Digital Age: Integrated Professional Skills - Detailed Report

This report examines the significance of integrated professional skills in the digital age, emphasizing the role of technology in organizational and individual growth. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of collaboration tools like Skype and Zoom, particularly in the context of the pandemic, and addresses privacy and security challenges businesses face. The report also touches upon cloud storage and cloud computing, highlighting their benefits and drawbacks, including security concerns and the importance of internet connectivity. Furthermore, it differentiates between private and public internet, evaluating the benefits and challenges of a private internet local to a specific country. This document is available on Desklib, a platform offering a wide array of study resources for students.

Integrated
Professional Skills in
Digital Age

Abstract
In this digital world where everything is going smoothly with the support of technology
and innovation, integrated professional skills are very important for the purpose of attaining
growth of both individual and the organization. digital skills signify as the ability of an
individual to create new knowledge as well as information as per the 21st century skills. The
report is going to identify different advantages along with disadvantages of collaborative tools
and also discussed how the businesses have to face privacy and security challenges during the
time of pandemic. Even the measures for preventing security and privacy threats will be
discussed.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract............................................................................................................................................2
1.0 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................4
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW..........................................................................................................4
2.1 collaboration tools.................................................................................................................4
2.2 cloud storage.........................................................................................................................6
2.3 cloud computing....................................................................................................................6
2.4 privacy and security..............................................................................................................7
3.0 ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION...................................................................................................8
3.1 Collaboration tools................................................................................................................8
3.2 Privacy and security during pandemic..................................................................................9
3.3 Private versus public internet..............................................................................................10
4.0 CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................11
5.0 REFERENCES........................................................................................................................12

1.0 INTRODUCTION
In this digital age, integrated professional skills are very important for the purpose of
attaining growth of both individual and the organization. digital skills signify as the ability of an
individual to create new knowledge as well as information as per the 21st century skills. These
skills are being required for connecting the world. in the present business world, information
along with communication technology is crucial for the performance of the firm. There are
different collaboration technology and tools which are widely utilized. The present research
report thus focusses on collaboration tools, their advantages and disadvantages. It will also throw
some light on cloud storage, cloud computing and privacy & security. The later part of the report
will also be going to emphasize on two collaboration tools such as Skype and Zoom and the
manners in which they have helped the business during the pandemic. The evaluation part will
talk about the privacy and security during pandemic and benefits and challenges of a private
internet local to a specific country.
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 collaboration tools
In today’s business environment, especially in big organisations technology offers an
abundance of options. From effective communication method to project management, advance
technology provide support to people. More online collaboration tools are developing every year
with new features and improving functions which helps people to work effectively without any
issues. Basically, collaboration tools are those methods used in the businesses which helps
people to collaborate (Muthucumaru, 2021). The major aim of a collaboration tool is to support
people or group of people to achieve their common goals and objectives. Nowadays, companies
are using collaboration tools software in order to enhance work quality. By using collaboration
tool the company is able to communicate easily with each other. Team collaboration software is
on the rise because people are now focusing on easier way to communicate with each other.
There are various types of collaboration tools which can help people to accomplish a common
objective. With the help of collaborative management structure, companies grow effectively and
develops rapidly.

Zoom- this is a video communication application which helps users to communicate with
each other. With the help of this collaborative tool, people can easily discuss important topics on
chat, meetings and webinars.
Slack- it is one of the most famous collaborative tool used by business people and
individual who wants to file transfers and work effectively. This tool has various features and
different types of integrations with other tools such as intercom.
WebEx meetings- this collaborative tool is very helpful for people as it provides
personalised video meetings rooms where people can easily join meetings and decide about
important projects. Managers, employees and top level management team of the company is
using this tool for training purpose, customer support, events, collaboration with other people
and webinars.
Skype- this is one of the best collaborative tool used by people or groups of people,
basically it is telecommunication application which can help people to talk with each other, can
do instant messaging, file transfer, voice calls and also videoconferencing. During corona virus
pandemic, managers and employees were using skype application on their devices to decide
about any projects which helps them to increase work productivity.
Trello- with the help of Trello people can easily work, and even drag task cards across
columns. With the support of this tool, the people can easily learn and works well for assigning
of tasks and also keep monitoring projects in the company.
Advantages-
 Save resources and time- With the help of collaborative tools, the company’s employees
can easily save resources and time which helps them to work effectively. As we all know
emails and other methods probably take up more time in work life so it is essential for
people to use effective methods for discussion such as zoom meetings, skype and
Microsoft teams.
 Increase performance and productivity- By using collaborative tools, employees can learn
new things and also helps them to increase productivity. Not only this, with the help of
collaborative tools, the employees can develop their communication skills too because
this can improve teamwork too (Muthucumaru, 2021). A good and effective online
collaboration tool like skype and zoom minimises the chance of colleagues missing
important information and updates regarding work.

