Page 525 - Using MIS

component parts. When suppliers copied the manufactur- however, that when it notified the providers of those email
er’s drawings, they copied the worm as well. Soon the worm servers in China, the providers shut those server sites down,
was on its way around the world. so the damage is supposed to be stopped. Autodesk, the
Was it serious? According to the ESET, tens of thou- vendor of AutoCAD, took corrective and protective action
sands of engineering drawings were leaked. ESET says, as well.

DisCussion Questions

1. If, in your absence, your roommate opens your desk and from a shared folder? What’s required to steal that paper
eats the top layer of your 2-pound box of chocolates, using packet sniffing? Which is easier?
you’ll know it; at least you’ll know they’re gone. But, if 4. As a student, you’re unlikely to share many folders, but
in your absence, your roommate uses your computer to once you start work, you’re likely to do so. Is the scenario
copy your MIS term project onto his flash drive, do you in question 2 possible at work? Does it matter if your em-
know? If so, how? If not, why not? ployer has strong network security? What is the one thing
2. Of course your roommate wouldn’t steal your term you can do to protect yourself from the person in the cu-
project. So, instead, suppose the person across the hall bicle down the hallway accessing your shared folders?
obtains the name of your computer and your logon 5. Now consider the suppliers in this guide who had their
name (the name you enter when your computer starts). designs stolen. Will they know their designs were stolen?
She could surreptitiously watch you enter your pass- How will they find out? How will they know which de-
word and learn it, too. But let’s say instead that she signs were taken? How can they assess their damages?
notices the 75 pictures of your family basset hound, 6. It’s possible for companies to configure their network so
Fido, taped to your desk and correctly guesses that your that email can only be sent to their own Internet service
password is Fido. With that data and a little knowledge, provider. Such a configuration would thwart the ACAD/
she uses your dorm’s network to access shared fold- Medre.A worm, and indeed it did, for all the companies
ers on your computer from her computer. (Search the that had such security. Companies with large, knowl-
Internet for How to share a folder in Windows (or Mac) edgeable IS departments (see Chapter 11) most likely
if you don’t know what shared folders are.) When she will, but in this case hundreds did not. If you’re the
finds your MIS term paper in one of your shared fold- owner of a small business, what can you do?
ers and copies it to her computer, do you know? Why or 7. Search the Internet for the term industrial espionage.
why not? Find one example of espionage that has been conducted
3. How does the situation in question 2 differ from packet using malware. Summarize the problem and the dam-
sniffing? (Reread the Guide in Chapter 6, pages 240–241 ages. What could the companies involved have done to
if necessary). What’s required for her to steal your paper avoid losses?

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