ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY

Department of Business Administration

Course Managing Information System

Level Executive COL. MBA

Course Code 5567

Topic Assigned Social Impact of Information System

Name of Tutor
Himayat Ali
Name of Student Kamran Javed

Roll No
BX510011
Semester Autumn -2019

1
 Table of Contents

i. Introduction to the topic

ii. Important sub-topics.
iii. Practical study of the organization with respect to the topic.
iv. Review of theoretical and practical situations.
v. Merits, demerits, deficiencies or strengths of the organization with respect to topic.
under study.
vi. Conclusions and recommendations.
vii. Annex, if any,

Topic: Social Impact of Information System

Introduction to topic

Ethical issues of information system A few ethical principles that can serve as the
basis for ethical conduct by managers end users, and IS professionals. But what more
specific guide-lines might help your ethical use of information technology? Many
companies and organizations answer the question today with detailed policies for ethical
computer and internet usage by their employees. For example, most policies specify that
company computer workstations and network are company resources that must be used
only for work-related uses, whether using internal networks or the internet Business and
IS professionals would live up to their ethical responsibilities by voluntarily following
such guidelines. For example, you can be a responsible professional by
(1) Acting with integrity.
(2) Increasing your professional competence.
(3) Setting high standard of personal performance
(4) Accepting responsibility for your work.
(5) Advancing the health, privacy, and general welfare of the public. Then you would be
demonstrated ethical conduct, avoiding computer crime, and increasing the security of
any information system you develop or use.
The use of information technologies in business has had major impacts on society,
and thus raises ethical issues in the areas of crime, privacy, individuality, employment,
health, and working conditions.

2
 However, we also realize that information technology has had beneficial results
as well as detrimental effects on society and people in each of these areas. For example,
computerizing a manufacturing process many have the adverse effect of eliminations
people’s jobs, but also have the beneficial result of improving working conditions and
productions products of higher quality at less cost.
Important sub topic
Ethical Responsibility in business Business and IT activities involve many ethical
considerations. basic principles of technology and business ethics can serve as guidelines
for business professionals when dealing with ethical business issues that may arise in
the widespread use of information technology in business and society. Example includes
theories of corporate social responsibility, which outline the ethical responsibility of
management and employees to a company’s stockholders, stakeholders, and society,
and the four principles of technology ethics summarized.
Organization needs to be motivated do utilize it to improve the quality of life in the
workplace. They should design it to minimize negative working conditions. This challenge
relates not only to companies that produce IT hardware and software but also to
companies that sue these technologies. Increased exposure to the concepts and actual
use to IT will bring pressure to public agencies and corporations to employ the latest
capabilities for solving social problems outside the workplace as well. This is part of the
organization’s social responsibility. At the same time conflicting public pressures may
rise to suppers the use of it because of concerns about privacy and big brother
government computer applications can bandit society in many ways. Here are some
examples.

