Ransomware and cyberattacks pose significant threats to businesses of all sizes. More than 1 billion records were stolen in 2024, according to Techcrunch. One ransomware gang stole data related to about 300 million patient interactions from a pathology lab, Ticketmaster experienced a hack that led to 79 million stolen records and a bank had the information of 7.6 million people stolen by cybercriminals.
In the back-and-forth contest between cybercrooks and their targets, criminals are launching increasingly sophisticated attacks using advanced technology. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), for instance, are now go-to technologies for penetrating networks and planting malware that corrupts, steals or holds data for ransom.
However, the Master of Science (M.S.) Management Information Systems (MIS) with Business Analytics Certificate online program offered by the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) equips data professionals with the expertise to protect digital assets. With foundational knowledge in MIS and business analytics, graduates can utilize modern technologies and implement critical information systems development processes in a number of roles.
How Are Information Sciences and Systems Development Life Cycle Related?
Information science and the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) are closely related. The SDLC provides a critical framework for ensuring that network and hardware architecture meet the goals set by organizational information sciences operations. It comprises a systematic, integrated approach from analysis and planning to design, development, testing and deployment.
Moreover, SDLC is an essential component of information science that supports the integration of project risk management strategies. It also provides tools for scaling systems to incorporate emerging technologies. By helping secure, user-centric information systems, SDLC ultimately enhances the overall value and impact of technology across the enterprise.
This knowledge base serves information science professionals well as they manage digital data. “This framework not only streamlines project workflows but also enhances collaboration among stakeholders, leading to more robust and reliable information systems,” according to NetGuru.
Information science and information systems — two significant elements of business analytics — rely on SDLC for various functions. According to LinkedIn, business analytics incorporates SDLC processes into the analytics and planning, software design and execution, monitoring, testing and deployment stages of projects. Graduates of UIS’s program have the business analytics and information systems knowledge to apply SDLC strategies.
What Is the Role of SDLC in Systems Development?
As TechTarget describes it, a technology system typically includes software and hardware. The SDLC is a broadly focused project management model that generally accounts for end-user activities and data and network processes.
“For many projects,” it notes, “the systems development life cycle includes the narrower software development lifecycle. In other words, the systems development life cycle is a superset of the software development lifecycle.”
SSDLC Vs. SDLC: Which Is More Secure?
A systems project aimed explicitly at hardening an organization’s cyber defense typically would incorporate a Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SSDLC) framework rather than the traditional software development structure. The SSDLC prioritizes security throughout every phase of development, making it ideal for creating software with robust cybersecurity features. On the other hand, the traditional SDLC primarily focuses on developing functional software without emphasizing security. Integrating an SSDLC model ensures security is woven into the development and execution processes to create a layered defense in depth posture rather than relying on perimeter firewalls.
“For example, with defense in depth, you might combine strict access control rules with multi-factor authentication (MFA), as well as network segmentation and a ‘least privilege’ policy to reduce the risk of unauthorized access and lateral movement,” Wasabi advises its clients. Defense in depth provides two benefits: It reduces the risk of a successful attack, and, if attackers penetrate the defense, it limits exposure and reduces impact.
Identifying and mitigating security risks early in the software development cycle significantly reduces the likelihood of vulnerabilities in the final product. This proactive approach involves integrating security and functional requirements during the planning stage and conducting thorough risk analyses during the design phase. Developers test security comprehensively in parallel with functional testing as the final SSDLC phases before deployment.
The SSDLC’s comprehensive approach to security results in more robust and resilient systems, ultimately reducing the time and costs associated with addressing security issues after deployment. This is particularly crucial when developing software for cyberdefense, where security is not just a feature but the core purpose of the software.
The Intersection of Business Analytics, Information Systems and System Development
An information sciences management project that incorporates SSDLC in the SLDC requires participation from functions across the enterprise. That could include end-users such as business intelligence analysts and managers, database administrators, software developers and technical/business architects. The accredited UIS online Master of Science MIS with Business Analytics Certificate program prepares graduates for those roles through courses such as System Analysis and Design, Project and Change Management, MIS Design and Research Methods.
UIS’s program helps graduates become sought-after experts in the rapidly growing field of business analytics. Students develop a comprehensive skill set that positions them to lead teams and drive organizational success through effective information sciences management.
Learn more about UIS’s M.S. in MIS with Business Analytics Certificate program.
