UNITE ONE:- INFORMATION

SYSTEMS
AND THEIR APPLICATIONS
 An information system is a combination of software, hardware, telecommunication networks,
data base and people to collect useful data, especially in an organization.
Ethical, Legal, Social, Environmental and Health Issues in the Use of Information
Systems
Ethical and Legal Issues in Information System
Ethics
 is all about the principles of making right or wrong decisions.
 According to Britannica dictionary, ethics is the discipline concerned with what is morally good
and bad and morally right and wrong.
 The role of ethics in information systems has become more crucial(essential,key) as a result of
technology.
 Cont.……
 Questions related to ethics and legality are essential in many industries.
 The ethical and legal issues include privacy, security, information gathering and digital
ownership related concerns.
 some ethical and legal issues confronting(challenging) the current digital world.
1. Privacy: ( confidentiality) ግላዊነት
 In today’s digitized environment, information privacy relates to personal data stored on
the computer system, has become a prime concern for everybody.
 Most people have their data spread throughout the digital systems, and private
information should be accessed using personal passwords.
 However, personal accounts such as email, social media, and private bank accounts,
can be accessed by unauthorized sources which create both ethical and legal concerns.
 Privacy involves your right to manage your personal information.
Cont…..
2. Digital Ownership:
 It is ability to access and/or use and protect data, information, and knowledge about
ourselves or things we own.
 The expansion of digital mediums has allowed information to flow more freely than before
which makes content easily copied and pasted online.
 It is unethical to use somebody else’s digital works without getting permission from the
owner first since it ignores the right of the creator.
 Creators has right to allow or deny the use of the contents.
 This permission can promote sharing of knowledge and information, credits the source and
protect the consumer from false information.
 Users resources use should consider such concerns to promote proper use and
dissemination(disrespectful) of information, and to protect themselves from legal cones
quences that arises from violating intellectual property ownership rights.
 Note;- intellectual property infringement(ጥሰት) (breach) is the violation of an intellectual
property right. For example, creating a listing using a third party's image, trademark, logo,
design, etc., without the appropriate permission from the intellectual property rights owner,
can constitute intellectual property infringement.
Cont.….
 Information Gathering:
 Many information system applications collect users’ data and credentials
(identifications) as part of their operations.
 Or is a process of collecting information from different sources, such as books,
websites, interviews, surveys, and more.
 Users need to understand and examine the intention of any information-gathering
request by any service providers or third-party applications while they use the services.
 This protects against any illegal and fraudulent(fake) information stealing attempts.
Information Security and Liability:
 is an insuring agreement contained within policies written to cover claims caused by
data breaches(breaks , gaps, obstacles). Or
 Growing amounts of personal and financial information are being transferred and
stored online as organizations and businesses depend more and more on electronic data
and computer networks to carry out their daily operations.
Cont.…
 If and when a breach in information security happens, this might expose organizations
and businesses to potential security liability(burden,).
 Such attempts might lead to identity theft, which happens when the personal details of
innocent people to be harvested by a third party so that they can be used for malicious
purposes.
 The increasing use of online tools and platforms such as blogs and instant messaging is
another source of potential liability.
 Accepted procedures and rules are needed to provide conditions to increase the
reliability of information systems.
Social Issues in Information System
1. What impacts do the internet and information systems have on our social lives?
Answers:- With the increasing amount of personal information that is shared online, there
is a growing risk of identity theft, cyberbullying, and other forms of online
harassment(aggravation).
2. What are the social impacts of the Internet on students?
Answers:- addiction, cyberbullying, and decreased face-to-face communication skills. The
internet can also negatively affect academic performance if not used properly.
Cont.…..
 With personal computers and the Internet offering unrestricted access to all of the
knowledge ever created and discovered by humans, the majority of these changes have
improvements to society.
