BTEC iCT Unit 1 The Online World

My Theory Booklet

Introduction
1 Online Services 1 Mark __ /8

OK Must review
2 Online Services 2 Mark __ /8

OK Must review
3 Online Advertising Mark __ /11

OK Must review
4 Online Documents Compression Mark __ /7

OK Must review
5 Online Software & Backups Mark __ /11

OK Must review
6 Collaborative Working Online Mark __ /8

OK Must review
7 Online Communication 1 Mark __ /7

OK Must review
8 Online Communication 2 Mark __ /7

OK Must review
9 Voice Over Internet Protocol Mark __ /13

OK Must review
10 Cloud Computing Mark __ /7

OK Must review
11 Ubiquitous Computing Mark __ /9

OK Must review
12 The Internet - Hardware Mark __ /8

OK Must review
13 The Internet Network Diagrams Mark __ /5

OK Must review
14 Connection Methods Mark __ /12

OK Must review
15 The Internet - Protocols Mark __ /9

OK Must review
16 World Wide Web Mark __ /8

OK Must review
17 HTML Mark __ /6

OK Must review
18 URLs Mark __ /8

OK Must review
19 Search engines Mark __ /8

OK Must review
20 Email Purposes & Uses Mark __ /16

OK Must review
21 Email - Protocols Mark __ /7

OK Must review
22 Data Exchange Packet switching Mark __ /10

OK Must review
23 Data Exchange Transmission Mark __ /11

OK Must review
24 Wired Transmission Methods Mark __ /14

OK Must review
25 Wireless Transmission Methods Mark __ /8

OK Must review
26 Client-side Processing Mark __ /12

OK Must review
27 Server-side Processing Mark __ /9

OK Must review
28 Database Theory Mark __ /9

OK Must review
29 Databases in practice Mark __ /15

OK Must review
30 Threats to Data Mark __ /6

OK Must review
31 Protection of Data Mark __ /15

OK Must review
32 Legislation Mark __ /11

OK Must review

33 Key Terms
Introduction What Is The Online World?
Imagine a business with thousands of staff & customers in many countries
Unit 1 is about looking behind the scenes at many different parts of this online world
Inside the Business (Staff)
Video conferencing
Well see how services work & their
benefits, such as saving travel costs
Cloud Services
Well see how storing files online
lets staff work together on docs
Online Software
Well see how working online saves
hassle, such as installing software
Networks
Well see why local and wide area
networks are vital for organisations
Server Computers
Well see how these special
machines help power networks
Databases
Well see how businesses store
info on products, staff & customers
Security
Well see what kind of threats
make security such a big deal today
Outside the Business (Customers)
Getting Online
Well look at how people get online,
like using superfast fibre broadband
Email
Well see how it works using special
rules or protocols & email servers
Web
Well see how sites are built & how
Web data travels across the Internet
Search engines
Well see how Google etc. collect &
store details of billions of web pages
Online Ads & Shopping
Well look behind the scenes at how
companies advertise & sell online
Social Media
Well look at all the different ways
people can communicate online
Wi-Fi
Well see how data travels online,
such as wired & wireless methods
Introduction The Exam
The Unit 1 exam will be your biggest challenge on this course.
Thats because to do well you need to be able to:
Handle basic questions, such as giving the meaning of technical terms
But also expand your answers in more challenging questions, such as to discuss the
advantages & disadvantages of technologies or evaluate the impact on people & business.

Basic Expand Answer Success!

+ =
So being able to expand your answers is the key to coping with different types of exam questions:

So you MUST develop the basic knowledge PLUS the expanded understanding.
Thats why youll need this booklet, then make your own notes & then do practice questions
1 Online Services 1
Communication
Services that let people keep in touch
That means moving data in the form of
text, photos, video and audio
Examples & Pros/Cons
Examples: Email, instant messaging, social
networks, blogging, micro-blogging,
online conferencing
Pros: Easy for extended families and
friends to keep in touch
Cons: Cyber-bullying & trolls
Commerce
Commerce means business so these
services involve money in some way.
eg online shopping & banking
Examples & Pros/Cons
Examples: Online shopping (eg Tesco),
auctions (eg eBay), banking (eg NatWest),
publishing (eg Kindle e-books on Amazon)
Pros: Convenience of home delivery for
online shopping
Cons: Security eg credit card fraud
1
Real-time Information
Services that provide up-to-date info
They are constantly updated for people
who need to get the latest information
Examples & Pros/Cons
Examples: Train timetables, traffic reports,
flight updates, weather & news services
Pros: Can save people time & trouble, such
as when catching trains and planes
Cons: Downtime damages public image,
such as for airports and train companies
Government
These involve official public services
eg local councils & national government
collecting taxes
Examples & Pros/Cons
Examples: paying personal taxes online,
paying car tax, paying student loans
Pros: Cuts cost of government because it
reduces the need for people to process
paperwork
Cons: Not everyone has online access
2 Online Services 2
Entertainment
Means services for leisure
and fun
Examples
Examples: Catch-up TV
services, radio players and
music streaming sites
Pros: Services can be
accessed on the move
Cons: Need broadband for
media services
Education
Involves workplace
training for businesses as
well as learning for
schools
Examples
Examples: Online training
for construction trades, or
online learning eg Bitesize
Pros: Users can work online
at their own pace
Cons: Must have Net access
Download
Means LEGAL download
services, such as for
games, music & movies
Examples
Examples: iTunes for music,
or Steam for games
Pros: Legal so not piracy. No
need for old methods such
as waiting for DVDs in post
Cons: Need fast Internet to
download large files
VLEs
Services that provide
virtual classrooms for
students and teachers
Examples
Examples: Moodle is a
Virtual Learning
Environment or VLE
Pros: Upload work for
feedback & share via forums
Cons: Set-up/training costs
Business
Means companies using
websites to increase
efficiency & save
money
Examples
Examples: Using Skype
or using special internal
websites called Intranets
Pros: Cuts travel costs for
staff & Intranet is secure
way to share files & info
Cons: Staff need training
SaaS
Software As A Service
lets you use applications
online so you only pay
for software on demand
Examples
Pros: Cuts costs since use
cloud service instead of
in-house IT set-up
Get automatic updates
More reliable backups
Cons: Must be 100% reliable
2
3 Online Advertising

