DATA COMMUNICATION AND NETWORK

Data communication is the process of transferring information from one place to another using
transmission channel.
Transmission channel- are the media used to transfer data.
Network- is a group of computers linked together to share resources.
TYPES OF NETWORK
 Local Area Network (LAN): is a network of computers within the same area, although they do
not have to be in the same building. They are connected through cables.
 Metropolitan Area Network (MAN): spans several buildings. MANs are used by all small
companies, universities and stores that occupy large areas of land.
 Wide Area Network (WAN): consists of several LANs and can connect computers across cities,
towns and even countries.
 Mobile Network: A mobile phone network or cellular phone network as it is also known, is
made up of a large number of signal areas called cells. These cells join or overlap each other to
form a large coverage area. Users on the network can cross into different cells without losing
connection. Within each cell you will find a base station or mobile phone tower, which sends
and receives the mobile transmissions. Different wireless service providers use different mobile
network technology.
 Types of mobile network include:
 Global System for Mobile, or GSM, is the most-employed mobile standard in
the world.
 Code Division Multiple Access, or CDMA, is a newer technology and offers
higher data.
 Long Term Evolution, or LTE, is the next generation of cellular technology
known as 4g. GTT is now using 4G LTE as opposed to previous GSM
technology.
 WiMAX is the other competing 4g technology. It is the first 4g network to enter
operation.
Radio common carrier means any corporation, company, association, joint stock association,
partnership and person, their lessees, trustees or receivers and any town making available facilities to
provide radio communications service, radio paging or cellular communications service for hire.
GENERATIONS OF MOBILE NETWORK
 1G: It supported analog voice bandwidths and did not support GPRS data.
 2G: first introduced in 1992, is the second-generation of cellular telephone technology and the
first to use digital encryption of conversations. 2G networks were the first to offer data services
and SMS text messaging, but their data transfer rates are lower than those of their successors.
 3G: networks succeed 2G ones, offering faster data transfer rates and are the first to enable
video calls. This makes them especially suitable for use in modern smartphones, which require
constant high-speed internet connection for many of their applications.
 4G and LTE: provides ultra-broadband internet access for mobile devices. The high data
transfer rates make 4G networks suitable for use in USB wireless modems for laptops and even
home internet access.
WIRELESS NETWORK TECHNOLOGIES
 Bluetooth: technology allows devices to connect to each other automatically. Bluetooth enabled
devices can transmit radio signals within a range of addresses. Bluetooth can be used to transmit
data if the devices are in the same room or even the same building.
 Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi): is protocol for radio signals between wireless devices. Wi-Fi is often
used to set up LANs because:
 It can transmit data quickly.
 No cables are needed to add a service to the network.
 The range is high.
  Services do not need direct line of sight with each other
 Hotspots: is a physical location where people may obtain Internet access, typically using Wi-Fi
technology, via a wireless local area network (WLAN) using a router connected to an internet
service provider.
TYPES OF TRANSMISSION MEDIA
 Cabled/wired
 Twisted pair: is a cheap cabling use to connect computers and peripherals. It is made
from a pair of insulated copper wires twisted around each other. Twisted pair cabling
does not allow very fast transmission, so it is not suitable for sending large amounts of
data. It is used in small LANs for offices and homes.
 Coaxial: is more expensive than twisted pair. It is a copper wire covered in a very thick
layer of insulation. It provides faster transmission speeds than twisted pairs, so it is
suitable for medium sized LANs. It can also be used to transmit sound, voice, and video
across a network.
 Fiber-optic cable: is the most robust and efficient cable. It is best for large WANs and
MANs. The data is transmitted as light pulses along clear glass fibers instead of as
electrical signals along copper wires. Fiber-optic cables can be used over long distances
and can carry data at high speeds. Tele-communication companies use fiber-optic cables
to transmit data
 Wireless media
 Satellite: can be defined as any object, either manmade or naturally occurring, that orbits
around something else. The main purpose of the satellite is to relay microwave signals
