Information Technology Management (C954)

Correct Answer

D. Regular software updates

Explanation

Regular software updates are essential for maintaining security and system performance. While they may incur minor costs in terms of time and resources, they are not considered a costly category of data security issue compared to breaches, ransomware, or insider threats, which can result in severe financial and reputational damage.

Why Other Options Are Wrong

A. Data breaches – Data breaches are among the most expensive security issues, leading to regulatory fines, legal fees, loss of customer trust, and costs associated with remediation.

B. Ransomware attacks – Ransomware attacks force companies to pay hefty ransoms or suffer data loss, downtime, and recovery expenses, making them a significant financial burden.

C. Insider threats – Insider threats involve employees or contractors misusing their access, either intentionally or accidentally, leading to severe financial and reputational damage.

Correct Answer

A. PERT chart

Explanation

A PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) chart is used in project management to map out the tasks required to complete a project, estimate their duration, and determine the project's critical path. The critical path is the sequence of dependent tasks that determines the shortest time needed to complete the project. Identifying the critical path helps project leads allocate resources efficiently and manage potential delays.

Why Other Options Are Wrong

B. Communication plan

A communication plan outlines how project information will be shared among stakeholders. It does not help in identifying the critical path or mapping task dependencies.

C. Project milestones

Project milestones are significant checkpoints in a project but do not provide a method for identifying the critical path. They serve as progress indicators rather than tools for scheduling and task dependency analysis.

D. Responsibility matrix

A responsibility matrix assigns tasks to team members and clarifies roles, but it does not analyze the sequence or duration of project tasks needed to determine the critical path.

Correct Answer

C. Elaboration

Explanation

In the elaboration phase of the Rational Unified Process (RUP), the project team refines the system architecture, defines detailed requirements, and ensures that the scope aligns with stakeholder expectations. This phase helps minimize project risks before moving forward with full-scale development.

Why Other Options Are Wrong

A. Inception The inception phase is the initial phase where the business case is established, high-level requirements are identified, and feasibility is assessed. It does not involve detailed scope review.

B. Construction The construction phase involves actual system development and coding. By this stage, the project scope has already been defined, and stakeholder expectations have been set.

D. Transition The transition phase focuses on finalizing the system, deploying it, and ensuring user adoption. At this point, stakeholder expectations should have already been aligned with the project scope.

Correct answer:

B. Application software

Explanation:

Application software is designed to help users perform specific tasks, such as word processing, spreadsheet calculations, or graphic design. Unlike system software, which manages hardware and system resources, application software focuses on user-centered functions. Examples of application software include Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, and web browsers, all of which serve distinct purposes to meet users' specific needs.

Why other options are wrong:

A. Utility software Utility software is designed to help maintain, manage, or optimize a computer system, rather than perform specific user tasks. Examples include disk cleanup tools, antivirus software, and file compression programs. While they aid in system functionality, they do not directly help users complete specialized work tasks.

C. Programming software Programming software is used to develop and write code, rather than perform direct end-user tasks. It includes tools like compilers, debuggers, and text editors that assist in creating software programs. Although programming software is crucial for developing applications, it is not used for solving user-specific problems in the way that application software is.

D. Operating software The correct term is "operating system" (OS), which manages hardware and software resources. It provides the environment for application software to run but does not itself perform specific user tasks. Operating systems like Windows, macOS, and Linux control system operations rather than directly assisting users in performing tasks like word processing or design.

Correct Answer

A. To provide answers to complex queries that rely on data from multiple sources.

Explanation

A data warehouse is designed for analytical processing and decision-making by integrating data from multiple sources. It allows businesses to perform complex queries, generate reports, and analyze historical data to support strategic decision-making. Unlike operational databases, which focus on real-time transactions, data warehouses are optimized for querying large datasets.

Why Other Options Are Wrong

B. To provide transformation services between source and target data stores.

Data transformation occurs in ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes, which prepare data for storage in a data warehouse but are not the primary purpose of the warehouse itself.

C. To provide read-only storage of relational and non-relational historical data.

While a data warehouse does store historical data, its primary function is to support analysis and complex queries rather than simply serving as a read-only archive.