 Those social advantages including access to technology which fills the digital divide
gaps within the global citizens, use of advanced technologies like:-
 Artificial Intelligence
 Augmented Reality in public which changes how peoples act and react ,
 widespread use of digital platforms , social medias
 computer games for business and entertainment activities .
note:- Augmented reality is an interactive experience that enhances the real world with
computer-generated perceptual information.
 The following are some negative social issues to consider while using technological
services and Internet-based applications.
Cont.…
1. Socializations Gaps:-
 Communication breakdown among families.
2 . Cyber Bullying-
 It is a practice of sending, posting, or disseminating unfavorable, hurtful, or malicious
content about someone else online.
 It can also involve disclosing sensitive or private information about another individual
in a way that causes embarrassment or humiliation(አሳፋሪ).
 Cyberbullying can happen online through social media, forums, or gaming where users
can interact with, or exchange content with others.
 It can also happen through text and other messaging applications
 Example - The availability of the internet and computer access can cause problems in
terms of online gender-based violence’s, harassments and sexual abuse which is one of
serious issues to address to protect our community to live a healthy life style.
Cont.….
3. Social Media and Gaming Addiction
 is a behavioral addiction that is characterized as being overly concerned about social
media and computer games, driven by an uncontrollable urge to log on to or use social
media, and devoting(dedicating , applying) so much time and effort to social media that
it impairs other important life areas.
 Students need to be curious and mindful about their use of social media and video
games have impacts on their family relationships, learning performance, future life
goals, and mental health.
4. Plagiarism
 According to university of oxford, Plagiarism is presenting work or ideas from another
source as your own, with or without consent of the original author, by
incorporating(including) it into your work without full acknowledgement.
Cont.….
 Plagiarism in the workplace and in academia can destroy an author’s credibility and
have significant consequences, such as dismissal from school or job loss.
 Students need to produce original works, use books and Internet resources as references
and sources of insight, and give appropriate credit to authors when they refer to their
works in any way.
5. Cybercrime
 Computers have contributed positively to the development of both individual actions
and large-scale global movements.
 which is use of a computer as an instrument to further illegal ends, such as committing
fraud, stealing identities, or violating privacy and intellectual property rights.
 especially through the Internet, has grown in importance as the computer has become
central to education, commerce, entertainment, and government.
Cont.…..
6. Job Opportunities and Challenges:-
 The current trends in automation and emerging technologies like artificial intelligent
machines, help to automate routine tasks which lead to improved quality of service.
 On the other hand, such expansion of automated systems leads to loss of jobs because
some types of jobs like cashiers, data entry clerks, and factory workers can be managed
by automated systems.
Environmental issues caused by Information
Systems
 What is the impact of information systems on environmental pollution?
Answer:-
 Air pollution can damage crops and trees in a variety of ways.
 Ground-level ozone can lead to reductions in agricultural crop and commercial forest yields,
reduced growth and survivability of tree seedlings, and
 increased plant susceptibility(weakness) to disease, pests and other environmental stresses
Cont.…….
 Technologies consume lots of resources and power which creates additional impacts on
our environmental ecosystem.
 Using technologies smartly and responsibly is essential in order not to create problems
while utilizing the advantages.
 Because electronic devices contain hazardous(unsafe, risky) materials that are unsafe
for the environment.
 Most electronic devices contain non-biodegradable materials, heavy metals, and toxic
materials like cadmium, lead, and mercury which can leak into the ground, where they
can contaminate the water we drink, the plants we eat, and the animals that live around
the area.
 To this end, advanced electronic waste (e - waste) management techniques shall be
applied to minimize the damage.
 e-waste management refers to a systematic procedure for gathering e-waste, recovering
and recycling material in a safe manner, and disposing(arranging) of e-waste in a way
that minimizes negative environmental effects.
Cont.…
 Negative impact of information systems on the environment have also led to the
development of new environmentally friendly technology solutions aiming to help
solve some of the biggest environmental concerns that we face as a society through a
shift towards a more sustainable, low-carbon economy.
