May/June 2008 Scenario 1

By Ian and Tomas

Scenario• Alexandria Regional Bank is a small bank with three

branches. However, it wants to introduce an online banking system using the Internet. In order to ensure that the system will work effectively it has employed the services of a systems analyst. The analyst will investigate the current methods of carrying out transactions.

• At the moment, all paying in slips and cheques are gathered together in the course of the day and are then batch processed overnight. Many customers pay their bills by writing a cheque together with the invoice which is similar to a paying in slip. Sometimes customers call in or phone the branch to find out the balance on their account. Statements are only sent to customers at the end of each month.

1 (a) Describe three methods a systems analyst

would use to research the way the bank

currently operates. [3]

• Observations – Analyst observes the workers

• Questionnaires – Pieces of papers with questions

written on them

• Interviews – Analyst interviews key personal

• Examining documents – Analyst examines the

documents that are used within the system

Examiners Report

• A small number of candidates just listed three

methods without a description and did not gain any

marks.

(b) Describe how data would be stored in

the current system of batch processing. [2]

• File will be held in a sequential manner

• To allow for serial access

• Code allocated for credit (paying in slip)

• Or debit (cheque)

• Used to process all records one after the

other

• When updating customer accounts

Examiners Report• Most candidates were unable to suggest the

method of storage as they failed to conclude that

only serial access was required in the current

system.

(c) Describe how data will be stored once

the on-line banking system is introduced. [2]

• Files will be held in an indexed sequential

manner

• The index will allow for direct access

• Needed when accessing individual records

quickly

• The records will be held sequentially to allow

for serial access

Examiners Report• The scenario required the candidate to deduce

that a system requiring both direct access and serial

access was required. Most candidates failed to

make the correct deduction and were

consequently unable to describe the indexed

sequential method of data storage.

(d) Describe the equipment a bank customer

will need if they are going to use the new

online banking system. [2]

• Modem/Router to connect to the

system/Internet

• Mouse to select options/services

• Keyboard to type in

username/password/amounts

• Internet browser to connect to the service

(e) Some customers are worried that they will have to type

in their bank account details.

Discuss why you think this will be a problem or not. [4]

• Bank details may be intercepted by hackers/description of

spyware/key logging

• Hackers would need to know username and password

• Most systems are extremely difficult to hack into contrary to

popular belief

• Data is encrypted when being transmitted

• Impossible to crack the encryption without a key

Examiners Report

• Candidates often failed to give both sides of the

argument instead they relied on vague descriptions

of hacking for the main thrust of their answer.

2 (a) Describe the effects that the

introduction of the new system will have on

the people who work at the bank in terms of

employment and working patterns. [4]

• Increased unemployment for specific bank workers such as cashiers

• Increased employment for technical staff

• Some workers may have to/will have the opportunity to go part time

• There will be the opportunity to job share

• There will be the opportunity for flexible working hours

• Workers will need to have the ability to move from branch to branch

• Workers may gain new skills

Examiners Report• Many candidates seemed to have learnt off by

heart a supermarket scenario and did not transfer

their knowledge to a banking scenario with many

referring to checkout operators rather than bank

clerks.

• Many concentrated on the unemployment aspect

and therefore did not gain more than one mark.

(b) Explain what responsibilities the bank has with regard to its

customers and the data they will store about them. Discuss the

types of security measure it will need tointroduce. [6]

Three from:

• Need to protect confidentiality of data/duty of confidence to

prevent customer data being made public

• Need to comply with data protection rules

• Responsibilities relating to passing on information from bank to

other organisations to avoid customer being compromised

Three from:

• Advantage of User id/passwords is that only authorised users have access to the data

• Disadvantage of User id/passwords is that users can forget their passwords

• Advantage of encryption is that unauthorised people will not understand the data

• Disadvantage of encryption is that it is just possible to crack encryption codes

• Advantage of duty of confidence requirement in employment contracts is it discourages workers from spreading personal data around

• Disadvantage of duty of confidence requirement in employment contracts is that bank is relying on workers having sufficient integrity to abide by this

Examiners Report• The majority of candidates concentrated on

aspects of the data protection act without

managing to explain which aspects would be

relevant to the banking scenario. Very few

candidates saw that the second half of the

question was a ‘discuss’ question and failed to give

advantages and/or disadvantages of different

forms of security.