PDC (ICT in context) Flashcards
1
Q
What is a firewall?
A
a network security system which can be software-based but, more likely for a large company such as PDC
2
Q
What does firewall look like?
A
in the form of hardware device positioned between the network and the Internet connection.
3
Q
What is the job of a firewall?
A
to keep the network secure from unauthorized access and hacking.
4
Q
What is Wi-Fi?
A
a wireless communication technology that allows devices to connect to a Local Area Network
has a range of 15 meters
5
Q
How does Wi-Fi work?
A
The technology works by providing Wireless Access Points (WAP) which send and receive signals from the wireless devices, such as the handheld scanners used by PDC
6
Q
How is Wi-Fi different to a wireless router?
A
Wi-Fi provides wireless connectivity to an existing LAN – it does not route traffic between network
7
Q
How does a Power over Ethernet (PoE) work?
A
by using pairs of copper wire inside the data cable that don’t use data to carry power to the WAP
8
Q
How can PDC save money?
A
Using WAPs - they do not need to have separate power cables run to them This saves in costs and allows the units to be deployed more flexibly.
9
Q
Give an example of Wi-Fi
A
Bluetooth
10
Q
What does the IEEE stand for?
A
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
11
Q
Who set the standards of IEEE?
A
all networking standards are set by the 802 committee, which first met in February 1980!
12
Q
When was Wi-Fi first introduced?
A
1997
13
Q
What is a legacy system?
A
an older system that might exist in some part of a company network infrastructure. A legacy system is likely to use an older communication technology.
14
Q
What is a bar-code scanner?
A
a device that can read printed bar-codes and output the data contained in the bar-code to a computer.
15
Q
What are bar-codes used for and why?
A
stock control as the codes can be read quickly and easily.
16
Q
What does the inside of a bar-code look like?
A
Inside the scanner is a light source, a lens and a light sensor which translates optical impulses into electrical ones
17
Q
What does most bar-codes contain?
A
decoder circuitry which analyses the barcode data and translates the data into an electronic output that can be understood by a computer system
18
Q
How do you provide flexibility of bar-code scanners?
A
many bar-code scanners are portable and able to connect to, and communicate with, a wireless network.
19
Q
How could flexibility of bar-code scanner use be useful to PDC?
A
it would give workers a greater range of physical movement than they would have if the scanner was tethered to a wire.
20
Q
How do bar-codes work?
A
Each bar-code has a unique number that identifies the parcel.
The bar-code does not contain the sender or recipient’s address.
A bar-code is scanned so the computer systems can use the unique number to look up the details.
21
Q
How are bar-codes read?
A
by an optical scanner
22
Q
What were the dashes of bar-codes inspired by?
A
by the dots and dashes in Morse code extended into a line to make them easier to read
23
Q
What is a check digit?
A
something that is calculated using a mathematical formula and based on the other values in the code
24
Q
What does the scanner look for in a bar-code?
A
if the check digit in the bar-code corresponds to the check digit
25
What's the most common method of encoding data?
EAN-13 standard (13-digits)
26
What 4 factors is needed for when calculating the check digit
position
(number) digit of bar-code
weighing
partial sum
27
How can a check digit for the EAN-13 be calculated?
take each of the first 12 numbers in turn and either multiply it by 1 or 3
numbers then added together to find total.
The next highest multiple of 10 is then calculated and total is taken away.
28
When was 3G commercially introduced?
2003 - it was standard data connection in UK
29
What is the average data transfer rate of 3G?
5-6 Mbps (Megabits per second)
30
What does 3G allow people to do?
mobile Internet access, video calls and video streaming.
31
What does PDC have to include in their smartphone app?
allow customers to send parcels and to view tracking
data transfer rates available to a typical mobile customer.
32
What does PDC have to consider when making their smartphone app?
3G data transfer rates
anything with too much bandwidth would not download quickly enough and the customer might lose interest
33
When was 4G commercially available?
2010
34
What is the general transfer rate of 4G
17 Mbps
three times faster than the 3G average.
35
What does 4G allow people to access?
faster data transfer speeds
36
What are the limitations of 4G
availability of 4G relies on user signing up to a 4G tariff which requires additional costs.
geographical area where the phone is being used
37
How does Near Field Communication (NFC) work and what does it do?
by electromagnetic induction
can be used to read simple NFC tags
38
DESCRIBE does the NFC do?
reader exchanges data (read and tag no more than about 5 cm apart)
data is shared with computer (entering details of a package)
39
What are some advantages of NFC?
versatile and able to be programmed for many purposes
workers use personal phone app can be used for collection depots such as post offices
money saved because it would not have to buy specialist hardware to scan the packages
40
What are some disadvantages of NFC?
cost of NFC tags = expensive
compatibility issues with other systems
Not everyone has NFC-enabled phones
short range
41
What is Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
automated method for allowing two companies to exchange business information
42
Why does PDC use EDI?
large commercial clients can send bulk orders without entering parcel details into the website.
43
How does EDI work?