Disadvantages
 As we all know that due to emerging technology people are relied upon tools, because of
this personal contact is reduced which can lead to more confusion over what is expected
of members in the company.
2.2 cloud storage
Cloud storage is basically a cloud computing model used by people so that they can easily
store their important data on the internet via a cloud computing provider who are managing data
storage and operates it as a service (Srivastava and Khan, 2018). With the help of cloud storage
people can eliminates managing their important information and data storage infrastructure. This
cloud storage is very perfect for decreasing the backups cost.
Advantages- with the help of cloud storage, the people can easily store their data and share
files in order to collaborate and communicate with each other’s. by using this cloud storage
people can easily keep their files encrypted and sync files easily.
Disadvantages- if anyone wants to have some extra storage space then they need to
purchase it. Hence, it sometime became very expensive for people if extra space is needed.
It has been said that cloud storage is one of the most popular software application. It is the
right choice for application testing and improvement. Any size of organisation in the business
market can work with faster deployment and development without need of more capital. It is
suitable because people can decide their requirements for data storage.
2.3 cloud computing
Basically it is a delivery of computing services which involves, software, storage,
intelligence and networking. With the support of cloud computing, industries are enhancing the
faster innovation and maintain flexibility in resources. By this economies of scale can also be
developed which offers greater performance (Srivastava and Khan, 2018). This is helpful for
enhancing and running a cloud environment. with the help of cloud computing people can
manage their work in a very different manner. It is helpful to lower costs as cloud computing
services is very efficient in nature. With the help of this cloud computing the people can improve
their data protection. Example of cloud computing includes WhatsApp which is cloud based
infrastructure which helps people to communicate easily. all the important information,
discussion can be done via this and data are stored in service provider’s hardware which helps
people to offer faster innovative world.

Advantages- with the help of cloud computing, major benefits can be gained such as easy
deployment process, easier access to important and updated information and cost benefits too.
There are another benefits such as flexibility, backup capabilities and latest technologies related
to communication (Srivastava and Khan, 2018). By using cloud computing, the employees can
easily improve collaboration as they can quickly and easily share important information related
to work in the cloud via shared storage.
Disadvantages- there are various cons of cloud computing such as insecure interfaces, data
loss and leakage. due to increasing trend in update technology there is chance of data leakage
and loss of data. Also, it is also said that data security is a major and critical concern when
talking about cloud computing. Even if the cloud service provider makes sure that data integrity,
it is the responsibility of user to carry out authorization and authentication, can access control
and can manage identity. There are many issues relayed to security of data such as data breaches,
theft of details and malware infections which needs to be taken into considerations. Another
disadvantage of cloud computing, is internet connectivity because nowadays without internet
connection one cannot access the data stored in the cloud. Good internet connectivity is very
important so that it can access the data.
This cloud computing can be applied by various providers such as education and
businesses (Srivastava and Khan, 2018). In addition to this, cloud service providers offer
different applications in the field of data storage, businesses, social networking and business
management. During the pandemic time, could application and adopting has provided continues
improvement. Application and suitability offers modern businesses security, reduced costs and
flexibility. In the art, application of cloud computing can be done via adobe creative cloud which
helps professionals to edit services.
2.4 privacy and security
Privacy is all about safeguarding of user identity while on the other side security is all about
the data safeguarding. With the support of security and privacy, the business can easily protect
the data which is very important for the company’s reputation (Srivastava and Khan, 2018). With
the help of privacy, people can protect their information and data which support them to provide
safety. Privacy gives people the power to choose their feelings and thoughts.
A security issue occurs when a people who hack the details gains the difficulty and
unauthorized access to a protected site. With the help of security and privacy the people can limit

