Concept of Information Technology

Concept of Information Technology

• The earliest form of printing used wooden blocks.
• Processing information is crucial as it changes human behaviour, enabling individual and collective decisions.
• Language, writing, and the printing press represent forms of technology development.
• The printing press enabled wider access to information.
• Society now exists in an era of telecommunications.
• Francis Bacon believed information processing was key to societal improvement through scientific and technological advancements
• Information processing shifted from religious purposes to worldly affairs due to the printing press.
• Data is captured and stored to provide insights and predictions.
• Information technology manages complexity by creating more sophisticated tools.
• The over-reliance on technology can cause negative effects.
• Social media's negative impact shows how technology changes behaviour negatively.
• An example is when composers opposed the gramophone invention because they felt it would reduce the need to experience live music.
• Society depends on technological infrastructure for basic functions like hospitals and transportation.
• Power imbalances arise from who has access to and controls technology.
• Complex societies risk collapse due to reliance on intricate tools for information processing leading to market saturation.
• Lawyers should understand technology because societies establish rules to control behaviour through regulation.
• Understanding the law is needed to adapt to behaviour.
• Law provides action boundaries, procedure, and conflict resolution while ensuring stability.
• The law is not ready to regulate fast-developing technology, emphasizing the importance of technology lawyers.

Information Technology

• Information Technology is the branch of Technology concerned with the distribution, processing and storage of information via the means of computers.
• Defining a computer requires understanding: compute, store, and communicate.

Computer Architecture

• Computers use a bit matrix of 0s and 1s to understand the world, and data is represented internally as base-2, or binary.
• A bit, or binary digit, stands as the primary information unit.
• Each digit comprises only a single bit of information, represented as either 1 or 0.
• Everything and anything can be expressed as 0s and 1s
• Digits can be systematically divided by 2, resulting in either 0 or 1 as a remainder.
• Letters are represented by numbers, which then translate into 0s and 1s.
• Pictures consist of pixels with RGB values, forming a matrix of colors expressed in numbers and subsequently in 0s and 1s.
• Sound waves get represented by numbers that translate into 0s and 1s.
• A byte comprises 8 bits, with 8 bits yielding 256 encodings.
• Storage is measured in bytes (e.g., Megabytes, Gigabytes).
• Integers get stored in 4 or 8 bytes, and a byte stores an individual character of text.
• Through the formula: the encoding by n bits allowing the creation of 2n units of information.
• Boolean logic operates with TRUE or FALSE values, performing logical operations like AND, OR, and NOT.
• Boolean logic utilizes binary notation for complex calculations and proves useful in computer circuits with NANDs as transistors.
• Logic AND operations require statements to be true for a true result.
• Logic OR operations require at least one true statement for a true result.
• The logic NOT operation involves negating a statement, inverting each component accordingly.
• Logic gates, such as NANDs, combine matrix bits with Boolean logic for functions.
• Transistors rely on boolean logic to determine electrical flow.
• Boolean logic inputs A and B have associated bits in 0s and 1s where 0 stands for false while 1 indicates true.
• Boolean logic expresses operation by Q, involving negation using a circle.
• NAND negates the answer; a basic operation for transistors.
• Transistors use boolean logic to determine their on/off state.
• Boolean logic is essential for designing transistors in small systems with NAND gates.
• Boolean logic sets wirings to control electrical flow in computer systems, translating "true" and "false" to "flow" and "not flow."

Basic Computer Architecture

• Computer architecture, including CPU and memory, is organized on a hardware level according to the Von Neumann model.
• The Central Processing Unit (CPU) executes instructions.
• The memory is the area to store the information.
• Persistent memory via the hard disk stores files and information for years.
• Random Access Memory (RAM) via software offers temporary data storage while running.
  • It is considered part of the primary memory.
• Input devices, such as keyboards and mice, send data to the computer.
• Output devices, like printers, receive data from the computer.
• Strategic memory placement enables the process of instructions and data occurs simultaneously, allowing for flexible processing operations.
• Unlike Harvard architecture, which strictly separates memory, strategic memory offers faster speed and reaction.

Processing and Programming

• Programming languages enable humans with the task to give the computer instructions, possibly compiling coding into machine code.
• Programming languages facilitate human-like expressions and portability across computer architectures in 0s and 1s.
• Python, Java, and C++ stand as examples.

Algorithms

• Algorithms denote the process of solving a problem with its definition as a set of instructions that provide data for the purposes to achieve a goal.
• Algorithms function independently from programming , it's math that enables a computer to perform the instruction to use code.
• Meeting basic requirements, algorithms must correct by executing steps by processing input to achieve an outcome.
• Steps should consist of clear execution in a time frame.
• Actions to take should be without ambiguity.
• Each action should have a defined end, to end execution.
• Terminating upon a conclusion to the input.

CPU and Operating Systems

• The CPU relies on the computer to interpret instructions, particularly through operating systems that connect hardware and software.
• Operating systems offer a platform for running software by the use of their compatibility .
• The Operating System (OS) manages the computer’s hardware and apps.
• Windows, macOS, and Android are a few key examples.
• A file system, also an integral part of the OS that enables all files created for future use to be stored on its database.
• All information storage can be registered , allowing modification of the file system.
• Allowing operation requires systems to access all stored information.
• This emphasizes the focus on the disk storage.

Computer Architecture, Layers, Connection

• User Mode connects to Libraries
• Libraries intrude on the Operating System
• Execution is translated from User Mode, to CPU.