Customer requests a price for delivery of a parcel from PDC
Agreement on a contract for the delivery of a parcel
Customer places an order for a parcel delivery
PDC sends an advance shipping notice to the customer
The parcel is delivered and the recipient electronically signs for the delivery
The customer pays the invoice
44
What are de facto standards?
standards that become adopted by certain companies who trade with each other.
45
what are de jure standards?
when professional bodies develope standards that could be used by anyone
46
What is EDIFACT?
the professional body which develops EDI rules for the United Nations
47
what is ODEITE?
an organisation used by the automotive industry.
48
what is VDA?
a body set up by the German automotive industry to develop its own standard of EDI messages
49
what is ANSI?
an American standard.
50
What are advantages of EDI?
reduction of email communication
Reduced staffing costs
Less chance of transcription errors when data in an order or invoice
Reduced postal costs
Increased processing speed of orders
Less chance of errors arising
51
What are disadvantages of EDI?
Not all companies use the same EDI standard.
PDC might have to use additional software to encode or decode its EDI
52
Why do a large proportion of new ICT systems fail?
insufficient planning
53
what is the systems life cycle?
a process for planning, creating, testing, and deploying an information system
54
what can failure of creating the systems life cycle lead to?
the new system not delivering what the end user wants.
55
what is the first stage of SLC?
statement of intent
| followed by a feasibility study
56
give an example of an investigation
be looking at the system to be replaced and considering the views and needs of the management of the company and the end users
57
what can investigations take form as?
questionnaires, interviews or observations of how people work within the company, and diagrams
58
what is an advantage of Modifying an existing system?
Easiest / least disruptive to implement
| Likely to have the lowest cost
59
what is a disadvantage of Modifying an existing system?
problems within existing system may be replicated in the new system
60
what are the advantages of buying a new system off the shelf?
tried and tested by other companies
support will be available
61
what are the disadvantages of buying a new system off the shelf?
The system is unlikely to fully match PDC’s needs – requiring additional systems to still be needed
62
what are the advantages of developing a whole new bespoke system?
system will be designed to fully meet PDC’s exact requirements
63
what are the disadvantages of developing a whole new bespoke system?
If developed by a specialist company, they might not fully understand requirements
‘in-house’, they have less technical skill than a specialist company
Any problems within existing system may be replicated in the new system
64
what will be drawn up in the analysis stage?
a list of success criteria based upon a system specification
65
what does the the systems specification represent?
an evaluation criteria for the project and an indication of what the system must do in order to be considered finished
66
what is decided at the design stage
the fine detail of the solution
67
what applications help the the design stage?
user interface design (online help, error messages, overall look)
Progress Delivery Company (employ graphic design team)
68
what is Minimum hardware and software requirements needed to do?
needed to run the new system
69
when does the coding of the project begin?
once the design stage has been completed
70
what does iterative process mean?
the process of development and testing may be repeated many times, each time getting the system closer to the desired solution
71
what is an important factor to consider when creating/testing a new system
the legacy data (data from old system)
72
who tests the new systems?
developers themselves
| people outside the developing team (staff from PDC)
73
What does implementation mean?
means rolling out of the system in the company
74
what are the 4 methods used to implement the new computer systems
direct changeover
pilot implementation
phased implementation
parallel running
75
what are the advantages of Direct changeover
no issues with compatibility with old systems
76
what are the disadvantages of Direct changeover
Relies on the new system being fully operational with no flaws
difficult to implement - workforce must be trained
large changes is most likely to fail
77
what are the advantages of Pilot implementation
Easy to train small groups
bugs in the new system can be identified before the system is rolled out to the whole company
78
what are the disadvantages of Pilot implementation
department the new system may have difficulty in sharing data with other departments still using the old system
79
what are the advantages of Phased implementation
Small changes are often the easiest and most effective
80
what are the disadvantages of Phased implementation
new system may have difficulty in sharing data with old system
81
what are the advantages of Parallel running
Old system provides a fallback position if the new system turns out to be unworkable
82
what are the disadvantages of Parallel running
Creates twice as much work for the workforce and is the most inefficient method
83
what does the documentation stage include?
overview of system
installation instructions
user guide
glossary
84
what is the evaluation stage?
when the system specification must be referred to in order to establish if the project has met its goals and can be signed off
85
what are the three topics in the maintenance stage?
corrective maintenance
adaptive maintenance
perfective maintenance
86
what is corrective maintenance?
fix bugs that come once the system is up and running
87
what is adaptive maintenance?
develop new functions and features and adapting to new requirements of the company as they come along
88
what is perfective maintenance?
improves system performance and efficiency
89
what are some advantages of the systems life cycle?
Well-established, tried-and-tested methodology that is effective and well understood.
90
what are some disadvantages of the systems life cycle?
sticking to each step can result in a long, drawn-out process, which can add to costs.
The end users may not be able to express what they actually want
91
why is a good graphical user interface good for PDC?
It will encourage their customers to use it and offer them more business.
92
how can PDC encourage users to use the system?
The interface that PDC chooses for its phone app must have a simple and intuitive layout that is very easy to use.