back to earth. There are several artificial communication devices that are orbiting in
space. The primary purpose of these devices is to communicate with other devices on
earth.
 Microwave Signal: is a way of transmitting information. These are high-frequency radio
signals that travel through the atmosphere. They are used for high-volume, long
distance, point-to-point communication. Microwave signals, however, can only travel in
straight lines. They have a frequency higher than 1 GHz (billions of cycles per second).
 Infrared: also referred to as an electromagnetic radiation spectrum, which has a
wavelength longer than those of visible light, but shorter than those of radio waves.
Infrared communications span very short distances. This network signals cannot
penetrate walls or other obstructions and work only in the direct “line of sight”.
 Wireless network technology
 Bluetooth: is a short range technology that lets you connect computers, mobile phones
and hand-held devices to each other and to the Internet. Bluetooth technology removes
the need for the cables that connect devices together. Bluetooth-enabled devices connect
wirelessly within a short 10m or 30 ft range.
 Wi-Fi: acronym for Wireless Fidelity. It is a popular wireless networking equipment that
uses radio waves to provide wireless high-speed Internet and network connections. Wi-
Fi is primarily used to setup a LAN and can be considered as WLAN (Wi-Fi Local Area
Network).
 Hotspot: is a site or location that offers Internet access over a WLAN through the
use of a router connected to an Internet service provider, Hotspots typically use
Wi-Fi technology.
COMPONENTS OF A NETWORK
 Switch: Switch is a telecommunication device grouped as one of computer network
components. Switch is like a Hub but built in with advanced features. It uses physical device
addresses in each incoming messages so that it can deliver the message to the right destination
or port. Unlike a hub, switch doesn't broadcast the received message to entire network, rather
before sending it checks to which system or port should the message be sent. In other words,
switch connects the source and destination directly which increases the speed of the network.
Both switch and hub have common features: Multiple RJ-45 ports, power supply and
connection lights
 Router: When we talk about computer network components, the other device that used to
connect a LAN with an internet connection is called Router. When you have two distinct
networks (LANs) or want to share a single internet connection to multiple computers, we use a
Router. In most cases, recent routers also include a switch which in other words can be used as
a switch. You don’t need to buy both switch and router, particularly if you are installing small
business and home networks. There are two types of Router: wired and wireless. The choice
depends on your physical office/home setting, speed and cost.
 Modem (modulator-demodulator): is a network device that both modulates and demodulates
analog carrier signals (called sine waves) for encoding and decoding digital information for
processing. Modems accomplish both of these tasks simultaneously and for this reason, the term
modem is a combination of modulate and demodulate.
 Network interface card/ network adapter: Each computer in a network has a special expansion
card called a network interface card (NIC). The NIC prepares (formats) and sends data, receives
data, and controls data flow between the computer and the network. On the transmit side, the
NIC passes frames of data on to the physical layer, which transmits the data to the physical link.
On the receiver's side, the NIC processes bits received from the physical layer and processes the
message based on its contents.
Education: Computers are used to aid student learning through
 Computer Aided Instruction (CAI)
 Computer Assisted Learning (CAL). CAI takes the form of drills, tutorials, and
simulations.
 Reference information (online encyclopedias)
 Distance learning.
Journalism: Journalist use computers in many ways. Some of which are:
 Word processing software is used for writing articles.
 Photos, texts and graphics are integrated using desktop publishing and graphics programs.
 Edit and publish items for newspaper websites, etc.
 Carry out research through the internet.
Commerce: is the activity of buying and selling. The use of computers is needed because:
 The product/services can be advertised on the internet hence making consumers know that
product/service is available.
 The company can set up an online sector where they sell their goods/services through the
internet (E-commerce).
 A computer makes it easier to keep records of the business transactions, profits, losses, etc.
 It also helps to gain easier access to the records.

