IT Data Processing and information

Direct Data source Indirect data Source

The data will be relevant Additional data that is not
because what is needed required will exist that
has been collected. may take time to sort
trough an some data that
is required may not exist.
The original source is The original source may
known and so can be mot be known and so it
trusted. cant be assumed that it is
reliable.
It can take a long time to The data is immediately
gather original data rather available
than use data that already
exists.
A large sample of statical If statistical analysis is
data can be difficult to required than there are
collect for one off more likely to be large
purposes. samples available

Symmetric encryption
Symmetric encryption is the oldest method of
encryption. It requires both the sender and recipient to
possess a secret encryption and a decryption key
known as a private key. With this encryption you need
to send the private key over the internet and this can
be a threat as you can be intercepted while
transmitting the key from one place to another.

Asymmetric encryption

Asymmetric encryption is also known as public key

cryptography. This is much more effective than
symmetric key as it is public so no keys get intercepted.
The private key is known only to the recipient. This
type of encryption is used in SSL (Secure Socket Layer).
 Application of encryption
Encryption is a method used to secure data stored
on a disk, including backup tapes and USB flash
memory. It encrypts every bit of data, requiring an
encryption key for access. This method is crucial for
portable storage media, as they are susceptible to
theft. Accessing data requires a password or
fingerprint.
HTTPS
HTTPS is the encryption standard used for secure
web pages, replacing HTTP. It uses Secure Socket
Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) to
encrypt and decrypt pages and information sent and
received by web users. SSL was first used in 1996
and replaced by TLS in 1999. TLS is used by banks
when a user logs onto online banking. A secure web
page can be identified by its address starting with
https:// and some browsers display a small padlock.
Email Encryption
Email encryption uses asymmetric encryption,
requiring recipients to have a private key matching
the public key used to encrypt the original email.
This process requires a digitally-signed message
between the sender and recipient. Encryption
protects data by scrambling it, but it doesn't prevent
interceptions, theft, or loss. Strong 256-bit AES
encryption makes decryption virtually impossible.
Wi-Fi access points and routers use encryption for
two purposes: to restrict access to networks and to
prevent snooping on the network. However, public
Wi-Fi hotspots that are open and not encrypted can
still be accessed by unauthorized users.
Checking the accuracy of data
Validation is a process where data is input into a
computer system to ensure it conforms to defined
rules. For example, a railway season ticket is valid
until its expiry date, and if it doesn't, it's rejected,
presenting an error message.
Presence Check
A presence check is used to ensure that the data is
entered. If data is entered then it is accepted. If data
is not entered, then the user will be presented with
an error message asking them to enter data.
Range Check
A range check ensures data is within a defined
range, while a limit check has a single boundary.
Both checks have two boundaries: the lower and
upper boundaries. The symbols used for comparison
are > greater than, < less than, > = greater than or
equal to, and <= less than or equal to.

Type Check
A type check ensures data is of a defined data type,
such as integer, text, numerical, or date. Valid data
is valid, but not necessarily correct. For example, a
date of birth of 28/12/2087 is valid but incorrect.
Length Check
A length check ensures data is within a defined
length range, such as a password being at least six
characters long, a grade being exactly one character
long, or a product code being at least four
characters long. However, data of the allowed
length is not always correct, as it may not follow the
required format.
Format Check
A format check ensures data matches a defined
format. It is sometimes known as a picture check
and the data has to follow a pattern.

Verification
Visual Checking
Visual verification involves checking if the entered
data matches the original source by comparing it to
the displayed data. If the data matches, the process
passes, otherwise, it needs to be re-entered.
However, visual checking doesn't guarantee the data
entered is correct, as incorrect data can still pass the
verification process. For instance, if the intended
data is ABCD, it might be entered but not verified.
Parity Check
A parity check is a method used to identify errors in
data transmission, checking each byte individually. It
uses one bit in each byte as the parity bit, while the
remaining 7 bits represent the data. There are two
types of parity checks: even parity and odd parity.
Even parity ensures an even total number of on bits
in a byte, while odd parity sets the parity bit to on to
maintain even total on bits.

Checksum
Checksums are calculations on a file's contents used to
verify transmission or copying accuracy. They are
crucial in preventing hackers from misrepresenting
malicious files as genuine ones. The checksum is
typically represented as hexadecimal digits, with 2
hexadecimal digits representing a single byte. Popular
algorithms for generating checksums include SHA-256,
SHA-1, and MD5. However, MD5 and SHA-1 have been
known to generate collisions, where the same
checksum is generated for different files, potentially
allowing hackers to disguise malicious files. Despite
this, SH-1 and MD-5 are suitable for checking for
transmission errors. SHA-256 is currently the safest
checksum method.
 Data Processing
Data processing is any activity that manipulates or
carries out operations on data.