D. To provide storage for transactional line-of-business (LOB) applications.

Transactional applications require real-time data processing, which is handled by operational databases rather than data warehouses.

Correct answer:

C. Discovery prototyping

Explanation:

Discovery prototyping is an iterative approach in which a model or prototype of a system is developed to validate user and business requirements. This allows stakeholders to evaluate and refine the system before full-scale development, reducing the risk of costly design flaws. It is particularly useful in projects where requirements are uncertain or evolving, as it provides a tangible representation for feedback and improvement.

Why other options are wrong:

A. Joint application development (JAD) is incorrect because JAD is a methodology that involves collaborative sessions between developers, business users, and stakeholders to gather requirements, rather than focusing on building a prototype model.

B. Loose coupling is incorrect because it refers to a software design principle that minimizes dependencies between system components, allowing for easier modifications and scalability. It is not an iterative design approach.

D. Rapid application development (RAD) is incorrect because while RAD is an iterative approach that emphasizes fast development and user feedback, it is a broader methodology that includes multiple phases beyond just prototyping. Discovery prototyping specifically refers to the use of models to refine user and business requirements.

Correct Answer

B. To support legal investigations and ensure data integrity

Explanation

Digital forensics involves collecting, analyzing, and preserving electronic data to support legal cases, cybersecurity incidents, and investigations. It ensures that data remains authentic and untampered so that it can be used as evidence in court or corporate investigations.

Why Other Options Are Wrong

A. To enhance data storage capabilities – Digital forensics is not about increasing storage; it focuses on retrieving, analyzing, and preserving data for legal and investigative purposes.

C. To develop new software applications – While digital forensics professionals use forensic software, their main role is data investigation and analysis, not software development.

D. To manage network security – Digital forensics is used after security incidents to investigate breaches and trace cybercriminals; it does not actively manage or prevent security threats like firewalls and security protocols do.

Correct answer:

D. It serves the operational level and assists in making structured decisions.

Explanation:

A transaction processing system (TPS) is designed to handle routine, structured transactions at the operational level of an organization. It supports daily business activities such as order processing, payroll, and inventory management. These systems process large volumes of transactions efficiently and accurately, ensuring data integrity and reliability. TPS systems play a critical role in automating business operations, reducing manual workload, and improving overall efficiency.

Why other options are wrong:

A. It facilitates the manipulation of information to create business intelligence in support of strategic decision making is incorrect because business intelligence and decision-making support are functions of management information systems (MIS) or business intelligence systems, not TPS. TPS focuses on handling routine transactions rather than analyzing data for strategic insights.

B. It supports senior-level executives with unstructured, long-term, non-routine decisions requiring judgment, evaluation, and insight is incorrect because this describes an executive information system (EIS) or decision support system (DSS). These systems assist executives in high-level decision-making, whereas TPS focuses on transactional operations.

C. It enables high-level managers to examine and manipulate large amounts of detailed data from different internal and external sources is incorrect because this describes an analytical system like a data warehouse or business intelligence tool. TPS primarily processes day-to-day transactions rather than providing managerial analysis tools.

Correct answer:

D. A framework of best practices for delivering IT services

Explanation:

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a framework that provides best practices for delivering IT services effectively and efficiently. It helps organizations align their IT services with business needs by defining standardized processes for service management, support, and delivery. ITIL is widely used by IT professionals to improve service quality, reduce downtime, and enhance customer satisfaction through structured workflows and guidelines.

Why other options are wrong:

A. A framework of strategies for leadership to manage risk is incorrect because ITIL primarily focuses on IT service management rather than risk management. While risk management is a component of ITIL, it is not its primary purpose. ITIL covers broader IT service delivery aspects such as incident management, service design, and continual improvement.

B. A reference for small companies to share ideas for expansion of IT services is incorrect because ITIL is not limited to small companies or idea-sharing. It is a structured framework applicable to organizations of all sizes, offering standardized guidelines for IT service management rather than an open forum for idea exchange.

C. A reference for leadership to establish cost-effective practices is incorrect because, while ITIL can help organizations improve efficiency and reduce costs, its primary focus is on service delivery rather than purely cost reduction. ITIL aims to enhance service quality through best practices rather than solely focusing on financial efficiency.