Services provided by the internet

E-mail: is one of the easiest, quickest and cheapest way to communicate with other people. To use e-
mail, you need internet access, a mail server, an e-mail account with an e-mail address and an e-mail
application. Example: [email protected]
Newsgroups: a newsgroup is basically a website that allows people to share their thoughts and
opinions on a particular topic topic/subject. It is also used to update people on a specific topic.
VOIP: Voice over internet protocol allows you to talk to other people over the internet instead of a
phone line. The information is transmitted as a data package. To use voice over IP, you need a VOIP
application on your computer. For example: Skype.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP): is a set of rules and processes that control how files are transmitted
(uploaded and downloaded) over the internet or a remote computer. The computer you used to connect
to the internet or any other network will have its own address so it can send and receive data. This is
called an Internet Protocol (IP) address also known as a domain name.
Telnet: a network protocol that allows a user on one computer to log into another computer that is part
of the same network.
World Wide Web (www): the World Wide Web is often called the web, is part of the internet. It is a
collection of text, documents and many other types of information.
Web pages: are made up of documents which may be text, graphics, music or videos. They contain
hyperlinks to make them easier to navigate. Hyperlinks may be words, sentences or areas of the page.
A website is a collection of webpages, often on a particular topic or subject.
Uniform Resource Locator (URL): to access a website you need its address. This address is called
the uniform resource locator (URL). Each URL starts with http. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
controls how web pages are transmitted. Example, the URL for Molly Bookstore could be
http://www.mollybookstore.com.
Internet Relay Chat (IRC): allows users to go online at the same time and exchange text or audio
messages in real time. Different ISPs have different names for this service, example MSN Messenger
Service.
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP): the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) is an application level
protocol for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems.
Web Browser: a software application software that allows a user to locate, access and display web
pages.
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML): is the most basic building block of the web. It defines the
meaning and structure of web content.
Upload: to upload information means to send information from your computer to another computer in
the network.
Download: to download information means to receive information from another computer on the
network.
Webserver: A web server is a computer program that dispenses web pages when requested. The
machine on which the program runs is usually called a server and the two references are
interchangeable in everyday conversation.
Social and economic impact of ICT
Cyber Security
Computer Security: is a general term for all the things that can be done to keep data safe and accurate.
Computer Misuse: is using the computer and the internet for harmful purposes.
How information can be misused?
 Electronic Eavesdropping: this is the use of electronic devise to monitor electronic communication
between two or more groups without the permission of any of the communicating parties. This
includes computer data communications, voice, fax, land, and cellular telephone and e-mail. Some
computers can be modified to intercept information being transferred in any electronic form along a
communication channel such as telephone lines, radio waves and so on.
 Industrial Espionage: is where some organizations try to gain an advantage over their competitors
by illicitly gaining access to information about their marketing strategy, latest research, expansion
plans and so on. In the past they would have done this through break-ins, illegal photographing of
documents, and insiders passing out information. Now it can be achieved by hacking into
organizational databases and viewing the information they contain. This can be done more easily if
the hacker have accomplices working within the organization.
 Software and Musical Piracy: Piracy is any act of taking or using someone else’s work without
their knowledge and permission. Piracy is illegal. Software piracy is the copying or use of computer
in violation to its license. Examples of piracy are: 1. Transferring a song or
movie from a friend’s computer.
2. Burning a copy of a music CD or DVD and giving/selling it to someone (copyright).
3. Recording a movie or television program then distributing it over the internet for free or for
money.
4. Copying software code without giving proper credit.
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 Phishing Attack: is when one’s data which includes login credentials and credit card numbers are
stolen. This happens when an attacker masquerades as a trusted entity, this tricks a victim into
opening an email, instant message, or text message. The recipient is then tricked into clicking a
malicious link, which can lead to the installation of malware, the freezing of the system as part of a
ransom ware attack or the revealing of sensitive information.
 Financial Abuse: this is where someone tries to take control of what belongs to you for their own
benefits. Examples of financial abuse are: misuse of credit cards, forge signatures, etc.
 Violation of Privacy: is where an individual or an organization knowingly intrudes a person or
another organization. An example of violation of privacy is deception, this is where a
person/organization lie about how information will be used.
 Online Publication of Obscene Material: Obscene materials are designed to incite to indecency or
tending to moral looseness. An example of online publication of obscene material is pornography.
 Cyberbullying: is also known as cyber harassment. It is a form of bullying using electronic means.
Examples of cyberbullying are hacking into someone’s profile, spreading rumors about someone,
pretending to be someone else to spread hurtful messages online, etc.
 Copyright Infringement: is the use of works protected by copyright law without permission for
usage. Examples of copyright infringement are downloading movies and music without proper
payment for use, recording movies in a theater, using others' photographs for a blog without
permission, creating videos with unlicensed music clips, etc.
 Data Theft: is the act of stealing computer-based information from an unknowing victim with the
intent of compromising privacy or obtaining confidential information. Ways data theft can occur
are by phishing, use of fake websites, fake Wi-Fi networks or even infected USB sticks.
 Denial of Service Attacks: is where a perpetrator seeks to make a machine or network resource
unavailable to its intended users by temporarily or indefinitely disrupting services of a host
connected to the Internet. An example is flooding. This is where you send too much data to the
victim which slows down the network. So it will spend resources on consuming the attackers’ data
and fail to serve the legitimate data. This can be an attack where packets are sent to the victim by
the attacker from many computers.
 Identity Theft: is where someone uses another person’s personal details to carry out transactions
and other activities in that person’s name. For example, a hacker may steal your credit card details
and use them to buy things over the internet. Your identity maybe stolen to create fake passports
and identity documents for criminals or to pursue other illegal activities.

