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Computer Science OCR GCSE > Key definitions - Paper 1 > Flashcards

Key definitions - Paper 1 Flashcards

1
Q

CPU (Central
Processing Unit)

A

A chip within the computer which controls the operation of all parts of the
computer and decodes then executes program instructions.

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2
Q

Cache

A

High speed memory built into the CPU. Frequently used Instructions are copied to cache memory allowing them to be accessed more quickly and therefore
increasing the speed of the CPU.

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3
Q

MAR

A

It contains the address of the instruction currently being read
from or written to main memory.

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4
Q

MDR

A

It contains the instruction which has just been copied from
main memory.

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5
Q

Program Counter

A

It contains the address of the next instruction to be fetched
from memory. It is updated each time a new instruction is fetched to
contain the address of the next needed instruction.

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6
Q

Accumulator

A

Stores the result of the last operation

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7
Q

CIR

A

Holds the instruction that is currently being decoded and executed

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8
Q

Cores

A

Some CPUs have more than one core, each containing its own ALU and
registers and therefore capable of carrying out instructions independently.
The more cores, the more instructions the CPU can process at once and
therefore the faster it performs.

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9
Q

Embedded
System

A

Specialist hardware and software build into a device with a single specific
purpose. They are usually found within appliances such as washing
machines.

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10
Q

Primary Storage

A

Also known as memory. Holds the data, programs and instructions currently in use.

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11
Q

Virtual Memory

A

Space on the computer’s hard drive used as main memory (RAM). Virtual
memory is slower than main memory.

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12
Q

Optical Storage

A

A type of secondary storage which stores data on a spinning plastic or
metal disk. Data is read from and written to the disk using a laser.

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13
Q

Magnetic
Storage

A

A type of secondary storage which uses magnetic fields to store data. A
read/write head reads and writes data from the media.

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14
Q

Solid State
Storage

A

A type of secondary storage which uses flash memory to store data. They
have no moving parts and are much faster than optical or magnetic
storage.

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15
Q

Character Set

A

A system for representing characters in binary, each character is
assigned a unique binary number.

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16
Q

Metadata

A

Additional data about a file such as when it was created or who created it.
Commonly used with photos to store things like the make of camera or
location the photo was taken.

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17
Q

Colour Depth

A

The amount of bits available for colours in an image. The higher the
colour depth the more colours available and therefore the more realistic
the image will appear.

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18
Q

Sample Rate

A

The number of samples taken in one second. This is measured in hertz
(Hz), 1Hz is one sample per second. The higher the sample rate, the
more samples per second and therefore the higher the quality of the file.

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19
Q

Bit Depth

A

The number of bits available for each sample. The higher the bit depth,
the more bits available and therefore the better the quality.

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20
Q

Lossy
Compression

A

A compression method which reduces the file size by removing certain
data. The original file cannot be restored from the compressed version
but the file is reduced by more than with lossless compression.

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21
Q

Lossless
Compression

A

A compression method which reduces the file size without losing any
data. The original file can be restored from the compressed version, but
the file size is not reduced by as much.

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22
Q

Client - Server

A

A network setup where resources or processing are carried out by a
central computer (called a server) with other devices (called clients)
accessing resources via the network.

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23
Q

Peer to Peer

A

A network setup where all computers have an equal status and function
as both client and server.

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24
Q

Network Hardware:

Wireless Access Point
Router
Switch
NIC (Network
Interface Card)

A

Wireless Access
Point
Uses a wireless radio to allow devices to connect wirelessly to an existing
network.
Router A device which connects two or more different networks together allowing
them to communicate with one another.
Switch A device which provides computers and other devices with a wired
connection to a network.
NIC (Network
Interface Card)
A component within a computer or other device which allow it to connect
to a network. The card provides the physical connection to the network