 This includes green or clean technologies which refers to environmentally friendly
technology, which monitor, and or reduce the negative impact of technology on the
environment.
 Examples of green technologies includes but not limited to Solar Panel, Electric
Vehicles. smart meters, natural gas, wind Turbines etc.
 Technological solutions also allow electronic systems and paperless communication
like email and online portals and applications to reduce cutting down of trees for paper
for a better environmental protection and management.
Paper based vs paperless system
Health Issues caused by information systems
1. What are the potential impacts of using information systems on our health?
Answer:- Technology in healthcare has provided the healthcare community with advanced
tools to improve patient care. physicians can easily access the complete medical histories
of a patient and make an informed decision.
 Health information systems are essential for the rapid generation of high-quality data
that will be used to inform all relevant stakeholders for program planning, review, and
monitoring as well as generally ensuring and enhancing the quality of all components
of the health system.
 The widespread use of information systems and access to mobile device in healthcare
can make it easier to offer(proposal , bid) care, improve care delivery, empower
patients through personalized messaging, and collect real-time data to optimize
resources and decision-making.
 Health related challenges that caused by unmanaged use of information system services
and products on users. Some of the challenges include, sleeping disorders and lack of
productivity, loss of attention and stress.
Cont.….
 At the same time, the current widely used mobile devices to access health information
systems and other online services also creating computer related health problems that
incudes but not limited to musculoskeletal problems on our body such as our back,
neck, chest, arms, shoulders and feet, Vision Problems and eye strains, Headaches,
Obesity due to long hour of sitting etc..
 Intellectual Property
 refers to a range of intangible rights of ownership of an asset such as a software
program or designed information system.
 provides different methods for protecting these rights of ownership based on their type.
 As stated by Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office Establishment Proclamation,
Proclamation No. 320/2003 “Intellectual property” means a legal right over a creative
work of the human intellect and includes patent, trademark, registration certificate and
copyright”.
 There are essentially four types of intellectual property rights that are relevant to the
software and information system industry. These are :-trade secrets , patents,
copyrights, and trademarks.
1. Trade secrets:
 Cont.……
 “Trade secrets are Intellectual Property rights on confidential information which may
be sold or licensed. The unauthorized acquisition, use or disclosure of such secret
information in a manner contrary to honest commercial practices by others is regarded
as an unfair practice and a violation of the trade secret protection”.
 Examples of trade secrets include customer lists, source code, recipes for certain food
items and beverages including Pepsi, Coca- Cola, and Sprite), software processes, and
more.
 Patent:-
 “A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention. Generally speaking, a patent
provides the patent owner with the right to decide how -or whether - the invention can
be used by others. In exchange for this right, the patent owner makes technical
information about the invention publicly available in the published patent document’’.
 Examples of patented products include software programs like Airbnb,Amazon, One-
click, the page rank algorithm of Google, and other inventions including the light bulb,
telephones, Bluetooth, and more.
Copyrights:
 A copyright is a type of intellectual property protection that protects original works of
authorship, which might include literary works, music, art, and more.
 Nowadays, copyrights also protect computer software and architecture.
 Copyright protections are automatic; once you create something, it is yours.
 However, if your rights under copyright protections are infringed(ተጥሷል), and you
wish to file a lawsuit(ክስ), then registration of your copyright will be necessary.
 Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) can also be registered for copyright.
 Trademarks: “A trademark is a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of
one enterprise from those of other enterprises”.
 Example- ‘Meta’,‘RIDE’ and ‘Microsoft’ symbol
Digital Identity Management
 “a digital identity is a collection of information about a person that exists online”.
 This data can be used to create a digital image of a person when it is collected. Such
information can be used by businesses to identify their clients.
 A digital identity is all of information about an individual, organization, or electronic
device that exists online.