Physical and Software Restriction

Physical Measures

 Backup and Recovery Measures: backup data regularly stored a second copy of data files and
programs away from the computer. If your computer gets damaged, is a virus corrupts your data
or if you accidentally delete or modify data that you were not supposed to, your backup copy
will allow you to restore that data. Flash drives, CDs and external hard drives are popular
choices for backing up data. Keep these storage devices in a safe place so they do not get
damaged or corrupted.
  Biometrics: is a type of input device. For example fingerprint scanner. It reads a person’s
finger for security reasons. A building can be accessed by storing the fingerprints of authorized
persons on a central system.
 Hardware Firewalls: this sits between your local network of computers and the Internet. The
firewall will inspect all the data that comes in from the Internet, passing along the safe data
packets while blocking the potentially dangerous packets. In order to properly protect a network
without hindering performance.
 Intrusion Detection System: is a device that monitors a network/system for malicious activity
or policy violations. Any intrusion activity or violations is typically reported either to an
administrator or collected centrally using a security information and event management (SIEM)
system. A SEIM system combines outputs from multiple sources and uses alarm filtering
techniques to distinguish between malicious activities from false alarms.

Software Measures
 Effective Passwords and Authentication Systems: a password is used to control the access to
data. A password is a combination of characters (letters, numbers, and symbols) that can be
entered before you can access, view and edit data. PCs can be set up so that you have to enter a
username and password before you can access the contents of the computer. Documents and
other kinds of files and media can also be protected by a password so they cannot be opened or
used until the password is entered.
 Encryption of data: In spy movies, spy agencies and government encrypt their information.
They write their data using an encryption code so it cannot be understood just by reading it. The
data must be decrypted using a key.
 Antivirus and Malware Detection: antivirus software protects against viruses. Located known
viruses on a computer or looks for software that acts like a virus. Antivirus software will delete
any virus it finds. New viruses are created all the time, so keep your antivirus software up-to-
date.
 Worms and Trojan horses are not viruses but they are malicious software.
 A worm is a piece of software that attaches to a computer memory, whereas a virus
attaches to a program. Worms are usually spread by e-mail. They eventually cripple a
computer by using up all its resources.
 A Trojan horse does not replicate itself like a virus. It looks and behaves like a genuine
program but once it is running it allows hackers to gain access to the computer system
by accessing and saving the password.
 Firewalls: some people deliberately create viruses that can harm computers. Hackers try to gain
access to personal information on that computer, or to cause mischief or damage. A
FIREWALL is a software that defends the weak points in a computer to prevent hackers from
gaining entry.