Pay Per Click

A host website (eg Facebook) displays an ad for another company (eg Adidas)
If a visitor clicks the ad, they are sent to the advertisers site (eg Adidas.com)
The host website earns money for each visitor who clicks on the advert
This process is called pay per click
Also called the affiliate model (since the companies act as partners, or affiliates)

Types of Online Advertising

Sponsored Links Banners Pop-Ups Email

Companies want to be Banners go at the top These appear Marketing emails

listed first by search of pages so you cant in new go direct to
engines so they pay to miss them! Other ads windows so customers inbox
get their links at the top can be all over a page. you cant miss (not illegal SPAM)
them!

Why Companies Choose to Advertise Online

Multimedia Targeting & Cookies Links

Online ads use video Peoples online behaviour is tracked using Online ads try hard
and audio plus small text files called cookies. Sites access to get you to click
animation to get cookies to display ads based on your links direct to the
your attention interests shown by searches & page views. advertisers site

How Ads Can Be Annoying

Personal Privacy Adware Auto-play Video Distraction
Not everyone is Type of malware that Some ads play Ads can take your
happy with use of generates unwanted video as soon as attention from what
cookies & history ads, often as popups the page loads youre trying to do

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4 Online Documents File Compression

Why use Compression?

Compression is squeezing
data to reduce file sizes for
storage and sending.
Compression is done
using an algorithm.
Files are zipped
Afterwards, they are
unzipped or extracted
People use compression because:
1) File sizes can be reduced so it
saves memory space
2) Smaller file sizes mean faster
downloads
3) If you need to send lots of
files via email, you can send
in just one compressed folder
so saves time & effort

Example of using zip compression

Some email services limit
the number or file size of
attachments.
One solution is to zip lots
of files in one folder to send
The receiver can then
unzip or extract or
expand the folder to
access all the files.

How Compression Algorithms Work

Each compression tool
uses an algorithm
That means a method to
reduce the data
One method for reducing
the size of text files is to
cut all repeating words
An index is then created
to store the position of
all the cut words
So later, the index can be
used to put the original
text back together

4
5 Online Software & Backups

Online Software v Standalone Software

Standalone software is installed on your computer, from a CD or downloaded
Key advantage: its on your hard-drive so runs fast & doesnt need the Internet
Online software is accessed over the Internet via your web browser
Key advantage: you can access the software on all devices eg PC, Mac & tablet

This is a This way of

traditional working is
way of becoming more
working and more
common

Advantages to Online Software

Backup & Automatic Pay Save on
Restore Updates Monthly Hardware

Having a back-up Getting an upgrade You dont need to pay A business doesnt
online means a copy used to mean a full price for a need to buy its own
of your files are getting a new CD. software product on servers because the
stored on web But online a CD. Instead, you software & files will
servers, so you can software is can pay monthy so be stored online. So
restore the files if updated the software is more this saves the
theres a problem. automatically. affordable. business money.

But there are also risks

Reliability: If your online software service is unavailable, you cant access your files
Security: Your online service could be at risk from hackers wanting to access files

5
6 Collaborative Working Online

Advantages of Working Together

Online services allow people to work on the same project, or even the same
document, so:
Staff can collaborate online, even if theyre in different places or countries
So they dont need to travel, which saves money & helps the environment
You only need one version of a document, which everyone can edit

Online Software
Levels of File Version
Access Permissions Control

Restrictions are set at logon:
Staff can access areas
depending on their role
Students & teachers see
different parts of network
Settings that control what When lots of people can
users can do to a file: edit a document, its vital
Read: View only to show which is latest
Read/Write: View & edit version eg filenames can
Full control: Also delete use numbers or dates.

6
7 Online Communication 1
Online Communities
An online community or network of friends is a group that only exists online
An example is social networking sites that connect people with similar interests
Another example is a virtual world, such as Second Life that only exists online
Some need members to be online at same time eg online gaming
Others can interact at different times, eg learning community on a VLE

Blog & Vlog Micro-Blogging Wikis

A web log or online journal or A website or app where short Sites where authorised
video blog (vlog) thats meant messages are exchanged users can logon to add or
to be updated often (eg Twitter) edit content

Who Blogs? Who MicroBlogs? Who Uses Wikis?

