s emergency response community to communicate and share
    information securely across communications technologies in real time, including all levels of government,
    jurisdictions, disciplines, organizations, and citizens impacted by any threats or hazards event” (CISA, 2019,
    p. 3).

    Other efforts include the First Responder Network Authority, which was created as a part of the Middle-Class
    Tax Relief and Job Creation Act (PUBLIC LAW 112–96) and signed into law on February 22, 2012 (FirstNet
    Authority, n.d.). The law allocated 20 megahertz of spectrum and $7 billion to establish a broadband network
    dedicated to the nation's first responders, and it gave the First Responder Network Authority the mandate to
    build, operate, and maintain that network.

    Conclusion

    DHS was created in response to the events of and lessons learned from 9/11. Its goal is defense of the
    nation, and it strives to prevent future attacks against the United States, while responding decisively to both
    natural and manmade disasters as well as strengthening the future American prosperity and economic
    security (DHS, n.d.). However, DHS alone cannot prevent or prepare the nation for a future attack. Mitigation,
    preparedness, and response efforts are the responsibility of many, if not all Americans. Whether national or
    local government officials, emergency responders, or ordinary citizens, there are measures everyone can
    take to further homeland security efforts. It is up to everyone to know the role they play in an incident to
    ensure they are trained and prepared and to stay informed and updated on current information. Everyone
    should understand protective measures in the event of a disaster incident or terrorist attack.

    References

    Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (2019, September). National emergency communications

    plan. U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
    https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf

    FirstNet Authority. (n.d.). Our history. https://www.firstnet.gov/about/history

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 4

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    Oliver, W. M., Marion, N. E., & Hill, J. B. (2021). Introduction to homeland security: Policy, organization, and
    administration (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
    https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284205213

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). Mission. https://www.dhs.gov/mission

    Suggested Unit Resources

    In order to access the following resources, click the links below.

    You are encouraged to review the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s website to learn more
    about the vision, national priorities, and goals of the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP). You
    may also connect to NECP resources and webinars that are designed to provide the public safety community
    with practical solutions intended to help organizations improve their emergency communications.

    Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (n.d.). National emergency communications plan.

    https://www.cisa.gov/necp

    Refer to the following website if you are interested in subscribing to current news and updates and/or if you
    are interested in viewing publications related to preventing terrorism.

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). Preventing terrorism.

    https://www.dhs.gov/topic/preventing-terrorism

    The following PowerPoint presentation provides a summary of the material in this unit’s chapter reading. The
    PowerPoint and PDF versions are provided for your convenience.

    Chapter 5 PowerPoint Presentation (Chapter 5 PDF)

    Learning Activities (Nongraded)

    Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit
    them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.

    Are you REAL ID ready? Secure driver's licenses and identity documentation are a vital component of our
    national security framework. The REAL ID Act, which was passed by Congress in 2005, enacted the 9/11
    Commission’s recommendation that the federal government establish standards for the issuance of
    identification documents. The full enforcement deadline was established as October 1, 2021. After this date,
    REAL ID requirements must be met to access federal facilities, enter nuclear power plants, and board
    federally regulated commercial aircraft.

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to urge Americans to obtain a REAL ID-
    compliant card or acceptable alternative, such as a U.S. passport or passport card prior to the October 1,
    2021 deadline. You can visit the DHS REAL ID webpage below to learn more about the program and get
    answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs).

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). REAL ID frequently asked questions. https://www.dhs.gov/real-

    id/real-id-faqs

    [https://www.cisa.gov/necp](https://www.cisa.gov/necp)

    [https://www.dhs.gov/topic/preventing-terrorism](https://www.dhs.gov/topic/preventing-terrorism)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305354_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305354_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305353_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305353_1)

    [https://www.dhs.gov/real-id/real-id-faqs](https://www.dhs.gov/real-id/real-id-faqs)

    – Course Learning Outcomes for Unit IV
    – Required Unit Resources
    – Unit Lesson

    – Department of Homeland Security
    – Community Emergency Response Team
    – Communication
    – Conclusion
    – References

    – Suggested Unit Resources
    – Learning Activities (Nongraded)

    **## IV.docx**

    Discuss the importance of unified interagency operations to ensure emergency responder safety and public safety during a terrorist attack response. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing a multiagency response when it comes to implementing protective measures at the scene of a terrorist attack? Explain your rationale.

    Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

    **## UnitIV.pdf**

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 1

    Course Learning Outcomes for Unit IV

    Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

    5. Determine protective measures for individuals at the scene of a terrorist attack.
    5.1 Explain how responder communications factor into the protective measures taken in response

    to a terrorist attack.
    5.2 Analyze lessons learned regarding communication issues in previous terrorist attack

    responses.
    5.3 Summarize how the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) objectives are enhanced

    through effective communications.

    Required Unit Resources

    Chapter 5: The Department of Homeland Security

    In order to access the following resource, click the link below.

    Read pp. 1–47 of the document below.

    Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (2019, September). National emergency communications

    plan. U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
    https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf

    Unit Lesson

    Department of Homeland Security

    How was the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established? Was developing DHS successful?
    Moreover, was creating such a department even warranted? These are some of the questions that we will
    examine in this unit. Then, we will begin to look at protective measures that can aid in DHS preparation,
    mitigation, and response efforts.

    Oliver et al. (2021) discuss how unexpected the attacks of 9/11 were and that they appeared to have caught
    most everyone by surprise. Many argued that the intelligence community, the federal government, emergency
    responders, and the entire country were unprepared for the events of that day. Consider that the president of
    the United States, who receives daily intelligence briefings and would seemingly be one of the first to be first
    aware of an impending threat or attack, was in a classroom, interacting with elementary school students at the
    time of the attack.

    Only a week after the attacks of 9/11, a series of anthrax attacks in the United States caused additional fear
    and concern across the United States. In these attacks, letters were mailed out that contained anthrax spores;
    five people died, and 17 additional individuals were injured (Oliver et al., 2021). While no one was ever
    implicated and brought to justice for the anthrax attacks, the attacks further enhanced the need for additional
    protective measures. Congress subsequently introduced the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing
    Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2011 (USA PATRIOT Act) into the
    House of Representatives on October 23, 2001, and it passed through the U.S. Senate on October 25, 2001
    (Oliver et al., 2021).

    The Homeland Security Act of 2002 sought to establish the DHS (Oliver et al., 2021). The establishment of
    the DHS was one of the first national protection measures enacted after 9/11 as it was quickly realized that

    UNIT IV STUDY GUIDE
    U.S. Department of Homeland Security,
    Communication, and Protective Measures

    [https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf](https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf)

    [https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf](https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf)

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 2

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    one department should be charged with overseeing and protecting the homeland. Therefore, it became the
    objective of the DHS to protect the country from terrorist attacks, both foreign and domestic. Although the
    DHS has 22 agencies and various functions, its main objective is to protect the homeland, and it was set up to
    be responsible for the following responsibilities:

    • overseeing policy for preventing terrorist attacks within the United States;
    • passing new laws to reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism;
    • minimizing the damage and assisting in the recovery of a terrorist attack;
    • carrying out all functions of those agencies transferred to DHS;
    • ensuring the functionality of the agencies within DHS, which are not related directly to protecting the

    country, is not diminished;
    • ensuring that the overall U.S. economic security is not diminished by any activities related to

    protecting the nation; and
    • monitoring possible connections between drug trafficking and terrorism (Oliver et al., 2021).

    What were the benefits of creating the DHS? The ability to have various agencies work under one department
    would subsequently foster effective communication, whereas prior to 9/11 agencies were focused on their
    missions and objectives. Establishing the DHS provided a mechanism for these agencies to collaborate and
    work together. Thus far, the DHS has been successful in mitigating and preventing numerous potential
    threats. This is accomplished by DHS-coordinated exercises with all levels of governments that assist in the
    planning stages and the overall function of disaster management.

    But how can we plan for a predicament of this nature? These attacks not only caused injuries and casualties,
    but also caused collateral devastation in areas like the financial markets. This clearly shows that homeland
    security impacts a myriad of sectors; therefore, homeland security should be everyone’s concern. As the DHS
    has evolved, increased emphasis has been placed on mitigation and strengthening preparedness and
    resilience through protective measures that can be taken before, during, and after an incident.

