Computer Science & Information Systems

Abstract: In this paper an overview is given of different views on computer science education and specifically regarding moral and ethical topics. It seems that people do not agree about what should and should not be included in the curriculum. A survey that was done in 1998 in ...

We see, know and experience information systems development failures in many domains and in many countries. This paper will explore some of the issues related to the study of these failures. Every year, billions of dollars are wasted on failed projects in developed countries. Developing countries can learn from these grim experiences so as not to waste precious resources in repeating similar failures. The paper will emphasise the fact that the study of failures can only take place post-hoc, once a failure has been identified. Preparation is therefore different to normal scientific study where a situation is pre-selected in advance, the precise parameters are identified and decisions are made about the best methods for measuring them accurately and objectively. The literature reveals that researchers and practitioners have been experiencing projects failures for many years. Indeed, acknowledgements of failures go back at least thirty-five years. However, failures are still a prevalent problem. A significant obstacle related to the study of failures is the lack of acknowledged research methods for understanding such complex phenomena. The evidence collected during failure investigations emerges from a variety of sources, perspectives and contexts. Not surprisingly, it often appears to be ambiguous, incoherent and confused. The information collected tends to be rich, messy, contradictory and subjective. Such situations call for a new repertoire of methods to address the unique features of failures. This paper will introduce possible alternative ways of looking at and constructing failure stories. The techniques described below come under the umbrella term forensic analysis. The insights obtained from forensic analysis can be used for internal learning within organisations as well as externally within the discipline, thereby enabling practitioners and developing countries to benefit from the mistakes of others.

The state of information security as a whole is a disaster, a train wreck". This view is given by Forte and Power (2007) describing the state of information security towards the end of the first decade of the 21st century. Amongst solutions offered, the view that security programs have to be holistic is proposed indicating that technical controls are of little value without the workforce understanding the risks of their irresponsible behavior. Another solution proposed by them is the role of awareness and education. All levels of users should be targeted letting them understand their role and responsibility in information security. Password related behavior is often highlighted as a key component of information security

Honours programs in South African universities must include a research project module. There are external pressures from professional bodies and government that influences the nature of the project module. This paper presents a reflection on the process of managing the project module at a South African university taking into account internal and external demands. The focus for this paper is on the ethical content of the projects. Examples of projects are presented after which the ethical awareness of the students is discussed. Not all projects have ethical, legal or social issues, however ethical aspects need to be reflected upon and awareness of these issues is essential during the planning of the project. The awareness that students have on ethical, social and legal issues is investigated in this paper.

In this paper an overview is given of different views on computer science education and specifically regarding moral and ethical topics. It seems that people do not agree about what should and should not be included in the curriculum. A survey that was done in 1998 in Southern Africa regarding these issues is discussed and then compared with a similar study that was done in 1992.

The state of information security as a whole is a disaster, a train wreck". This view is given by Forte and Power (2007) describing the state of information security towards the end of the first decade of the 21 st century. Amongst solutions offered, the view that security programs have to be holistic is proposed indicating that technical controls are of little value without the workforce understanding the risks of their irresponsible behavior. Another solution proposed by them is the role of awareness and education. All levels of users should be targeted letting them understand their role and responsibility in information security. Password related behavior is often highlighted as a key component of information security

An information security awareness program is regarded as an important instrument in the protection of information assets. In this study, the traditional approach to an information security awareness program is extended to include possible cultural factors relating to people from diverse backgrounds. The human factor, consisting of two closely related dimensions, namely knowledge and behaviour, play a significant role in the field of ICT security. In addition, cultural factors also impact on the security knowledge and behaviour of people as cultural differences may manifest themselves in different levels of security awareness. An information security vocabulary test was used to assess the level of awareness pertaining to the two human dimensions-knowledge and behaviour amongst students from two different regional universities in South Africa. The objective is to determine whether cultural differences among students have an effect on their ICT security awareness levels. Results obtained suggest that certain cultural factors such as mother tongue, area where you grew up, etc., do have an impact on security awareness levels and should be taken into consideration when planning and developing an information security awareness program.

Email communication is growing as a main method for individuals and organizations to communicate. Sadly, this is also an emerging means of conducting crime in the cyber world, eg identity theft, virus attacks etc. The need for improving awareness to these threats ...