 Searching for electronic imaging unbalances missing children and fax, high quality
photos plus text can be sent form the center for missing and exploited children to
many fax machines and to portable machine in police cars. Of special interest is
the support given by computers in Californian kidnapping case, which improved
the quality of fax transmission and in creased the number of people exposed to
the announcements.
 A sick person who needs help can activate a small transistor that is worn on a
necklace. A computer chip automatically activates the telephone of notify an
operator who can contact he emergency service of a physician.
3
  A geographical information system helps the San Bernardino sheriff’s department
in visualizing crime lanterns and accosting resources.
 A computerized voice mail system is used in Rochester New York so that
homeliness and other needy people can find jobs access health care resources,
and gain independent living skills.
 IT provides many devices for disabled people. Examples include a bilingual
notebook computer for blind students a tow way writing telephone a robotic page-
turner a hair brusher and a hospital beside video trip to the zoo.
Social impact of information system
The vital role of information technologies and system in society raises serious ethical and
societal issues in terms of their impact on employment, individuality, working conditions,
privacy, health, and computer crime as illustrated.
Employment issues include the loss of jobs due to computerization and automation of
work versus the jobs created to supply and support new information technologies and
the business applications they make possible. The impact on working conditions involves
the issues of computer monitoring of employees and the quality of the working
conditions of jobs that make heavy use of information technologies. The effect of IT on
individuality addresses the issues of the depersonalization, regimentation, and
inflexibility of some computerized business system.
Health issues are raised by heavy use of computer workstations for long periods of time
by employees which may cause work-related health disorders. Serious privacy issues are
raised by the use of IT to access or collect private information without authorization, as
well for computer profiling, computer matching, computer monitoring, and computer
libel and censorship. Computer crime issues surround activities such as hacking,
computer viruses and worms, cyber theft, unauthorized use at work, software, piracy,
and pricy of intellectual property.
Managers, business professionals, and IS specialists can help solve the problems of
improper use of IT by assuming their ethical responsibilities for the ergonomic design,
beneficial use, and enlightened management of information technologies in our society.
As we said at the beginning of the Internet and other information technologies can have
many beneficial effects on society. We can sue information technology can have many
beneficial effects on society. We can use information technologies to solve human and
4
social problem through social solutions such as medical diagnoses computer resided
instruction governmental program planning environmental quality control and law
enforcement or example computers can help diagnose an illness prescribe necessary
treatment and monitor the progress of hospital patients. Computer assisted instruction
CAI and computer-based training CBTA enable interactive instruction tailored to the
needs of students. Distance learning is supported by telecommunication networks video
conferencing e- mail, and other technologies. Information technologies can be sued for
crime control through various law enforcement applicators. For example, computerized
alarm system allows police to identify a respond quickly to evidence e of criminal
activity. Computers have been used to monitor the level of pollution in the air and in
bodies of water to detect the sources of pollution and to issue early warning when
dangerous levels are reached. Computers are also sued for the program planning for
many government agencies in such areas as burin planning population density and land
use studies, highway planning and urban transit studies. Computers are being sued in
job placement systems to help match unemployed persons with available jobs. These
and other applications illustrate that information technology can be used to help solve
the problems of society. It should be obvious to you that many of detrimental effects of
information technology are caused by individuals or organizations that are not accepting
the ethical responsibility for their actions. Milk other powerful technologies information
technologies possesses the potential for great harm or great food for all humankind.
If mangers business professional and IS specialists accept their ethical
responsibilities then information technologies can help make this world a better place for
all of us.

Cyber crime
Many computer crimes involve the theft of money. In majority of cases, they are “inside
jobs “that involve unauthorized network entry and fraudulent alteration of computer
data base to cover the tracks of the employees involved. Of course, many computer
crimes involve the use of internet. In most cases, the scope of such financial losses is
much higher than the incidents reported. Most companies do not reveal that they have
been targets or victims of computer crime. They fear off computers and providing
complaints by shareholders.
It is difficult to think of the Internet as existing without any type of commercial

5
enterprise. The internet began, however, as a project of the United States government
with a strict prohibition against commercial activity. It was not until 1991, some twenty
years after its inception, that the National Science Foundation lifted the prohibition on
commercial use. The subsequent growth has been both unprecedented and exponential,
as companies of every size, from multinational corporations to "mom and pop” shops,
maintain sites and conduct business on the Web.
The world has truly changed, and we cannot escape the excitement and potential of the
new economy. The best way to appreciate the impact of e-commerce is to step back and
think of commerce in the traditional sense, which is noting more than the exchange of
goods and services.