    Community Emergency Response Team

    Many cities and municipalities offer a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. These
    programs are extremely beneficial. It is a voluntary training that allows citizens in the community an
    understanding of how to prepare in the event of a terrorist attack or disaster situation. Additionally, once
    trained, these individuals would have the knowledge to provide their capabilities to their family members,
    neighbors, and community if a disaster situation were to occur.

    One may ask, if CERT is beneficial, should such training be mandatory for citizens within a community?
    CERT focuses on a variety of incidents, ranging from preparing individuals for weather-related events to
    potential terrorist attacks. Communities and local, state, and federal governments may all establish certain
    policies and legislations. So, why can such training not be mandated? Concerns that may be discussed could
    relate to coordination, feasibility, and of course, funding. These may be legitimate concerns, but the benefits
    of having this program could offset the cost. Some argue that there should be no cost associated with safety.

    During the attacks and aftermath of 9/11, were any of these signs of preparedness displayed? There were
    many people looking for their family members as well as friends after the attacks of 9/11. There were many
    images of people carrying signs and pictures, inquiring about the location of their loved ones. Thus, it is
    imperative to have a designated location if an emergency or attack of this magnitude were to occur. In the
    event of an attack or catastrophic incident, family members may not have access to a telephone, and
    communication may be lost. By having this designated location, your family members or friends would know
    exactly where to meet.

    Where may this designated location be? It could be in a myriad of places. For example, it could be at the local
    grocery store or at the neighborhood library. Additionally, this emergency designated location may be at your
    favorite restaurant. It is important to have this designated location discussed and agreed upon in advance so
    that if an attack or devastating event were to occur, the applicable individuals will know where to meet.

    Communication

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 3

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    Another example of protective measures that DHS has championed involves incident communication.
    Responder communication at the scene of a terrorist incident is critical to the safety of all personnel, whether
    they are victims, responders, or citizens in the local area. Consider the examples below.

    • One of the most well-documented lessons learned after 9/11 was the need for dedicated and
    coordinated emergency responder communication systems. Major communications systems were
    destroyed, overloaded, or failed to operate as intended, adding to the confusion and chaos.

    • After the San Bernardino shooting incident in December of 2015, emergency responders testified that
    their response and public safety efforts were impeded by police communications being played in real
    time on YouTube and other social media networks. This lack of radio encryption put responders at
    increased risk.

    • Independent after-action assessments by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community
    Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and the National Police Foundation of the June 2016 Orlando
    Pulse nightclub shooting both praised the overall multiagency response but indicated there were
    serious issues with dispatch and interagency communications as well as outdated communication
    procedures and policies. The communication issues severely impacted on-scene response.

    As numerous after-action assessments have revealed, there have been and still are serious communication
    deficiencies that affect the ability of responders to manage incidents and support responses to disasters, acts
    of terrorism, and other incidents. In 2002, recognizing the need for an overarching emergency
    communications strategy to address discrepancies, Congress mandated the DHS Office of Emergency
    Communications—redesignated in 2018 as the Emergency Communications Division within the Cybersecurity
    & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)—to create and periodically update the National Emergency
    Communications Plan (NECP). The NECP was updated in 2014 and again in 2019. DHS, working with
    stakeholders from federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies, public safety associations, and the
    private sector, developed a strategic plan that establishes a national vision for the future state of emergency
    communications “to enable the Nation’s emergency response community to communicate and share
    information securely across communications technologies in real time, including all levels of government,
    jurisdictions, disciplines, organizations, and citizens impacted by any threats or hazards event” (CISA, 2019,
    p. 3).

    Other efforts include the First Responder Network Authority, which was created as a part of the Middle-Class
    Tax Relief and Job Creation Act (PUBLIC LAW 112–96) and signed into law on February 22, 2012 (FirstNet
    Authority, n.d.). The law allocated 20 megahertz of spectrum and $7 billion to establish a broadband network
    dedicated to the nation's first responders, and it gave the First Responder Network Authority the mandate to
    build, operate, and maintain that network.

    Conclusion

    DHS was created in response to the events of and lessons learned from 9/11. Its goal is defense of the
    nation, and it strives to prevent future attacks against the United States, while responding decisively to both
    natural and manmade disasters as well as strengthening the future American prosperity and economic
    security (DHS, n.d.). However, DHS alone cannot prevent or prepare the nation for a future attack. Mitigation,
    preparedness, and response efforts are the responsibility of many, if not all Americans. Whether national or
    local government officials, emergency responders, or ordinary citizens, there are measures everyone can
    take to further homeland security efforts. It is up to everyone to know the role they play in an incident to
    ensure they are trained and prepared and to stay informed and updated on current information. Everyone
    should understand protective measures in the event of a disaster incident or terrorist attack.

    References

    Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (2019, September). National emergency communications

    plan. U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
    https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf

    FirstNet Authority. (n.d.). Our history. https://www.firstnet.gov/about/history

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 4

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    Oliver, W. M., Marion, N. E., & Hill, J. B. (2021). Introduction to homeland security: Policy, organization, and
    administration (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
    https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284205213

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). Mission. https://www.dhs.gov/mission

    Suggested Unit Resources

    In order to access the following resources, click the links below.

    You are encouraged to review the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s website to learn more
    about the vision, national priorities, and goals of the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP). You
    may also connect to NECP resources and webinars that are designed to provide the public safety community
    with practical solutions intended to help organizations improve their emergency communications.

    Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (n.d.). National emergency communications plan.

    https://www.cisa.gov/necp

    Refer to the following website if you are interested in subscribing to current news and updates and/or if you
    are interested in viewing publications related to preventing terrorism.

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). Preventing terrorism.

    https://www.dhs.gov/topic/preventing-terrorism

    The following PowerPoint presentation provides a summary of the material in this unit’s chapter reading. The
    PowerPoint and PDF versions are provided for your convenience.

    Chapter 5 PowerPoint Presentation (Chapter 5 PDF)

    Learning Activities (Nongraded)

    Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit
    them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.

    Are you REAL ID ready? Secure driver's licenses and identity documentation are a vital component of our
    national security framework. The REAL ID Act, which was passed by Congress in 2005, enacted the 9/11
    Commission’s recommendation that the federal government establish standards for the issuance of
    identification documents. The full enforcement deadline was established as October 1, 2021. After this date,
    REAL ID requirements must be met to access federal facilities, enter nuclear power plants, and board
    federally regulated commercial aircraft.

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to urge Americans to obtain a REAL ID-
    compliant card or acceptable alternative, such as a U.S. passport or passport card prior to the October 1,
    2021 deadline. You can visit the DHS REAL ID webpage below to learn more about the program and get
    answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs).

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). REAL ID frequently asked questions. https://www.dhs.gov/real-

    id/real-id-faqs

    [https://www.cisa.gov/necp](https://www.cisa.gov/necp)

    [https://www.dhs.gov/topic/preventing-terrorism](https://www.dhs.gov/topic/preventing-terrorism)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305354_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305354_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305353_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305353_1)

    [https://www.dhs.gov/real-id/real-id-faqs](https://www.dhs.gov/real-id/real-id-faqs)

    – Course Learning Outcomes for Unit IV
    – Required Unit Resources
    – Unit Lesson

    – Department of Homeland Security
    – Community Emergency Response Team
    – Communication
    – Conclusion
    – References

    – Suggested Unit Resources
    – Learning Activities (Nongraded)

    **## IV.docx**

    Discuss the importance of unified interagency operations to ensure emergency responder safety and public safety during a terrorist attack response. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing a multiagency response when it comes to implementing protective measures at the scene of a terrorist attack? Explain your rationale.

    Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

    **## UnitIV.pdf**

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 1

    Course Learning Outcomes for Unit IV

    Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

    5. Determine protective measures for individuals at the scene of a terrorist attack.
    5.1 Explain how responder communications factor into the protective measures taken in response

    to a terrorist attack.
    5.2 Analyze lessons learned regarding communication issues in previous terrorist attack

    responses.
    5.3 Summarize how the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) objectives are enhanced

    through effective communications.

    Required Unit Resources

    Chapter 5: The Department of Homeland Security

    In order to access the following resource, click the link below.

    Read pp. 1–47 of the document below.

    Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (2019, September). National emergency communications

    plan. U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
    https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf

    Unit Lesson

    Department of Homeland Security

    How was the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established? Was developing DHS successful?
    Moreover, was creating such a department even warranted? These are some of the questions that we will
    examine in this unit. Then, we will begin to look at protective measures that can aid in DHS preparation,
    mitigation, and response efforts.

    Oliver et al. (2021) discuss how unexpected the attacks of 9/11 were and that they appeared to have caught
    most everyone by surprise. Many argued that the intelligence community, the federal government, emergency
    responders, and the entire country were unprepared for the events of that day. Consider that the president of
    the United States, who receives daily intelligence briefings and would seemingly be one of the first to be first
    aware of an impending threat or attack, was in a classroom, interacting with elementary school students at the
    time of the attack.

    Only a week after the attacks of 9/11, a series of anthrax attacks in the United States caused additional fear
    and concern across the United States. In these attacks, letters were mailed out that contained anthrax spores;
    five people died, and 17 additional individuals were injured (Oliver et al., 2021). While no one was ever
    implicated and brought to justice for the anthrax attacks, the attacks further enhanced the need for additional
    protective measures. Congress subsequently introduced the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing
    Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2011 (USA PATRIOT Act) into the
    House of Representatives on October 23, 2001, and it passed through the U.S. Senate on October 25, 2001
    (Oliver et al., 2021).

    The Homeland Security Act of 2002 sought to establish the DHS (Oliver et al., 2021). The establishment of
    the DHS was one of the first national protection measures enacted after 9/11 as it was quickly realized that

    UNIT IV STUDY GUIDE
    U.S. Department of Homeland Security,
    Communication, and Protective Measures

    [https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf](https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf)

    [https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf](https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf)

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 2

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    one department should be charged with overseeing and protecting the homeland. Therefore, it became the
    objective of the DHS to protect the country from terrorist attacks, both foreign and domestic. Although the
    DHS has 22 agencies and various functions, its main objective is to protect the homeland, and it was set up to
    be responsible for the following responsibilities:

    • overseeing policy for preventing terrorist attacks within the United States;
    • passing new laws to reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism;
    • minimizing the damage and assisting in the recovery of a terrorist attack;
    • carrying out all functions of those agencies transferred to DHS;
    • ensuring the functionality of the agencies within DHS, which are not related directly to protecting the

    country, is not diminished;
    • ensuring that the overall U.S. economic security is not diminished by any activities related to

    protecting the nation; and
    • monitoring possible connections between drug trafficking and terrorism (Oliver et al., 2021).

    What were the benefits of creating the DHS? The ability to have various agencies work under one department
    would subsequently foster effective communication, whereas prior to 9/11 agencies were focused on their
    missions and objectives. Establishing the DHS provided a mechanism for these agencies to collaborate and
    work together. Thus far, the DHS has been successful in mitigating and preventing numerous potential
    threats. This is accomplished by DHS-coordinated exercises with all levels of governments that assist in the
    planning stages and the overall function of disaster management.

    But how can we plan for a predicament of this nature? These attacks not only caused injuries and casualties,
    but also caused collateral devastation in areas like the financial markets. This clearly shows that homeland
    security impacts a myriad of sectors; therefore, homeland security should be everyone’s concern. As the DHS
    has evolved, increased emphasis has been placed on mitigation and strengthening preparedness and
    resilience through protective measures that can be taken before, during, and after an incident.

    Community Emergency Response Team

    Many cities and municipalities offer a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. These
    programs are extremely beneficial. It is a voluntary training that allows citizens in the community an
    understanding of how to prepare in the event of a terrorist attack or disaster situation. Additionally, once
    trained, these individuals would have the knowledge to provide their capabilities to their family members,
    neighbors, and community if a disaster situation were to occur.

    One may ask, if CERT is beneficial, should such training be mandatory for citizens within a community?
    CERT focuses on a variety of incidents, ranging from preparing individuals for weather-related events to
    potential terrorist attacks. Communities and local, state, and federal governments may all establish certain
    policies and legislations. So, why can such training not be mandated? Concerns that may be discussed could
    relate to coordination, feasibility, and of course, funding. These may be legitimate concerns, but the benefits
    of having this program could offset the cost. Some argue that there should be no cost associated with safety.

    During the attacks and aftermath of 9/11, were any of these signs of preparedness displayed? There were
    many people looking for their family members as well as friends after the attacks of 9/11. There were many
    images of people carrying signs and pictures, inquiring about the location of their loved ones. Thus, it is
    imperative to have a designated location if an emergency or attack of this magnitude were to occur. In the
    event of an attack or catastrophic incident, family members may not have access to a telephone, and
    communication may be lost. By having this designated location, your family members or friends would know
    exactly where to meet.

    Where may this designated location be? It could be in a myriad of places. For example, it could be at the local
    grocery store or at the neighborhood library. Additionally, this emergency designated location may be at your
    favorite restaurant. It is important to have this designated location discussed and agreed upon in advance so
    that if an attack or devastating event were to occur, the applicable individuals will know where to meet.

    Communication

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 3

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    Another example of protective measures that DHS has championed involves incident communication.
    Responder communication at the scene of a terrorist incident is critical to the safety of all personnel, whether
    they are victims, responders, or citizens in the local area. Consider the examples below.

    • One of the most well-documented lessons learned after 9/11 was the need for dedicated and
    coordinated emergency responder communication systems. Major communications systems were
    destroyed, overloaded, or failed to operate as intended, adding to the confusion and chaos.

    • After the San Bernardino shooting incident in December of 2015, emergency responders testified that
    their response and public safety efforts were impeded by police communications being played in real
    time on YouTube and other social media networks. This lack of radio encryption put responders at
    increased risk.

    • Independent after-action assessments by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community
    Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and the National Police Foundation of the June 2016 Orlando
    Pulse nightclub shooting both praised the overall multiagency response but indicated there were
    serious issues with dispatch and interagency communications as well as outdated communication
    procedures and policies. The communication issues severely impacted on-scene response.

    As numerous after-action assessments have revealed, there have been and still are serious communication
    deficiencies that affect the ability of responders to manage incidents and support responses to disasters, acts
    of terrorism, and other incidents. In 2002, recognizing the need for an overarching emergency
    communications strategy to address discrepancies, Congress mandated the DHS Office of Emergency
    Communications—redesignated in 2018 as the Emergency Communications Division within the Cybersecurity
    & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)—to create and periodically update the National Emergency
    Communications Plan (NECP). The NECP was updated in 2014 and again in 2019. DHS, working with
    stakeholders from federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies, public safety associations, and the
    private sector, developed a strategic plan that establishes a national vision for the future state of emergency
    communications “to enable the Nation’s emergency response community to communicate and share
    information securely across communications technologies in real time, including all levels of government,
    jurisdictions, disciplines, organizations, and citizens impacted by any threats or hazards event” (CISA, 2019,
    p. 3).

    Other efforts include the First Responder Network Authority, which was created as a part of the Middle-Class
    Tax Relief and Job Creation Act (PUBLIC LAW 112–96) and signed into law on February 22, 2012 (FirstNet
    Authority, n.d.). The law allocated 20 megahertz of spectrum and $7 billion to establish a broadband network
    dedicated to the nation's first responders, and it gave the First Responder Network Authority the mandate to
    build, operate, and maintain that network.

    Conclusion

    DHS was created in response to the events of and lessons learned from 9/11. Its goal is defense of the
    nation, and it strives to prevent future attacks against the United States, while responding decisively to both
    natural and manmade disasters as well as strengthening the future American prosperity and economic
    security (DHS, n.d.). However, DHS alone cannot prevent or prepare the nation for a future attack. Mitigation,
    preparedness, and response efforts are the responsibility of many, if not all Americans. Whether national or
    local government officials, emergency responders, or ordinary citizens, there are measures everyone can
    take to further homeland security efforts. It is up to everyone to know the role they play in an incident to
    ensure they are trained and prepared and to stay informed and updated on current information. Everyone
    should understand protective measures in the event of a disaster incident or terrorist attack.

    References

    Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (2019, September). National emergency communications

    plan. U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
    https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0924_CISA_ECD-NECP-2019_1.pdf

    FirstNet Authority. (n.d.). Our history. https://www.firstnet.gov/about/history

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 4

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    Oliver, W. M., Marion, N. E., & Hill, J. B. (2021). Introduction to homeland security: Policy, organization, and
    administration (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
    https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284205213

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). Mission. https://www.dhs.gov/mission

    Suggested Unit Resources

    In order to access the following resources, click the links below.

