5.1 Networks

Question 1

What does “Network” mean?

Answer 1

An arrangement of computers and other devices connected together to share resources and data

Question 2

What does “Local area network (LAN)” mean?

Answer 2

A network that covers a relatively small geographical area, often a single site.

Question 3

What does “Wireless local area network (WLAN)” mean?

Answer 3

A local area network in which connected devices use high frequency radio waves to communicate.

Question 4

What does “Wide area network (WAN)” mean?

Answer 4

A network that covers a large geographical area. It connects together two or more LANs and is usually under collective ownership. The largest wide area network is the internet.

Question 5

What does “Client-server network” mean?

Answer 5

A network that has at least one server to provide services to the client computers.

Question 6

What does “Peer-to-peer network” mean?

Answer 6

A network that doesn’t have any centralized servers. Each computer in the network can act as client and server.

Question 7

What does “Network topology” mean?

Answer 7

Describes how the devices on a network are connected together.

Question 8

What does “Internet” mean?

Answer 8

A worldwide system of interconnected networks that enables information to be exchanged and shared.

Question 9

What does “Communication media” mean?

Answer 9

The media by which data is transmitted between devices on a network. Coaxial cable, fiberoptic cable and microwaves are all forms of communication media.

Question 10

What does “Protocol” mean?

Answer 10

A set of rules that govern how communications on a network should be formatted and what data they should include.

Question 11

What does “Eavesdrops” mean?

Answer 11

Having unauthorized sight of data being sent from one computer to another over a network.

Question 12

What does “Bandwidth” mean?

Answer 12

The amount of data that can be carried on a network in a given period of time.

Question 13

What does “Checksum” mean?

Answer 13

An error detection technique. A mathematical formula is applied to the data and the resulting numerical value is transmitted with the data. The recipient computer applies the same formula to the received data and then compares the checksums sent it with that data to the calculated checksum. If the checksum don’t match the data is likely to have been corrupted and the recipients computer request the data again.

Question 14

What does “Packet” mean?

Answer 14

A small quantity of data being sent through a network. The packet is labelled with the senders address, the recipients address, how many packets are being transmitted and the position of this packet in the complete message.

Question 15

What does “Web server” mean?

Answer 15

Powerful computer systems that store web pages and any multimedia that the pages might contain.

Question 16

What does “Network security” mean?

Answer 16

Activities designed to protect a network and its data from threats such as viruses, hacker attack, denial of services attack, data interception and theft, and equipment failure.

Question 17

What does “Denial of service (DoS)” mean?

Answer 17

An attack on a network that attempts to prevent legitimate users from accessing its services.

Question 18

What does “Access control” mean?

Answer 18

This determines which users have access to which data, and what they are allowed to do with it

Question 19

What does “hacking” mean?

Answer 19

The act of gaining unauthorised access to a computer system and the data it contains.

Question 20

What does “Physical security” mean?

Answer 20

Controlling access to critical parts of a network using physical methods rather than softwares.

Question 21

What does “Malware” mean?

Answer 21

Short for ‘malicious software’. It is used as a generic term for any kind of software that is designed to disrupt the use of a computer system.

Question 22

What does “USB” mean?

Answer 22

Universal Serial Bus sockets found on the most modern computer systems.

Question 23

What does “Cyberattack” mean?

Answer 23

Any kind of malicious attack on a network-connected device.

Question 24

What does “ Social engineering” mean?

Answer 24

Any kind of attack on a computer system or network that exploits how people behave and respond to certain situations.

Question 25

What does “Phishing” mean?

Answer 25

Attempting to get confidential information by sending a user a message that appears to come from a trustworthy person or organisation.

Question 26

What does “Shoulder surfing” mean?

Answer 26

Gaining access to information by watching some enter it into a computer system.

Question 27

What does “Unpatched software” mean?

Answer 27

Software that hasn’t the latest security updates applied to it, making it vulnerable to attack.

Question 28

What does “Code vulnerable” mean?

Answer 28

A computer program (the code) that has been written in such a way that it creates a security issue that may be taken advantage of to gain access tot the computer system or data within it.

Question 29

What does “Modular testing” mean?

Answer 29

Testing each block of code as it is completed to ensure the code works as expected.

Question 30

What does “Aduit trail” mean?

Answer 30

A record of activities that have taken place on a computer system. This record is generated automatically and will record what has happened and who or what made the change.