Commerce of either type involves buyers and sellers, products and services and
suppliers of producers of the products and services, and suppliers or producers of the
products and services. The buyer and seller need a place to meet in order for the
transaction to take place. But now a day’s seller enjoys similar advantages because it is
much less expensive to implement and maintain a Web site than it is to build a store
with "bricks and mortar". The customers can come from all over the world, as opposed
to having to live in the neighborhood. The seller can stock more items because there is
no need to physically display products or even to print a catalog. The cost per
transaction is significantly lower because the personnel costs are reduced. There need
not be salespersons although many Web sites do provide telephone support. And, best
of all, the business remains open around the clock.
The Web also makes it possible to build consumer-to-consumer sites such as Bay.com.
And all of this activity pales before the potential of the business-to-business (B2B)
model in which businesses interact electronically to exchange goods and services.
Security:
The advent of commercial activity brought about a fundamental rethinking of way data is
transmitted across the Internet. Security was suddenly essential, but this contradicted
the original vision of the Internet as an open network that allowed all users open access
to resources on remote computers. The Internet was built on data, which is a potential
problem if the information is confidential.
E-commerce, however, depends entirely on the availability of secure transactions. The
buyer and seller must both be assured that data is safe and cannot be compromised.
6
This is accomplished through encryption, the process of encoding data so that it is no
longer in its original form when it is sent across the Internet. The precise way, in which
data is encrypted prior to being sent, then decrypted on the receiving end, is beyond the
scope of pure description. Just realize that encryption is built into Internet Explorer and
that is takes place automatically when you communicate with a secure site.
Privacy:
We can use both ways. The convenience of returning to a site and having the site
know your likes and dislikes in order to steer you to the goods or information you are
most likely to request, is offset by thought that the site knows all about you. It is all a
function of cookies the small files that are written to your hard drive each time we visit a
site. There is nothing harmful about a cookie per se. It is simply a text file contains
information about your visit to a site, and therein lies the problem.

In essence, cookies enable us to personalize our interaction with a Web site and
thus offer a tremendous convenience while simultaneously raising a threat to our
privacy.
Returning to a Previous Site: Internet Explorer enables us to move effortlessly from one
Web document to another. As we browse through the Web, it's all too easy to forget how
we arrived at a particular site, it difficult to return to that site.
 An information system can be any organized combination of people, hardware,
software, communications networks, and data resources that collects, transforms,
and disseminates information in an organization. People have relied on information
systems to communicate with each other using a variety of physical devices i.e.
hardware, information processing instructions and procedures i.e. software,
communication channels i.e. networks and stored data i.e. data resources.
 Means an interconnected set of information resources under the same direct
management control that shares common functionality. A system normally
includes hardware, software, information, data, applications, communications, and
people.
 An organized collection, storage, and presentation system of data and other
knowledge for decision making, progress reporting, and for planning and
evaluation of programs. It can be either manual or computerized, or a combination
of both.
7
Practical study
Descon Engineering Ltd
Tawoos has joined hands with Descon Engineering Ltd, based in Pakistan in a
partnership to provide engineering services to Oil and Gas companies in the Sultanate of
Oman. Technical & marketing support would be provided by Descon Engineering Limited
whereas the business development aspect would be handled by Tawoos Descon
Engineering LLC.

DESCON is Pakistan's leading engineering services company. Now in their third decade
of operation, they have successfully executed projects of national importance in the
sectors of power, cement, fertilizer, oil & gas, chemical / petrochemical and
environmental engineering, manufacturing, civil construction, electro-mechanical
erection and maintenance.

The strength is based on the resources of over 1000 professionals, including 600
engineers, an extensive range of plant and equipment and three manufacturing facilities.
Descon's services span the Gulf region with offices in Abu Dhabi, joint venture in
Sultanate of Oman and another joint venture with Olayan Group in Saudi Arabia where
engineering, fabrication, construction and maintenance services are offered.

Stringent quality control standards and emphasis on loss prevention are distinct features
at all the Descon projects and manufacturing facilities. Recognition of Descon's
commitment to quality in all functions of the company business is evident in the ISO
9001 certification received in 1997. Manufacturing operations have also attained the
ASME stamps A, PP, S and from inception to commissioning we are equipped to
undertake all phases of a project with the objective of providing quality services within
the time and budgetary parameters to the satisfaction of our clients.

Descon's seven business areas are: Engineering Services, Manufacturing, Utilities &
Environmental Engineering, Project & Construction services, Plant Services, Elsag Bailey
Systems and Equipment & Plant.