    You are encouraged to review the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s website to learn more
    about the vision, national priorities, and goals of the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP). You
    may also connect to NECP resources and webinars that are designed to provide the public safety community
    with practical solutions intended to help organizations improve their emergency communications.

    Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (n.d.). National emergency communications plan.

    https://www.cisa.gov/necp

    Refer to the following website if you are interested in subscribing to current news and updates and/or if you
    are interested in viewing publications related to preventing terrorism.

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). Preventing terrorism.

    https://www.dhs.gov/topic/preventing-terrorism

    The following PowerPoint presentation provides a summary of the material in this unit’s chapter reading. The
    PowerPoint and PDF versions are provided for your convenience.

    Chapter 5 PowerPoint Presentation (Chapter 5 PDF)

    Learning Activities (Nongraded)

    Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit
    them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.

    Are you REAL ID ready? Secure driver's licenses and identity documentation are a vital component of our
    national security framework. The REAL ID Act, which was passed by Congress in 2005, enacted the 9/11
    Commission’s recommendation that the federal government establish standards for the issuance of
    identification documents. The full enforcement deadline was established as October 1, 2021. After this date,
    REAL ID requirements must be met to access federal facilities, enter nuclear power plants, and board
    federally regulated commercial aircraft.

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to urge Americans to obtain a REAL ID-
    compliant card or acceptable alternative, such as a U.S. passport or passport card prior to the October 1,
    2021 deadline. You can visit the DHS REAL ID webpage below to learn more about the program and get
    answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs).

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). REAL ID frequently asked questions. https://www.dhs.gov/real-

    id/real-id-faqs

    [https://www.cisa.gov/necp](https://www.cisa.gov/necp)

    [https://www.dhs.gov/topic/preventing-terrorism](https://www.dhs.gov/topic/preventing-terrorism)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305354_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305354_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305353_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305353_1)

    [https://www.dhs.gov/real-id/real-id-faqs](https://www.dhs.gov/real-id/real-id-faqs)

    – Course Learning Outcomes for Unit IV
    – Required Unit Resources
    – Unit Lesson

    – Department of Homeland Security
    – Community Emergency Response Team
    – Communication
    – Conclusion
    – References

    – Suggested Unit Resources
    – Learning Activities (Nongraded)

    – 1
    – 2

  • [Solved] VPN Technologies and Protocols

    ✓ Verified Academic Solution Available

    Executive Solution Overview

    For this discussion: – Examine two advantages of hardware VPNs and two advantages of software VPNs. – Select the type of VPN (hardware or software) that you consider to be the better of the two. – Research two advantages and two disadvantages for three types of protocols used in VPNs. – Select one t…

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    Assignment Prompt & Instructions

    For this discussion:
    – Examine two advantages of hardware VPNs and two advantages of software VPNs.
    – Select the type of VPN (hardware or software) that you consider to be the better of the two.
    – Research two advantages and two disadvantages for three types of protocols used in VPNs.
    – Select one type of protocol that you would recommend for a VPN and provide the rationale for your selection.
    – Whether for a hardware or software VPN, explain how you can enhance the security of the authentication process, as well as the security of the type of VPN.

  • [Solved] V

    ✓ Verified Academic Solution Available

    Executive Solution Overview

    see attached. – ## V.docx – ## UnitV.pdf **## V.docx** It has been said that the question of defining terrorism is irresolvable. There is disagreement regarding whether to define it in terms of its methods, aims, or both. The international community has never succeeded in developing an accepted comp…

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    Assignment Prompt & Instructions

    see attached.

    – ## V.docx

    – ## UnitV.pdf

    **## V.docx**

    It has been said that the question of defining terrorism is irresolvable. There is disagreement regarding whether to define it in terms of its methods, aims, or both. The international community has never succeeded in developing an accepted comprehensive definition of terrorism. Even within the various federal agencies and across U.S. laws and policies, terrorism is defined differently.

    So, given the ambiguity in establishing a clear definition of what constitutes terrorism as well as the ever-changing and evolving landscape in which terrorism operates, do you believe counterterrorism efforts in the United States have a clear and focused mission? Discuss how you believe they can (or cannot) target something they cannot unilaterally define. Explain your rationale.

    **## UnitV.pdf**

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 1

    Course Learning Outcomes for Unit V

    Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

    6. Develop a plan for post-terrorism recovery.
    6.1 Choose a topic and potential resources for a post-terrorism recovery plan.
    6.2 Identify the elements of homeland security dedicated to protecting the United States from

    violent extremism.

    Required Unit Resources

    Chapter 7: Antiterrorism and Counterterrorism

    Unit Lesson

    What is counterterrorism? Is there a difference between counterterrorism and anti-terrorism? If there is a
    difference between counterterrorism and anti-terrorism, what exactly are the differences? Oliver et al. (2021)
    examined the killing of Osama bin Laden as it related to counterterrorism efforts and go on to further indicate
    that the killing of Osama bin Laden clearly shows the capability of the United States’ counterterrorism efforts.
    However, since the United States has exceptional resources and intelligence capabilities, should it have taken
    approximately 10 years to capture Osama bin Laden? It is important to think about the coordination that is
    required for a country to excel at such an operation.

    Osama bin Laden

    Consider the case of Osama bin Laden. First, one must have the right amount of intelligence on the
    whereabouts of the subject of interest, and this information must be accurate. Additionally, it is important to
    remember that the target was not within the United States. The intelligence about the location of the subject
    had to be obtained from a foreign location. This alone can be seen as an enormous challenge to finding such
    a target from afar. Let us continue to examine this case further.

    After such intelligence about a target is obtained, the accuracy of the information must be confirmed to any
    extent possible. It is important for one to examine this to get a better understanding of the amount of
    resources, time, and energy that may go into such an intense operation. Additionally, the applicable
    leadership and stakeholders had to examine options to obtain what was the best course of action for
    potentially “taking out” the subject—Osama bin Laden.

    This requires an enormous amount of planning, coordination, and communication. After all these steps are
    taken, there remains the actual implementation of the operation. Keep in mind that as the operation of taking
    out the target commences; everything must be as close to perfect as possible. Was the intelligence correct,
    and would Osama bin Laden be at that location at the time of the operations? Would innocent lives be lost
    during this operation? Would the American team be met by resistance during this operation? These are all
    questions that should have been examined in great detail.

    Oliver et al. (2021) indicated that most individuals will agree that that the counterterrorism effort that was
    initiated to locate and subsequently kill Osama bin Laden was indispensable. As discussed, one can clearly
    see the amount of analysis, intelligence, resources, and information that is needed to establish a successful
    operation.

    National Counterterrorism Center

    UNIT V STUDY GUIDE
    Mitigating the Impact of a
    Potential Terrorist Attack

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 2

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    Oliver et al. (2021) indicated how the National Counterterrorism Center has an impact on United States’
    policy. The National Counterterrorism Center was originally established as the Terrorism Threat Integration
    Center, which commenced in 2003 under President George W. Bush. In 2004, the Terrorism Threat
    Integration Center’s name was changed to the National Counterterrorism Center (Oliver et al., 2021). What is
    the purpose of the National Counterterrorism Center? The National Counterterrorism Center has a variety of
    functions, but the center primarily examines and analyzes threats.

    Additionally, after the attacks of 9/11, some lessons learned were that applicable stakeholders and
    intelligence officials failed to communicate effectively and share information with one another. The lack of
    sharing information could cause devastation and a lapse within the process. Therefore, other functions of the
    National Counterterrorism Center are to foster and facilitate the sharing of information (Oliver et al., 2021).
    Why would agencies within the same government not share information? There could be several reasons for
    this, to include the lack of transparency and trust. As a leader, it is important to encourage the personnel
    within your organization to work together.

    How does the National Counterterrorism Center relate to counterterrorism and anti-terrorism? What exactly is
    the difference between counterterrorism and anti-terrorism? Counterterrorism is focused on offensive
    activities aimed at defeating a terrorist both domestically and internationally, whereas anti-terrorism pertains
    to the defensive actions that are suggested for defeating terrorism (Oliver et al., 2021).