 Every individual should have the right to a trusted and secured digital identity to access
fundamental services, like financial services, mobile connectivity, health, education,
and other services.
 Management of a digital identity involves limiting the data that a person gives out,
avoiding excessive use of storage, checking what data is stored about each individual,
making corrections to incorrect personal data, avoiding redundant data, etc
Cont….
 Digital identification can be verified in a variety of ways, including through database
checks, document and identity verification, biometric verification, and identity
verification. A user can access internet services including banking, health, and travel
after proving their identity.
 Note:
 Database checks involve a thorough inquiry into systematic databases. Database checks
verify if a candidate has been involved in any activities that are related to crimes or
frauds by checking global as well as country-specific databases.
 Biometric verification is any means by which a person can be uniquely identified by
evaluating one or more distinguishing biological traits(ባህሪያት). These biological
identifiers include fingerprints, hand and earlobe( የጆሮ አንጓ) geometries, retina patterns,
voice prints and written signatures.
Class-home
1. How can users manage their digital identity in the digital space to minimize security
concerns?
Answer:-
 Safeguard your social security number. ...
 Get security software that updates automatically. ...
 Set up an external drive for data storage. ...
 Use an encrypted connection. ...
 Choose secure passwords. ...
 Think twice before downloading an app. ...
 Use social media safely
2.
Collaboration Through Digital Technologies

 Digital collaboration means working with other individuals or teams and getting things
done using digital devices and technology.
 It can include different tools,apps, software, procedures and processes.
 Digital collaboration uses technology to improve workplace collaboration,
communication, document management, content management, and information flow
across the organization which in turn leads to improved employee productivity and
efficiency.
 Digital collaboration has become important and is relevant to most organizations,
groups, communities, schools and creative groups and in the current digital world.
 To this end, Internet and Internet-based applications is an important part of digital
collaboration as they helps employees collaborate in real-time, even beyond time zones
and geographical boundaries.
Components of Digital Collaboration
1. People: People are at the heart of collaboration.
2. Collaborative tools:
 There are many tools and systems available that foster (raise)collaboration, but not every
solution will be a good fit due to its features, prices, usage polices and ease of use.
 Digital Collaboration tools includes many types including the following with their
examples:
a. Communication tools: Communication tools include options for integrated messaging, co-
working services, Privacy and access settings, Conference calling, Video chats with screen
sharing etc. Examples- Microsoft Teams, Skype, Google Meet, Zoom, Cisco Webex, Slack,
Microsoft Yammer, and more
Note:- Slack is a new way to communicate with your team. It's faster, better organized, and
more secure than email.
Microsoft Yammer:- is an enterprise social networking service that is part of the Microsoft 365
family of products. It is used mainly for private communication within organizations but is also
used for networks spanning various organizations.
 Cont.….
Microsoft Teams:- is cloud-based team collaboration software that is part of the Microsoft
365 and Office 365 suite of applications.
b. Documentation and file sharing tools: This tools includes features like Support for
different file types, Comments, and notes attached to files, track changes and versioning,
editing permissions and access control, folder sharing , and more. Examples- Google
Drive, Google Docs, Drop box, MS SharePoint, Media Fire, and more.
c. Project Management tools: It has underlying project and task management capabilities at
their core. Examples- Trello, Asena, ClickUp, and more.
d. Data Visualization tools: These tools should support a range of visual styles, be easy and
quick to use, and be able to handle a significant amount of data. Examples- Google Charts,
Tableau, Power BI, Grafana, Chartist, FusionCharts, Datawrapper, Infogram and more.
e. Note taking tools: These tools help to quickly capture and organize your notes, ideas,
web page content and more. Examples- Evernote, Microsoft OneNote and Google Keep
and more.
Cont….
3. Device: Devices are also key players. Devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops
are often an afterthought, but they are important components of digital collaboration. They
are the physical media we use to connect.
