Analyzing IT Tools, Cloud, and Security in Modern Business

This report analyzes the role of information technology in contemporary business environments. It explores the significance of IT in expanding market reach and details various tools like cloud storage and online platforms that can enhance business operations. The report also emphasizes the critical need for data and information security within organizations, evaluating these tools within the context of the COVID-19 crisis. Topics covered include collaboration tools (Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams), cloud storage and computing, privacy and security challenges, and the impact of the cryptocurrency crash. The report highlights the advantages and disadvantages of these technologies, their suitability, and practical applications in business settings. It underscores the importance of safeguarding data and maintaining robust security measures to protect businesses from potential threats, particularly during times of crisis.

Professional Skills in
Digital Age

1 ABSTRACT
This report would analyse about the concept of information technology in the present
scenario. It explains about the importance of the technology in expanding the business in the
market. This report has analysed various tools that can be used to increase the business of the
company in the market. Such tools includes the cloud storage and online platforms.
Moreover, it has also analysed the need of the security of data and information of an
organisation. These tools has been evaluated with respect to the Covid 19 crisis in this report.

Table of contents
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1 Abstract..............................................................................................................................................2
1.0 Introduction....................................................................................................................................4
2.1 Collaboration tools..........................................................................................................................4
What are collaboration tools? Give some examples of collaboration tools ................................4
Where are they used and what are they used for? ....................................................................5
What are advantages and disadvantages of collaboration tools in general?...............................5
2.2 Cloud Storage..................................................................................................................................6
What is it? ...................................................................................................................................6
Where is it used?.........................................................................................................................6
Advantages, disadvantages, suitability and applications of cloud storage..................................6
2.3 Cloud Computing............................................................................................................................7
What is it? ...................................................................................................................................7
Where is it used?.........................................................................................................................7
Advantages .................................................................................................................................7
What is privacy and security?......................................................................................................8
What is the importance of privacy and security for businesses?.................................................8
What are some of the challenges related to privacy and security for businesses? Give examples.. 9
3.1 Collaboration tools..........................................................................................................................9
3.2 Privacy and Security during pandemic..........................................................................................10
Identify potential privacy and security threats businesses might had to face during pandemic.10
What are the measures businesses can take to prevent or protect themselves from these threats?
...................................................................................................................................................10
3.3 Cryptocurrency Crash....................................................................................................................11
4.0 Conclusion (Approx. 200-300 words(10%))...................................................................................11
5.0 References ...................................................................................................................................13
Save

1.0 INTRODUCTION
The information technology plays a vital role in increasing the business in the current
scenario. This is because now all the big businesses are run with the help of the information
technology. Examples of information technology is the use of the online platforms like social
media to advertise the products to the larger sections of the society. This helps the company
in increasing the sale of the company in lesser number of time. The use of the software for
entering the data related to accounts and sales of the business is also an example of the
information technology(Bello, et.al, 2021). This report would outline the use of the
information technology in the present day businesses. It would also explain about the data
security in an organisation. This also explains about importance of the cloud storage and its
use. It would also explain about the ways through which the privacy and security can be
maintained in an organisation. Moreover, it has also explained about the different tools of the
information technology.
2.1 COLLABORATION TOOLS
What are collaboration tools? Give some examples of collaboration
tools
The collaboration tools are the platforms that connects the different individuals of the
business firm to coordinate with each other. These tools helps the business firm to coordinate different
team members of team in the shorter period of time. The need of the these tools has largely been
recognised at the time period of Covid 19 lock down. This is because at that time the companies were
shut down and people were at their homes. So, the operations of the businesses were to be continued
on these online platforms. The examples of these online tools are the Skype, google meet, zoom, etc.
The online virtual meetings between the employees of the companies has to be held on these
platforms. These platforms has made it possible for the companies to continue its operations during
the lock down period at the time of pandemic(Alam, 2020).
Some of the collaboration tools has been discussed below which is being used by the
organisations as follows-
 Zoom Meetings: The zoom meetings are the type of video calling platform through which
online meetings of the organisations are to be held between the team members and the team
leader. These are organised by the team leader and the timings of the meetings is to be sent to
all the team members of the company. The zoom meetings has been developed by Zoom
Video Communications. Moreover, there can be more than 100 members who can connect at

a single time. It also provides for the subscription through which the management can also
take effective way to operate its meetings.
 Skype- The Skype is being developed by the Skype technologies which is a part of Microsoft.
This platform also offers the online video calling with the different individuals in an
organisation. This also provides other facilities like sharing of file, messaging, texting, etc. to
all its users. This platform is free of cost to all its users. Only the need is to download it from
the play store.
 Microsoft team- This is a type of online video calling application that allows
multiple users to connect at the same time. This is introduced by Microsoft. There are
other facilities also such as texting, voice calling, emoji sending, etc. The meetings of
the team can also be scheduled before the meeting(Namasudra, 2021).
Where are they used and what are they used for?
These are used for connecting the different team members of the organisation. This provides
a cost effective way to connect with different individuals. These help the managers to convey
its ideas to all the team members of the organisation. It is generally used by the companies to
achieve the targets on time.
What are advantages and disadvantages of collaboration tools in
general?
Advantages
 It is very beneficial for the institution because it save so much time and resources for
the institution. While operating with the tools all the workers are operating from its home and
this aids them to save the cost of the expenditure of the business office.
 These means also enhances the morale of the worker. This is because collaboration
tools gives the opportunity to the worker to carry out the piece of work wherever they
need.
Disadvantage
 The main demerit of these collaboration tools are that it has no one on one
interactions between the workers of the organisation that sometimes deceases the
motivation of the workers(Butt, et.al, 2020).

