Software

Software refers to the programs that we run on computer systems.
They allow the hardware to do their job; without software, the hardware wouldn't know what it was supposed to do.
Software is made up of a series of instructions or computer code.
It is these instructions which tell the hardware it needs to print a document or save a file or even change the word 'form' to 'from'.

ICT and society

ICT is constantly changing and advancing as scientists and engineers create new technologies for us to use and enjoy.
For example in the last 50 years these technologies have become commonplace

• Personal Computers
• Mobile Phones
• The Internet
• Medical scanners
• Satellites
• Lasers
• CD and DVD
• Television
• Car electronics
• Credit cards
  

And so on. Imagine what our society was like back in the 1950's compared to today. To find out the daily news people used to read newspapers and now we watch television

Data Protection Act

Data Controllers must ensure that their organisation follows the eight principles of the Data Protection Act when dealing with personal data.

1-Personal data should be obtained and processed fairly and lawfully.This means that you should be told that data is being collected about you, and you should know what the data will be used for. e.g

• racial or ethnic origin
• membership of a trade union
• criminal convictions or offences
• religious beliefs
  

2 - Personal data can be held only for specified and lawful purposes.The Data Controller has to state why they want to collect and store information when they apply for permission to be able to do so. If they use the data they have collected for other purposes, they are breaking the law

3 - Personal data should be adequate, relevant and not excessive for the required purpose.Organisations should only collect the data that they need and no more. Your school needs to know your parent's phone number in case they need to contact them in an emergency. However, they do not need to know what your grandmother's name is, nor do they need to know your eye co lour. They should not ask, nor should they store such details since this would be excessive and would not be required to help with your education.

4 - The personal data should be accurate and kept up-to-date.Companies should do their best to make sure that they do not record the wrong facts about a data subject. Your school probably asks your parents to check a form once a year to make sure that the phone number and address on the school system is still correct.If a person asks for the information to be changed, the company should comply if it can be proved that the information is indeed incorrect.

5 - The personal data should not be kept for longer than is necessary for the purpose for which it is collected.Organisations should only keep personal data for a reasonable length of time. Hospitals might need to keep patient records for 25 years or more, that is acceptable since they may need that information to treat an illness later on. However, there is no need for a personnel department to keep the application forms of unsuccessful job applicants.

6 - Data must be processed in accordance with the rights of the data subjects.People have the right to inspect the information held on them (except in certain circumstance - see later). If the data being held on them is incorrect, they have the right to have it changed.

7 - Appropriate security measures must be taken against unauthorised access.This means information has to be kept safe from hackers and employees who don't have rights to see it. Data must also be safeguarded against accidental loss.

8 - Personal data cannot be transferred to countries outside the European Union unless the country provides an adequate level of protection.This means that if a company wishes to share data with an organisation in a different country, that country must have similar laws to our Data Protection Act in place.

Your Rights

1 - see data held on themselves. They must apply in writing and pay a small fee (often around £10). The company must respond to the request within forty days.

2 - have any any errors corrected

3 - claim compensation for any distress caused if the Act has been broken

4 - prevent processing likely to cause damage or distress

5 - prevent processing for direct marketing by writing to the data controller to inform them that advertising material is not to be sent

6 - prevent processing for automated decision taking by writing to the data controller to inform them that no decisions should be taken based on automatic processing.
Some banks determine whether or not a customer should be given a mortgage on the basis of a computer program. The data subject has the right to prevent that happening.

Not your rights

Not everyone is automatically entitled to see the data which is held on them. There are certain circumstances under which data controllers are exempt from providing information to data subjects.These are:

1 - National SecurityIf required for the purpose of safeguarding national security, data controllers do not have to disclose the data held to data subjects.

2 - CrimeData which is being held in order to prevent or detect a crime does not have to be disclosed.

3 - Taxation
any data collected for taxation purposes is exempt

4 - Heath, Education and Social WorkPersonal data about the physical or mental health of the data subject. You have no automatic right to view your medical records. If a doctor believes that viewing them would harm your mental well being, they can be withheld from you. Personal data relating to the present or past pupils of a school. Examination scripts and examination marks held by examination authorities

5 - Personal data being processed by government departments or local authorities which is being used in the course of any investigation or monitoring.