Businesses promoting
news & product info
Fans using blog or vlog
Creative professionals
showcasing their work
Journalists sharing stories
Friends sharing updates
Professionals linking with
colleagues about work
Businesses sharing news
and product information
Celebs in touch with fans
Teams who want to
collaborate on a
central pool of
information
People with a shared
interest or hobby

Podcasts Instant Messaging Chatroom

Audio or video files that are Form of chat where people A place on the web where
usually published in are online at same time & post many users online at same
instalments messages in real time (live) time can communicate live

Who Uses Podcasts? Who Uses IM/Chat? Who Uses Chatroom?

Media channels sharing
TV & radio shows
Musicians and comedians
sharing gigs
Businesses for promotion
Businesses offering online People with shared
support to customers interests eg football
People on social networks Professionals who work
eg using chat window in same industry

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8 Online Communication 2
Communicating online includes instant messaging (IM). Online
communication also requires rules and involves users in developing a
profile for their online presence

Netiquette Profile & Avatar Emoticons

Netiquette is a set of Is a users online presence, Also known as

rules for users online such as on social media. smileys, emoticons
e.g. avoid UPPER CASE. People decide what to show & are images that
(Etiquette means a code how much is TRUE! An avatar represent
of behaviour.) is an image to represent you. emotions.

Instant Messaging (IM)

Is a way to exchange messages instantly between two or more users
Usually software is used to make connections between users and provide an
environment to chat or share files, such as images, and use emoticons.

Client & Server Roles

The chat program is processed on the users computer, which is called the client
Each person chatting holds a local copy on their computer
Other processing may be carried out on the server, eg when users log-on

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9 Voice Over Internet Protocol - VoIP

What is Voice over Internet Protocol?

VoIP is a method of real-time communication over the Internet eg Skype
It began as a way to make free calls over the Internet but now does video
So audio and video data is transmitted between computers
The computers are connected via their unique IP addresses
An example IP address is 125.76.23.003 like a phone number for a computer
In business, VoIP is used for online meetings called video conferencing

Hardware Needed For Individual Use

For the video, you need a webcam,
either standalone or built into your
computer, laptop or tablet
For audio, you need a mic plus
speakers, or an individual headset

Advantages Disadvantages

Uses Internet only so no additional Relies on Internet connection so it can

costs (unlike phone)
Able to connect anywhere but
only if have Internet connection
Reduces travel costs, such as staff
in different countries having a
video conference, not flying
Better for collaboration since can
also show documents on-screen
be slow & buffer or it can cut out
Data exchanged online is at risk of
security threats, such as hackers, which
is especially relevant to a business
working with confidential information
Voice quality can be affected since the
audio is being converted to digital and
then transmitted over the Internet

9
10 Cloud Computing

Cloud Storage
Cloud computing is where you use external servers instead of your hard drive.
The external servers are called hosts and are owned by a hosting company
Some well-known hosting companies are Dropbox , Google & Microsoft
Users can access software, data and storage from their hosting company
You access all that using your web browser

Advantages Disadvantages
Cost Anytime, Reliability Security
Savings Anywhere & Speed

You only pay for the You can access your A poor hosting You have to trust the
storage you use, files and software service can mean hosting company to
rather than having from anywhere in the servers are keep your files safe,
to buy & maintain the world, as long as slow, or they otherwise there is a
all the server there is an Internet crash and the risk from hackers.
hardware. connection service goes down

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11 Ubiquitous Computing

Ubiquitous computing is where processors are built

into everyday objects that are connected online
Clothing Vehicles Buildings Appliances People

Processors are Processors Processors built Processors in Pacemakers

built into built into into fire alarms washers control are fitted to
running kit to GPS/satnav to to detect smoke different regulate
track distance, direct the & set-off alarms programmes, and heartbeat
heartbeat etc. driver and contact the monitor load size,
fire brigade water etc.

RFID
Radio Frequency Identification Chips (RFID) are a
way to embed processors into everyday objects
Used to identify & track products for stock control
Like a barcode, but doesnt need to be scanned

Animals Home - Fridge Shops

This cap flap only opens for As a tagged product is placed An RFID scanner by the door
an animal wearing the inside, this fridge can of a shop can read the chips
correct RFID chip automatically read the RFID as they pass thru and
embedded in collar. Pets chip and use the data to sound an alarm if the
also get RFID microchips monitor & order groceries. product is stolen

The Internet of Objects

As more objects have processors built-in, they can be connected online
So well start to see an Internet that connects things rather than just computers
This Internet of Objects can include smart products and even people!

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12 The Internet - Hardware

The Internet
The Internet is a global network of interconnected computers that allows
packets of data to be exchanged between computers and devices.

Internet Hardware
A computer/device that uses services provided by a server
Client The computer you use to access the Internet is a client
Devices that route (direct) data traffic through a network
Routers They are intelligent and will try to find the best routes
A big cable (often fibre optic) that connects a large
Backbone number of devices in the core of the Internet
Runs special software to serve other computers
Server Different types include file, print, web and email servers
Form the connections between all this hardware
Cables Includes all kinds of cable, such as fibre & telephone lines

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

An ISP allows connection to the Internet
IT would be too expensive to connect to the Internet
directly so the ISP gives an easy way for a connection
An ISP may provide connection to one client, or a
network of clients. For example, a home network or a
business network.
ISPs can also provide additional services for a fee,
such as website development and tech support.