    Critical Infrastructure

    Why are critical infrastructure and key resources important as they relate to anti-terrorism measures? Critical
    infrastructure protection is a combination of functions meant to prevent, deter, and neutralize a terrorist attack
    on the country’s infrastructure. Thus, to provide you with an idea of the impact of a terrorist attack on a critical
    infrastructure, let’s examine the attacks of 9/11. The World Trade Center was completely destroyed because
    of these destructive attacks by terrorists on September 11, 2001. The attack on this critical infrastructure
    caused an immense impact to the economy as well. The loss of lives, businesses, jobs, and the destruction of
    the World Trade Center were felt for many years after those attacks. Consequently, one could only imagine
    the amount of devastation and chaos that would be caused if an attack were to occur on a multitude of critical
    infrastructures within the United States.

    Protecting critical infrastructure is imperative, and the myriad of agencies involved have different areas of
    responsibilities. Although various agencies are tasked with protecting different aspects of critical
    infrastructure, this still should require constant communication, planning, and coordination from all applicable
    agencies involved (Oliver et al., 2021).

    Counterterrorism Strategy and Policies Since 9/11

    It is prudent to discuss the counter-terrorism policies that have occurred in the United States since 9/11. Four
    presidents have now held office in the United States since 2001. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack
    Obama had similar elements in their counter-terrorism policies, while those of President Trump differed
    significantly from his predecessors.

    President Bush focused his policy on bringing the United States’ belief in the democratic system of
    government to other nations and having a proactive strategy as it relates to stopping potential terrorists before
    they became an imminent threat (Oliver et al., 2021).

    President Obama focused on unilateralism and getting other nations involved in such threats. President
    Obama focused on a strategic approach to combating terrorism. The Obama administration tended to view
    the CIA as its primary agency for combating terrorism internationally (Oliver et al., 2021).

    President Trump’s counterterrorism strategy was refocused on radical Islamist terrorism. While his strategy
    set specific and important goals for a counterterrorism approach, it was sometimes unclear how it would be
    carried out (Oliver et al., 2021). President Trump’s approach was often tied to and relied upon policy to restrict
    immigration as a means to deter terrorists from entering the United States.

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 3

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    As of this writing in 2021, the strategy of President Biden is still being developed and promulgated. He may
    echo the focus and strategies of President Obama in many ways, and he may rescind or revise his immediate
    predecessor’s strategy and policies regarding counterterrorism.

    It is important to note that the main objective of any president should be to protect the country and the people
    of the country. However, counterterrorism efforts do not end with the president. Most federal agencies have
    some aspect of protecting the homeland within its charter, be it infrastructure protection, economic stability, or
    emergency management. State and local governments have their own directives, responsibilities, and plans
    to protect their citizens. Finally, each American citizen has not only a vested interest but a true responsibility
    under the basic principles of U.S. citizenship to defend the U.S. Constitution and laws of the United States of
    America against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

    Reference

    Oliver, W. M., Marion, N. E., & Hill, J. B. (2021). Introduction to homeland security: Policy, organization, and

    administration (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
    https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284205213

    Suggested Unit Resources

    In order to access the following resources, click the links below.

    The following PowerPoint presentation provides a summary of the material in this unit’s chapter reading. The
    PowerPoint and PDF versions are provided for your convenience.

    Chapter 7 PowerPoint Presentation (Chapter 7 PDF)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305356_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305356_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305355_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305355_1)

    – Course Learning Outcomes for Unit V
    – Required Unit Resources
    – Unit Lesson

    – Osama bin Laden
    – National Counterterrorism Center
    – Critical Infrastructure
    – Counterterrorism Strategy and Policies Since 9/11
    – Reference

    – Suggested Unit Resources

    **## UnitV.pdf**

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 1

    Course Learning Outcomes for Unit V

    Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

    6. Develop a plan for post-terrorism recovery.
    6.1 Choose a topic and potential resources for a post-terrorism recovery plan.
    6.2 Identify the elements of homeland security dedicated to protecting the United States from

    violent extremism.

    Required Unit Resources

    Chapter 7: Antiterrorism and Counterterrorism

    Unit Lesson

    What is counterterrorism? Is there a difference between counterterrorism and anti-terrorism? If there is a
    difference between counterterrorism and anti-terrorism, what exactly are the differences? Oliver et al. (2021)
    examined the killing of Osama bin Laden as it related to counterterrorism efforts and go on to further indicate
    that the killing of Osama bin Laden clearly shows the capability of the United States’ counterterrorism efforts.
    However, since the United States has exceptional resources and intelligence capabilities, should it have taken
    approximately 10 years to capture Osama bin Laden? It is important to think about the coordination that is
    required for a country to excel at such an operation.

    Osama bin Laden

    Consider the case of Osama bin Laden. First, one must have the right amount of intelligence on the
    whereabouts of the subject of interest, and this information must be accurate. Additionally, it is important to
    remember that the target was not within the United States. The intelligence about the location of the subject
    had to be obtained from a foreign location. This alone can be seen as an enormous challenge to finding such
    a target from afar. Let us continue to examine this case further.

    After such intelligence about a target is obtained, the accuracy of the information must be confirmed to any
    extent possible. It is important for one to examine this to get a better understanding of the amount of
    resources, time, and energy that may go into such an intense operation. Additionally, the applicable
    leadership and stakeholders had to examine options to obtain what was the best course of action for
    potentially “taking out” the subject—Osama bin Laden.

    This requires an enormous amount of planning, coordination, and communication. After all these steps are
    taken, there remains the actual implementation of the operation. Keep in mind that as the operation of taking
    out the target commences; everything must be as close to perfect as possible. Was the intelligence correct,
    and would Osama bin Laden be at that location at the time of the operations? Would innocent lives be lost
    during this operation? Would the American team be met by resistance during this operation? These are all
    questions that should have been examined in great detail.

    Oliver et al. (2021) indicated that most individuals will agree that that the counterterrorism effort that was
    initiated to locate and subsequently kill Osama bin Laden was indispensable. As discussed, one can clearly
    see the amount of analysis, intelligence, resources, and information that is needed to establish a successful
    operation.

    National Counterterrorism Center

    UNIT V STUDY GUIDE
    Mitigating the Impact of a
    Potential Terrorist Attack

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 2

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    Oliver et al. (2021) indicated how the National Counterterrorism Center has an impact on United States’
    policy. The National Counterterrorism Center was originally established as the Terrorism Threat Integration
    Center, which commenced in 2003 under President George W. Bush. In 2004, the Terrorism Threat
    Integration Center’s name was changed to the National Counterterrorism Center (Oliver et al., 2021). What is
    the purpose of the National Counterterrorism Center? The National Counterterrorism Center has a variety of
    functions, but the center primarily examines and analyzes threats.

    Additionally, after the attacks of 9/11, some lessons learned were that applicable stakeholders and
    intelligence officials failed to communicate effectively and share information with one another. The lack of
    sharing information could cause devastation and a lapse within the process. Therefore, other functions of the
    National Counterterrorism Center are to foster and facilitate the sharing of information (Oliver et al., 2021).
    Why would agencies within the same government not share information? There could be several reasons for
    this, to include the lack of transparency and trust. As a leader, it is important to encourage the personnel
    within your organization to work together.

    How does the National Counterterrorism Center relate to counterterrorism and anti-terrorism? What exactly is
    the difference between counterterrorism and anti-terrorism? Counterterrorism is focused on offensive
    activities aimed at defeating a terrorist both domestically and internationally, whereas anti-terrorism pertains
    to the defensive actions that are suggested for defeating terrorism (Oliver et al., 2021).

    Critical Infrastructure

    Why are critical infrastructure and key resources important as they relate to anti-terrorism measures? Critical
    infrastructure protection is a combination of functions meant to prevent, deter, and neutralize a terrorist attack
    on the country’s infrastructure. Thus, to provide you with an idea of the impact of a terrorist attack on a critical
    infrastructure, let’s examine the attacks of 9/11. The World Trade Center was completely destroyed because
    of these destructive attacks by terrorists on September 11, 2001. The attack on this critical infrastructure
    caused an immense impact to the economy as well. The loss of lives, businesses, jobs, and the destruction of
    the World Trade Center were felt for many years after those attacks. Consequently, one could only imagine
    the amount of devastation and chaos that would be caused if an attack were to occur on a multitude of critical
    infrastructures within the United States.

