Said Ouedraogo

What is OSI model? What’s the main function of each OSI layer?

OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) is reference model for how applications can communicate over a network. It has seven layers.

1) Physical: allows the transmission and reception of the unstructured raw bit stream over a physical medium and describes the electrical/optical, m…[Read more]

What are the advantages of VPN?

A virtual private network (VPN), is a network that is constructed by using the Internet to connect to a private network, such as a company’s internal network.

The advantages are as follow:
– Enhance security as the data are encrypted
– Remote control as you can access your information everywhere
– Reduce…[Read more]

Sean,

You are absolutely right. In my previous post. I said that I would install security cameras to monitor employees. This can bring more problems than solutions. In fact, in psychological point of view it can decrease employees productivity because they will be anxious.
Also, as you said it takes time to check everybody; which raises…[Read more]

Controls are important in all the OTC processes including shipping. What would be different in the controls of a purely domestic company vs. an international company? Give 1 – 2 specific examples.

Doing business in a international level is complex. When shipping internationally, a company faces many challenges. One of the biggest challenge i…[Read more]

Assume the ‘One Piece at a Time’ video scenario could happen. If you are the operations manager responsible for the assembly line, what 1-2 key controls would you implement? Explain how the control addresses the risk.

First, I will install security cameras and guards at the assembly line. The guards will be responsible to check employee lun…[Read more]

Paul,

Nice post. However, one car can use more than one major component. In your example “in order to finish 1 GM car, then 1 GM engine should be used”. What if the engine is defective? The employee should be able to replace a component if it’s not working.
What they can do as you said, is to do daily reconciliations where the employees will…[Read more]

1. Using the Fraud Triangle analyze the ‘One Piece at a Time’ video scenario and explain how the environment was favorable to Fraud.

The Fraud Triangle is a combination of 3 factors (pressure, opportunity and rationalization) that cause someone to commit occupational fraud.

First, the environment was favorable to fraud because Johnny alw…[Read more]

Russian ‘Fancy Bear’ Hackers Hit Mac OS X With New Trojan

Fancy Bear has been spotted using a new Trojan that targets Apple Mac OS X machines. The group used a phishing email to lure the user into downloading a file that looks like a PDF but instead is malicious executable code. The victim works in the aerospace industry, and though he/she…[Read more]

Binu,

Really interesting article. I think they have released updates concerning the issue. Also, iOS is far from being malware free or threat free. It’s just because more people use Android and Windows phones. So hackers put all their energy in those OS as it’s more lucrative.

Pr. Yao,

A blue screen of deah is when Window can not operate safely. In general, it is cause by an issue with the hardware (overheating of components or the hardware running beyond its specification limits).

Sean,

You are absolutely right. I used to think that Windows was weak and that iOS is unbreakable, until I had a discussion with an IT expert. In fact, Windows is not at all weak or inferior than iOS. It just that more people use Windows which makes it a preferable target for hackers.

Brou,

Once again you are right, but it is counterproductive especially in the business world. The OSs were created to make the user life easier. And as I said it acts like the heart of the computer, it’s what allows the computer to be useful.

Brou,

You are right, but most people don’t know how to do what you are saying. Giving a computer without an OS to someone who does not know how to code is like giving a bike without pedals. Theoretically, you can still ride it but it won’t be practical.

Paul,

Most of the time the seller take the money from your account when they ship the goods. For example, whenever I order something from Amazon they charge me only when they have shipped the package.

Fangzhou,

You may be right, but based on my experience Amazon send you a new package if you tell them you didn’t receive your package. In fact, last year I ordered something from Amazon. I was not home when UPS delivered the package, so my neighbor took the package. So, when I got home I already received a mail from Amazon saying that my…[Read more]

Question 1: What are the security challenges in online banking?

Online banking is popular because it’s accessible, quick, and convenient. With the biggest network ever created (Internet), online banking became a “must have” for banks. Even banks in developing countries are implementing online banking. It’s eliminate long lines in the bank an…[Read more]

Binu,

Thank you for your post. However, for some companies who use SAP, quotation or order entry is not really vulnerable to fraud or theft. In fact, the system won’t let you enter the same information twice (PO number) . It will give you an error, which reduces the risk of double entry.

Mansi,

I am glad you brought that up. Frankly, I did not think about hackers. I was only thinking how the company can mess up a customer order. It is true that during the payment process, hackers can take advantage of the company and the customers at the same time. In fact, they can steal customers information (credit card, addresses…), which…[Read more]

Binu,

We can’t do nothing about human errors, but we can reduce fraud. There should be a tracking system from the order creation to the delivery. In that way, the company can track the order from A to Z. For example, let’s say I order three books from Amazon. The system will create my order and assign an order number. Then, the warehouse…[Read more]

Nice post, and you are absolutely right about the managing customer master data portion. However, there can still be mistakes especially at the delivery. I have received several times other customer packages from Amazon. The deliveries were made by third parties shipping companies (UPS, USPS, Fedex…) In that case, the error was human. The…[Read more]