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13 The Internet Network Diagrams

Network diagrams show how pieces of technology

connect together
Two terms are vital when labelling a network diagram:

A Point of Presence (POP) is an access point to the Internet.

POP An ISP may have several PoPs to allow good access to the Internet

A Network Access Point (NAP) is where different networks

NAP interconnect, such as your home network onto the Internet

Sample diagrams

LANs & WANs

Two types of network
Local Area Network Wide Area Network

Is a network on one site, like a school, Is a network that spans a whole region,
or one building, such as an office block or country or globe, eg the Internet

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14 Connection Methods

You need to know these three connection methods

Dial-Up Broadband Wireless

Is a wired connection via Means a wired connection Connects without using

modem & phone wires via a broadband supplier cables
Advantages Advantages Advantages
Can use existing Better reception and Not fixed to a
telephone wires speed than dial-up stationary computer
Gives connection Can be used
where broadband is whenever wireless
not available Internet is available
(eg wi-fi hotspot)
Disadvantages Disadvantages Disadvantages
Older technology and Wired, so has to be Needs to have
can give poor used on a stationary wireless Internet
reception computer available
Usually slower than Broadband is not Can be less secure
other methods available in many than wired
Conversion between rural areas Tends to be slower
digital and analogue than wired
can cause errors

Bandwidth
Is how we measure the speed of Internet connection.

Bandwidth is how much

capacity (space) there is to
carry digital data as 1s and 0s
Measured in bits per second
High bandwidth means more
data can be moved, so giving a
faster Internet connection and
a higher transmission rate
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15 The Internet - Protocols

Protocols are rules that allow computer systems to

connect with different systems to transfer data.
This is important because the Internet involves many different types of devices.

How the Internet uses Packets

All data on the Internet is split into packets & the traffic is managed by TCP/IP

TCP
Transmission Control Protocol
TCP is responsible for:
Breaking data into packets
Assembling the packets again
when they arrive
IP
Internet Protocol
IP is responsible for:
Handling the routing of packets
Thats addressing, sending and
receiving packets over the Net

File Transfer Protocol - FTP

Protocol which allows files to be transferred between two computers or devices.
It is usually used to upload or download files to a server. (See page 18.)

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16 World Wide Web

Think of the Web as content on the Internet

That content includes web pages plus multimedia files & other data.

How the Web works

Browser Hyperlinks Web Servers

Web pages are The Web works Websites are stored

accessed through because of hyperlinks on web servers
browsers They connect web When you access a
These are pages together webpage through a
applications which When a hyperlink is browser, the page is
allow a user to enter clicked, a user is taken temporarily
a URL and view a to another page on the downloaded onto
webpage site, or taken to your computer
Your browser reads another website It is the web servers
the HTML code and job to deliver the web
displays the page page requested

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17 HTML

HTML is the language for making webpages

It uses special tags to tell the browser how to display the content of a webpage

Example of Hypertext Markup Language

Tag Function Example

<h1> Make a heading on a webpage <h1>Welcome to my website!</h1>

<p> Make a paragraph of text <p>My website is about Tim Berners-Lee</p>

<b> Make text bold <b>I think Tim is a legend!</b>

<i> Make text italic <i>You know why, dont you?</i>

<u> Underline text <u>Thats right Tim invented the Web!</u>

Create a line
<br> break
<p>Some text</p><br><p>More text</p>

<img src=photo.jpg>
<img> Insert an image src means source
It tells the browser what file to display
<a href=www.argos.co.uk>Click here</a>
<a> Create a hyperlink href means hyperlink reference
It tells the browser what site to open

Meta-tags
Special tags at the start of a page that are used to give details about its content, such as:
<meta name="description" content="Information about Queen Elizabeth School">

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18 URLs & Web Protocols

A URL is an address for a webpage.

URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator

Protocol Domain Name Path

Tells the browser what This is the name of the This points to a specific
to do with the URL website webpage

Web Protocols
There are several protocols or rules for handling all the data for webpages.
They are included in the URL so that the browser knows how to handle that page.

FTP
File Transfer Protocol
An old protocol that was invented
even before the Web was born
It is still used to upload and
download files from a server
It is often used by web developers
to transfer files to their web server
But to use FTP, you usually need a
username and a password
HTTP
Hypertext Transfer Protocol
HTTP is the set of rules that
handle what we do on the Web
It handles your REQUEST to load a
page from a web server
It also handle the RESPONSE to
download the web page and all its
files to your computers

Secure HTTPS
The S in HTTPS means secure.
Data in the webpage is scrambled
before sending across the Internet
So if data is intercepted, it cant be
understood
Protects privacy from hackers

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19 Search Engines

How Search Works

Search engines are special websites that allow users to find data on the Internet.
Examples include Google and Bing.

A user enters keywords into the search engine

The search engine searches its Index, which is its database of web pages
The results are displayed in order of popularity
Dont forget that the sponsored links will also be placed at the top
The more a company pays, the more likely it is to appear in search results

To collect details of
websites, the search
engines use
automated
programs (or bots)
called Web Spiders
or Web Crawlers.

They look around

the Web, looking for
new or updated
pages and log them
in the search
engines database
called the Index.