Engaging in Citizenship through Digital
Technologies
 digital citizenship refers to the responsible use of technology by anyone who uses
computers, the Internet, and digital devices to engage with society on any level.
 Good digital citizenship teaches peoples how to use digital tools to communicate with
one another, empathize with one another, and build long-lasting connections. On the
other hand, poor digital citizenship includes things like online bullying, careless social
media use, and a general ignorance of Internet safety.
 The do’s include:
 Using technology to make their community better.
 Engaging respectfully online with people who have different beliefs.
 Using technology to make their voice heard by public leaders and the global
 community.
 Determining the validity of online sources of information.
Emerging Technology
 is a term that is commonly used to describe a new technology, but it can also refer to
the evolution of existing technology.
 When employed in different contexts, such as media, business, science, and education,
it might have slightly different meanings.
 Emerging technology concepts including data science, artificial intelligence (AI),
virtual reality, and augmented reality.
 some additional selected emerging technologies including Big data, cloud computing,
fog computing, and internet of things (IoT).
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
 is a branch of computer science that deals with the design of systems that
mimic(simulator) human intelligence. AI systems are designed to have features that
only humans are capable of such as reasoning and generalization.
 An example, of reasoning is, “My friend is either at home or in her workplace. My
friend is not in her workplace. Therefore, my friend is at home”.
 Generalizing is about applying past experiences to current problems of similar nature.
For example, “I know how to change a wheel(መንኮራኩር) on my bicycle and therefore
I can use this knowledge to change the wheel on my friend’s bicycle.”
 AI algorithms are now extensively used in a wide range of areas including business,
medicine, and entertainment.
 Branches of AI
 1.Machine Learning:-is the study of computer algorithms that enable the computer to
learn from data and improve itself without being explicitly programmed.
Cont.…..
 Fraud detection, recommendation systems, email spam detector, and speech
recognition are some of the examples of applications of machine learning.
2. Robotics
 Robotics is the study of machines called robots that substitute tasks that are
traditionally done by human beings.
3. Natural Language Processing (NLP)
 is a branch of AI that deals with enabling computers to understand written and spoken
human language in the same way human beings do.
 application areas of NLP:-
 Spam Detection: Email service providers
 Machine Translation: translation of text from one language to another
 Virtual Assistant: voice-operated virtual assistants
 Sentiment Analysis: by extracting(removing) and analyzing(studing) users’ data on
social media,
Cont.….
 Fake News Identification:
 Text Summarization: summary of a large piece of document like academic articles
can be automatically done using NLP.
4. Expert systems:- are computer programs that emulate(match, መኮረጅ) human
experts.
 Expert systems are one of the earliest attempts to put the field of artificial
intelligence to the test. Some of the fields that benefit from expert systems
include medical diagnosis, petroleum engineering, and financial investing.
=> three components: User Interface, Knowledge Base, and Inference Engine.
1. User Interface: this is part of the expert system that users use to interact(act
together, relate etc.) with the expert system.
Cont…
2. Knowledge Base:
 this is the repository(source) of knowledge of experts in the domain area. The
knowledge is organized in the form of if-then-else rules.
 The knowledge contained is of both factual and heuristic (experiential or common-
sense rule) types.
 The completeness, accuracy, and precision of the knowledge captured in the knowledge
base are central to the performance of expert systems.
3. Inference Engine: this is the brain of the expert system that produces the answer by
referencing the knowledge base.
 One of the earliest and most well-known examples of expert systems is MYCIN.
MYCIN is an expert system that emulates(matches) infectious disease experts. It
identifies bacteria that cause infections and recommends antibiotics.
Augmented Reality (AR)
 is a technology that enhances the real world by overlaying computer-generated digital data
on real-world objects.
 By blending(merger) the real world with computer-generated information, AR creates an
engaging and dynamic user experience.
 The hardware of AR includes a processor, sensors, input devices, and a display.
