Information Technology Flashcards
Which IT personnel roles should always be segregated?
The roles of
- Operators
- Programmers
- Librarians
should always be segregated.
What are the duties of a systems analyst?
A system analyst does the following:
- Designs or purchases IT system
- Responsible for flowcharts
- Liaison between users and programmers
Note: Think IT Manager
What is the primary duty of a Systems Administrator?
A Systems Administrator controls database access.
What are the duties of a Systems Programmer?
A systems programmer writes, updates, maintains and tests software, systems, and compilers.
Which duties should a Systems Programmer NOT have?
In order to maximize internal control, a Systems Programmer should NOT:
- have application programming duties/abilities - be an operator on the system.
What are the duties of a Systems Operator?
A systems operator does the following:
- Schedules and monitors jobs - Runs IT help desk
What duties should a System Operator NOT have?
For internal control purposes, a system operator should not be a programmer on the system.
If it is not possible to segregate duties in an IT System, what actions should be taken to compensate for internal control purposes?
To compensate for internal control purposes, computer logs should be included.
Control Group should review the logs.
What is the purpose of a Management Information System (MIS)?
An MIS assists with decision making.
What is an Accounting Information System (AIS)?
An AIS is a type of Management Information System (MIS) that processes accounting transactions.
What are the characteristics of an Executive Information System (EIS)?
- Specialized for company executive needs
- Assists with strategy only
- No decision-making capabilities
What are the characteristics of an Expert System (ES)?
- Computer uses reasoning
- Structured
- No human interpretation needed
What are the characteristics of a Decision Support System (DSS)?
- Computer provides data
- Gives Interactive Support
- Human interpretation needed
What are the characteristics of an Ad Hoc computer report?
An Ad Hoc computer report is:
- Initiated by the user
- Created upon demand
When are Exception reports generated?
Exception reports are produced when Edit Tests, Check Digits, or Self-Checking Digits identify a problem.
What is a query?
A query is a type of Ad Hoc report that is initiated by a user.
What is End-User Computing?
In an end-user computing, the user develops and executes their own application.
What are the risks of e-commerce?
E-commerce has the following risks:
- Compromised data or theft
- Less paper trail for auditors
What are the benefits of Electronic Data Interchange?
Electronic Data Interchange uses globally-accepted standards and is efficient.
What is the purpose of a LAN (Local Area Network)?
A LAN connects computers in close proximity.
What is the purpose of a WAN (Wide Area Network)?
A WAN connects computers that are far apart.
What are the characteristics of a Value-Added Network (VAN)?
A VAN is a privately-owned network that:
- serves as third party between two companies
- routes EDI transactions
- accepts wide range of protocols
- is very costly
What is the purpose of a Firewall?
A firewall prevents unauthorized access to a network.
What are the characteristics of a virus?
A virus takes over a computer and needs a host program to run.
What are the characteristics of a computer worm?
A computer worm takes over multiple computers and doesn’t need a host program to run.
What is the purpose of Automated Equipment Controls?
Automated Equipment Controls prevent and detect hardware errors.
What is RAM?
RAM stands for Random Access Memory. It is the internal memory in the computer used during immediate processing.
What is a CPU?
CPU stands for Computer Processing Unit. It processes commands within a computer.
What is Job Control Language?
Job Control Language schedules and allocates system resources.
What is a Gateway?
A gateway connects one network to another.
Note: The Internet is connected by gateways.
What are Parity Checks?
A parity check is a control that detects internal data errors.
A bit is added to each character - it checks to see if a bit was lost.
What is an Echo Check?
Transmitted data is returned to the sender for verification (It echoes back to the sender).
What is a Change Control?
A Change Control authorizes program changes and approves program test results.
What is security software?
Security software controls access to IT systems.
Note: Don’t confuse this with anti-virus software.
What is the purpose of a Digital Signature?
A digital signature confirms that a message has not been altered.
List the types of computers from smallest to largest.
Types of computers according to size:
- Wearable/Smartphone/Tablet
- Microcomputer - PC - Laptop (cost-effective)
- Minicomputer - Like a Mainframe but smaller
- Mainframe - Large computer with terminals attached
- Supercomputer - Very powerful and very big
What are the units of computer data from smallest to largest?
The units of computer data are:
- Bit - 1 (on) and 0 (off)
- Byte - 8 bits to a byte/character
- Field - group of related characters/bytes (i.e. Name,
Zip Code, Serial #) - Record - Group of related fields (i.e. Member name<
address, phone number) - File - Group of related records (i.e. Membership
directory)
What is the duty of a design engineer?
A design engineer determines language used for a specific computer.
Examples: C, C++, Java, Python, Ruby
What are object programs?
Object programs are programs written in base computer language, not similar to English.
How can source programs be recognized?
Source programs are written in a language close to English.
What is the purpose of a Compiler?
A compiler takes source language (English) and converts to Object (Computer) Language.
How does Online Analytical Processing work?
An Online Analytical Processing uses a Data Warehouse to support management decision making.
What is Data Mining?
Data mining uses artificial intelligence and pattern recognition to analyze a large volume of information
What is the purpose of online transaction processing?
Online transaction processing processes a company’s routine transactions.
What are the characteristics of batch processing?
- Data held - updates multiple files all at once
- Leaves a better audit trail
- Uses Grandfather-Father-Son backup (three levels of
backup kept in three locations)
What does an output control check for?
An output control checks if output data is valid, distributed and used in an authorized manner.
What does a processing control check?
A processing control checks if data processing produced proper output.
What is a hash total?
A hast total is an input control number - a meaningless sum of values included in the input.
Example would be summing a list of SSNs to make sure the data is the same once entered as it was prior to input into the system.
What is a validity check?
Checks to see if data in existing tables or files belongs in the set.
For example: Is there a number in an alpha-only field or a letter in a numeric-only field.
What is a limit check?
Checks to see if numbers surpass a certain limit.
Example: In an age field, is the number greater than 110.
What is a check digit?
A check digit is an input control that adds an identification number to a set of digits - usually at the end.
What is a field check?
A field check is an input check that prevents invalid characters.
Example: checks for alphabetic letters in a SSN field
What is a Hot Site?
A Hot Site is a disaster recovery system where if the main system goes down, a Hot Site is ready to take over immediately.
What is a Cold Site?
If a main system goes down, a Cold Site will take time to get set up and running.
What is the most common database language?
SQL - Structured Query Language
What is a Data Definition Language?
A Data Definition Language defines SQL Database and controls SQL Tables.
What is a Data Manipulation Language?
A Data Manipulation Language queries SQL Database tables.
What is a Data Control Language?
A Data Control Language controls Access to SQL Database.
What are the characteristics of a Relational Database?
A Relational Database uses:
- logical structure
- rows and columns similar to spreadsheet
What are the characteristics of a Hierarchical Database?
A Hierarchical database has various levels and uses trees to store data.
What are the advantages of a database?
With a database, data is more accessible and redundancy is reduced.
What are the disadvantages of a database?
Disadvantages of a database include:
- Cost of installation
- Skilled personnel required to maintain
What are the components of a database?
The components of a database include:
- Desktop client
- Application Server
- Database Server
Think: Your desktop computer runs applications and saves to a database.