6 - Personal data that could form part of a confidential reference (application for employment or a college course etc) is also exempt from access. This means that you have no legal right to ask to see a confidential or personal reference about yourself.

Hardware

Hardware is any physical part of a computar, any thing you can physically touch.

Input means to enter data into a computer for processing. An input device is any device that can get data into the computer.
Input devices include: Keyboard, joystick, touch screen, scanner, camara.

Output devices allow an input device to show and give out information
Once data has been input into a computer and processed. it allows the computer to be connected to an output device.
The most common out put devices are Monitor, Printer and Speakers.

Storing the information.
There are various storage devices that will that do this for you. Some of the most common ones that you are likely to have come across are:
Hard disks
Floppy disks
CD-ROMs
DVD

Copy Right

Computer users must follow the copyright law which also applies to other media such as videos, music cassettes and books.

Computer users must obey the copyright law. When you buy software:

• you do not have the right to give a copy to a friend.
• you cannot make a copy of the CD with a CD writer and then sell it.
• you cannot use the software on a network unless the licence allows it.
• you cannot rent out the software without the permission of the copyright holder.

Software companies take many steps to stop software piracy:

• The licence agreement is normally part of the installation process and you have to press ‘ok’ or ‘I agree’ to be allowed to install the software. This applies equally to downloaded software.
• You are usually asked to type in a licence key which is a set of letters and numbers, when you install the software.
• Some programs will only run if the CD-ROM is in the CD drive.
• Some programs will only run if a special piece of hardware called a dongle is plugged into the back of the computer.
  

FAST
The Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) was founded in 1984 by the software industry and is now supported by over 1,200 companies. It is a not-for-profit organisation aiming to prevent software piracy and has a policy of prosecuting anyone found to be breaching copyright law.

FAST also works to educate the public about good software practice and legal requirements.

Viruses

A virus is simply a program designed to cause harm to someone else's computer. A virus spreads by duplicating and attaching itself to other files. The extent of the damage depends on the virus.

There are tens of thousands of viruses.
Some virus damage is insignificant but inconvenient. Some virus damage is disastrous, putting the computer system out of action by crashing memory, erasing files or corrupting data

How do you catch a virus?

Viruses are written by malicious programmers who wish to cause problems to other computer users.
The primary source of infection these days are e-mail attachments followed by illegal software and infected files from the Internet.
Also, by putting an infected floppy disk into your computer - the virus can automatically copy itself from the infected disk into your computerIf you have up to date anti virus software installed this will immediately warn you of any infection. If not, there is usually no evidence of the virus and the user is not usually aware of it until something goes wrong.

How can they be prevented?

Viruses can be prevented by taking sensible precautions, including:

• using up to date anti virus software. E-mail attachments are now the biggest source of virus
• spread and many e-mail servers are now installed with anti-virus software.
• not allowing other users to use their own floppy disks on your system
• not allowing users to take the company's disks home to use on their own PC
• only downloading files from reputable Internet sites
• write-protecting disks
• avoiding software from unreliable sources
• backing up data regularly

Health and Safety

There are various health problems associated with the regular use of computers, and because of this employers must be aware of the regulations surrounding computer health and safety.

Employer regulations The law states that an employer must:
Provide tiltable screens

• Provide anti-glare screen filters
• Provide adjustable chairs
• Provide foot supports
• Make sure lighting is suitable
• Make sure workstations are not cramped
• Plan work at a computer so that there are frequent breaks
• Pay for appropriate eye and eyesight tests by an optician
• Note: These regulations apply only to offices - not to students or pupils in schools or colleges.
  

In order to provide the satisfactory equipment for their employees, employers use ergonomics to assist the equipment design process. It is the science concerned with designing safe and comfortable machines for humans. This includes furniture design and the design of parts of the computer like keyboards.

