You are required to submit a final project paper. The final project must include the materials covered in the text, sessions, and threaded discussions. The final project could be a problem-based analysis of a process. Select a business, an organization, or a department within an organization. Identify the problem and provide solutions and recommendations using what you have learned from this course. As an alternative, the final project could be a technological innovation that would improve the effectiveness of a business process or enhance the quality of life of an individual. The final project document should be between 9 and 11 pages (including cover page and reference page). APA format must be strictly followed throughout the paper. Please refer to the Sixth Edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. See Rubric for Grading Criteria.
Materials that were covered in course:
– How is data different from information? How is information different from knowledge? How knowledge is different from experience? What are examples of each?
– Computer input/output systems
– Web based Cookies
– What are the characteristics of information that affect quality? What are examples of each?
– Why are ERP systems important to organizations? What are the typical components of an ERP system?
– What are examples of statistical techniques that managers can use to simulate business situations, optimize variables, and forecast sales or other figures?
– What are the five Web 2.0 technologies that facilitate collaboration? What features does each technology provide?
– What is intellectual property (IP)? What are the information ethics associated with IP?
– Why is human behavior often the weakest link for information ethics, information privacy, and information security? What are examples of strategies that organizations can implement to counteract the weaknesses in human behavior and decision making that have a negative impact on information security and privacy?
THE PROBLEM BASED ANALYSIS:
Equifax’s data breach in 2017.
Consumer credit reporting agency Equifax became the target of one of the largest data breaches of all time last year. Between mid-May and July 2017, criminal hackers infiltrated the company’s servers and accessed personal data — including driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers, and birthdays — of more than 145 million Americans, potentially exposing them to the threat of identity theft.
Perhaps even more troubling than the security flaws exposed in the hack itself was the way the company handled it. Despite discovering the breach on July 29th, the company waited a month and half to make a public announcement. The public was further outraged when the company forced consumers to agree not to join a class-action lawsuit in order to see if their information was hacked. Lawmakers have yet to take action to reduce the likelihood of such incidents from happening again.