their personal information on platforms of social media like Instagram, Facebook and snapchat.
If people wants to keep their data safe online, they are using cloud services which can help
protect their identity and their loved one’s personal details from risks like theft. To deal with
theft and hacking, using strong passwords can be beneficial which helps people to safeguard
their data.
Due to global Covid-19 pandemic the people were facing data protection issues and data
protection professionals were having no relief from the problems facing data protection efforts.
Challenges like, government rules and regulations has created pressure on companies to update
their security systems (Boland and et.al, 2021). Growing regulatory requirements are putting data
protection efforts. Security threats is one of the critical challenges faced by people and major
concern raised by them. In today’s business environment, almost all the successful attacks and
breaches of data have been totally depending on a human failing.
3.0 ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION
3.1 Collaboration tools
There are different collaborative tools such as Zoom, Microsoft teams, Trello, Slack,
Airtable, Monday.com, Webex Meetings, Slack, Skype, Google Drive and so forth. However, for
the current research purpose, Skype and Zoom have been chosen for the analysis and discussion.
The details are being elaborated below:
 Skype – Talking in relation with Skype, it is being referred as a famous
telecommunication application and web conferencing system by video as well as voice
calls among the users. The users can share and transfer the audio, images, pictures, video
and messages with the other individual. Skype is being introduced and founded in the
year 2003. It offers free services to the people across the world. during the time of
pandemic many businesses has utilized this collaboration tools for communicating with
geographically dispersed individuals through mobile, tablet and computer devices
(Boland and et.al, 2021). Different hospitals, hospices and care facilities have used skype
for interacting with the patients and has imposed limitation on physical visit by the loved
one. Many information technologies companies such as Microsoft and Google have used
skype for corporate meetings and project discussion using video-conferencing.
 Zoom – talking about zoom application, it is one of the mostly used application in the
business environment. It is being refereed as a most popular telecommunication

application and video conferencing tools which allow people to meet their goals and
work together productively. It is a modern communication tool which can help people to
do webinars, arrange meetings and call phones to discuss things (Archibald and et.al.,
2019). With the help of video conferencing tools zoom, people can work effectively. By
using this tool, they can talk face to face to discuss important topic. During pandemic
time people was easily able to make meeting remotely much more human, which is very
important at that time. It is one of the essential tool used by people in order to help users
feel more connected even during crisis. The users can share and transfer the audio,
images, pictures, video and messages with the other individual which helps them to
discuss things related to business.
3.2 Privacy and security during pandemic
The pandemic has created new challenges for people working in the company as they adapt
to an operating model in which they all are allowed to do work from home. As working from
home has become the new normal in the businesses there is a chance of negative impact of
COVID-19 on security and privacy. Nowadays, new major concern is changing technology and
digital transformation. Due to global Covid-19 pandemic the people were facing data protection
issues and data protection professionals were having no relief from the problems facing data
protection efforts (Missonier, Lyytinen and Pigneur, 2019), Challenges like, government rules
and regulations has created pressure on companies to update their security systems. Growing
regulatory requirements are putting data protection efforts. Security threats is one of the critical
challenges faced by people and major concern raised by them. In today’s business era, almost all
the successful attacks and breaches of data have been totally depending on a human failing. As
many employees were working from home during pandemic time there were less supervision
which has created issues while working such as fraud, data breaches and criminal activity.
In order to deal with this situation, it is essential for companies to spread security
awareness among staff members. Staff should be briefed on best practices to regulate the sending
of emails. Nowadays, businesses are using antivirus protection in order to protect data which
helps to eliminates many low level attacks.
There are many reasons behind online threat related to privacy:
Weak password practices- as we all know that passwords must be strong if not then it may
impact the details of important data. Using strong passwords is just essential as ever during