Smart Searching With Operators

Use Quotes Use Minus Use Star Use
- * OR
chimp OR
happy days jaguar -car *plastic
gorilla

Search for an exact Exclude all results Find all variations Find one keyword or
word or set of words that contain a of a word (called another, use the term
certain word a wildcard) OR (in CAPITALS)

19
20 Email Purposes & Uses

Emails are stored on servers & then forwarded

to the receiver so its called store & forward
Emails are sent from an senders Outbox and received in a recipients Inbox
The sender & recipient do not have to be online at the same time
Thats great when sending emails to people in different global time zones
This applies to staff in a big company, as well as families & friends

Send Attach High/Low Priority

CC Send a copy to another person Address Book

Advantages Disadvantages
Attachments Junk Email - Spam
You can attach multiple files, such Spam or junk email has
as images or documents become a massive problem

Copy Phishing
Use cc to send copy to other people Fake emails designed to trick
Or bcc to hide addresses from others people to give personal details

Contacts Viruses (from attachments)

Address books store contacts & Attachments can contain code
you can also use distribution lists to designed to harm your
email lots of people simultaneously computer

Delivery Speed Delayed Reply

Emails usually arrive in seconds Email isnt real time so you cant
much faster than traditional post expect an instant response

Webmail No Access
Gmail & Hotmail use cloud servers Not everyone has email or
so can access email anywhere they might not logon regularly

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21 Email - Protocols

Learn Three - SMTP, POP3 & IMAP

A protocol allows different software & devices to communicate so you
can send email on a computer and it is received on a tablet or phone

SMTP handles sending IMAP handles receiving webmail

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol Internet Message Access Protocol
It pushes outgoing email to a server Lets you access your email on a server
If ever a problem sending, them When logon, you pull email from server
SMTP will keep trying until its sent So you can access anytime, anywhere

POP3 also handles receiving messages

Post Office Protocol 3
POP originally came before webmail when people
used email client software eg MS Outlook
You downloaded emails from the server
Then emails could be deleted from the sever

Webmail v Email Client

Not everyone uses webmail services such as Gmail & Hotmail.
Some people use software applications called email clients
All your messages Emails downloaded
stay on the server to client machine
+ Can access email + Can access them,
on many devices even if not online
+ Email backed-up + Client software has
- You must have Net more features
connection - Emails lost if
- Slow service computer crashes

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22 Data Exchange - Packet Switching

Parts of a Packet
Packet switching is the process of data being broken into packets before
being sent through a network and then re-assembled at the other end.

Trailer Data Header

Used to check This core is the The ID is vital to putting all
that packets are most important the packets back in order
reassembled part of the Addresses tell where going
correctly packet! & where come from

VoIP and Packet Switching

VoIP uses a special computer program called a CODEC to speed-up the transmission
of the audio and video by enCOding and DECoding all that digital data as packets:

Sender uses Message converted to digital Receivers computer

microphone & data & broken into packets to re-assembles data &
webcam be sent across the Internet decodes the data

Advantages
Packets chose different
routes so traffic flow is
efficient
Big files can still be sent
but dont clog network
Disadvantages
Packets give security If one or more packets
benefit because if are lost or corrupted
intercepted, the hacker during transmission, the
will only have one part whole file will not be
of a file received correctly

22
23 Data Exchange - Transmission Modes

Modes
Transmission modes are the ways devices on a network
communicate & transmit data
Simplex One Way

Signals go in
one direction at a time
Duplex Two Way

Signals go in
both directions at same time
Duplex - Take Turns

Signals go in both directions

but not simultaneous

Transmitting Bits
Two ways of transmitting digital data as a stream of bits
Method Data Transfer Benefit Limitation
Bits of data are Complex because
Serial transferred Good over large data has to be
one at a time over distances broken into
a wire individual bits

Bits of data are

Parallel transferred Faster because
Only for
simultaneously a more bits
shorter distances
whole byte can be transferred per
eg 5 meters
transferred at the second
same time

23
24 Wired Transmission Methods

Learn Three Types of Cable

When transmitting data, the aim is to reduce latency, which is the delay
between sending and receiving data over a network (think late).

UTP/STP Co-axial Fibre Optic

Contains pairs of Is solid copper wire Strands of glass

copper wires with thick shielding carry data as light
twisted together Used to connect TV Used for backbone
Used for LANs with aerial of network
Advantages Advantages Advantages
Cheaper than other Reliable Fast
methods Used over long
Reliable distances
Under plastic coating, Little interference
the shielded (STP)
cable has protective
layer around the
copper wires to
protect data signal
from interference

Disadvantages Disadvantages Disadvantages

Slow Slow Used for backbone of

Low capacity Low capacity network
Used over short Used over short
distances distances
Susceptible to Thick and physically
interference, which inflexible
means data can be Susceptible to noise
interfered with if near
another digital device

24
25 Wireless Transmission Methods

Using Invisible Waves

Data is transmitted wirelessly using different types of waves
from the electromagnetic spectrum

Infrared Microwave Satellite

Uses infrared light Uses waves with Uses satellites in

to transmit data short wavelengths to space to relay data
Thats very high transmit data between points on
frequency light earth eg GPS
eg GPS
Advantages Advantages Advantages
Reliable Good for medium Good for very long
distances distances

Disadvantages Disadvantage Disadvantages

Short range Can suffer from Very expensive
Devices must be in interference from other
line of sight devices eg a microwave
Can suffer from oven thats near to a
interference computer device

NICs & NAPs

Devices using wireless networking need a NIC
Network Interface Card
Its the hardware for receiving wireless signals
Its built-into modern devices eg tablets & phones
The NIC connects to a NAP
Network Access Point
Lots of places offer NAPs, such as cafes & libraries.

25
26 Client-side Processing

Client Scripts = Interactivity

Client side is viewing webpages on your client device (e.g. a tablet or PC)
Todays webpages have lots of features that are interactive
Interactivity is achieved using client scripts written in a language called JavaScript
These client scripts are run by your browser to display the interactive effect

Example 1 Hover Image

On some webpages,
images change when
you move your mouse
pointer over them. This
hover effect and is
achieved using code in
a client script.

Example 2 Slider
Another common
interactive feature on
websites is a slider
where you click or swipe
to scroll through images.
This is created using
code in a client script.

Advantages
Speed
Processing is faster on the client
because data does not have to travel
back to the sever across the Internet
Security
Data cannot be intercepted on the
client in the same way it can be when
data is transmitted back to the server
across the Internet
Disadvantages
Browser-specific
Different browsers process client
scripts in different ways,
therefore a web developer
cannot be sure how their website
will appear on a screen on the
client side
Computer speed
The web developer is relying on
the speed of the client computer
to deliver the interactive features,
so if that is slow then the
processing will be slow

26
27 Server-side Processing

Server = Back end Processing

Server side means processing data at the back end on the web server
Thats all the nerdy work that ordinary people never think about!
Its done using special server scripts written in server-side languages such as PHP
All this usually happens after youve done something on a webpage

Example 1 Submitting a web form

After you click SUBMIT
your data is sent back
to the web server for
processing, such as
storing your personal
details on the websites
database.

Example 2 Submitting a web search

After you click SEARCH
your keywords are sent
back to the web server
for processing, such as
finding matches on the
database or Index. Then
the results are send
back to you.

Advantages
Servers are powerful computers
A web server is likely to be way more
powerful than a client computer, so it can
process data faster
No browser involved
Servers dont use Browsers so there are
none of the difficulties you get on the
client with different brands
Efficient
Everything is done on the server, so no
need to wait for downloads etc
Disadvantages
Security
When data is send back from the
client, it has to travel across the
Internet where there is more risk of
security threats
Overloading
If a lot of users are asking the
webserver to process data, it could
overload the server and cause it to
crash (eg when thousands of people
try to book gig tickets).

27
28 Database Theory
What is a Database?
A database is a structured collection of data
A table stores a set of data e.g. details of all the students in school
A record is one row that stores data about a single item eg a students details
A field are the columns in a table eg forename, surname, gender, date of birth
The primary key is a special field with a unique identifier eg a student ID

Data Types
Says what kind of data is going to be stored in a field
Text Any kind of characters, including letters & numbers eg LA6 2HJ
Number Numerical values eg 1.5
Date/Time Dates and times 01/04/2014
Boolean One of two values, such as Yes/No or True/False Yes

Relational Databases
Most databases need more than one table to store all the data
So the tables need to be linked (or related) to create a relational database..
s

This SupplierID is not

really product data
So its called a
Foreign Key
Its purpose is to link
to the Supplier table

28
29 Databases in Practice

Local & Online Databases

Local means a database held inside a network to keep it secure
Online means a database that could be accessed around the world

Shops such as Argos

plus search engines
& social networks all
use databases
The database is
stored server-side
And the data is sent
with the webpage
when you load it

Database Management System

A DBMS is software that allows you to create & use your own database
It creates tables and fields and allows you to search and sort data
It handles security to prevent un-authorised access
It can also allow for different levels of access for different users

SQL
SQL is the language used by a DBMS to actually create & search a database
It has a Data Definition Language (DDL) to set-up the tables
And it has a Data Manipulation Language (DML) for updates & search queries

Data Validation
Validation means checking data on input to see if it meets certain rules
These validation rules check that the data is sensible (but cant check if correct)
Here are some different kinds of validation rules

Presence Check to see if data has been entered & not left blank
Range Check values are in sensible range eg effort grades between 1 & 5
Format Check that data is in required format eg a date is DD/MM/YY
Check digit Use digits in a code to check the data is right eg a barcode

29
30 Threats to Data

Opportunity Threats
A companys network security can be
breached by people who take a random
opportunity, such as an unattended PC

Computer Viruses
Viruses are malicious programs designed to
replicate and spread across a computer or
a network to damage or corrupt files & data

Other Malware
Malware is the name for several other
types of malicious software, such as
Trojans, worms, adware, spyware and
other nasty software that aims to cause
damage to files or to steal data

Phishing
Means when hackers use fake emails or
fake websites to trick people into clicking
links and then entering their personal data,
such as bank passwords

Accidental Damage
This could include floods, or fire or
hurricanes or damage from
untrained users

Hackers
Means people who purposefully try to
gain unauthorised access to a computer or
a network. But bear in mind that a high
proportion of hackers are people who
actually work for an organisation.

30
31 Protection of Data

Physical Barriers
Means protection such as locks on doors, or
CCTV & even turning computers off at night

Password control of access

A strong password is at least 8 characters and
includes uppercase & lowercase letters plus
numbers and symbols

Access Levels
Ensures people only have access to the parts of
the system they need. (Staff would also need
training before gaining greater access.)

