Question

• In the global enterprise, firms are insistent that their accounting information systems (AIS) and other key systems are available 100% of the time, and that these systems are the highest in integrity. Evaluate how a firm manages the balance of high availability with high integrity in these days of tight budgets and additional oversight from regulators.
• As a student taking online classes or relying on online resources such as libraries and tech support, evaluate the benefits of the school providing you with 24 / 7 access to these resources in relation to the costs incurred by the school itself.

Answer 1

Part A:

An information system is a structured process in which data can be obtained, processed, and transmitted to users. The aim of an AIS is to collect, store, and process financial data and accounts and to produce informative reports for business decisions that managers or other stakeholders can use.

To ensure the availability of data, It's key to backup. During daily backups, damage caused by hard disk failure or natural disasters can be reduced. Duplication can be sufficient for information systems that are highly important. If something happens at your primary data center, having a location off-site ready to restore services would dramatically minimize downtime if anything happens. Information availability indicates that people can access the necessary information from the database. It does not hurt when access is given to the authorized personnel. Keeping in mind that the security of an information system can be breached, access should be provided only to those who require it.

Information integrity refers to safeguarding the information from unauthorized access. Accurate information will be beneficial for an organization whereas incorrect or information that inaccurate will have a negative impact across the organization. Encryption of data converts data into a separate type of code such that it can be accessed only by people using a hidden key, or by a password. Data that is encrypted is generally called ciphertext, while unencrypted data is known as plaintext. Encryption is currently one of the organizations' most common and efficient methods of data protection.

Part B:

There are a number of reasons why online education can be cost-saving. For starters, there are no commuting costs. The online student has no effect on the various costs relating to transport such as petrol, parking, car maintenance, and public transport.

All required information is stored in an electronic database safely. Those include live discussion papers, training materials, and e-mails. This ensures the student will be able to access these documents easily and save precious time if anything is needed to be explained. To people who need to perform research for a project and present their results to a group, this is particularly useful.

From the point of view of the school, certain investments should be made in regards to technology to provide 24/7 access to libraries and courses. A cost-benefit analysis can be done to ensure that students can get these benefits and the school does not incur losses while investing in this new method of learning. The fee structure should clearly bifurcate the expenses related to online access so that the students and parents can get an idea of what they are paying. The cost system should be in such a way that it is a win-win situation for both parties.