http://www.occupy.com/article/outsourcing-big-brother-how-fbi-and-cia-use-private-contractors-monitor-social-media

It was discussed in Chapter 6 that not only do corporations monitor and attempt to learn from social media patterns and posts but also that government agencies do to look into employees, criminals, and possible terrorist organization communications and money transfers. However, this article informs us that Palantir Technologies, which is not part of the U.S Government at all is the leading firm doing this surveillance on behalf of our government, or “Big Brother” as they call it. This article delves further into the concept of Open Source Intelligence, or OSINT, which allows all of our social media interactions to be tracked through purposely placed backdoors. Furthermore, not only are the FBI and CIA responsible for this monitoring but rather the DIA, DHS, and countless other law enforcement agencies. Due to vague descriptions of what constitutes “suspicious” or “questionable” internet activities, it may be easier than one would believe to end up on the watch list of one of the countless agencies employing Palantir Technologies or the other “Big Brother” firms.

1. Is our right to privacy being violated by allowing government agencies, as well as independent contractors such as Palantir, to monitor and access our social media for any reason under the blanket of national security?

2. Do the benefits of OSINT and Social Media monitoring outweigh the negative effects that could come with it? Can we justify arresting or investigating innocent people due to algorithm flaws or misunderstanding (Boston Marathon) in the name of national security?

http://www.newsday.com/opinion/oped/crowdsourcing-america-s-cybersecurity-is-an-idea-so-crazy-it-might-just-work-dominic-basulto-1.9908877

There is no doubt that in our world today we are virtually dependent on cyberspace, and in no way is that dependence coming to a halt. Yet with this dependence brings on the threat of hackers, and the security, or lack thereof, leaves society in vulnerable situations due to the amount of delicate information that is shared within the cyber world. The article I am sharing addresses the idea of using crowdsourcing as a defense against cyber-attacks. It is not necessarily a new concept, as groups like the Conficker Working Group came about in 2008 when more than two dozen companies and agencies came together to combat major hacking threats. Crowdsourcing emanates the term ‘strength in numbers,’ which ultimately raises the chances of having a successful defense. Though the key word is chance; there will always be a dangers that may arise in any situation. The idea is to increase your probability to overcome these potential obstacles.

Questions:
1.) Can crowdsourcing benefit cybersecurity effectively and efficiently? Are Cyberattacks impossible to defend due to the constant evolution of hackers worldwide?
2.) Do the positives outweigh the negatives when implementing crowdsourcing? (As stated by Robert Ackerman, Jr., you don’t sincerely know who is contributing to any and every community, i.e. the “Trojan Horse” theory.)

One of the topics discussed in this chapter dealt with the opportunities behind Business-to-Business e-commerce (B2B); also mentioned in the book was a internet company called Alibaba. Websites like Alibaba allow businesses to discover suppliers within seconds and have transformed the way companies operate. This article dives further into Alibaba and what it can do for corporations in the future. Below I’ve included a few questions derived from the article and the the chapter we covered this week.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/sarwantsingh/2014/11/06/b2b-ecommerce-market-worth-6-7-trillion-by-2020/

1. Could companies like Alibaba replace traditional supply chains in the future?

2. Will we see other internet ventures like Amazon began to include a B2B model in addition to B2C?

Thus far in class we have learned how technology and information systems are impacting many different industries and business functions. One industry that has been a slower adopter to the technical revolution has been the resturant industry. The article that I higlighted for my class reader explores how Panera Bread and Chili’s are using information technology to gain an edge on their competition. Like in many other industires, these two giant resturant chains are finding that relying on technology are allowing them to automate processes, increase order accuracy, reduce wait times, and even offer higher margin food items (at the cost of replacing a tablet with a waiter). While tablets replacing servers entirely in these resturants is not in the immdiate future, its clear that these resturants are closely monitering the competitve advantages that technology is offering.

Here is the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/21/business/latecomers-to-technology-restaurants-dig-in.html?_r=1

Food for Thought:

1. Do you think tablets are a realistic option to entirely replace servers within the next 5 years?

2. Have you expirienced a tablet solution at a Panera or Chili’s?

3. What other ways could a resturant use technology as a competitve advantage?

Thanks for reading!

Welcome to MIS2101 – please take a few minutes to review the syllabus prior to our first class!