Homework #4

Paul Trant
Homework #4
MIS
February 13, 2012

New Database Search Tool Will Aid Bureau Investigations

Midway through the semester thus far, we have covered a variety of interesting topics. One of the topics that stood out to me was databases and search engine optimization. By search engine optimization, I’m referring to websites such as Google and Yahoo. In my winter intersession course this past winter break; we used Google much more in depth. Most people just use Google to look up something quick, or possibly to find the hours of a popular restaurant. However, I learned such features as Google Analytics, which allows you to track statistics for a website you own. For example, it will track how many people visited your site, and where they were when they looked at your site.

The article I selected to read discussed the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the use of their databases. For the FBI to find missing information, it can require searching through hundreds of different databases with individual passwords. The new tool the Bureau has released makes it capable to search the most used databases with a single search capability. This process is called Data Integration and Visualization System.

The article also went on to discuss the future of DIVS. They are hoping to come up with a way that can use cross-case correlation and geospatial tools. This makes it possible to search a person by their name, or other offenders in the case. Our court system is so complex that multiple databases exist to accommodate all of its components.

I feel that more businesses are also following this particular trend. Larger corporations that have to assess multiple databases are trying to simplify their process. By doing this, they are maximizing their resources, as well as making it quicker to reference records. Banks may be one of the last businesses to consider changing DIVS. I personally have to login through three different pages answering a variety of security questions to access my banking information.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/itb/news-features/new-database-search-tool-will-aid-bureau-investigations