Week3 - Computer Forensics

Identity theft is a very important thing to pay attention to for people and companies. People need to make sure they are doing everything they can to keep their private data from getting into the hands of the wrong people. There are many easy steps people can take to limit the chances of identity theft, but they are rarely attempted. Companies, on the other hand, have a much bigger obligation to keep their information private because they store information from many people including employees and customers. There are always stories of companies' credit card databases getting compromised and this information going public. There was also a cade of University of Wisconsin where their Social Security Number database got hacked.

For my company, it is crucial that all the company's information cannot be accessed but unauthorized people. If there is a website associated with my high tech house key and people order the keys from the website then credit cards numbers are going to be transferred. This MUST be secure, whether they are kept for easy access at another point for the buyer or if they need to be processed once. Also, we need to guarantee the customers that if they leave this website that their numbers will not be stored and will not be able to be accessed at a later. Although we learned that this is only possible in extreme measures, the computers will have maximum protect until it is time for them and their hard drive to be destroyed.

In the last blog, I talked about the company's use of spreadsheet for the customer and employees' information. This spreadsheet should not be accessed by anyone unauthorized. The computer needs to be password protected and excel needs to be as well if possible. It is always better to have too much security than too little. In the main version of the spreadsheet it might be smarter if the credit card number only showed up as the last four digits and the full credit card could only be accessed if someone is authorized.

Week 2 -Spreadsheet Essentials

Spreadsheet is very handy for any business or person or group that wants to organize data. Excel, which was the main spreadsheet covered, is useful with any amount of knowledge. If you don't know much about spreadsheet, it is useful to just enter data in an organized way. If you are a little more familiar, using formulas and calculations make it very helpful. Then more advanced users know how to use pivot tables and other advanced tools to maximize the value of spreadsheet. Spreadsheet is only as useful as much as the user wants to make it.
For my entrepreneurial idea, spreadsheet can be useful in many of the steps in the process. Spreadsheets can be used to organize different models, different orders and organize the employees and their pay and work hours.  For the remote control key for the home, there is endless possibility for models. There can be simpler keys just lock and open the door, there can be keys can turn on and off the alarm, these would need some sort of keyboard or typing in capabilities. There are also options for screens that someone could watch cameras that are in their house to make sure children and doing homework or that their house isn't being burglarized. A spreadsheet can help organize the different models, components of each model, price of each individual component and the total price of each.
The graph option in spreadsheet can also be helpful in this potential business. The graph can show how manufacturing has gone up or down and how ordering has gone up or down.  The graphs are easy on the eyes compared to lists and lists of words and numbers. Graphs simply show up trends or down trends  or if there is no trend at all.

First Blog

For my entrepreneurship project I chose a knockoff of another popular gadget. I decided to create a high tech remote control key open for a home instead of a car. It has been around for cars for a while so it should have to houses by now, but it has not. There are many situations when this could be extra help and useful.

One situation hits close to home in Syracuse, NY. When it is blistering cold out and you don't want to have take your key out of your pocket and put it in the lock. There might even be a chance where the lock is frozen shut. This can all be avoided with an automatic opener. All you have to do is click the button in your jacket pocket and the door will be unlocked.

Another situation this is very helpful in is another similarity to a car, the alarm. There will also be a button to set the alarm. If you are in rush to drive your children to school you can run out of the house shut the door and with a press of a button, lock the house and turn the alarm on. This key will also have heat, AC, and DVR capabilities.