pandemic people were facing threat issues such as data breaches because online theft was
increasing at that time. In company privacy password manager are hired to keep all the unique
and important things secured which helps them to put things safe and secured.
Internet of things- as we all know that internet of things has connected people lives as they
are using different devices, internet in their daily routine (Dang and et.al., 2019). It may be
possible to deal with privacy attacks which can harm information data. It is essential to make
sure people protect their internet router by providing strong passwords in their Wi-Fi connection
so that other people cannot use it or hack it.
Unsecured web browsing- personal information of people must be given to trustworthy
working professionals. Nowadays, businesses are more concerned about whether their
information is secured or not. It is essential to focus on using ProPrivacy such as VPN service
which can support and help keep web browsing habits away from internet provider.
 To protect from threats one must back up their important data so that when required they
can use those data to make important decision in the future. It is essential for them to
focus on encrypt important information so that it cannot harm the success of business
(Data protection challenges that businesses face, 2022). In order to protect business from
threats one must keep monitor their devices like laptops, computer systems and
equipment’s to know about what is happening. In addition to this, it is also very
important to train employees to be safe online because online breaching and hacking is
harming reputation of company. However, companies are using rules and regulations,
policies in place to guide their employees so that they can prevent themselves from
threats and work effectively towards goals.
3.3 Private versus public internet
Private internet access allows people to use internet in private area where 10 devices
connect, it doesn’t offer unlimited devices at same time (Van Dijck, 2020). This internet offers a
robust VPN service where people can get the benefit of advance settings related to network
settings. By using private internet, strong speed test scores can be gained by individual which
helps them to search things via excellent app interface. By using private internet, the people can
get instant security of data protection and keep their identity private which can support their
important details too.

Advantage of private internet includes secure connection, easy secure access and freedom of
using internet with good speed. Disadvantage- Due to increasing cost in private internet people
have to pay more in order to use private internet.
Public internet means everyone can use to search things online. To use public internet
user, need to do registration which is required to make email account by putting all the true and
fair personal details (Balakrishnan and et.al., 2021). However, web based services also requires
registration then only people can use it effectively. The major advantage includes: people can
have easy access if there is no password which means they can gain benefit of easy and free
connection.
Disadvantage of public internet- as all the public use internet together at same time it may create
issue such as slower speed due to coverage limitations.
4.0 CONCLUSION
Therefore, from the above analysis it can be concluded that in this present era of modern
technology, the information and communication technology is being referred as a crucial tool of
communication for connecting with every corner of the globe. Right form the community to the
business, it has a huge utilization. It has been originated from the study that during the time of
covid19 pandemic, different collaborative tools such as Skype and Zoom has highly supported
the business and lead them towards the path of success and growth. The report has identified
different advantages along with disadvantages of collaborative tools and also discussed how the
businesses have to face privacy and security challenges during the time of pandemic. Even the
measures for preventing security and privacy threats have also been discussed.

5.0 REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Archibald, M. M. and et.al., 2019. Using zoom videoconferencing for qualitative data collection:
perceptions and experiences of researchers and participants. International journal of
qualitative methods. 18. p.1609406919874596.
Balakrishnan, H. and et.al., 2021. Revitalizing the public internet by making it extensible. ACM
SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review. 51(2). pp.18-24.
Boland, J. and et.al., 2021. A COVID-19-era rapid review: using Zoom and Skype for qualitative
group research. Public Health Res Pract.
Dang, L. M. and et.al., 2019. A survey on internet of things and cloud computing for
healthcare. Electronics. 8(7). p.768.
Missonier, S., Lyytinen, K. and Pigneur, Y., 2019, January. Introduction to the Minitrack on
Developing Visual Collaborative Tools. In Proceedings of the 52nd Hawaii International
Conference on System Sciences.
Muthucumaru, A., 2021. The future of collaborative technology within Scrum/Agile
practices. The iJournal: Student Journal of the Faculty of Information. 7(1). pp.1-10.
Srivastava, P. and Khan, R., 2018. A review paper on cloud computing. International Journal of
Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering. 8(6). pp.17-20.
Van Dijck, J., 2020. Governing digital societies: Private platforms, public values. Computer Law
& Security Review. 36. p.105377.
Online
Data protection challenges that businesses face. 2022. [Online]. Available through: <
https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/5-common-data-protection-challenges-
that-businesses-face>