Information Systems 511 Review Flashcards

These vocabulary flashcards cover the core concepts of Information Systems 511, including hardware components, AI categories, organizational strategies, ethics, security, data management, and networking.

Information System

The technology an organization uses, how the organization interacts with that technology, and how the technology works with the organization’s processes such as gathering, storing, and processing raw data.

Hardware

The physical devices like computers, servers, and networking equipment that run software and store or process data.

Software

Sets of instructions or programs that control how hardware operates, processes data, and provides outputs.

Data

Raw, unorganized facts gathered by a system which, when processed, turn into structured and meaningful information.

Procedures

The established guidelines and instructions that define how users and systems interact to complete tasks.

Communication Networks

Systems that allow data and information to be transferred across various locations or departments within an organization.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The 'brain' of the computer that processes instructions, manages tasks, executes calculations, and controls other hardware components.

Motherboard

The main circuit board serving as the backbone of the system unit, connecting the CPU, memory, storage devices, and peripherals.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Temporary storage that holds data and instructions for quick access by the CPU, essential for multitasking and system performance.

System Software

Computer software designed to manage and control hardware components and provide a platform for application software to run.

Operating System (OS)

Essential software that manages computer hardware and software resources while providing services and an interface for users and applications.

Machine Cycle

The fundamental operational process followed by a CPU comprising four stages: Fetch, Decode, Execute, and Store.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The design and development of computer systems capable of performing tasks that traditionally require human intelligence, such as learning and pattern recognition.

Narrow AI (Weak AI)

AI systems designed to perform a specific task or solve a limited problem within predefined constraints, such as facial recognition or spam filters.

General AI (Strong AI)

A theoretical concept of machines capable of understanding, learning, and applying knowledge across diverse tasks at a human level.

Machine Learning (ML)

A subset of AI focused on building systems that learn from statistical patterns in data rather than being explicitly programmed.

Deep Learning

A specialized subfield of machine learning that uses artificial neural networks with multiple layers to learn complex representations from data.

Business Process

A series of activities that transforms inputs into outputs of value to an organization or its customers.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Technology that uses software 'robots' or bots to automate repetitive, rule-based business processes traditionally performed by humans.

Business Process Reengineering (BPR)

A radical strategy that aims to enhance productivity and profitability by fundamentally redesigning an organization’s processes from a 'clean sheet' perspective.

Business Process Improvement (BPI)

An incremental approach to enhancing existing processes by identifying and reducing variations and inefficiencies.

Business Process Management (BPM)

A comprehensive management approach for designing, monitoring, and optimizing business processes over time.

Six Sigma

A methodology for Business Process Improvement that employs statistical techniques to reduce defects and optimize outputs.

Porter’s Competitive Forces Model

A framework for analyzing competitiveness based on five forces: threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitutes, and industry rivalry.

Primary Activities

Value chain activities directly related to production and distribution, including inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing/sales, and after-sales service.

Ethics

The moral guidelines and principles people follow when making decisions about what is right and what is wrong.

Utilitarian Approach

An ethical framework focusing on achieving the maximum benefit for the most people with the minimum amount of harm.

Deontology Approach

An ethical framework that judges actions based on their inherent rightness or wrongness according to rules, regardless of the consequences.

Responsibility

A fundamental tenet of ethics meaning the acceptance of the consequences of one's choices and actions.

Accountability

An ethical principle involving the identification of who bears the responsibility for specific actions and decisions.

Liability

A legal framework that allows individuals or entities to seek compensation for damages caused by others.

Malware

Malicious software designed to damage, disrupt, or gain unauthorized access to computer systems.

Ransomware

A type of malware that encrypts files and demands a payment for their restoration.

Symmetric Encryption

A method of encryption that uses a single shared key for both the encryption of plaintext and the decryption of ciphertext.

Asymmetric Encryption

A method of encryption utilizing a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption, allowing secure communication without sharing secret keys.

Digital Signature

A code used to verify the authenticity and integrity of a digital message or document by hashing and signing it with a private key.

Data Governance

A formal approach to managing data across an entire organization to ensure its accuracy, security, and accessibility.

Master Data Management

A process providing a consistent and accurate 'single version of the truth' for core organizational data such as customers, products, and employees.

Data Redundancy

A problem where the same data is stored in multiple locations, which database systems aim to minimize.

Big Data

Collections of data so vast (volume), fast-moving (velocity), and diverse (variety) that they cannot be managed with traditional database systems.

Data Warehouse

A repository of historical data that is organized by subject to support decision-makers across an entire organization.

Tacit Knowledge

Subjective knowledge based on experience, including insights, skills, and organizational culture, which is difficult to document.

Explicit Knowledge

Objective and technical knowledge, such as policies and reports, that can be easily documented and shared.

Bandwidth

The transmission capacity of a network, often categorized as narrowband or broadband.

Local Area Network (LAN)

A network that connects two or more devices within a confined geographic space, usually a single building.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

A network that spans large geographic areas and can connect devices across countries or continents.

TCP/IP

The foundational suite of protocols for the Internet; TCP manages data flow and sequencing, while IP handles addressing and routing.

Packet Switching

A technology that fragments data into small units called packets which travel independently across a network to be reassembled at the destination.

Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP)

Technology that digitizes analog voice signals and transmits them in packets over the Internet.

Unified Communications (UC)

The integration of all forms of communication, including voice, email, and chat, onto a single platform for a streamlined user experience.

Crowdsourcing

A form of collaboration where an organization outsources tasks to a large, undefined group of people through an open call.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

Largely automated, online courses designed to democratize access to higher education for very large numbers of students.