Learning Guide Unit 8

Overview

Unit 8: The Ethical, Global, and Security Implications of Information Systems

Topics:

 Information Systems Security

o Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability

o Information Security Tools

 Authentication

 Access Control

 Encryption

 Backups

 Firewalls

 Physical Security

 Security Policies

 Ethical Implications of Information Systems

o Information System Ethics

o Intellectual Property

o Privacy

o Compliance and Regulation

o Green IS

 Social Implications of Information Systems

o Social media

o The Social Graph

 Global Implications of Information Systems

o Globalization
 o The Digital Divide

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

 Describe the role of information technology in globalization;

 Identify the issues experienced by firms as they face a global economy; and

 Define the digital divide and explain Nielsen’s three stages of the digital divide.

 Describe what the term information systems ethics means.

Tasks:

 Peer-assess the Unit 7 Case Study

 Read through the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment

 Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum

 Respond to three of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum

Introduction

Globalization Issues

In Unit 8, we will look at the role of information systems in globalization, and its importance in our
future. Organizations must develop systems and strategies to benefit from incoming opportunities and
survive the challenges of competing in world-wide markets. Essentially, organizations must develop and
manage international alliances and converge their cultural characteristics to navigate and meet the
needs of each market to remain competitive. For example, the Internet has facilitated a vast
communications system that allows an auto manufacturer in Germany to instantly collaborate with a
distribution center in Greenville, South Carolina and sell the parts to anywhere in the world. While
information systems are the global conduit for creating new products and services, for this collaboration
to succeed, we must ask, what types of arrangements and management actions are needed for
information systems to bridge cultural differences in these global partnerships. Being better than
competitors, having a better product, having a less expensive product, or having better relationships with
suppliers and customers will allow an organization to outpace the competition.

Digital Divide

The digital divide has been defined as the disparity in access to technology between different
demographics. The question being asked is, can information systems technology reduce the digital
divide.  In this Unit, we will further discuss the digital divide and how its three stages affect society. For
instance, does everyone have an equal opportunity to access the Internet or a computer? What is known
is that the Internet, computers, and access to these resources are not created equal.  Several studies
have found that poor and minority groups in the United States are less likely to have Internet access than
higher-income groups. Moreover, many sources estimate that a quarter of the United States is without
broadband, and similar divides exist throughout the world. For certain, the digital divide must be
eliminated or narrowed down so that everyone can access the available educational and commercial
resources.

Information Systems Ethics

Information systems pose new sets of challenges for individual privacy and property. One of these
challenges is the creation of ethical issues.  Because we are awash in data, these ethical issues pose
dilemmas of right and wrong choices. How these ethical quandaries are decided by individuals is an
ongoing issue. Many of these issues center on property rights, obligations of accountability, and control
of data and information. We all generate information about ourselves on our computers, mobile phones,
social media, government records, and financial records to name a few. Additionally, the advancement
of information systems has allowed organizations to gather, store, and analyze this data to generate
profiles of individuals more easily. Because of this, corporations are being pushed to develop a corporate
ethics code that addresses privacy and accountability. One thing is certain, as a society, we must decide
the appropriate ethical code. 
Reading Assignment

 Bourgois, D.T., Smith, J.L., Wang, S., & Mortati, J. (2019, August 1). Information systems for
business and beyond (2019). Saylor
Foundation. https://digitalcommons.biola.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=open-
textbooks. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0.

o Read Chapter 11 and 12

 Information and data management. (n.d.). Systems Engineering

Guide. MITRE. https://www.mitre.org/publications/systems-engineering-guide/enterprise-
engineering/enterprise-technology-information-and-infrastructure/information-and-data-
management
Discussion Assignment

In this graduate course, you are expected to participate often and engage in deep levels of discourse.
Please post your initial response as early as possible and continue to participate throughout the unit. You
are required to post an initial response to the question/issue presented in the Forum and then respond
to at least 3 of your classmates’ initial posts.  You should also respond to anyone who has responded to
you. 

 Describe the role of information technology in globalization

 Define the digital divide and explain Nielsen’s three stages of the digital divide.

 Describe what the term information systems ethics means

Checklist

Peer-assess the Unit 7 Case Study

Read through the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment

Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum

Respond to three of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum