-​ Data is factual information that can be used for analysis, decision making, calculations,

etc
-​ It’s an integral part of modern day society because it’s your own asset, containing all
kinds of information about your likes/dislikes, location, etc.. and can be tracked down by
companies/hackers even when you think its private/secure

Intellectual Property; a concept used in business/commerce that refers inventions/creations to

the mind/source
- Examples:
​ - Copyright: Protects the original work of the owner from others as soon as it is
expressed in anyway on the internet/in public
​ - Trademarks: Uses symbols/pictures to separate themselves from others
​ - Patents: Allows you to own an idea/thought excluding anyone else from taking it

Data Driven Decisions/ Data Capture and Collection; You are always being watched on the
internet, your google searches, what you publicly display on social media (liking something on
TikTok, Instagram, etc).
-​ This information or data is being collected by advertisers and companies to create better
browsing experiences and potentially customers
​ ​ -Example: If you ‘like’ something from Instagram about Japan, then England,
then Europe; this data will be collected by Instagram and sold to other companies and update
your browsing and advertisements to now maybe show the cost of plane tickets or hotels.

Because the data capture read this browsing habit as the consumer enjoys traveling, they will
try to show you things that you are more likely to buy, hence improving the browsing experience.

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Notational Systems

Binary: The language of computers, a system of 1’s and 0’s (1=on, 0=off). This is how
computers send information to one and another.
110100

Hexadecimal: An easier way to represent binary values in systems because it shortens the
number of digits (1 hexadecimal digit = 4 binary digits). Example: MAC address is an example of
hexadecimal address which is a physical address.
00:25:96:FF:FE:12:34:56

Decimal: Another format of a numbering system, decimal notation is written according to their
place values. Example: An IP Address is a decimal format.
192 . 1 . 0 . 2
Data Types:

Characters: Stores data in a fixed-length field. The data can be letters, numbers and other
characters that are supported by the database you are using.

Strings: A sequence of characters and/or numbers.

Integers: Represents a range of mathematical integers, represented by a group of binary digits

called bits.

Floats: Used to represent high precision fractional values.

Boolean: Used to store either ‘True’ or ‘False’ values.

Storage Units:

Byte = 8 bits (B)

Kilobyte = 1024 bytes (B)
Megabytes = 1024 kilobytes (KB)
Gigabytes = 1024 megabytes (MB)
Terabytes = 1024 gigabytes (GB)
Petabytes = 1024 terabytes (TB)

The more resolution, graphics, etc… the more storage required.

Throughput; the rate at which something is processed. Another way of saying this is,
measuring how fast data travels.
Kbps = Kilobits per second
Mbps= Megabits per second
Gbps= Gigabits per second
Tbps= Terabits per second

Processing Speed:
MHz = Megahertz
GHz = Gigahertz

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Input vs Output

Input:
-​ Keyboard
-​ Pointing devices (Mouse)
-​ Microphone (put audio into microphone)
-​ Scanners (scanner glass)

Output:
-​ Printers
-​ Display devices
-​ Speakers

Input AND Output:

-​ Flash drive
-​ External hard drive
-​ CD/DVD/Blu-ray
-​ Networked Attached Storage
-​ Memory Card
-​ Mobile Media Players
-​ Smart Phone
-​ Fax

Input and Output Interfaces:

Wired:
Telephone/Dial-up (RJ-11)
Ethernet (RJ-45)
Fiber Optic

Wireless:
Bluetooth
Near Field Communication (NFC); proximity technology (apple-pay, google-pay)
WIFI
Satellite

Peripherals Connection Types:

(Peripheral means connected to the computer but not part of the computer)

Firewire - Also known as 1394

USB - Replaced firewire for the most part
Thunderbolt - Introduced as a faster version of USB
Bluetooth - Wireless
Radio Frequency (RF) - Needs line of sight (example; TV remote)

Install Types:
-​ CD/Driver Install
-​ Plug and Play (Drivers are on the device; driver is pretty much software that tells the
devices how to work together and install it)
-​ IP Based (your address on the network)
-​ Web based configuration (need to go on a website to set things up)

Computing Devices:

Internet of Things; IOT is the concept of connecting any device to the Internet and to other
connected devices (as long as it has an on/off switch)
-​ Examples;
- Home Appliances
- Home Automation Devices
- Thermostats
- Security Systems
- Modern Cars
- IP Cameras
- Streaming Media Devices
- Medical Devices

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Networking Concepts

IP Addresses; Your logical address on the network (cannot touch it, but sends all information
towards that address). Every device has an IP address.

MAC Address; Physical address of the device that comes from the manufacturer. Every device
has a MAC address.