Anti-virus Software
Software that works by scanning your files &
then deleting a virus or put safely in quarantine.

Firewall
Software that monitors data coming in and out
of a network to protect it from viruses, malware
and hackers. It puts a wall around a network.

Encryption
Means scrambling data to turn it into a secret
code before sending it over a network, or the
Internet so hackers cant decode & understand it.

Backup & Recovery

A backup is a copy of data kept in a different
location. Recovery is replacing the data, such as
copying the backup files to the original location.

Personal Privacy Settings

Security settings can be used on social
networking sites to protect users privacy.

31
32 Legislation

Know Four Law

Data Protection Computer Misuse
Act Act

Sample Principles Offences

Data must be accurate & up to date. (1) Unauthorised access (2) Then UA with
It must be kept safe & secure. intent (3) Then unauthorised altering data

Forces organisations to protect the Targets hackers and virus-makers

data they store about people Focused on un-authorised access
Lays down 8 principles see above Starts with access, then intention to do
Can be fined if dont follow them more harm & then altering data

Copyright, Designs & Freedom of

Patents Act Information Act

You have the right to access information

27% of software in use is illegal in the UK stored about you by public organisations.

Aimed at preventing piracy Gives people the right to see data

Protects rights of the makers of stored about them by public sector
software, photos, music, films etc organisations eg government, councils
So use without permission is illegal Anyone can make a FOI request

Technology & Monitoring

Todays technologies can be used to monitor peoples movements and
communications and that has an impact on our freedoms & privacy
Movements Communications

CCTV cameras record movements Authorities monitoring emails & web

GPS in phones tracks your location Search engines logging your keywords
Travel data eg airport passenger lists Sites using cookies to track browsing

32
33 Key Terms

Page Term Meaning

6 Access levels Restricted access to files, depending on your role & training
3 Adware Malware that displays unwanted ads, often as pop-ups
4 Algorithm (file compression) Method of reducing data to make size of file smaller (compress)
31 Anti-virus software Utility software that scans files & deletes or quarantines viruses
20 Attachment File(s) that is sent along with an email e.g. documents & images
33 Avatar Image selected to represent someone e.g. on social media.
5, 31 Backup A copy of data kept in a different location so can be restored
14 Bandwidth Speed of an Internet connection, measured in bits per second
20 BCC Send email to many people but hide addresses from each other
7 Blog An online journal or diary thats meant to be updated regularly
28 Boolean (Data Type) Type of data in a database field that can be True or False, or Yes/No
14 Broadband A high speed Internet connection thats always on
16 Browser Software application for viewing webpages e.g. Google Chrome
20 CC Email terms for sending copies of messages
29 Check digit (validation) Use digits in a code to check the data is right e.g. in a barcode
12 Client Means the computer you use to view webpages e.g. on a tablet
26 Client-side processing Means interactive parts of webpages made using code scripts
10 Cloud storage Keeping your files on an online server, not your own computer
24 Co-axial Solid copper wire with thick shielding that connects TV & aerial
22 CODEC Computer program that speeds transmission of audio & video
6 Collaborative working People working together on same document stored on the Cloud
32 Communication monitoring Use of technology to track peoples messages e.g. by the Police
4 Compression (files) Reducing the amount of data in a file for storage & sending
32 Computer Misuse Act Anti-hacking law thats focused on un-authorised access
32 Cookie Small file stored on computer used to track online behaviour
32 Copyright, Designs & Patents Act Anti-piracy law to protect rights of makers of music, movies etc.
32 Data Protection Act Privacy law to force organisations to look after personal data
28 Database A structured collection of information e.g. for products in a shop
28 Date/Time (Data Type) A type of data that can be stored in a database e.g. date of birth

29 DBMS Software that allows you to create & use your own databases

14 Dial-up Old fashioned way to connect to Internet via modem & phone

18 Domain name (URL) The name of a site & the main part of the address e.g. Nike.com

33
34 Key Terms

Page Term Meaning

23 Duplex Transmission where data goes in both directions at same time
31 Encryption Scrambling data before sending online so hackers cant decode
21 Email client software Dedicated email application or program , such as MS Outlook.
24 Fibre optic Cable made from strands of glass that carry data as light
28 Field (Database) One item of data in a database, such as a Surname field
6 File permissions Control what you can do to a file: Read, Read/Write, Full Control
31 Firewall Software that monitors data coming in and out of a network
28 Foreign Key (Relational Db) Special field that links two tables in a relational database
29 Format check (Data Validation) Check that input data is in required format e.g. date is DD/MM/YY
32 Freedom of Information Act Law gives the right to see data stored about you by public sector
18 FTP (File Transfer Protocol) Old set of rules to handle uploads & downloads from a server
6 Full control (file permission) Lets you delete a file, as well as read (view) & write (edit)
23 Half-Duplex Data transmits in both directions but not simultaneous
17 HTML Coding language used to create webpages using tags
18 HTTP (URL) Set of rules that controls loading webpages
18 HTTPS (secure webpages) Rules for secure webpages where data is scrambled for privacy
21 IMAP (webmail) Set of rules that handles webmail for access anytime, anywhere
4 Index (File compression) Stores details of all the cut words so a document can be remade
19 Index (Search engine) Special database that stores details of billions of webpages
25 Infrared Transmitting data using very high frequency light e.g. TV remote
8 Instant Messaging Real-time communication between people online at same time
11 Internet of Objects Smart products with processors built-in & connected online
15 Internet Protocol - IP The part of TCP/IP that handles the routing of data packets
12 Internet Service Provider (ISP) Company that charges you a fee for your Internet connection
13 LAN Local Area Networks are restricted to a single site e.g. a school
24 Latency The delay between sending & receiving data over a network
30 Malware Malicious software designed to damage or corrupt files & data
17 Meta-tag Special tag used to give details of a web page
25 Microwave Use of radio waves with short wavelengths to transmit data

