[] of Controls Tests of controls are audit procedures performed to evaluate the effectiveness of either the design or the operation of an internal control. Tests of controls directed toward the design of the control focuses on evaluating whether the control is suitably designed to prevent material weaknesses. Tests of controls directed toward the operation of the control focuses on assessing how the control was applied, the consistency with which it was applied, and who applied it. In addition to inquiring with appropriate personnel and observation of the application of the control, an IT auditor’s main focus when testing the controls is to do a re-performance of the application of the control themselves Application Firewall A firewall is a part of a computer system or network that is designed to block unauthorized access while permitting authorized communications. It is a device or set of devices configured to permit, deny, , , or all (in and out) computer traffic between different based upon a set of rules and other criteria. Firewalls can be implemented in either hardware or software, or a combination of both. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent unauthorized Internet from accessing private networks connected to the Internet, especially . All messages entering or leaving the pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the specified security criteria. There are several types of firewall techniques: : Packet filtering inspects each packet passing through the network and accepts or rejects it on user-defined rules. Although difficult to configure, it is fairly effective and mostly transparent to its users. In addition, it is susceptible to . : Applies security mechanisms to specific applications, such as and servers. This is very effective, but can impose a performance degradation. : Applies security mechanisms when a or connection is established. Once the connection has been made, packets can flow between the hosts without further checking. : Intercepts all messages entering and leaving the network. The proxy server effectively hides the true network addresses. Application Software Application software is designed to help the perform a particular task. Such programs are also called software applications, applications or apps. Typical examples are , , and . Application software should be contrasted with (infrastructure) or (computer services/ processes integrators), is involved in integrating a computer's various capabilities, but typically does not directly apply them in the performance of tasks that benefit the user. A simple, if imperfect trial
Due to the ubiquity of Ethernet, the ever-decreasing cost of the hardware needed to support it, and the reduced panel space needed by Ethernet, most manufacturers now build the functionality of an Ethernet card directly into , eliminating the need for installation of a separate network card. Executive Information System (EIS) An Executive Information System (EIS) is a type of intended to facilitate and support the information and needs of senior executives by providing easy access to both internal and external relevant to meeting the strategic goals of the . It is commonly considered as a specialized form of a (DSS) The emphasis of EIS is on graphical displays and easy-to-use . They strong reporting and capabilities. In general, EIS are enterprise-wide DSS that help top-level executives analyze, compare, and highlight trends in important so that they can monitor performance and identify opportunities and problems. EIS and technologies are converging in the marketplace. In recent years, the term EIS has lost popularity in favour of (with the sub areas of reporting, analytics, and ). Extensible Markup Language (XML) XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a set of rules for encoding documents electronically. It is defined in the produced by the and several other related specifications; all are fee-free . XML’s design goals emphasize simplicity, generality, and usability over the . It is a textual data format, with strong support via for the languages of the world. Although XML’s design focuses on documents, it is widely used for the representation of arbitrary data structures, for example in . are a variety of which software developers may use to access XML data, and several designed to aid in the definition of XML-based languages. As of 2009, hundreds of XML-based languages have been developed, including , , , and . formats have become the default for most office-productivity tools, including (), (), and 's XML documents may begin by declaring some information about themselves, as in the following example. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
Option: Description Advantages Disadvantages Bandwidth range Sample protocols used connection between two computers or Local Area Networks (LANs) Most secure Expensive , , , A dedicated circuit path is created between end points. Best example is connections Less Expensive Call Setup 28 - 144 kbps , Devices transport packets via a shared single or link across a carrier internetwork. Variable length packets are transmitted over Permanent Virtual Circuits () or Switched Shared media across link