• General working environment
• Don't forget that rules for all electrical appliances apply in a computer room. This means:
• There should be no trailing wires
• No Food and drink should not be placed near a machine
• Electrical sockets must not be overloaded
• There must be adequate space around the machine
• Heating and ventilation must be suitable
• Lighting must be suitable with no glare or reflections
• Benches must be strong enough to support the computers

Possible dangers and solutions
Within Information Technology it is important that people have an awareness of the various health and safety issues. Steps should also be taken towards preventing common problems rather than trying to cure them at a later date.

• Back problems Many computer users suffer serious back problems. This is probably due to a poor posture or an awkward position while sitting at a computer.
  Solutions
• A fully adjustable chair should avoid poor posture
• Footrests can reduce these problems
• Screens should tilt and turn to a position that avoids awkward movements

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)

• Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is damage to the fingers, wrists and other parts of the body due to repeated movements over a long period of time. Solution
• To prevent RSI, make sure your posture is correct, use wrist rests and have a five-minute break from typing every hour.

Eyestrain

• Eyes can become strained after staring at a computer screen for a long time, particularly if working in bad light, in glare or with a flickering screen.
  Solutions
• Screen filters can remove a high percentage of the harmful rays emitted from a computer screen
• Use screens that do not flicker
• Take regular breaks - do not work for more than one hour without a break
• Lighting must be suitable and blinds fitted to windows to reduce glare
  

Ozone irritation

• Health experts have suggested that ozone emitted from laser printers can lead to breathing problems.
  Solution
• It is recommended that laser printers should be situated at least one metre away from where people are sitting and there should be good ventilation in the area.
  

Networks

A computer network is a number of computers linked together to allow them to share resources.
Networked computers can share:

• Hardware - such as a printer
• Software - they may be able to load up the same program
• Data - they can load up the same files
  

LANs and WANs

here are two types of network: LAN and WAN.

• A LAN is a Local Area Network covering a small area such as one building e.g. in a school or a college.
• A WAN is a Wide Area Network covering a large geographical area.
  

The Internet is a WAN.
A network of bank cash dispensers is a WAN.
A school network is a LAN. LANs are often connected to WANs, for example a school network could be connected to the Internet.

Telephone lines are often used to connect WANs. LANs use dedicated cables or wireless technology.

Advantages and disadvantages of networks

Advantages

• Sharing devices such as printers saves money.
• Site licences are likely to be cheaper than buying several stand-alone licences.
• Files can easily be shared between users.
• Network users can communicate by email.
• Security is good - users cannot see other users' files unlike on stand-alone machines.
• A file server is easy to back up as all the data is stored in one place.
  

Disadvantages

• Purchasing the network cabling and file servers can be expensive.
• Managing a large network is complicated, requires training and a network manager usually needs to be employed.
• If the file server breaks down the files on the file server become inaccessible. E-mail might still work if it is on a separate server. The computers can still be used as stand alones.
  Viruses can spread to other computers throughout a computer network.
• There is a danger of hacking, particularly with wide area networks. Security procedures are needed to prevent such abuse.
  

A Bus Network

This is the simplest way to connect workstations, servers and other components of a network by using a single cable. One or more of the workstations act as the File Server, whilst the other machines are used as workstations or terminals.

Advantages:

• Cheap
• Easy to install.
  

Disadvantages:

• If there is a problem with the cable, the entire network stops working.
• If many workstations are using the network at the same time, response can be very slow, thus frustrating users who want to work quickly. The technical term for data trying to travel simultaneously along the cable in different directions is called 'data collision'. A busy network will have many data collisions.

A Ring Network

The workstations are attached to a cable arranged in a ring.

Advantages:

• Very fast - all data traffic occurs in the samedirection so there should be no data collisions.
  

Disadvantages:

• If a single machine is switched off then the network does not work. If the cable breaks, once again, the network does not work.
  

A Star Network

Each workstation has its own direct line to the server. Connections to the server are made with hubs or switches.
Hubs connect many lines together.
Switches allow the network manager to connect certain workstations to specific servers.