Network Devices:
Router - Uses IP addresses to forward information (network to network)
Switch - Connects device within a network, uses MAC address to forward information (used
inside of a network)
Access Point - Extends the range of a wireless network
Firewall - Permits or denies network traffic

Network Communication:

LAN:
Local Area Network (Your network)
WAN:
Wide Area Network (Internet; the internet is a huge connection of LANs)

DNS:
Domain Name Server translates website names into IP addresses.

Operating System
Every device has an operating system. It’s a powerful and large program that controls/manages
the hardware and software on a computer. Two different variances in the operating system:

Graphical User Interface (GUI):

Graphics, pictures that we can see (what we are using right now)

Command Line/Prompt:
Words and letters you can use to create certain commands on the computer (Example; Start
button and type ‘cmd’ into the search bar opens the command line or a black screen on
windows).

File Systems
Every operating system has a file system. It organizes all the files and folders inside the system.
Without the file system, the OS will fail to function properly.

Default File Systems:

MAC OS
Hierarchical File System (HFS+)

Linux OS
Fourth Extended File System (ext4)

Microsoft OS
New Technology File System (NTFS)
File Allocation Table (FAT 32)

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Software

Productivity:

Word Processing Software:

The act of using a computer to create, edit, save and print documents (Example; Microsoft
Word, Google Doc)
Spreadsheet Software:
Creates spreadsheets with data inputs (Example; Microsoft Excel)

Presentation Software:
Creation of visual presentations (Example; Microsoft PowerPoint)

Web Browser:
Allows users to surf the web (Example; Chrome, Safari, Microsoft Edge).

Caching:
When you visit a website your browser takes pieces of the page and stores them on your
computer’s hard drive.

Extensions:
Small programs that add new features to your browser and personalize your browsing
experience.

Private Browsing:
Does not save your browsing information, such as history and cookies and leaves no trace after
you end the session.

Cookies; used to see what your habits, likes/dislikes and help improve browsing experience.

Proxy Server:
A mediator between the user and the website that acts as a web filter because requests go
through the proxy server first. (Priority list; you go on a website → proxy server checks the
website → proxy server connects you to the website)

Popup Blocker:
Turned on by default in order to block all pop-ups while browsing the web.

Collaboration:

Email Client:
Allows ability to send and receive emails (Example; Gmail, Outlook)

Conference Software:
Virtual conferences (Examples; Zoom, Google Hangout)

Instant Messaging:
Send messages instantly to others (Facebook messenger, Skype)

Document Sharing:
Allows users to share documents (Example; Google Docs, Microsoft Dropbox)

Applications:

Open Source:
Made freely available for possible modification and redistribution (Example; Linux Products).

Proprietary:
Doesn’t provide end users or subscribers with access to its source code (Example; Apple or
Window Products).

Install best practices:

-​ Read Instructions
-​ Reading Agreements
-​ Basic Config vs Advanced

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Software Development

No matter if you’re watching Netflix, YouTube, playing a video game, it all runs on code.

-​ Coding languages are what is used to create various software’s and applications

-​ Code is simply instructions the software must follow. It’s a roadmap of how it needs to
react to the user’s inputs and actions

Language Categories:

Interpreted:
Execute instructions directly and freely, without previously compiling programs into instructions
(Example; Python is the coding language that built YouTube).

Compiled:
Converted directly into machine code that the processor/CPU can execute (Example; C++
language created Windows Media Player).

Query:
Computer language used to make questions in databases and information systems (Example;
FQL is used within Facebook).

Database Fundamentals:
A database is simply any collection of data or information that’s specially organized for rapid
search and retrieved by a computer (Examples; POS, Booking systems, etc).
Databases Purposes:
-​ Creating a database
-​ Import/Input
-​ Query
-​ Report

Flat File vs Relational:

Flat File Database:

This type of database is a stand alone which means none of the data has any relation or linkage
to any other files in the database (more dynamic than a relational DB).

Relational Database:
This type of database uses a collection of tables that are linked to a common thread of data.
Relational DB is much more robust than a flat file. Advantages include scalability (can be a
bigger DB than a flat file), speed (faster to navigate) and variety of data.

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Security

CIA TRIAD
Information Security:

Confidentiality:
Ensures data, info, services, etc... remains hidden from unauthorized users.

Integrity:
Ensures data, info, services, etc… is not changed.

Availability:
Ensures data, info, services, etc… is always available.

Confidentiality Concerns:
Snooping:
Trying to find out something, especially information about someone’s private matters (where
they work, when they come home, etc).

Social Engineering:
Prying information from unsuspecting victims.

