Your school is launching a major drive to embrace the digital era - NSC Information Technology - Question 6 - 2017 - Paper 2

Biometrics refers to the use of personal characteristics to authenticate the identity of a person. Commonly, it involves unique psychological traits or physical characteristics, such as fingerprints or retinal patterns.

A suitable example of biometrics to be used in this scenario could be fingerprint recognition.

1. RFID cards can be lost or stolen, which poses a security risk.
2. They can be cloned, potentially allowing unauthorized access.

Virtual memory is hard drive space that is reserved by the operating system to extend the available memory beyond the physical RAM. It allows the execution of larger applications or multiple applications simultaneously.

The Operating System (OS) implements and manages virtual memory.

The use of virtual memory can be limited by:

1. Adding more RAM to the system.
2. Closing applications that are not in use.

Lossless compression ensures that no data is lost during the compression process, making it possible to restore the original file exactly. In contrast, lossy compression may lose some insignificant data, resulting in a file that cannot be restored to its original form.

A protocol is a set of rules for transmission of data across a network. It encompasses procedures for encoding and decoding data, ensuring reliable communication between devices.

The SMT protocol is used for sending e-mails across the Internet.

A distributed database is a system where parts of a database are spread over multiple servers located in different geographic locations, allowing for improved efficiency and reliability.

1. Eliminates congestion on a single server, allowing for a larger number of simultaneous users.
2. If one server fails, other databases can still be accessed, ensuring lower risk of data loss.

The main feature of Web 1.0 is that it consists mainly of static web pages. Users have limited interaction, primarily consuming content rather than engaging with it.

Web 3.0 is referred to as the Semantic Web because it aims to make Internet data machine-readable, allowing for more intelligent searches and better user personalization, enabling computers and users to understand information more effectively.

This feature is called interoperability, allowing devices to communicate effectively with one another.

A webinar is an online seminar that allows participants to engage in discussions, presentations, or training sessions through the internet.

One way the staff member may benefit is by expanding their knowledge base through access to educational content and expert speakers.

SaaS stands for Software as a Service.

Cloud applications operate by running on remote servers rather than local devices. Users access these applications over the Internet through web browsers or apps, which means that most processing is done in the cloud, reducing the strain on local resources.

1. Software is not owned by the user; they must subscribe and pay to use it.
2. If the cloud service goes down, users cannot access their documents or services.

An RSS service is a web or news feed that provides automatic updates to users, allowing them to receive new content without manually checking websites.

1. Limit time spent online and set notifications for important tasks to avoid distraction.
2. Avoid sharing personal information that could be misused.

1. Difficulty in tracing the identity of the perpetrator makes online crimes easier to commit.
2. Increased use of the internet leads to greater opportunities for cybercrime.

The term used to describe this crime is 'Piggybacking.'

A drone is a machine that has certain autonomous flight capabilities but can still be controlled by a human.

1. Parts can be designed and printed quickly, allowing for rapid prototyping and adjustments.
2. Reduces costs by minimizing materials wasted compared to traditional manufacturing processes.