 . What is the benefits of augmented reality?
 encourages user interaction like
 risk reduction, reduced time taken to train staff, increased contextualization(ዐውደ-ጽሑፍ), cost
savings, emotional responses, and memory retention.
 For example, consumers can use AR to try on different pairs of sunglasses or see how a sofa
would fit within their home. While it's all digital, it really does demonstrate a product's physical
allure so a buyer will feel confident in purchasing the item.
 AR incorporates three features(types): a combination of digital and physical worlds,
interactions made in real time, and accurate 3D identification of virtual and real objects.
Virtual reality (VR)

 Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that creates a three-dimensional computer-

generated simulated environment.
 A person can interact with VR using electronic devices such as goggles, headsets,
gloves, or bodysuits.
 Unlike AR, VR creates a completely immersive(መሳጭ) experience for the user.
What are the most important benefits of using
virtual reality?
 Virtual reality offers immersive experiences, enhancing learning, training, and
engagement. It improves retention, skill development, and risk-free practice across
industries, fostering effective, experiential education.
 There are 3 primary categories of virtual reality simulations used today:
1. non-immersive,
2. semi-immersive, and
3. fully-immersive simulations
The difference between Virtual Reality and
Augmented Reality
Data Science
 is a blend(merger) of tools, algorithms(a set of commands that must be followed for a
computer to perform calculations or other problem-solving operations), and machine
learning (ML) principles used to discover and extract hidden patterns.
 Data science disciplines
What are the most important benefits of
using data science?
Introduction to Big-data
 What is Bigdata? What makes it different from data?
 We are living in a digital world where a tremendous(great, remarkable ) amount of data
is generated by each digital service we use. The amount of data generated is increasing
in different dimensions including data sizes. This vast amount of generated data is
leading us to the creation of Bigdata.
 Bigdata refers to a collection of data sources that are so massive and complex that they
become challenging to process using typical data processing software or readily
available database management tools.
 See the next figure
Cont.…
Cont.….
 Bigdata starts with the exponential explosion(fit) in the amount of data we have
generated since the dawn of the digital age.
 This is largely due to the rise of computers, the Internet, and technology capable of
capturing information from the real and physical world we live in, and converting it to
digital data that can benefit businesses and organizations.
Cont.…
 In Bigdata collection, the range of organizational sources generating data needs to be
identified.
 These sources include business firms producing transactional data such as point-of-sale
software, endpoint devices within IoT ecosystems and marketing firms, Social media
posts from existing and prospective customers, multiple additional sources like
smartphone locational data, surveys that directly ask customers for information are also
some of the sources of Bigdata.
 Identifying(classifying) useful data sources is the start of the Bigdata collection
process.
 Example – Global companies like Google use Bigdata to understand what users want
from it based on several parameters(limits) such as search history, locations, trends, and
many more.
Characteristics of Bigdata
 Bigdata is characterized by 5V, namely Volume, Variety, Velocity, Veracity, and Value
as stated by tectarget.com.
 It should also be noted that characteristics of Bigdata are subjected to additional
features as scientific research and continues in Bigdata analytics.
 The most common characteristics by 5V
1. Variety:
 Variety(diversity) of Bigdata refers to the nature of data i.e whether it is structured,
unstructured, and semi-structured data.
 In the past, data could only be collected from spreadsheets and database. Today, data
comes in an array of forms such as emails, PDFs, photos, videos, audio, social media
posts, and others.
2. Velocity
 Velocity refers to the speed at which data is being created in real-time.

3. Volume
 Volume indicates huge ‘volumes’ of data that are being generated daily from various
sources, like social media platforms, business processes, machines, networks, human
interactions, and others.

4.Value:
 It is the amount of valuable, reliable, and trustworthy data that needs to be stored,
processed, and analyzed to find insights.

5. Veracity :
 Veracity means the degree of reliability(consistency) that the data has to
offer(proposal , bid).
Benefits of Bigdata