The update that broke the shop
A shop updates its till software on a Saturday morning. The update goes wrong. The tills are off for three hours on its busiest day.
A change meant to help became a threat. Changes in the law can do the same.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can explain how a technical change or a new law can become a risk.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Downtime | the time a system is not working | Three hours with no tills |
| Upgrade | changing to a newer version of software or hardware | |
| Legislation | the laws a country makes | |
| Rollback | going back to the old version when a change goes wrong | |
| Change window | a quiet time agreed for making a change | Sunday at 2 a.m. |
| Compliance | following the law and the rules |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Starter
Have a go
Starter
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
The impact of technical change
Every change has a risk. There are three to know.
Potential downtime: the system may be off while you change it.
A need to upgrade: old systems and software stop getting fixes, so you must change them.
Misconfiguration: a new setting may be wrong.
Three risks of change, three fixes
| Risk of change | Example | How to lower it |
|---|---|---|
| Potential downtime | The file server is off during an upgrade | Use a change window and tell users first |
| Need to upgrade | A program no longer gets security fixes | Plan the upgrade early and budget for it |
| Misconfiguration | A new setting blocks everybody from the shared drive | Test first and keep a rollback ready |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Political threats: new laws
Governments change laws and rules. A change in legislation can make something we do today illegal tomorrow.
For example, a change to data protection rules may mean new rules on how long you keep customer records. A firm that does not follow the new rule risks a fine. This is a risk of compliance.
Check: change and law
Have a go
Check: change and law
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.