Networking and Internet

• In regards to internet, networking involves the use of devices like computers to offer data and support sharing.
• The Internet has multiple topologies that use point to point networks, connected using buses, rings and hybrids.
• Internet offers layers to transfer data.
• For example, in transit, the data has to go through all layers.
• Each layer has particular devices and protocols.
• Application layers use HTTP, FTP, DNS.
• Presentation layers use SSL, SSH, FTP,
• Session layers use API's and Sockets
• Transport layers use TCP and UDP.
• Network layers use IP, ICMP and routers
• Data links use ethernet and PPP.
• Physical layers use Coax, Fiber and Wireless.
• TCP/IP suite relies and operates on standardized protocols.
• Standard communication from OSI and TCP organize functions into layers.
• DNS translates domain names into IP, enabling the task task to access websites through means to avoid numeric names.
• The Domain Name System is often referred to as the internet''s phone book due to how it accesses browsers and data.
• Unique IP help machines to find devices.
• DNS eliminates the need to memorize IP addresses.
• Hostnames turn into IP, allowing user interaction.
• Servers translate websites into addresses.
• Encryption (SSL/TLS), firewalls, and VPNs safeguard integrity.

Internet Protocol

• TCP/IP protocol organizes various processes.
• TCP is reliable for packets
• But UDP is faster and less reliable.
• IP is relevant for directing traffic
• HTTP transfers hypertext
• HTTPS uses SSL/TLS for encryption.
• FTP file sharing
• FTPS and SFTP are secure alternatives.

Databases

• Databases are an organized collection of data that store and access electronically.
• There are different kinds of databases such as relational data that uses a tables, SQL, to organize and and manage the storage and consistency of info.
• The SQL language can offer ways to use commands to manage and manipulate them including SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE.
• SQL Injections use malicious language to input website parameters with SQL and can be averted via statement, validation, principles and firewalls.
• An SQL injection can manipulate databases by exploiting vulnerabilities.
• There are also NoSQL non relational databases such as storing data with documents.

Cloud Computing

• Cloud provides users with demand and easy access to on-demand computing.
• Clients lack bandwith.
• Cloud offers models such as public for external service, and a private to manage internal entities.
• Community serves as a hybrid model to serve communities with missions.
• Cloud offers services to operate platforms with services to machines and storage.
• Infrastructure as a service.
• Platforms and service for databases.
• Platform as a service.
• Software as a service provide things like applications or data.
• Easy scalability, organizations can handle data because providers offer robust security and compliance with industry regulations.
• Dependency can result in increased security and impact for incidents.

Information Security

• The growth of digital information that needs to be secured leads to increase in demand for security.
• Information security means to protect from malicious threats.
• Defence with assets refers to the data that is to be protected, things like a system, databases, code, software, and hardware.
• To protect the system, there needs to be controls, otherwise there can be threats like vulnerabilities.

CIA: Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability

• The foundation of security rests on the triad called CIA.
• Confidentiality meaning limiting access to specific users.
• Integrity in that all data has to accurate and maintained from damage to information data.
• Access to that data.
• Important to match attack and assets to threats along the concept in CIA.

Vulnerabilities, Risks and Controls

• Digital forensics covers vulnerability, threats and assets.
• Known software is a start as a weakness used by vulnerabilities like CVE.
• Although unknown software, threats can happen with zero days, but by bug bounties threats exist with ethical means.
• Legal regulation and ethical security must be put on ethical activities.

Risk Consideration

• A probability as effective, sector and impacts of something like the space shuttle disaster, along the $10 o ring.
• Must focus on risks by knowing identification and registration as strategy.
• Select assets and threats and model strategy by assessing and collecting this data to monitor Effectiveness, which requires:
• Accept
• Transfer
• Mitigate
• Avoid
• Threats cause detriments, requiring the analysis and models on threat to limit such attacks:
• Active and Passive

Information Security, Attacks

• Requires using safeguards and thinking .
• Active involves an alteration of information by GDPR.
• Passive does not cause data damage from inside and even outside.
• DDOS: Service gets flooded/
• MITM Attacker relaying communication
• SQL Input
• BO Data overflows
• Malware Payload
• Phising

Control

• Information requires the use of control; being technical in some capacities to allow means of access.
• Encryption is part of this too.
• Procedural to use security policies and improve access .
• Digital has a key.
• Encryption is not always the ideal method.

Access Information and Access Control

• Limiting factors help access boundaries
• Access to unauthorized materials like unauthorized modification requires authorized disclosure by people
• This can also add physical boundaries; set by polices like Role Based Authorization.
• Access is granted to people who also authorize individual's data.
• Password protection, hacking , and mitigation by salting with hashing to generate safe passwords/
• Hashing is also used for database protection with black/white listing.
• These techniques do generate some drawbacks with documents, requiring additional security via tokens, biometrics and remote user methods.

Security Architecture

• The architecture is the aspect to build a system and address the risks, balancing CIA.
• Also consider the safety perimeter, like a supply chain
• But even if it is not in place there is not continuous of people, social engineering, and safety to avoid failure.
• The architecture must be usable and reasonable.
• Be bounded and rational.
• Be known, tested by paid pentesters.
• Use red to try and breach, blue to mitigate.
• There are heavily regulated requirements at place.
• That must respect society and integrity.

Security Relationship, Protections

• The self determination has to respect the individual's right to seek privacy.
• Values based on free form development allow security.
• Cybersecurity helps create fundamental environments to avoid all technical issues.
• To guarantee security production, Article 25 of GDPR is a requirement that can create more privacy that leads to new acts .
• Data breaches are less of a threat with new protocols, but with new problems, the encryption debate argues the legality of it.