93
what makes a interface design effective?
familiarity
If the users can interact easily with the interface they are more likely to use it and want to keep on using it
94
When designing an effective user interface what should PDC should consider
existing interfaces and test their designs to see which ones are the easiest to use
95
why is navigation important?
If a user cannot easily get to what they want to, then they will become frustrated and stop using the site.
96
what should be considered when making the navigation?
navigation bar menu
site map to show overview of the site content and structure
hyperlinks when possible
97
what should be considered when choosing the color and font?
should be subtle and easy to the eye
| offer a high degree of contrast
98
what does consistency mean when designing a system?
design, color scheme, font style and size should all be the same
99
why is consistency important?
gives the app a more professional appearance and help the user to become familiar with its functions.
100
what does feedback include?
summary of the data that the user has entered and useful information if the user has made any mistakes
101
give an example of feedback in a system.
if a field cannot be left blank, there should be a useful message telling the user where they went wrong.
102
why is remembering preferences important?
makes the data entry quicker and encourages the user to choose the option that PDC prefers them to use.
103
what are the 8 standard controls?
```
label
button
frame
radio button
check box
list box
combo box
date picker
```
104
what is the function of the label?
Gives information to the user but does not accept data entry.
Labels should be clear and short.
105
what is the function of the button?
An area of the screen that, when touched, usually has a simulation of a physical button being pressed
easy to use on a phone to navigate or to confirm an action
106
what is the function of the frame?
a way of grouping different controls together, usually by simply placing a rectangular outline around them. Often used with radio buttons or check boxes.
107
what is the function of the radio button?
offers a range of options but only one can be selected at a time. This control is used when the user has to select one option out of a range
108
what is the function of the check box?
A check box offers a binary choice between two options (selected or not selected)
commonly used accepted terms and conditions
109
what is the function of the input box?
allows for a single line of text to be entered, such as name, address or telephone number.
this is important for the PDC app because users must be able to enter the delivery address of the parcel
110
what is the function of the text box?
a text box allows a lot more text to be entered than an input box.
This would be useful for the PDC app for adding delivery instructions.
111
what is the function of the list box?
offers drop-down list and allows either a single choice or multiple choices to be made.
This is useful for a phone because the customer would not have to type anything and PDC could limit the range of acceptable answers. This is a form of validation
112
what is the function of the combo box?
offers a drop-down list but only allows a single selection to be made. (changes when a new item is chosen from the list)
113
what is the function of the date picker?
allow the customer to choose a delivery date from a miniature calendar instead of typing the date, which could take longer and be more likely to contain a mistake.
114
what is data safety?
preventing accidental data loss through failure or destruction of equipment or accidental deletion.
115
what is data security?
protection of data from unauthorized access and strategies for keeping the data secure from hacking and viruses.
116
What is threats to data security/safety
```
protects data loss by:
hardware failure
natural disasters
accidental loss
viruses
unauthorized access
```
117
what is a network managers?
be responsible for ensuring that all PDC's data was safe and secure as well as securing online transactions against hacking.
118
what are cyberattacks?
Breaches of security across a network or via the Internet
119
what is Authentication
a way that a user can identify themselves to a network
120
what can authentication offer a user?
give them a level of access appropriate to their job role
track/audit all of their actions on the system
121
what 3 things can be used for authentication?
something knowledgeable (password)
something they possess (ID cards with chip or pin)
physical attribute (fingerprint)
122
what are the advantages of a knowledge authentication?
easy to enter
password only known to customer
123
what are the disadvantages of a knowledge authentication?
level of security depends of the level of secrecy and strength of password
124
what are the advantages of a possession authentication?
a quick reliable method for identifying the worker
125
what are the disadvantages of a possession authentication?
could be lost or stolen, or used by someone else
126
what are the advantages of a physical authentication?
cannot be lost, forgotten, used by another person, or easily forged
127
what are the disadvantages of a physical authentication?
can be more expensive to set up, can be unreliable
128
what may be some policies that PDC set for their passwords?
has at least eight characters
includes a combination of upper-case and lower-case letters, numbers and special characters
129
what is single-factor authentication (SFA)
where the user can obtain access to an account or service using one authentication factor
130
what are the problems with single-factor authentication (SFA)
that if the same password is used for many different applications then they would all be vulnerable if the password gets hacked.
131
why would PDC use a two-factor authentication (2FA)
something that os financial or personal.
reduces the chances of hacking as the hacker would have to breach two different types of security
132
what is a two-factor authentication (2FA)
its a security method by which users get access to a network system by providing two separate factors to identify themselves.
133
what is a Knowledge factor
knowing a password or a personal identification number
134
what is a Possession factor
owning a membership card or mobile phone
135
what is a Biometric or physical factor
a human characteristic, such as a fingerprint, DNA or voice print
136
what is one of the biggest threats to PDC’s data security?
poor security practices by the workers themselves
137
What kind of services are used with two factor authentication?
banking
138
What are 3 examples of policies for keep data secure?
1. use complex passwords
2. always log off when not in use
3. never share passwords with others