 The second drawbacks of operating with these tools is that worker become lazy as it
work from its home along with there is no encouragement happens with them. This
also leads to the lessening in operating of actions which is made by the workers.
2.2 CLOUD STORAGE
What is it?
The cloud storage provides a lot of space to store the data and information to all the
individuals on online platform. These storage help the individuals to store their data with
minimal cost. This is because initially these storage facilities are free but after some limit it
requires subscription for the storage of extra units of data on cloud. This also provides a very
efficient way to give storage facility to individuals.
Where is it used?
The process of digitalisation is becoming very crucial for the institutions along with the
business firms more after the pandemic of COVID-19. This can be defined as advancing and
selling these goods and the work in the market through different online platforms. Moreover,
it also carry out the actions digitally in the organisations which are using these collaboration
tools in its company. The cloud storage is one of the most crucial software which provides
great chances to organisation to operate the work digitally. Moreover, the cloud storage can
be explained as the software which provides the arrangement to store the large and the crucial
data at the one spot. The big organisations and the concern have large data which have to
store like sales, clients , profits etc. by which it could hold it in the cloud storage for the
security of the organisation(Ganetal, 2020).
Advantages, disadvantages, suitability and applications of cloud
storage
Advantages
 The main merit of the cloud storage is that it gives the backing up of data in the cloud
by which the institution can rid of the risk of lack of data.
 This too provides the arrangement to share the big files in a less time by the cloud
storage.
Disadvantages

 It requires a very good speed of internet connection. So, if the connection of internet
is not good then it would be of no use. Moreover, the use of internet would also
require cost of it.
 There is also the requirement of paying extra for the additional space required by the
individual. It would also require that the individuals has to give extra time for
working on cloud.
Suitability
Cloud storage can be used in areas like educational establishment, organisations,
business organisations along with the areas where it is required to save the huge data for the
future. Moreover, this is most suitable for the business concerns as it needs the data for the
future in a very secure way.
Applications
This is the effective services which gives the facility to store information in the safest
way. This is suitably applicable in these areas where it is a want of storing the crucial data in
the future day. This is highly relevant in the business institutions because it supply the facility
to the administrator to store and use the essential files by the cloud storage(Ahmed, 2019).
2.3 CLOUD COMPUTING
What is it?
The cloud computing is effective tool to store the data on online server. This is being used by
the team mangers to store the data of the organisation.
Where is it used?
Cloud computing is a effectual services that gives the data storage, database, networking and
software by the internet. It also provides the facility to the customer to store the information
even in the distant servers along with accessing it by the usage of internet services.
Advantages
 It improve quality of the collaboration with different department and employees of
the organisation.
 Another benefit is that cloud computing service keep a back of the significant data
and store them in a digital manner.

Disadvantage
 Sometime sit create a security issues for the customers or clients as sometime hacker
use the company's data unethically and manipulate it (Dutta and et. al., 2021).
 Another drawback of this system is downtime as to use it effectively organisation
require a good internet connection. Through this only company can assess the data.
Suitability
It provide an excellent services with all the filed of education and business
organisation. Because in such file, there is more requirement to save the data for future. It is a
right choice for the application development and testing.
Application
This services are applied in installed in computers to save significant and large files or
data. This means that it is very easy to apply it within the organisation with computers and a
good connection of the internet.
2.4 Privacy and Security
What is privacy and security?
Privacy is defined as safeguarding the identity of users who execute the data. Beside it
security is refer to safeguarding the data which is used in future with the purpose to carry
various activities (Helali and Omri, 2021). Main difference between the privacy and security
is that the security focus on infrastructure and data, while privacy focuses on individual and
their protected information.
What is the importance of privacy and security for businesses?
It play an important role in the business organisation as enterprise highly undertake it
within workplace for safeguarding their significant data. Few of its importance are mentioned
below:
 Its main importance is that it increase the company's brand value and also make
enable the business to eliminate risk of breaching the data by outsider hackers.
Organisation utilise an effective privacy standard which aid them in saving their data
or information for future.

 By the privacy and security to safeguard the significant data and na organisation
become enable to get ahead from the competition within marketplace. It will help the
company's manager in securing the organisational internal policies for others.
 It also build a trust between the user and company as a proper privacy and security of
the data is an essential differentiating element for the customer in light of the violation
and breaches (Hiran, 2021).
What are some of the challenges related to privacy and security for businesses? Give
examples.
 Trust to give information- To carry out different activities of an organisation, its
management department need to share the significant data to other department within
the organisation. It should be exploited to consider the work policies but often
business faces challenges by seeing manipulation of the data for any kind of the
illegal purpose or activity.
 Cost of maintaining the data privacy- It is another main challenge faced by the
business organisation in the data protection a the maintain the data pricy, it require a
big amount of the money (Mapetu Kong and Chen, 2021). For this the organisation
have to manger its expenses to safeguarding their data
3.0 Analysis and Discussion (Approx. 800-1000 words(40%))
3.1 COLLABORATION TOOLS
 Choose any TWO collaboration tools and discuss about them in detail.
In modern era, digitalisation play an important role in attainting more success for the
organisation. Therefore, it is identified that Microsoft and Zoom are most effective
collaborative tools that help the business to connect with all the workers. Microsoft offer
various remote collaboration tools such as one drive, share point and many more. Zoom is a
simple video conferencing app through which many people can join a meeting and share their
messaged via this. At the time of pandemic, it support the business to an extent as it make
enable the organisation to utilise the digital techniques so that they can carry out their
business activities effectively.

 How did they help businesses during pandemic? Give examples
it is identified that Zoom and Microsoft play a crucial role during pandemic. These tools are
most effective techniques as it facilitate the company's manager to convey the plans or ideas
in most effective way to the employees and leader about how their work will be carried out.
These two collaborative platform were given to the workers so that they can coordinate their
work properly. These collaborative tool had made a great contribution during pandemic when
government has implemented various restriction. Microsoft and Zoom allow 100people at
once to carry out their meeting through video call so that a face to face interaction can
become possible. (Safkhani and et. al., 2021).
3.2 PRIVACY AND SECURITY DURING PANDEMIC
Identify potential privacy and security threats businesses might
had to face during pandemic.
In business, there are various threat faced by the business during pandemic. During
this time period, all employees were working form their home and all the plans and
information were conveying through the virtual digital platform. In this. Main threat is the
breach of data and policies by the other competitors to copy the way for carrying out different
activities within workplace. It has ben considered as a major threat because every information
were conveyed through the digital media and often hackers try to do some unethical activities
due to which the information may impact the organizational operation. In organisation every
department carry out their work by utilising the digital platforms in which they face threat of
data stealing of the organisation by the employees.
What are the measures businesses can take to prevent or protect
themselves from these threats?
To eliminate such threats in organisation, business can take significant steps by which
they can effectively carry out their operational practices during pandemic.
 Main measure is that companies should install a security software program in their
system through which they can protect the significant data from any types of the
breach.
 Organisations should utilise different kinds of the cyber safety measure as it help
them in finding from data of the firms is being copied (SaiSindhuTheja and Shyam,
2021).

 Regularly back up of the critical email and share the data on all the computers and
store utilising a secure and safe cloud solution like Office365 is another measure to
prevent the business from such kind of threats.
3.3 CRYPTO CURRENCY CRASH
In 2014, price of the bitcoin crashed when Mt. Gox exchange collapsed. In 2018,
price of the bitcoin fell by 80% as hundred of the “initial coin offering” crashed and burned.
In both the cased, market eventually recovered and prices of the crypto rose higher than
before. With cost of the everyday item like groceries and gas increasing, the investors began
to pull their investment they deemed risky, including the cryptocurrencies. As the investors
had sold off their digital assets, price of the crypto fell further.
Bubble- For several year, the commentators have announced that the cryptocurrencies are a
bubble. By this, they want to say that price of the given coins or of the digital assets
generally, is far higher as compared to their real values (Singh and et. al., 2021).
Fact is that all the cryptocurrency is just a bubble is probably its worst kept secret. Money
which fuels massive price rise comes solely from the other investors pouring their capital into
this, in hope of riding the surge.
It is a large crash in crypto market since may 202, along with the tech tocks' recent downturn
is comparable to with bursting of dot com bubble and Global financial Crisis of 2008, as per
to the new report of Bank of the America Research.
Impact of the cryptocurrency on economy is evident in use of the block chain technology to
maintain accountability in the financial transactions. The block chain help in streamlining
many other process including car leasing and smart contract through the cloud computing.
4.0 CONCLUSION
From the above report, it is concluded that, the information and communication
technology skill is very essential when providing best customers services within market. This
report has discussed different kinds of the collaborative tools that help the business
organisation during pandemic. Along with this, it is also analysed that cloud computing and
cloud storage facilitate the organisation to store the significant data very safely. In this,

concept of the privacy and security in business has been also discussed. Beside it, it is
analysed that Zoom and Microsoft are most crucial collaborative tool for the organisation. At
last, this report has disused that how the Cryptocurrency has impact the nation. Use of the
encryption technology means that the cryptocurrencies function both as a virtual and currency
accounting system in efficient manner.