Question 3, Summer 2023, Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9-1) Information and Communication Technology, Paper-1

Camille shares family photographs online with friends.

(a) Give two benefits to Camille’s friends of Camille using an online community to share photographs (2)

1 When Camille tags her friends in the photographs, they receive alerts, making it easier for them to know when new pictures are shared. This feature ensures that they don't miss out on updates and moments that Camille wants to share with them.

2 Friends can express their appreciation for the photographs by rating or liking them. This feedback mechanism allows Camille's friends to provide positive feedback and support, reinforcing their social connection.

 

(b) Which one of these provides content to client computers? (1)

A ISP

B LAN

C Router

D Server

D Server

 

(c) Describe how transactional data can be used with photographs stored online to improve the experience of users. (2)

Cookies or transactional data can be used to track previously viewed photographs and provide personalized content suggestions based on user preferences. This enhances the user experience by offering relevant and engaging content recommendations.

 

(d) Explain one reason why Camille should use hosted software to edit her photographs rather than local software. (2)

Using hosted software for photo editing reduces the load on Camille's local hardware because the processing-intensive tasks are handled by remote servers, ensuring smooth and efficient editing even on less powerful devices.

 

(e) Which one of these is a reason to use an avatar? (1)

A Adds security

B Enhances accessibility

C Improves privacy

D Prevents social interaction

C Improves privacy

 

(f) Camille connects to a wireless access point to upload her photographs.

(i) Explain one reason why moving closer to the wireless access point reduces transfer time. (2)

Moving closer to a wireless access point improves the strength and quality of the wireless signal, which in turn reduces signal attenuation and interference. This enhanced signal quality results in faster and more reliable data transfer, making it a key reason for the reduction in transfer time.

(ii) Explain one effect that compressing the data would have on data transfer. (2)

Data transfer becomes faster because the reduced data size requires less bandwidth, resulting in quicker file transfers. This is achieved by compressing the file to decrease its size.

 

(g) Explain one reason why a website should provide accessibility features. (2)

By incorporating accessibility features, the website will attract a larger user base and become more user-friendly. This commitment to accessibility is not only ethical and legal but also enhances the website's usability and can have positive financial and business implications.

 

(h) Camille buys extra online storage.

(i) State two protocols that could be used to secure online payments. (2)

1 HTTPS is a protocol that uses SSL/TLS to secure the connection between a user's web browser and a website's server. It ensures that data, including payment information, is transmitted securely over the internet.

2 SSL is a cryptographic protocol that provides a secure, encrypted connection for online communications. While SSL is often associated with HTTPS, it can also be used in other secure data transfer contexts, such as online payments.

(ii) State how encryption prevents data from being understood. (1)

Encryption prevents data from being understood by transforming it into a format that can only be deciphered by someone with the appropriate decryption key, rendering it unreadable to unauthorized parties.

(iii) After Camille enters her password correctly, she receives this text message from her bank.

Explain why this message helps keep Camille’s payments secure. (2)

The message helps keep Camille's payments secure by serving as a second form of authentication, where a code is sent to a device that only she should possess, ensuring that the payment system can verify her identity and reduce the risk of unauthorized access to her payment accounts.

(Total for Question 3 = 19 marks)