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25
DNS (Domain Name System)
A system which links a URL or other human readable name with an IP address.
26
The Cloud
A term for accessing storage or other resources remotely across The Internet.
27
Web Server
A server which hosts web sites and pages for users to access, usually via The Internet.
28
Star Network
A network topology where all devices connect back to a single central point. All communications travel via the central point.
29
Mesh Network
A network topology where all devices are connected to each other rather than a central point.
30
Bandwidth
The amount of data which can be transferred via a network in any given time. More bandwidth allows more data to travel across the network at the same time resulting in faster transfer speeds.
31
URL
Uniform Resource Locator. A human readable name given to websites and other Internet resources. DNS is used to translate the URL into the IP of the web server.
32
Bluetooth
A short range wireless networking technology. It has relatively low range and speeds and is most often used for peripheral devices such as mice or headsets.
33
Encryption
The process of converting data so that it cannot be understood without first being decrypted. It is often used to keep important data secure when sharing it over a network.
34
IP address
Stands for Internet Protocol Address. A unique address assigned to every computer on a network.
35
MAC Address
Media Access Control Address. A 12 digit hexadecimal number assigned to a network interface card. Each card has its own unique MAC addressed assigned when the card is made.
36
Protocol
An agreed set of rules for how network communications should take place.
37
TCP/IP
Transfer Control Protocol / Internet Protocol. A group of standards which control how data is sent and received over networks including the Internet.
38
HTTP / HTTPS
HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol. A standard for transferring web pages between a client and web server. It is based around the idea that clients send a request which the server responds to. HTTPS Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. A version of the HTTP standard with security added. Commonly used for accessing secure websites such as online banking.
39
FTP
File Transfer Protocol. A standard for file transfer over networks.
40
POP3
Post Office Protocol. A standard used by email clients to retrieve emails from an email server.
41
IMAP
Internet Message Access Protocol. A standard used by email clients to access emails stored on an email server. It has the advantage over POP of allowing emails to be stored and organised on the mail server.
42
SMTP
Simple Message Transfer Protocol. A standard used for the sending of emails over networks and The Internet.
43
Malware
A term for any software which is designed with malicious intent. Malware may damage the computer, monitor user activity and files or delete or damage data. There are many different types of malware which behave in different ways.
44
Social Engineering
Attempting to gain access to computer systems by targeting the people using the system instead of using technical measures to attack the system itself. People are often the weakest security point in a computer system and examples such as watching someone enter their password or pretending to be their boss and telling them to do something urgently aim to take advantage of this fact.
45
Phishing
Attempting to trick someone in to revealing information such as their password, financial, or other private information by pretending to be someone else. Phishing usually takes place by email, and involves sending an email which pretends to have come from the user's bank or other trusted organisation or person.
46
Brute-force attack
Attempting to guess a code or password by trying every possible solution until the correct one is found. The attack may work through a list of common passwords or dictionary words, or simply start with a code of 0000, followed by 0001 etc.
47
Denial of Service Attack
Attempting to send more traffic or data to a computer system than it is able to handle. If successful, this results in parts of the system, or even the whole system, being unable to process the data is receiving and failing.
48
Data Interception
Attempting to access data whilst it is being transferred between devices, usually over a network. The victim usually has no idea that their data has been stolen, and the attacker may access usernames and passwords or whole files.
49
SQL Injection
Entering SQL code into a data input field on a web site or application. If the system is not correctly coded, and uses a SQL database, the code could be run directly on the database, allowing the attacker to access, change or delete the entire database.
50
Penetration Testing
An authorised hacking attempt where a person or company attempts to hack into a system or network and then reports their finding to the system's owner. This allows security flaws to be fixed before real hackers can take advantage of them.
51
Anti-Malware Software
Software which attempts to detect, prevent and remove malware on a computer system. Anti-Virus software is a common example of anti malware software.
52
Firewall
A network security device which checks traffic passing through it against a set of rules, only traffic which meets the rules is allowed through. This prevents traffic from unauthorised devices or using unauthorised protocols from passing through.
53
User Access Level
Controlling which aspects of a system or network users can access. Users are allowed access only to the parts of the system the need, preventing them from accidentally or deliberately damaging sensitive parts of the system or accessing sensitive data.
54
Physical Security
Securing the physical components of a system or network. This could be as simple as locking a portable computer to a desk or advanced as storing servers in a reinforced building with multiple locked doors.
55
Operating System (OS)
Controls the operation of all aspects of the computer and provides an interface by which a user can interact with the computer.
56
User Interface
A part of the operating system or other software which allows the user to interact with and control it. They usually comprise of a graphical component which the user can see on a monitor or other display hardware, and way for the user to interact with the system, either by typing commands, or clicking items with a mouse or touchscreen.
57
Memory Management
The function of the Operating System which manages the computer's memory, controlling how the memory is used and which applications can access it.
58
Peripheral Management
The ability of an operating system to control and manage hardware devices such as printers, mice or speakers which are connected to the computer.
59
Device Driver
Computer code which provides instructions for how the operating system should interact with a specific piece of hardware. Device drivers are specific to the operating system and piece of hardware for which they were designed.
60
User Management
A function of the operating system which manages user accounts. In many cases, multiple user accounts can exist with their own username, password and access rights allowing more than one person to use the same computer.
61
File Management
A function of the operating system which manages files and folders stored on either the computer's internal storage, or external storage devices such as a USB Stick.
62
Secondary storage
Non-volatile memory external to the CPU and used for long-term storage of programs and data.
63
Defragmentation
Software which reorders files stored on a hard disk so that they run in a sensible order to improve performance and efficiency.
64
Open Source Software
Software where the code is made available to the public to view or edit as they wish. Open source software is usually free for anyone to use.
65
Proprietary Software
Software where the source code is owned by a person or organisation and is not available to the public.
66
Virtual Network
A network that is software based. It uses the same existing physical network but creates other individual networks without having to rewire them.

Computer Science OCR GCSE (22 decks)

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