    Protecting critical infrastructure is imperative, and the myriad of agencies involved have different areas of
    responsibilities. Although various agencies are tasked with protecting different aspects of critical
    infrastructure, this still should require constant communication, planning, and coordination from all applicable
    agencies involved (Oliver et al., 2021).

    Counterterrorism Strategy and Policies Since 9/11

    It is prudent to discuss the counter-terrorism policies that have occurred in the United States since 9/11. Four
    presidents have now held office in the United States since 2001. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack
    Obama had similar elements in their counter-terrorism policies, while those of President Trump differed
    significantly from his predecessors.

    President Bush focused his policy on bringing the United States’ belief in the democratic system of
    government to other nations and having a proactive strategy as it relates to stopping potential terrorists before
    they became an imminent threat (Oliver et al., 2021).

    President Obama focused on unilateralism and getting other nations involved in such threats. President
    Obama focused on a strategic approach to combating terrorism. The Obama administration tended to view
    the CIA as its primary agency for combating terrorism internationally (Oliver et al., 2021).

    President Trump’s counterterrorism strategy was refocused on radical Islamist terrorism. While his strategy
    set specific and important goals for a counterterrorism approach, it was sometimes unclear how it would be
    carried out (Oliver et al., 2021). President Trump’s approach was often tied to and relied upon policy to restrict
    immigration as a means to deter terrorists from entering the United States.

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 3

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    As of this writing in 2021, the strategy of President Biden is still being developed and promulgated. He may
    echo the focus and strategies of President Obama in many ways, and he may rescind or revise his immediate
    predecessor’s strategy and policies regarding counterterrorism.

    It is important to note that the main objective of any president should be to protect the country and the people
    of the country. However, counterterrorism efforts do not end with the president. Most federal agencies have
    some aspect of protecting the homeland within its charter, be it infrastructure protection, economic stability, or
    emergency management. State and local governments have their own directives, responsibilities, and plans
    to protect their citizens. Finally, each American citizen has not only a vested interest but a true responsibility
    under the basic principles of U.S. citizenship to defend the U.S. Constitution and laws of the United States of
    America against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

    Reference

    Oliver, W. M., Marion, N. E., & Hill, J. B. (2021). Introduction to homeland security: Policy, organization, and

    administration (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
    https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284205213

    Suggested Unit Resources

    In order to access the following resources, click the links below.

    The following PowerPoint presentation provides a summary of the material in this unit’s chapter reading. The
    PowerPoint and PDF versions are provided for your convenience.

    Chapter 7 PowerPoint Presentation (Chapter 7 PDF)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305356_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305356_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305355_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305355_1)

    – Course Learning Outcomes for Unit V
    – Required Unit Resources
    – Unit Lesson

    – Osama bin Laden
    – National Counterterrorism Center
    – Critical Infrastructure
    – Counterterrorism Strategy and Policies Since 9/11
    – Reference

    – Suggested Unit Resources

    **## V.docx**

    It has been said that the question of defining terrorism is irresolvable. There is disagreement regarding whether to define it in terms of its methods, aims, or both. The international community has never succeeded in developing an accepted comprehensive definition of terrorism. Even within the various federal agencies and across U.S. laws and policies, terrorism is defined differently.

    So, given the ambiguity in establishing a clear definition of what constitutes terrorism as well as the ever-changing and evolving landscape in which terrorism operates, do you believe counterterrorism efforts in the United States have a clear and focused mission? Discuss how you believe they can (or cannot) target something they cannot unilaterally define. Explain your rationale.

    **## UnitV.pdf**

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 1

    Course Learning Outcomes for Unit V

    Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

    6. Develop a plan for post-terrorism recovery.
    6.1 Choose a topic and potential resources for a post-terrorism recovery plan.
    6.2 Identify the elements of homeland security dedicated to protecting the United States from

    violent extremism.

    Required Unit Resources

    Chapter 7: Antiterrorism and Counterterrorism

    Unit Lesson

    What is counterterrorism? Is there a difference between counterterrorism and anti-terrorism? If there is a
    difference between counterterrorism and anti-terrorism, what exactly are the differences? Oliver et al. (2021)
    examined the killing of Osama bin Laden as it related to counterterrorism efforts and go on to further indicate
    that the killing of Osama bin Laden clearly shows the capability of the United States’ counterterrorism efforts.
    However, since the United States has exceptional resources and intelligence capabilities, should it have taken
    approximately 10 years to capture Osama bin Laden? It is important to think about the coordination that is
    required for a country to excel at such an operation.

    Osama bin Laden

    Consider the case of Osama bin Laden. First, one must have the right amount of intelligence on the
    whereabouts of the subject of interest, and this information must be accurate. Additionally, it is important to
    remember that the target was not within the United States. The intelligence about the location of the subject
    had to be obtained from a foreign location. This alone can be seen as an enormous challenge to finding such
    a target from afar. Let us continue to examine this case further.

    After such intelligence about a target is obtained, the accuracy of the information must be confirmed to any
    extent possible. It is important for one to examine this to get a better understanding of the amount of
    resources, time, and energy that may go into such an intense operation. Additionally, the applicable
    leadership and stakeholders had to examine options to obtain what was the best course of action for
    potentially “taking out” the subject—Osama bin Laden.

    This requires an enormous amount of planning, coordination, and communication. After all these steps are
    taken, there remains the actual implementation of the operation. Keep in mind that as the operation of taking
    out the target commences; everything must be as close to perfect as possible. Was the intelligence correct,
    and would Osama bin Laden be at that location at the time of the operations? Would innocent lives be lost
    during this operation? Would the American team be met by resistance during this operation? These are all
    questions that should have been examined in great detail.

    Oliver et al. (2021) indicated that most individuals will agree that that the counterterrorism effort that was
    initiated to locate and subsequently kill Osama bin Laden was indispensable. As discussed, one can clearly
    see the amount of analysis, intelligence, resources, and information that is needed to establish a successful
    operation.

    National Counterterrorism Center

    UNIT V STUDY GUIDE
    Mitigating the Impact of a
    Potential Terrorist Attack

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 2

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    Oliver et al. (2021) indicated how the National Counterterrorism Center has an impact on United States’
    policy. The National Counterterrorism Center was originally established as the Terrorism Threat Integration
    Center, which commenced in 2003 under President George W. Bush. In 2004, the Terrorism Threat
    Integration Center’s name was changed to the National Counterterrorism Center (Oliver et al., 2021). What is
    the purpose of the National Counterterrorism Center? The National Counterterrorism Center has a variety of
    functions, but the center primarily examines and analyzes threats.

    Additionally, after the attacks of 9/11, some lessons learned were that applicable stakeholders and
    intelligence officials failed to communicate effectively and share information with one another. The lack of
    sharing information could cause devastation and a lapse within the process. Therefore, other functions of the
    National Counterterrorism Center are to foster and facilitate the sharing of information (Oliver et al., 2021).
    Why would agencies within the same government not share information? There could be several reasons for
    this, to include the lack of transparency and trust. As a leader, it is important to encourage the personnel
    within your organization to work together.

    How does the National Counterterrorism Center relate to counterterrorism and anti-terrorism? What exactly is
    the difference between counterterrorism and anti-terrorism? Counterterrorism is focused on offensive
    activities aimed at defeating a terrorist both domestically and internationally, whereas anti-terrorism pertains
    to the defensive actions that are suggested for defeating terrorism (Oliver et al., 2021).

    Critical Infrastructure

    Why are critical infrastructure and key resources important as they relate to anti-terrorism measures? Critical
    infrastructure protection is a combination of functions meant to prevent, deter, and neutralize a terrorist attack
    on the country’s infrastructure. Thus, to provide you with an idea of the impact of a terrorist attack on a critical
    infrastructure, let’s examine the attacks of 9/11. The World Trade Center was completely destroyed because
    of these destructive attacks by terrorists on September 11, 2001. The attack on this critical infrastructure
    caused an immense impact to the economy as well. The loss of lives, businesses, jobs, and the destruction of
    the World Trade Center were felt for many years after those attacks. Consequently, one could only imagine
    the amount of devastation and chaos that would be caused if an attack were to occur on a multitude of critical
    infrastructures within the United States.