13 Network Access Point (NAP) Provides a wireless hotspot for people to use e.g. in a library

8 Netiquette Code for behaviour online, such as not using UPPER CASE

25 Network Interface Card (NIC) Hardware for receiving wireless thats built into todays computers

34
35 Key Terms

Page Term Meaning

28 Number (Data Type) A basic type of data that can be entered into a database field
29 Online & local database Local means on your computer; online means used on websites
7 Online community Group of people with shared interest e.g. in a virtual world
5 Online software Version of an application that is hosted & used on the Cloud
22 Packet Header Vital part of an Internet package that contains the package ID
22 Packet switching All Internet data is broken into packets before being transmitted
18 Path (URL) End part of a web address that points to a specific webpage
23 Parallel Transmission Where bits of data are transferred simultaneously together
3 Pay per click Websites only get paid for adverts if users click on them
30 Phishing Using fake emails or sites to trick people to give personal data
7 Podcast Audio or video file designed for download in regular instalments
13 Point of Presence (POP) Is an access point to the Internet
21 POP3 (email) Old protocol that pulls emails from server when requested
29 Presence check (data validation) Check that required data has been entered and not left blank
28 Primary Key (database) Special field that acts as a unique identifier, such as a StudentID
15 Protocol Technical term for sets of rules for handling & sending data
31 Quarantine (anti-virus software) How suspicious files are stored to stop them infecting computer
29 Query (database) Is the technical term for doing a search in a database
29 Range check (data validation) Check that input data is within set of values e.g. between 1 & 100
6 Read-Only & Read/Write access Read means you can view a file; Write means you can also edit.
28 Record (database) One row in a database table that stores data about a single item
28 Relational Database Stores data in more than one table to make it more efficient
5, 31 Restore What you do with a backup of a file to make it usable again
11 RFID RFID chips are a way to embed processors into everyday objects
1 Real-time information Anything that happens in real time basically means live
12 Router Devices that route (direct) data traffic through a network
25 Satellite transmission Use of space satellites to relay data to points on earth e.g. GPS
26 Script Code written in special scripting languages for use on webpages
19 Search operator Use of symbols for smarter web searches e.g. minus symbol.

23 Serial Transmission Where bits of data are transferred one at a time over a wire

27 Server-side processing Processing data on the web server e.g. put info in a database

23 Simplex Data can only transmit in one direction at a time e.g. TV remote

35
36 Key Terms

Page Term Meaning

21 SMTP (email protocol) Handles sending email by pushing outgoing email to a server
2 Software As A Service (SAAS) Use of Cloud-based applications to give software on demand
20 Spam Unwanted junk emails that most people put in Spam folder
3 Sponsored link When companies pay for links to appear first on search results
30 Spyware Type of malware that tracks your activity on a computer
29 SQL (Structured Query Language) Language used to actually create & search a database
5 Standalone Software Has been installed on your PC (as opposed to online software)
20 Store & forward model Emails are stored on servers & forwarded to the receiver
24 UTP/STP Types of networking cable that contain pairs of copper wire
2 Streaming Way of delivering multimedia to computer connected online
31 Strong Password Min. 8 characters with mixed case letters, numbers & symbols
28 Table Is where information is stored in a database
17 Tag (HTML) Special words that tell the browser how to display a webpage
15 Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) Part of TCP/IP that breaks data into packets & reassembles
28 Text (Data Type) A basic type of data that can be entered into a database field
11 Ubiquitous Computing Everyday objects with processors built-in & connected online
18 URL (web address) Technical name for web address Uniform Resource Locator
29 Validation (database) Checking data on input to see if it meets certain rules
6 Version control (documents) Managing which is the latest version of a shared document
2 Video conferencing Online meeting that uses video, usually in a business
30 Virus Programs designed to replicate & corrupt or damage files
2 VLE (eg Moodle) Virtual Learning Environment used in schools & Universities
9 VoIP Online communication that uses real-time video e.g. Skype
13 WAN Wide Area Networks span whole regions or countries
19 Web crawler/spider Programs used by search engines to collect details of webpages
16 Web server Powerful type of computer that hosts or stores a website
21 Webmail Services such as Gmail where emails are stored on the Cloud

7 Wiki Sites where authorised users can logon to add or edit content

14 Wi-fi hotspot Location where you can get wireless Internet, often for free

24 Wired Transmission Methods Ways to transmit data using cables e.g. UTP or fibre optic.

25 Wireless Transmission Methods Ways to transmit data with NO cables eg infrared & microwave

4 Zip A way to compress or reduce file size for storage & sending

36