Engineering Services

CAD-based engineering services for basic and detailed design are available in the
following disciplines:

8
CIVIL & STRUCTURAL

Civil and structural design capabilities cover Reinforced Cement Concrete and Steel
Structures for industrial plants. This expertise is applicable to:

 Foundations
 Industrial buildings, domes and silos
 Underground services
 Industrial buildings, domes and silos

MECHANICAL
Mechanical engineering services are available in the following areas:

 PROCESS DESIGN: Front End Design Manual (FEDM), Process and Instrumentation
Diagram (P&ID) process specifications, energy balances and process calculations.
 PIPING DESIGN: Preparation of plant layouts, piping plans and section drawings,
generation of isometrics and bills of materials, pipe stress analysis and supports
design.

PLANT EQUIPMENT DESIGN: Pressure vessels, heat exchangers, industrial boilers, to

tanks, process related equipment and material handling systems

Plant services
Technical services for maintenance / operation-oriented contracts are provided for:

 Turnarounds/shutdowns
Maintenance services include refurbishing of stationary and rotary equipment's
predictive & preventive maintenance; overhauling & replacement of equipment
and modification works.
 Commissioning and start-up
Services consists of devising a system of checklists, pre-commissioning procedures
and test runs prior to start-up.

 Plant operation
Expertise is provided to optimize process and production flow to maintain the
capacity of the plant and quality of the product.

warehouse management

9
Specific objectives for optimized inventory levels, material checks, and scrap/sample
stock and identification procedures are fulfilled by developing customized computer

Descon engineering core values

 Professionalism, ethics and integrity

 Commitment and team work
 Candid and open environment
 Recognition and growth of individual and respecter of human dignity
 Encourage leadership, initiative and innovation
 Continuous improvement in all aspects of our business service to the nation 

Descon engineering Purpose

To bring prosperity and is well-being to our stake-holders and society at large by adding
value through engineering, technology and management. 

Descon engineering Vision

To become a world-class engineering, manufacturing and construction company

operating internationally. 

Descon engineering Mission

To provide our customers with quality, cost-effective and reliable solutions as an EPC
contractor at home, a general contractor abroad and a manufacturer of plant and
equipment in the region

Practical study of the organization with respect to topic

Computer Data Security

The system provides centralized data bank for storing all the information pertaining
about 2,000 Descon Engineering employees belonging to all categories i.e. Officers, Staff

10
and workers. Descon Engineering employee concerned about privacy, as is the
organization for which they work because of the increasing dependence on electronic
data storage and transmission. Employee must maintain privacy to material. Legislative
proposals are in the works to address the privacy issue. Regardless of whether another
employer intrudes other employee’s private database or not, a core question must be
answered. An employer monitors a worker’s electronic files to gather private information
about the other employees or is the information gathered to improve production within
the organization.

Privilege
Descon Engineering, not allowed defamatory information made to other country.
Absolute Privilege
Descon Engineering follows absolute privilege is in three circumstances judicial
proceedings, Legislative proceedings and the actions of important government officials.

Courts of law are places where defamatory statements made Descon Engineering take
actions about defamatory statements. Descon Engineering has its own legal advisors.

An Employee’s Records, Reports, Letters, and Electronic Data

An employee has no right to privacy will be violated if official records, reports, letters,
and, more recently electronic mail are discovered.
Yet to be finalized are the rights of the employee regarding privacy of privacy of
personal electronic mail. Those guidelines are still being formed, but indications suggest
that one’s E-mail is also considered an issue of privacy.
Security implemented
Extensive level of security is implemented at the menu, program level even certain fields
are secured for certain users. The security levels are also defined at factory/groups and
section/shop level. The system is designed keeping in view its integration with other
system like payroll, warrants & estimates, labor booking and Acquaintance roll, the
integration provides real time updating of data between Personnel Information System
and other system.

SWOT ANALYSIS
Strength
 Restrict information according to policy.