Data Processing includes action such as:

● Collection and Storage
● Editing and updating
● Sorting and searching
● Output and dissemination
Batch Processing
Batch processing involves collecting individual
operations or transactions into a batch, which
are then automatically executed and updated
later. This is used in automated backups,
employee wage processing, customer orders,
and stock control. Data is stored first, either for
long periods or momentarily, using master files
and transaction files. Master files store data
about a person, place, or object, while
transaction files store data about events like
orders, electricity usage, and travel expenses.
Advantages Disadvantages
It is a single automated There is a delay as data
process requiring little is not processed until a
human participation specific time period.
which can reduce costs.
It can be scheduled to Only data of the same
occur when there is little type can be processed
demand for computer since an identical
resources for example at automated process is
night. being applied to all data
As it is an automated Errors cannot be
process there will be corrected until the batch
none transcription and process is complete.
update errors that
human operators would
produce.
There are fewer
repetitive tasks for
human operators.

Online processing
Online processing is defined differently by different
people. Specifically, interactive processing is the
subject of this course.
What you are most likely familiar with is interactive
processing. When a computer and user
communicate, it's said to be interactive. The
computer responds to data input by the user by
producing an output. Before data is saved to non-
volatile memory (such a disk) by the user, it is stored
in RAM while processing is happening. To enable the
user to see (or hear) the processing's outcomes, the
computer will process the data as soon as it can.
Response times will be in the thousandths for
routine operations like word processing,
spreadsheet analysis, web surfing, and email
checking.

Electronic funds transfer

The electronic transmission of money to or
from a bank account is known as an electronic
funds transfer, or EFT. Among the many EFT
payment options are:

Direct payments allow money to be

transferred directly between bank accounts.
This may occur instantly, throughout a certain
period of time, or over night. A batch
operation that handles several direct
payments at once is often involved if it occurs
within the allotted period.

Using automated teller machines (ATMs), one

may take out money from their bank account.
The ATM will search a database for the
customer's bank account, and if sufficient
funds are found, it will authorize a withdrawal
and deduct the amount taken out of the
account balance.
Debit cards can be used to give an instruction
to your bank to take funds to pay for goods or
a service. A debit card is limited to the bank
account and when used to make a payment
the transaction is sent to the bank. Countless
payment can be done using this card although
this is only for a limited number of purchases
and when the pin us confirmed the account
number and amount request is sent to the
bank.
Direct debits
Direct debits are used where regular
payments need to be made. The owner of a
bank account can authorize an organization to
take payments automatically.
Online stores
Online stores allows a customer to purchase a
product from anywhere in the world and have
to delivered to their home address. Online
stores use an interactive system to allow the
customer to add their products to a virtual
cart and they can pay off using EFT. The
online stores will send a confirmation email to
the customer and updates as to where their
package is and how long it will take to reach
their home address.
Automatic Stock control
A stock control system's main goal is to guarantee
that a store never has too many items or too little
stock to offer. A stock control system may also be
implemented to guarantee that the necessary
parts are always available for a production
process. A database that contains information
about every item that the store stocks will be the
primary component of a stock control system.
Furthermore, information on the suppliers will
also be kept on file.
Each time a product is purchased at the till its
barcode will be scanned. The barcode number will
be found in the database and the quantity
recorded as being in stock will be reduced by one.
When the quantity in stock reaches reorder level
for that product an automatic order will be placed
for the reorder amount of that product.
Electronic data exchange
A defined format called electronic data
interchange, or EDI, is used for sending data
between businesses. For instance, your school will
use software made to make the transfer of data
easier when submitting coursework scores and
predicted grades to an awarding body online.
Application programme interfaces (APIs) are used
to give various software programmes a common
interface for importing and exporting data. Using
an API, accounting software frequently uses
automated data transmission to the government
for taxation purposes.

Business to business buying and selling

A uniform interface for submitting and receiving
orders helps streamline the process when a
company purchases goods in bulk from a supplier.
While most big wholesalers will offer an API for
customers to attach their own software to, others
may require that clients use their own software.
With business-to-business (B2B) electronic data
interchange the buyer can create a purchase
order instead of printing it, the software will
transmit the order using EDI directly to the
supplier’s ordering system. The supplier’s system
will be able to give immediate confirmation of
receipt and updates relating to the order, such as
when the products have been dispatched.
Similarly the supplier can create an electronic
invoice which will be transmitted by their
software to the buyer’s software and matched
with the original purchase order. Payment can
then be made using electronic funds transfer once
the buyer confirms the goods have been received.

Real-time processing
A real-time processing system processes data as
soon as it has been input. Such system are
normally used when the immediacy of the data is
vital.
Central heating system