Dumpster Diving:
Going through garbage looking for useful information (remember to shred papers that aren’t
useful to you anymore and etc).
Integrity Concerns:
Man in the Middle:
An attacker uses software or a device to intercept information.

Replay Attack:
Information is captured and reused later.

Impersonation:
When an attacker poses as someone they are not.

Availability Concerns:
Denial of Service:
When a service is rendered unavailable due to overload (unintentional) or malicious reasons
(intentional).

Power Outage:
Power loss due to electrical surge/blackout or weather. Uninterruptible Power Server/System
(UPS) negates this factor if available in companies because it’s pretty much a backup supply for
power.

Hardware Failure:
Hardware breaking down due to age, power surges, incorrect configuration or malware.

Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (Triple A):

Authentication:
Used to ensure you are who you say you are. Can be authenticated by using a single factor or
multiple factors.
​ Example of factors:
-​ Password
-​ Pin
-​ Biometrics (something that proves you are, i.e, fingerprint scan)
-​ Hardware Token (ID Badge, Access Badge, etc)
Multifactor will use two or more of the factors above (uses something the user ‘is’, ‘has’,
‘knows’). Examples, Knows = Password, Is = Fingerprint, Has = ID Badge.

Authorization:
Gaining access to a system, device, service or data once authenticated.
Permissions:
Always follow the least privilege model:
-​ Role based Access
-​ Mandatory Access Control
 -​ Discretionary Access Control

Why give the least/minimal privilege model?

For example, let's say you are the boss of a company and one of your workers only needs read
access to read something, just give them read access, NOTHING MORE. There is no point in
giving a janitor for example, all possible ownership/access. Different people have different
responsibilities; if everyone is granted full access, mistakes can happen or there could be
malicious intent with this gained ownership, (Example; file gets deleted by one of the workers,
could be intentional or unintentional, doesn’t matter, just adds unnecessary problems). Better to
give less rather than more privileges.

Accounting:
Accounting monitors and tracks what you do after you’ve been authorized access.
​ Example:
-​ Logs
-​ Tracking

Encryption:
Encryption is the conversion of something (such as data) into a code or cipher. By encrypting
data, you make it unreadable to individuals who shouldn’t have access to that data.

Data in Transit vs At Rest:

Like both names suggest, Data in transit is data that is actively in motion (emails), while data at
rest refers to data that is not actively in motion (things saved on a hard drive). Both Data in
Transit and Data at Rest can be encapsulated or encrypted.

When data is not encrypted it’s referred to as plaintext, when encrypted it’s referred to as
ciphertext.

Device Security Best Practices:

-​ Anti-virus: Up to date with weekly scans
-​ Firewall: Keep on at all times (by default stops suspicious data/potential viruses)
-​ Password: Change default passwords
-​ Updates: Ensure software is patched and updated

Software Best Practices:

-​ Validate software is legitimate
-​ Remove unwanted and unnecessary software (good to do an audit every now and then)
-​ Remove malicious software quickly

Password Best Practices:

-​ Password should be 8 to 12 characters
 -​ Password should include uppercase, lowercase, numbers and special characters (try to
avoid words included in the dictionary, i.e, dog123, easier for a hacker to crack)
-​ Passwords shouldn’t be repeated nor used across multiple sites (even if you have a
strong password it doesn't matter if you have the same password for everything, i.e,
bank account, work account, etc)

Continuity Concepts:
Continuity just means the continuation of a process. Important for businesses to determine if
something were to go wrong or unexpected, how they’d want to progress.

Fault Tolerance:
All businesses want to ensure that they can recover from errors or faults. The more fault
tolerant a business is, the faster they can recover from failures. Most times fault tolerance is
strengthened through the use of redundancy (doing something over and over again) or backups
(if something were to go wrong, you’d have a backup instead of having to rewrite everything).

Types of Backups:

Full Backup:
Backing up all data (most time consuming). Best to do when you are not on the computer
because of how time consuming it is (overnight, tell everyone in advance there will be a network
outage).

Differential Backup:
A type of backup that copies all the data that has changed since the last full backup.

Incremental:
Captures only the changes made since the last incremental backup.

Disaster Recovery:
Having various recovery sites (can be cloud-based or physical) is optimal for recovery, mostly
depending on companies size, budget, etc.

Cold Site:
An offsite building that acts as a staging area (if the main building caught on fire, transfer to
this building even if it has nothing, just to start from scratch again).

Warm Site:
A site that has some of the same capabilities of the main site.

Hot Site:
An exact replica of the main site (most time consuming).

In each site there is an order to restore (1. UPS, 2. Main Power, 3. Servers).