RISKS IN THE USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WITHIN ORGANIZATIONS

Information systems researchers and practitioners alike have always fe lt the need to minimize systemic risks arising out of the use of infor mation technology, Research has identified the confidentiality, integr ity and availability of information as vital concepts, However, in dev eloping counter-measures to threats in these three areas the focus has been on questions such as computer viruses, hacking, system failures and access control. Thus the primary concern has been for the technica l installations and their functionality. In contrast this research see s information technology usage in terms of the integrity and the whole ness of systems, social as well as technical, It argues that by mainta ining the integrity of information systems, the risks associated with information technology usage can be minimized.