Question 5, May 2020, Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9-1) Information and Communication Technology, Paper-1

Deshan buys a music CD in a store.

(a) Deshan pays with a card using NFC.

Explain why NFC speeds up the payment process. (2)

NFC is a contactless payment method which speeds up the payment process because the card is simply tapped to make a payment, a PIN does not need to be entered.

(b) The CD comes with access to a music streaming service. Describe how streaming works. (4)

Part of the files is downloaded into temporary storage, known as buffer, to play immediately. This is played straight away while the rest of the file is also downloaded for playing.

(c) Describe how the amount of bandwidth available affects Deshan's experience of streaming. (3)

The amount of bandwidth available affects Deshan's experience as the lower the bandwidth available the slower the internet connectivity as there are more devices using the network which will decrease speeds. This means the music will buffer.

(d) The payment system uses an open source operating system.

(i) State what is meant by the term 'open source software'. (2)

Open source software is free for the users to modify and change as they want. 

(ii) State two functions of an operating system. (2)

1 An operating system provides memory management.

2 It also provides the user interface.

(e) Online hackers are a threat to Deshan's data.

List two other threats to Deshan's data. (2)

1 Viruses are a threat to Deshan's data.

2 Ransomeware is a threat to Deshan's data.

(f) Evaluate the tools that are available to help individuals stay safe online. (8)

There are many tools to help users stay safe online:

a) Anti-virus – utility software that uses a database of viruses definitions which it compares to incoming code and files on our computer.

b) Privacy settings – setting our privacy settings on social media and other websites to avoid others getting our data.

c) Encryption – when our data is scrambled so that if it was intercepted, it would not be able to be read.

Anti-virus software compares incoming files and code against a database of virus definitions. Viruses are quarantined by the software and are stopped from. This works very well and can catch any viruses before they infect a users computer, however, it must be kept updated by downloading and installing the latest version regularly otherwise any new viruses will not be picked up and will not be quarantined.

Privacy settings are important as they can lock down public profiles such as those on social media so that other people cannot see private data if they are not friends with that person. This can help to protect the user’s data and keep them safe from harm or exploitation. It works well if it is set up however many users do not understand it or don’t want to use it so do not change their privacy settings.

Encryption is where data is scrambled so it cannot be read by criminals if intercepted. A method of encrypting data is by using a VPN which creates a ‘tunnel’ around the data. It is an effective way of securing data. A VPN cannot be used in all countries however as it is not legal.

In conclusion there are many tools to help the user online. However, these should be regularly updated to keep them useful and should be used fully to ensure they give the maximum benefit.

(Total for Question 5 = 23 marks)