QUESTION 1.

1 (a) Four statements about cookies are shown in the table below.

Study each statement.

Tick (✓) to show whether the statement is true or false.

Statement True False

they are a form of spyware
they are used only in advertising
they are used to track browser use
they act in the same way as a virus
[4]

(b) Five descriptions and five security issues are shown below.

Draw a line to connect each description to the correct security issue.

Description Security issue

malicious code installed on the hard drive of a

user’s computer or on the web server; this code
hacking
will re-direct user to a fake web site without their
consent

software that gathers information by monitoring

key presses on a user’s computer and relays
pharming
the information back to the person who sent the
software

program or code that replicates itself and is

designed to amend, delete or copy data and files phishing
on a user’s computer without their consent

the act of gaining illegal access to a computer

spyware
system without the owner’s consent

creator of code sends out a legitimate-looking

email in the hope of gathering personal and
virus
financial data; it requires the recipient to follow a
link in the email or open an attachment

[4]

© UCLES 2015 0478/12/M/J/15

QUESTION 2. 11

10 Six security issues and six descriptions are shown below.

Draw a line to link each security issue to its correct description.

Security issue Description

illegal access to a computer system

Pharming without the owner’s consent or
knowledge

software that gathers information by

monitoring key presses on a user’s
Phishing keyboard; the data is sent back to the
originator of the software

malicious code installed on the hard

drive of a user’s computer or on a web
Viruses server; this code will re-direct the user
to a fake website without the user’s
knowledge

creator of code sends out a

legitimate-looking email in the hope
of gathering personal and financial
Hacking
information from the recipient; it
requires the user to click on the link in
the email or attachment

a message given to a web browser by

a web server; it is stored in a text file;
Spyware the message is then sent back to the
server each time the browser requests
a page from the server

program or code that replicates itself;

designed to amend, delete or copy
Cookies data or files on a user’s computer;
often causes the computer to crash or
run slowly

[5]

© UCLES 2016 0478/11/M/J/16 [Turn over

QUESTION 3. 10

7 (a) Check digits are used to ensure the accuracy of input data.

A 7-digit code number has an extra digit on the right, called the check digit.

Digit position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Digit – – – – – – – –

The check digit is calculated as follows:

• each digit in the number is multiplied by its digit position

• the seven results are then added together
• this total is divided by 11
• the remainder gives the check digit (if the remainder = 10, the check digit is X)

(i) Calculate the check digit for the following code number. Show all your working.

4 2 4 1 5 0 8 …

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Check digit ........................................................................................................................

[2]

(ii) An operator has just keyed in the following code number:

3 2 4 0 0 4 5 X

Has the operator correctly keyed in the code number?

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Give a reason for your answer.

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[3]

© UCLES 2015 0478/12/O/N/15

 11

(b) When data are transmitted from one device to another, a parity check is often carried out on
each byte of data. The parity bit is often the leftmost bit in the byte.

(i) If a system uses even parity, give the parity bit for each of the following bytes:

parity bit

1 1 0 0 1 1 0

parity bit

0 0 0 0 0 0 1
[2]

(ii) A parity check can often detect corruption of a byte.

Describe a situation in which it cannot detect corruption of a byte.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................[1]

8 The steps to print a document using a laser printer are shown in the table below.

Put each step in the correct order. The first step has been done for you.

Step Order
As the printing drum rotates, a laser scans across it; this removes the
positive charge in certain areas
The printing drum is coated in positively-charged toner; this then sticks to the
negatively-charged parts of the printing drum
The paper goes through a fuser which melts the toner so it fixes permanently
to the paper
The printer driver ensures that the data is in a format that the laser printer
can understand 1

A negatively-charged sheet of paper is then rolled over the printing drum

Data is then sent to the laser printer and stored temporarily in the printer
buffer
The toner on the printing drum is now transferred to the paper to reproduce
the required text and images

The printing drum is given a positive charge

Negatively-charged areas are then produced on the printing drum; these

match exactly with the text and images to be printed

[8]
© UCLES 2015 0478/12/O/N/15 [Turn over
QUESTION 4. 8

4 (a) Computer ethics involves a number of different topics.

(i) A student made the following statement on an examination paper:

“It allows a user to have the freedom to run, copy, change and adapt the software and
then pass it on to a colleague, friend or family member.”

Identify which computer term the student was describing.

...................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Explain what is meant by computer ethics.

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...................................................................................................................................... [3]

(b) The four statements below refer to firewalls and proxy servers.

Study each statement.

Tick (9) the appropriate column(s) to indicate whether the statement refers to a firewall
and/or a proxy server.

Statement Firewall Proxy server

Speeds up access of information from a web server by

using a cache

Filters all Internet traffic coming into and out from a

user’s computer, intranet or private network

Helps to prevent malware, including viruses, from

entering a user’s computer

Keeps a list of undesirable websites and IP addresses

[4]

© UCLES 2015 0478/13/O/N/15

 9

(c) Explain three ways of preventing accidental loss or corruption of data.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

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2 ................................................................................................................................................

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3 ................................................................................................................................................

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[6]

© UCLES 2015 0478/13/O/N/15 [Turn over