11
  Descon Engineering has its own local area network so database is totally secured
 Best use of relational data base management systems.
 Proper computer training of every person who use relevant module of data base
management system
 Descon Engineering still rely on obsolete security standards, such as the ISO/IEC
17799.
 The more recent ISO/IEC 27001 ISO/IEC 2005 standard has finally introduced the
notion of a security policy .
 Efficient use of office space will be ensured by properly designing and developing
the premises using professional help.
 Each member of the workforce will be provided with suitable desk and other
facilities commensurate with the needs of the job assigned
 Organization mentions policy for handling information regarding both present and
former employees.
. Weaknesses
 Technical problems may be caused by intentional attacks on the system.
 Lack of training and follow-up about security and its importance perpetuate
ignorance about proper use of information systems.
 Without guidance, many users choose obvious passwords that may be easily
ascertained,
 Errors and omissions may occur in gathering, creating, processing, storing,
transmitting, and deleting data and information.
 Accuracy of information is sometime doubtful.
 Copy all database on network.
 Completion and reconciliation of information/reports is a very lengthy time-
consuming process.

Opportunities
 Adequate measures for security of information systems help to ensure the smooth
functioning of information systems.
 Automatic Calculation of short attendance.
 Provision of leave summary (LFP & EOL) at the and of Acquittance Roll Sheet.

12
  Huge saving of manpower hrs involved in manual Acquittance Roll System
 Adequate measures for security of information systems help to ensure the smooth
functioning of information systems.
Threats
 The current tendency towards using information systems which are increasingly
bigger and are distributed throughout the entire Internet has led to the emergence
of many new threats to security. This signifies that present-day information
systems are vulnerable to a host of threats and cyber-attacks by cyber-terrorists,
hackers, etc., such as virus which are propagated through the Internet, social
engineering attacks (phishing etc.) or the inappropriate use of the Net's assets by
descon Engineering ' employees
 The permanent and global nature of security threats and the increasing complexity
of IT infrastructures are currently leading Descon Engineering throughout the
world to revise their approaches towards information security.
 For every new report the process of recompilation and retyping starts resulting in
lot of time consumption.
 Secrecy/security of information is not very tight.

Conclusion
Descon engineering with weak information system skills are at a competitive
disadvantage. Strengths in Information System allow Descon Engineering to establish
distinctive competencies in areas such as low-cost manufacturing and good customer
services. Staff and officers are well paid over time different allowances in comparison
with others organizations. To association gives the right and confidence to convey labors
problems to top management in better way. The higher authorities some time problems
ignore the association and its problem the higher authorities should give special
attention to association and labor management problems.

Recommendations
 Descon Engineering fully recognize the need to continuously improve their internal
security culture by establishing and maintaining proper security governance
processes
13
 A digital forensic investigation should follow proper digital forensic procedures or
process models for its evidence to be admissible in a court of law.
 Securing information system resources is extremely important in ensuring that the
resources are well protected.
 Establish measures, practices and procedures to reflect the principles concerning
the security of information systems
 Measures, practices and procedures for the security of information systems should
be coordinated and integrated with each other and with other measures, practices
and procedures of thedESCON Engineering so as to create a coherent system of
security.
 Promote awareness of the necessity for and the goals of security of information
systems, including ethical conduct in the use of information systems
 It is recommended that the latest advisories on the new viruses, worms and
Trojan horses etc. If there is anything needs to be installed, better do it
immediately.
 It is recommended that updates or new patches for the operating systems.
 Train system administrators and developers to handle these vulnerabilities
properly and it is better to employ a cyber security professional who is an expert
in securing systems.
 It is recommended that three Data-base applications for the organization (one for
each Division) is necessary to achieve the above stated objectives.
 Establish a company policy for handling information regarding both present and
former employees.
 Resist making public any information unless it’s required by public policy.
 Keep a “paper trail”, a record of released information.
 Avoid making any subjective statements in the released material.
 HMC should restrict all software or database for security.
 Not privilege copy any software or document.
 Restrict the database material; no give right or permission to others to copy.

14