Information System

What is Information System?

INTRODUCTION:

An information system (IS) is a collection of hardware, software, data,

and people that work together to collect, process, store, and disseminate
information. An IS can be used for a variety of purposes, such as
supporting business operations, decision making, and communication.

Information security refers to the protection of information and

information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure,
disruption, modification, or destruction. It aims to protect the
confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information and information
systems.

 Information systems are vulnerable to a variety of security

threats, such as hackers, viruses, and natural disasters. As such, it
is important for organizations to implement appropriate security
measures to protect their information systems.
 There are several different security measures that organizations
can implement to protect their information systems, such as:
 Firewalls: Firewalls are used to restrict access to an organization’s
network and to protect against unauthorized access.
 Intrusion detection systems: These systems are used to detect
and alert organizations to potential security breaches.
 Encryption: Encryption is used to protect sensitive information by
converting it into unreadable code.
 Access controls: Access controls are used to restrict access to
information and information systems to authorized individuals
only.
 Security policies: Organizations can implement security policies to
ensure that their employees understand their security
responsibilities and adhere to them.
  Security Auditing: Regularly monitoring the system for possible
malicious activities and vulnerabilities.
 By implementing these security measures, organizations can
protect their information systems from unauthorized access and
use, and ensure that their sensitive information is kept
confidential and secure.

Types of information system:

1. General purpose information system:

There are some general types of information system .for example
a database management system(DBMS) is a combination of
software and data that makes it possible to organize and analyze
data. Database management system software is typically not
designed to work with a specific organization or a specific type of
analysis.

2. Specialized information system:

In contrast, there is a number of a specialized information system
that has been specifically designed to support a particular process
within an organization or to carry out very specific analysis task.

Example: Enterprise resource planning (ERP) (used to integrate

management of information system across an entire organization)

Other Types of information systems

1. Operations support systems – The first type of information system

is the operation support system. Such type of information system
mainly supports a specific type of operation in a business. An
example is the transaction processing system used in all banks
 worldwide. This type of information system enables the service
provider to assess a specific process of business.
2. Management information systems – This is the second category of
information systems, consisting of hardware and software
integration allowing the organisation to perform its core
functions. They help in obtaining data from various online
systems. The data thus obtained is not stored by the system;
rather, it is analysed in a productive manner to help in the
management of an organisation.
3. Decision support systems – An organisation can make an informed
decision about its operations using decision support systems. It
analyses the rapidly changing information that cannot be
determined in advance. It can be used in completely automated
systems and human-operated systems. However, for maximum
efficiency combination of human and computer-operated systems
is recommended.
4. Executive information systems – EIS or executive support system
is the last category that serves as management support systems.
They help in making senior-level decisions for an organisation.

Security Challenge:
The number of smart phone devices capable of offering internet
technology and experience rivaling desktop computer standards is
growing at a fast pace. Security and privacy concern for mobile devices
rival or go beyond similar concern for a laptop computer as mobile
device are even more mobile by nature and are less likely to be managed
by an organization.

Ensure Security:
In order to ensure security, it is necessary to provide at least the
following services, which are given below.
 1. Authorization:
It is act of determining whether an (authenticate) entity has the
right to execute action.

2. Audit:
An auditing service providing a history of action that can be used
to determine what (if anything) went wrong and what caused it to
go wrong.

3. Physical authentication:
Some firm of authentication such as an object (a key or a smart
card ) or a personal characteristic like a fingerprint, retinal
pattern, hand geometry.

4. Data Confidentiality:
It protects against disclosure of any data while in transit and is
provided by encryption of data.

ADVANTAGES OR DISADVANTAGES:
Advantages of implementing information system and security include:

 Protection of sensitive information: By implementing security

measures, organizations can protect their sensitive information
from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption,
modification, or destruction.
 Compliance: Implementing information security can help
organizations meet compliance requirements, such as HIPAA, PCI-
DSS, and SOX.
 Risk management: By implementing security measures,
organizations can better manage the risks associated with their
information systems.
  Business continuity: By protecting information systems from
natural disasters, power outages and other disruptions,
organizations can ensure that their business operations can
continue uninterrupted.
 Cost savings: Implementing security measures can help
organizations avoid costly data breaches and other security
incidents.

Disadvantages of implementing information system and security include:

 Cost: Implementing security measures can be costly, as it may

require additional resources, such as security experts, to manage
the process.
 Time-consuming: Implementing security measures can be time-
consuming, especially for organizations that have not previously
used this framework.
 Complexity: Implementing security measures can be complex,
especially for organizations that have a lot of data and systems to
protect.
 Inflexibility: Security measures can be inflexible, making it difficult
for organizations to respond quickly to changing security needs.
 Limited Adaptability: Security measures are predefined, which is
not adaptable to new technologies, it may require updating or
revising to accommodate new technology.

