Authors: Baskerville, R. Date: 1989 Title: “Security of Decision Support Systems” Journal: Knowledge Based Management Support Systems Pages: 225 - 235 |
| decision support systems, data gathering, data integrity, controls, error- based decisions |
| Genuinely effective decision support systems could present management with the brightest computer applications yet conceived. However, these could be catastrophic if established without adequate controls. Two major aspects of this problem are of immediate concern. First, decision support systems introduce the formal concept of a "data gathering" phase into an office-based system. This is the most dangerously error-prone phase of an information cycle. Second, controls to ensure data integrity during analysis and construction of alternatives may not be properly implemented by end users. It is argued that controls design should not be deferred to the decision maker. The opportunity for inadequate controls consideration by an end user of unknown skill foreordains error-based decisions. Controls must be automatically framed by the computer-based data gathering and analysis tools. In this way, appropriate controls are transparently established in every decision application without additional user burden. |