Chapter 14

Question 1

Application Service Provider (ASP)

Answer 1

outside supplier that provides both the computers and the application support for managing an information system.

Question 2

Big Data

Answer 2

information collected in massive amounts and at unprecedented speed from both traditional and digital sources that is used in business decision making; complex structured or unstructured sets of information that traditional processing applications are unable to analyze.

Question 3

Botnet

Answer 3

a network of PCs that have been infected with one or more data-stealing viruses.

Question 4

Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Answer 4

executive responsible for managing a company’s information system and related computer technologies.

Question 5

Cloud Computing

Answer 5

powerful servers store applications software and databases for users to access via the web using anything from a PC to a smart phone.

Question 6

Computer-Based Information Systems

Answer 6

information systems that rely on computer and related technologies to store information electronically in an organized, accessible manner.

Question 7

Data

Answer 7

raw facts and figures that may or may not be relevant to a business decision.

Question 8

Database

Answer 8

centralized integrated collection of data resources.

Question 9

Decision Support System (DSS)

Answer 9

gives direct support to business-people during the decision-making process.

Question 10

Enterprise Computing

Answer 10

many different types of hardware networked together to create a seamless data flow between organizations.

Question 11

Executive Support System (ESS)

Answer 11

lets senior executives access the company’s primary databases, often by touching the computer screen, pointing and clicking a mouse, or using voice recognition.

Question 12

Expert System

Answer 12

computer program that imitates human thinking through complicated sets of if-then rules.

Question 13

Firewall

Answer 13

limits data transfers to certain locations and log system use so that managers can identify attempts to log on with invalid passwords and other threats to a system’s security.

Question 14

Grid Computing

Answer 14

consists of a network of smaller computers running special software.

Question 15

Hardware

Answer 15

all tangible elements of a computer system.

Question 16

Information

Answer 16

knowledge gained from processing data.

Question 17

Information System

Answer 17

organized method for collecting, storing, and communicating past, present, and projected information on internal operations and external intelligence.

Question 18

Internet of Things

Answer 18

a web-connected ecosystem of everyday objects with network connectivity, including TVs, cars, household appliances, and wearable tech devices.

Question 19

Intranet

Answer 19

computer network that is similar to the Internet but limits access to authorized users.

Question 20

Local Area Networks (LANs)

Answer 20

computer networks that connect machines within limited areas, such as a building or several nearby buildings.

Question 21

Malware

Answer 21

any malicious software program designed to infect computer systems.

Question 22

Management Information System (MIS)

Answer 22

information system that is designed to produce reports for managers and others within the organization.

Question 23

Management Support Systems

Answer 23

information systems that are designed to provide support for effective decision making.

Question 24

Operational Support Systems

Answer 24

information systems designed to produce a variety of information on an organization’s activities for both internal and external users.

Question 25

Process Control Systems

Answer 25

operational support system to monitor and control physical processes.

Question 26

Server

Answer 26

the heart of a midrange computer network.

Question 27

Software

Answer 27

all the programs, routines, and computer languages that control a computer and tell it how to operate.

Question 28

Spyware

Answer 28

software that secretly gathers user information through the user’s Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes.

Question 29

Transaction Processing Systems

Answer 29

operational support system to record and process data from business transactions.

Question 30

Trojan Horse

Answer 30

program that claims to do one thing but in reality does something else, usually something malicious.

Question 31

Virtual Network

Answer 31

common type of technology infrastructure, which consists of links that are not wired connections.

Question 32

Virtual Private Network

Answer 32

secure connections between two points on the Internet.

Question 33

Viruses

Answer 33

programs that secretly attach themselves to other programs (called hosts) and change them or destroy data.

Question 34

VoIP

Answer 34

alternative to traditional telecommunication services provided by companies such as Verizon and Qwest.

Question 35

Wide Area Networks (WAN)

Answer 35

tie larger geographical regions together by using telephone lines and microwave and satellite transmission.

Question 36

Wi-Fi

Answer 36

wireless network that connects various devices and allows them to communicate with one another through radio waves.

Question 37

Worm

Answer 37

small piece of software that exploits a security hole in a network to replicate itself.