    Protecting critical infrastructure is imperative, and the myriad of agencies involved have different areas of
    responsibilities. Although various agencies are tasked with protecting different aspects of critical
    infrastructure, this still should require constant communication, planning, and coordination from all applicable
    agencies involved (Oliver et al., 2021).

    Counterterrorism Strategy and Policies Since 9/11

    It is prudent to discuss the counter-terrorism policies that have occurred in the United States since 9/11. Four
    presidents have now held office in the United States since 2001. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack
    Obama had similar elements in their counter-terrorism policies, while those of President Trump differed
    significantly from his predecessors.

    President Bush focused his policy on bringing the United States’ belief in the democratic system of
    government to other nations and having a proactive strategy as it relates to stopping potential terrorists before
    they became an imminent threat (Oliver et al., 2021).

    President Obama focused on unilateralism and getting other nations involved in such threats. President
    Obama focused on a strategic approach to combating terrorism. The Obama administration tended to view
    the CIA as its primary agency for combating terrorism internationally (Oliver et al., 2021).

    President Trump’s counterterrorism strategy was refocused on radical Islamist terrorism. While his strategy
    set specific and important goals for a counterterrorism approach, it was sometimes unclear how it would be
    carried out (Oliver et al., 2021). President Trump’s approach was often tied to and relied upon policy to restrict
    immigration as a means to deter terrorists from entering the United States.

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 3

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    As of this writing in 2021, the strategy of President Biden is still being developed and promulgated. He may
    echo the focus and strategies of President Obama in many ways, and he may rescind or revise his immediate
    predecessor’s strategy and policies regarding counterterrorism.

    It is important to note that the main objective of any president should be to protect the country and the people
    of the country. However, counterterrorism efforts do not end with the president. Most federal agencies have
    some aspect of protecting the homeland within its charter, be it infrastructure protection, economic stability, or
    emergency management. State and local governments have their own directives, responsibilities, and plans
    to protect their citizens. Finally, each American citizen has not only a vested interest but a true responsibility
    under the basic principles of U.S. citizenship to defend the U.S. Constitution and laws of the United States of
    America against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

    Reference

    Oliver, W. M., Marion, N. E., & Hill, J. B. (2021). Introduction to homeland security: Policy, organization, and

    administration (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
    https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284205213

    Suggested Unit Resources

    In order to access the following resources, click the links below.

    The following PowerPoint presentation provides a summary of the material in this unit’s chapter reading. The
    PowerPoint and PDF versions are provided for your convenience.

    Chapter 7 PowerPoint Presentation (Chapter 7 PDF)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305356_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305356_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305355_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305355_1)

    – Course Learning Outcomes for Unit V
    – Required Unit Resources
    – Unit Lesson

    – Osama bin Laden
    – National Counterterrorism Center
    – Critical Infrastructure
    – Counterterrorism Strategy and Policies Since 9/11
    – Reference

    – Suggested Unit Resources

    **## V.docx**

    It has been said that the question of defining terrorism is irresolvable. There is disagreement regarding whether to define it in terms of its methods, aims, or both. The international community has never succeeded in developing an accepted comprehensive definition of terrorism. Even within the various federal agencies and across U.S. laws and policies, terrorism is defined differently.

    So, given the ambiguity in establishing a clear definition of what constitutes terrorism as well as the ever-changing and evolving landscape in which terrorism operates, do you believe counterterrorism efforts in the United States have a clear and focused mission? Discuss how you believe they can (or cannot) target something they cannot unilaterally define. Explain your rationale.

    **## UnitV.pdf**

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 1

    Course Learning Outcomes for Unit V

    Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

    6. Develop a plan for post-terrorism recovery.
    6.1 Choose a topic and potential resources for a post-terrorism recovery plan.
    6.2 Identify the elements of homeland security dedicated to protecting the United States from

    violent extremism.

    Required Unit Resources

    Chapter 7: Antiterrorism and Counterterrorism

    Unit Lesson

    What is counterterrorism? Is there a difference between counterterrorism and anti-terrorism? If there is a
    difference between counterterrorism and anti-terrorism, what exactly are the differences? Oliver et al. (2021)
    examined the killing of Osama bin Laden as it related to counterterrorism efforts and go on to further indicate
    that the killing of Osama bin Laden clearly shows the capability of the United States’ counterterrorism efforts.
    However, since the United States has exceptional resources and intelligence capabilities, should it have taken
    approximately 10 years to capture Osama bin Laden? It is important to think about the coordination that is
    required for a country to excel at such an operation.

    Osama bin Laden

    Consider the case of Osama bin Laden. First, one must have the right amount of intelligence on the
    whereabouts of the subject of interest, and this information must be accurate. Additionally, it is important to
    remember that the target was not within the United States. The intelligence about the location of the subject
    had to be obtained from a foreign location. This alone can be seen as an enormous challenge to finding such
    a target from afar. Let us continue to examine this case further.

    After such intelligence about a target is obtained, the accuracy of the information must be confirmed to any
    extent possible. It is important for one to examine this to get a better understanding of the amount of
    resources, time, and energy that may go into such an intense operation. Additionally, the applicable
    leadership and stakeholders had to examine options to obtain what was the best course of action for
    potentially “taking out” the subject—Osama bin Laden.

    This requires an enormous amount of planning, coordination, and communication. After all these steps are
    taken, there remains the actual implementation of the operation. Keep in mind that as the operation of taking
    out the target commences; everything must be as close to perfect as possible. Was the intelligence correct,
    and would Osama bin Laden be at that location at the time of the operations? Would innocent lives be lost
    during this operation? Would the American team be met by resistance during this operation? These are all
    questions that should have been examined in great detail.

    Oliver et al. (2021) indicated that most individuals will agree that that the counterterrorism effort that was
    initiated to locate and subsequently kill Osama bin Laden was indispensable. As discussed, one can clearly
    see the amount of analysis, intelligence, resources, and information that is needed to establish a successful
    operation.

    National Counterterrorism Center

    UNIT V STUDY GUIDE
    Mitigating the Impact of a
    Potential Terrorist Attack

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 2

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    Oliver et al. (2021) indicated how the National Counterterrorism Center has an impact on United States’
    policy. The National Counterterrorism Center was originally established as the Terrorism Threat Integration
    Center, which commenced in 2003 under President George W. Bush. In 2004, the Terrorism Threat
    Integration Center’s name was changed to the National Counterterrorism Center (Oliver et al., 2021). What is
    the purpose of the National Counterterrorism Center? The National Counterterrorism Center has a variety of
    functions, but the center primarily examines and analyzes threats.

    Additionally, after the attacks of 9/11, some lessons learned were that applicable stakeholders and
    intelligence officials failed to communicate effectively and share information with one another. The lack of
    sharing information could cause devastation and a lapse within the process. Therefore, other functions of the
    National Counterterrorism Center are to foster and facilitate the sharing of information (Oliver et al., 2021).
    Why would agencies within the same government not share information? There could be several reasons for
    this, to include the lack of transparency and trust. As a leader, it is important to encourage the personnel
    within your organization to work together.

    How does the National Counterterrorism Center relate to counterterrorism and anti-terrorism? What exactly is
    the difference between counterterrorism and anti-terrorism? Counterterrorism is focused on offensive
    activities aimed at defeating a terrorist both domestically and internationally, whereas anti-terrorism pertains
    to the defensive actions that are suggested for defeating terrorism (Oliver et al., 2021).

    Critical Infrastructure

    Why are critical infrastructure and key resources important as they relate to anti-terrorism measures? Critical
    infrastructure protection is a combination of functions meant to prevent, deter, and neutralize a terrorist attack
    on the country’s infrastructure. Thus, to provide you with an idea of the impact of a terrorist attack on a critical
    infrastructure, let’s examine the attacks of 9/11. The World Trade Center was completely destroyed because
    of these destructive attacks by terrorists on September 11, 2001. The attack on this critical infrastructure
    caused an immense impact to the economy as well. The loss of lives, businesses, jobs, and the destruction of
    the World Trade Center were felt for many years after those attacks. Consequently, one could only imagine
    the amount of devastation and chaos that would be caused if an attack were to occur on a multitude of critical
    infrastructures within the United States.