Advantages:

• Reliable - if one connection fails, it does not affect others.
• Good performance, fewer data collisions as each workstation has its own line.
• Good Security - no workstation can interact with another without going through the server first.
  

Disadvantages

• Expensive to install - lots of cables required.
• Installation is an expert job.
• Extra hardware required such as hubs, switches and wiring centres.
  

Star networks are normally preferred because of their reliability.

Data Protection Act

Data Protection act

Data Controllers must ensure that their organisation follows the eight principles of the Data Protection Act when dealing with personal data.

1-Personal data should be obtained and processed fairly and lawfully.
This means that you should be told that data is being collected about you, and you should know what the data will be used for. e.g

• racial or ethnic origin
• membership of a trade union
• criminal convictions or offences
• religious beliefs

2 - Personal data can be held only for specified and lawful purposes.
The Data Controller has to state why they want to collect and store information when they apply for permission to be able to do so. If they use the data they have collected for other purposes, they are breaking the law.

3 - Personal data should be adequate, relevant and not excessive for the required purpose.
Organisations should only collect the data that they need and no more. Your school needs to know your parent's phone number in case they need to contact them in an emergency. However, they do not need to know what your grandmother's name is, nor do they need to know your eye co lour. They should not ask, nor should they store such details since this would be excessive and would not be required to help with your education.

4 - The personal data should be accurate and kept up-to-date.
Companies should do their best to make sure that they do not record the wrong facts about a data subject. Your school probably asks your parents to check a form once a year to make sure that the phone number and address on the school system is still correct.
If a person asks for the information to be changed, the company should comply if it can be proved that the information is indeed incorrect.

5 - The personal data should not be kept for longer than is necessary for the purpose for which it is collected.
Organisations should only keep personal data for a reasonable length of time. Hospitals might need to keep patient records for 25 years or more, that is acceptable since they may need that information to treat an illness later on. However, there is no need for a personnel department to keep the application forms of unsuccessful job applicants.

6 - Data must be processed in accordance with the rights of the data subjects.
People have the right to inspect the information held on them (except in certain circumstance - see later). If the data being held on them is incorrect, they have the right to have it changed.

7 - Appropriate security measures must be taken against unauthorised access.
This means information has to be kept safe from hackers and employees who don't have rights to see it. Data must also be safeguarded against accidental loss.

8 - Personal data cannot be transferred to countries outside the European Union unless the country provides an adequate level of protection.
This means that if a company wishes to share data with an organisation in a different country, that country must have similar laws to our Data Protection Act in place.

Your Rights
1 - see data held on themselves. They must apply in writing and pay a small fee (often around £10). The company must respond to the request within forty days.

2 - have any any errors corrected

3 - claim compensation for any distress caused if the Act has been broken

4 - prevent processing likely to cause damage or distress

5 - prevent processing for direct marketing by writing to the data controller to inform them that advertising material is not to be sent

6 - prevent processing for automated decision taking by writing to the data controller to inform them that no decisions should be taken based on automatic processing. Some banks determine whether or not a customer should be given a mortgage on the basis of a computer program. The data subject has the right to prevent that happening.

Not your rights

Not everyone is automatically entitled to see the data which is held on them. There are certain circumstances under which data controllers are exempt from providing information to data subjects.
These are:

1 - National Security
If required for the purpose of safeguarding national security, data controllers do not have to disclose the data held to data subjects.

2 - Crime
Data which is being held in order to prevent or detect a crime does not have to be disclosed.

3 - Taxation

any data collected for taxation purposes is exempt

4 - Heath, Education and Social Work
Personal data about the physical or mental health of the data subject. You have no automatic right to view your medical records. If a doctor believes that viewing them would harm your mental well being, they can be withheld from you. Personal data relating to the present or past pupils of a school. Examination scripts and examination marks held by examination authorities

5 - Personal data being processed by government departments or local authorities which is being used in the course of any investigation or monitoring.

6 - Personal data that could form part of a confidential reference (application for employment or a college course etc) is also exempt from access. This means that you have no legal right to ask to see a confidential or personal reference about yourself.