Impact on Job Skills and Career

Computer related professions
 Computer programmer: there are many programming languages and programmers are
usually proficient in more than one. Programmers write code for a wide range of
programs from businesses software.
 Computer System Analysts: they understand and analyze how a system or piece of
software works. They gather the information to create or modify a program, break the
solution into components and communicate the exact requirements to the programmers.
Analysts often produce the documentation that accompanies a program.
 Database Administrators: they create and maintain database and control people’s access
to them. IT companies and other businesses use databases to store information.
 Network Administrators: they set up new networks, add and remove users, monitor
resource used over a network, and ensures that all users have the necessary software and
hardware. Any business that has computer network should have a network
administrator.
 Web Developers: they create websites for the internet.
 Computer Support Specialist: provides technical support for a company. They
assemble and set up computers and they fix computer problems. They tend to be
hardware experts with some software knowledge.
  Network Engineer: they have the skill to plan, implement and oversee the networks that
support in-house voice, data, and video and wireless network services.   
 Software Developer: they develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks
on a computer or another device. Others develop the underlying systems that run the
devices or that control networks.
 Social Media Specialist: they are responsible for planning, implementing and
monitoring the company's social media strategy in order to increase brand awareness,
improve marketing efforts and increase sales.

Impact of ICT on Job Skills and Careers
 Loss of jobs: computers now do a lot of work that used to be done by people. Robots and
machines can do difficult tasks and repetitive tasks without losing concentration or getting tired.
Computers have made many office workers redundant. Messengers used to deliver messages
between offices and buildings in a city. Now people send e-mails. As computers are used more
and more in the workplace, people with few computer skills may be replaced by people with
many computer skills.
 Retraining: employees need to be trained how to use some software. They need to be retrained
if the software is updated or replaced with other software. To keep up with the latest
technology, people need to be trained at work, school and in tertiary education. Training is often
costly, especially in businesses. Training materials can be expensive and the business loses
productive hours from its employees. But properly trained employees can do their jobs better
and will not struggle with unfamiliar programs and software.
 Telecommuting: is working from home. Computer technology allows many people to work
from home instead of travelling to a work place. These workers are usually people that need
few meetings with clients or colleagues. Many writers and editors can work from home. They
need to have a computer and internet access and they may be able to connect to the office
network. A person who works from home saves on travel costs. Working at home is less
stressful than working in an office and there is no need to wear office clothes. But there is very
little social interaction and it can be very lonely. It is very difficult for managers to monitor
employees who work from home.
Business
 E-commerce: this is online shopping. This is where the costumers get the privilege to shop
while being at home. All that is needed is a computer and internet connection. This saves time
and money hence drawing people to practice e-commerce therefore the business makes a higher
profit.
 Telecommuting: this is working from home. Employees now get the privilege to work in the
comforts of home. This helps persons save on travel and clothing expenses and is less stressful.
 Electronic Point of Sale: in business and commerce, information to keep track of transactions
and records. Shops use point-of-sale (POS) systems and barcode scanners to read prices on
items and keep track of stock. Businesses use databases to store records about customers,
employees and suppliers.
 E-mail: with e-mails there is faster communication among the staff in a company. Therefore,
there is no need for messengers as they would take longer to deliver a message between
buildings as compared to e-mails.
Education
 Access to Information: with the internet, access to information is very easy. It provides all the
necessary resources for research.
 Distance Education: is the education of students who may not always be physically present at
a school. An example of this is online education.
 Collaborative Teaching and Learning: this is where teachers work together to help students,
who would normally come together to learn or attempt to learn something.
 Plagiarism: is using someone else’s work, idea or information without acknowledging that
specific person as the source.
 Online Tutoring: is the process of tutoring in an online, virtual or networked environment in
which teachers and learners participate from separate physical locations.