    Protecting critical infrastructure is imperative, and the myriad of agencies involved have different areas of
    responsibilities. Although various agencies are tasked with protecting different aspects of critical
    infrastructure, this still should require constant communication, planning, and coordination from all applicable
    agencies involved (Oliver et al., 2021).

    Counterterrorism Strategy and Policies Since 9/11

    It is prudent to discuss the counter-terrorism policies that have occurred in the United States since 9/11. Four
    presidents have now held office in the United States since 2001. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack
    Obama had similar elements in their counter-terrorism policies, while those of President Trump differed
    significantly from his predecessors.

    President Bush focused his policy on bringing the United States’ belief in the democratic system of
    government to other nations and having a proactive strategy as it relates to stopping potential terrorists before
    they became an imminent threat (Oliver et al., 2021).

    President Obama focused on unilateralism and getting other nations involved in such threats. President
    Obama focused on a strategic approach to combating terrorism. The Obama administration tended to view
    the CIA as its primary agency for combating terrorism internationally (Oliver et al., 2021).

    President Trump’s counterterrorism strategy was refocused on radical Islamist terrorism. While his strategy
    set specific and important goals for a counterterrorism approach, it was sometimes unclear how it would be
    carried out (Oliver et al., 2021). President Trump’s approach was often tied to and relied upon policy to restrict
    immigration as a means to deter terrorists from entering the United States.

    HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 3

    UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
    Title

    As of this writing in 2021, the strategy of President Biden is still being developed and promulgated. He may
    echo the focus and strategies of President Obama in many ways, and he may rescind or revise his immediate
    predecessor’s strategy and policies regarding counterterrorism.

    It is important to note that the main objective of any president should be to protect the country and the people
    of the country. However, counterterrorism efforts do not end with the president. Most federal agencies have
    some aspect of protecting the homeland within its charter, be it infrastructure protection, economic stability, or
    emergency management. State and local governments have their own directives, responsibilities, and plans
    to protect their citizens. Finally, each American citizen has not only a vested interest but a true responsibility
    under the basic principles of U.S. citizenship to defend the U.S. Constitution and laws of the United States of
    America against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

    Reference

    Oliver, W. M., Marion, N. E., & Hill, J. B. (2021). Introduction to homeland security: Policy, organization, and

    administration (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
    https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284205213

    Suggested Unit Resources

    In order to access the following resources, click the links below.

    The following PowerPoint presentation provides a summary of the material in this unit’s chapter reading. The
    PowerPoint and PDF versions are provided for your convenience.

    Chapter 7 PowerPoint Presentation (Chapter 7 PDF)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305356_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305356_1)

    [https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305355_1](https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-135305355_1)

    – Course Learning Outcomes for Unit V
    – Required Unit Resources
    – Unit Lesson

    – Osama bin Laden
    – National Counterterrorism Center
    – Critical Infrastructure
    – Counterterrorism Strategy and Policies Since 9/11
    – Reference

    – Suggested Unit Resources

    – 1
    – 2

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    VPNs are available both commercially and as open source. Research the VPN solution of two IT solutions vendors. Be prepared to discuss both types.
    – Discuss which solution you would recommend for a small business, and why.
    – Explain each of the following VPN implementations: DMZ-based, bypass deployment, and internally connected deployment.
    – Explain the architecture that you consider to be the preferred technique for a VPN, and why.
    – Discuss what you consider to be the most important feature of your VPN.

  • [Solved] Designing a Secure Network

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    ## **Introduction** In this three-part assignment, you will apply the various concepts you have learned throughout this course to the design of the single most secure network possible, capable of supporting three IT services: e-mail, file transfer (centralized), and VPN. After you have fully designe…

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    Assignment Prompt & Instructions

    ## **Introduction**
    In this three-part assignment, you will apply the various concepts you have learned throughout this course to the design of the single most secure network possible, capable of supporting three IT services: e-mail, file transfer (centralized), and VPN.
    After you have fully designed your network, you will need to provide three data flow diagrams explaining how your designed network handles three different transactions:
    – The first datapath diagram should show an internal user sending an e-mail with their corporate e-mail address to a user on the Yahoo domain with an arbitrary address of user534@yahoo.com.
    – The second datapath diagram should show a user initiating an FTP session from inside your network to the arbitrary site of ftp.netneering.com.
    – The third datapath diagram should show an externally located employee initiating a VPN session to corporate, in order to access files on the Windows desktop computer DT-Corp534-HellenS at work.
    The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:
    – Recommend solutions, products, and technologies to meet business objectives.
    ## **Instructions**
    ### **Part 1**
    Use Microsoft Visio or an open-source alternative to:
    – Create a diagram showing the overall network you have designed, from the user or endpoint device to the Internet cloud; following the access, core, and distribution layer model; depicting at least four-fifths of the necessary network components; and citing specific, credible sources that support the design. Include the following, at a minimum:
    – Authentication server (Microsoft Active Directory).
    – Routers.
    – Switches and/or hubs.
    – Local users.
    – Remote users.
    – Workstations.
    – File share (CIFS).
    – Mail server.
    – Web servers (both internal and external).
    – Firewalls.
    – Internet cloud.
    – Web proxy.
    – E-mail proxy.
    – FTP server (for internal-to-external transport).
    ### **Part 2**
    Use Microsoft Visio or an open-source alternative to:
    – Create a datapath diagram for the following e-mail transaction:
    – A local (corporate) user, with the e-mail address jonny.hill@Corp534.com, sends an e-mail to a Yahoo recipient at user534@yahoo.com.
    – Document and label the diagram showing the protocols and path of the data flow as data traverses through your network from source to destination.
    – Show user authentication when necessary.
    – Cite specific, credible sources that support the diagram.
    – Create a datapath diagram for the following file transfer transaction:
    – A local user, Jonny Hill, transfers a file, using FTP, through the Internet to another company's site (ftp.netneering.com). He has to access the secure shell, using his active directory credentials, to authenticate the FTP server (Linux running Redhat) on the DMZ. He needs to transfer files from his desktop across the Internet to ftp.netneering.com.
    – Document and label the diagram showing the protocols and path of the data flow as data traverses through your network from source to destination.
    – Show user authentication when necessary.
    – Cite specific, credible sources that support the diagram.
    – Create a datapath diagram for the following VPN transaction:
    – A remote user, Hellen Stover, connects, via VPN, from home through the Internet to her corporate desktop, DT-Corp534-HellenS. Hellen uses a browser to initiate her VPN connection. By going to https://VPNaccess.corp534.com, she arrives at a login page where she needs to authenticate using her Active Directory credentials before the VPN tunnel is built.
    – Document and label the diagram showing the protocols and path of the data flow as data traverses through your network from source to destination.
    – Show user authentication when necessary.
    – Cite specific, credible sources that support the diagram.
    ### **Part 3**
    Write a 6-10 page paper in which you:
    – Explain the function and configuration of at least four-fifths of all required network devices, citing specific, credible sources.
    – Authentication server (Microsoft Active Directory).
    – Routers, switches, and/or hubs.
    – Local and remote users.
    – Workstations.
    – File share (CIFS).
    – Mail server.
    – Web servers (both internal and external).
    – Firewalls.
    – Internet cloud.
    – Web proxy.
    – E-mail proxy.
    – FTP server (for internal-to-external transport).
    – Explain how the overall network design protects the organization from both inside and outside attacks, addressing all required network design features and considerations and citing specific, credible sources that support your assertions and conclusions. Address:
    – Physical and virtual access.
    – Logging requirements.
    – Security policy.
    – Firewalls.
    – Proxy servers.
    – The VPN tunnel.
    – DMZ isolation.
    – User authentication.
    – Distribution of layer routers and switches.
    – Explain how your layered design compensates for possible device failures or breaches in network security, addressing all key design features and considerations and citing specific, credible sources that support your assertions and conclusions. Include:
    – Load balancing.
    – Swappable devices.
    – Standby backup devices.
    – QoS prioritization.
    – Vendor support for core and services.
    – Explain how to make the file transfer process more secure, fully addressing FTP security risks and how specific FTP replacement devices add protection, clearly delineating the features of each device, and citing specific, credible sources that support one's assertions and conclusions.
    – Support your main points, assertions, arguments, or conclusions with at least four specific and credible academic sources synthesized into a coherent analysis of the evidence.
    – Cite each source listed on your source page at least one time within your assignment.