Information System is an integrated set of the component for

collecting, storing, processing and communicating information. Business
firm and other organization on the information system to manage their
operation in the marketplace supply service and augment personals
lives.

Many who come across the term information system for the first time
think of it as some software based on information storage or something
like that. Well, the name does sound that way. However, an information
system is way bigger than that. So, what is an information system?

An information system is a combination of software, hardware, and

telecommunication networks to collect useful data, especially in an
organisation. Many businesses use information technology to complete
and manage their operations, interact with their consumers, and stay
ahead of their competition. Some companies today are completely built
on information technology, like eBay, Amazon, Alibaba, and Google.

Typical components of information systems

Now that you know what an information system is, let’s look at its
components. It has five components – hardware, software, data, and
telecommunications.

1. Hardware – This is the physical component of the technology. It

includes computers, hard disks, keyboards, iPads, etc. The hardware cost
has decreased rapidly while its speed and storage capacity has increased
significantly. However, the impact of the use of hardware on the
environment is a huge concern today. Nowadays, storage services are
offered from the cloud, which can be accessed from telecommunications
networks.

2. Software – Software can be of two types, system software and

application software. The system software is an operating system that
manages the hardware, program files, and other resources while offering
the user to control the PC using GUI. Application software is designed
to manage particular tasks by the users. In short, system software makes
the hardware usable while application software handles specific tasks.
An example of system software is Microsoft windows, and an example
of application software is Microsoft Excel.
Large companies may use licensed applications which are developed and
managed by software development companies to handle their specific
needs. The software can be proprietary and open source, available on the
web for free use.

3. Data – Data is a collection of facts and is useless by themselves, but

when collected and organised together, it can be very powerful for
business operations. Businesses collect all the data and use it to make
decisions that can be analysed for the effectiveness of the business
operations.

4. Telecommunications – Telecommunication is used to connect with

the computer system or other devices to disseminate information. The
network can be established using wired or wireless modes. Wired
technologies include fiber optics and coaxial cable, while wireless
technologies include radio waves and microwaves.

Examples of information systems

Information systems have gained immense popularity in business

operations over the years. The future of information systems and their
importance depends on automation and the implementation of AI
technology.
Information technology can be used for specialised and generalised
purposes. A generalised information system provides a general service
like a database management system where software helps organise the
general form of data. For example, various data sets are obtained using a
formula, providing insights into the buying trends in a certain time
frame.

On the contrary, a specialised information system is built to perform a

specific function for a business. For example, an expert system that
solves complex problems. These problems are focused on a specific area
of study like the medical system. The main aim is to offer faster and
more accurate service than an individual might be able to do on his own.

Facts of information systems

The products of information technology are part of our daily lives. Here
are some of the facts about information systems.

• Necessary for businesses to grow

Every organisation has computer-related operations that are critical to
getting the job done. In a business, there may be a need for computer
software, implementation of network architecture to achieve the
company’s objectives or designing apps, websites, or games. So, any
company that is looking to secure its future needs to integrate a well-
designed information system.

• Better data storage and access

Such a system is also useful for storing operational data, documents,
communication records, and histories. As manual data may cost a lot of
time, information systems can be very helpful in it. Information system
stores data in a sophisticated manner, making the process of finding the
data much easier.
• Better decision making
Information system helps a business in its decision-making process.
With an information system, delivering all the important information is
easier to make better decisions. In addition, an information system
allows employees to communicate effectively. As the documents are
stored in folders, it is easier to share and access them with the
employees.

Since you have been reading about information systems, a career in

information technology (IT) could interest you. We have collated some
information to give you an idea about the field of IT.

Building a career in IT

It should be no surprise that a career in IT will help one grow

significantly in the coming years. It is considered one of the most highly
paid industries. There’s a constant need for skilled and qualified
professionals to meet the IT industry requirement, a great opportunity
for ambitious and hard-working people.

But ambition and hard work alone is not enough. Having strong
fundamentals, a creative mindset, and the ability to communicate
effectively is highly important to become successful in such a technical
field.

Attaining certifications is another way to get a competitive advantage in

this field. Employers are always looking for people who never stop
learning, so having a few certifications shows that you are always up for
new learning. Getting a certification from a reputed institute offers a
better understanding of the field, and a chance to interact with industry
experts and is considered more valuable during growth assessment.

Emeritus is a leading educational platform that offers various IT

certificate courses in collaboration with premium institutions like ISB
and IIT. The courses offered by Emeritus allow you to transform and
accelerate your career.