Database Advantages and Challenges

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Questions and Answers

What does the confidentiality aspect of the CIA triad protect against?

Corruption of database files

Inaccessibility of data by authorized users

Unauthorized access to a database (correct)

Loss of data due to hardware failure

How does integrity contribute to database security?

By enhancing the speed of data retrieval

By preventing hardware failures

By protecting data from unauthorized changes (correct)

By ensuring data remains confidential

What is a primary purpose of backing up a database?

To enhance the aesthetic layout of data

To ensure data can be restored after loss (correct)

To control access permissions for users

To improve data retrieval speeds

Which of the following methods can help ensure the availability of data?

Regularly backing up the database Signup and view all the answers

What is a challenge associated with backing up a sizable database?

Need for redundancy in data storage Signup and view all the answers

When restoring a database, what information might be included in the backup files?

The state of the database at a specific time Signup and view all the answers

What does availability in the CIA triad ensure?

Authorized users can access data when needed Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following scenarios would likely require the use of a recovery utility?

Restoring data after an environmental threat Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant challenge in the design and setup of databases?

They require intricate knowledge to structure data appropriately. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about the capacity of databases compared to spreadsheets is true?

Databases can hold tens of millions of records. Signup and view all the answers

Why is it vital to secure databases?

They typically hold sensitive or mission-critical data. Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic is essential for relational databases?

They rely on relationships between types of data. Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the primary advantages of using SQL for database management?

It enables efficient execution of bulk operations like additions, updates, or deletions. Signup and view all the answers

What is required for those who create and maintain databases?

Special training and knowledge of database structure. Signup and view all the answers

What type of data do records in a database store?

Each record stores the same pieces of information. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a recommended practice for database security?

Storing sensitive data in easily accessible public folders. Signup and view all the answers

Why is encryption of sensitive data crucial in database security?

It serves as a last layer of defense against unauthorized access in case of a breach. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding changes in databases?

Users can see new or changed data immediately. Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential consequence of a data breach for companies?

Higher costs related to media exposure and fines. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of data handling do databases excel in compared to spreadsheets?

Ability to manage far more data concurrently. Signup and view all the answers

How should database users be managed to enhance security?

Access should be limited to the minimum privileges necessary for their roles. Signup and view all the answers

In what context is it acceptable to not encrypt all data in a database?

When database performance becomes significantly impacted. Signup and view all the answers

Which SQL command is used to add records to a database table?

INSERT Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant risk for companies that store sensitive data?

Potential data breaches that can harm reputation and finances. Signup and view all the answers

What does the 'Velocity' aspect of Big Data refer to?

The speed at which data is generated and received Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes a key-value database?

It pairs unique keys with their corresponding values for data storage. Signup and view all the answers

What is required for data to become valuable information?

Processing that reveals patterns and insights Signup and view all the answers

Which additional 'V' indicates the significance of data in decision-making?

Value Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best defines Big Data?

Large and complex data sources that traditional methods cannot handle Signup and view all the answers

Why do nonrelational databases, such as NoSQL, provide advantages over traditional relational databases?

They can store and manage unstructured data effectively. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a common example of data variety mentioned in Big Data?

Weather patterns Signup and view all the answers

What kind of data does the Internet of Things (IoT) produce?

Real-time monitoring data from devices such as engines Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'Veracity' refer to in the context of Big Data?

The accuracy of the data in reflecting reality Signup and view all the answers

What challenge do organizations face with large volumes of data?

Storing and analyzing unstructured data efficiently Signup and view all the answers

Which technology originally referred to as NoSQL has been redefined to also mean not-only SQL?

Nonrelational databases Signup and view all the answers

Which example illustrates a source of Big Data?

Traffic video footage from various intersections Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to process data in meaningful ways?

To reveal valuable insights for business decisions Signup and view all the answers

How does the structure of a relational database differ from that of a nonrelational database?

Relational databases require data to be represented in tables. Signup and view all the answers

What is a terabyte equivalent to?

About a billion kilobytes Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following types of data is least likely to be considered Big Data?

Individual responses to a customer satisfaction survey Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

### Database Advantages

Databases can validate new data as it’s added, such as making sure that a phone number is entered into a CellPhoneNumber field. This helps ensure that the right data is being added.
Databases can easily handle much more data than a spreadsheet. A spreadsheet might be limited to about a million rows, a database table can hold tens of millions of records.
Databases are optimized to allow multiple users to see new or changed data as soon as it’s entered. Unlike spreadsheets, databases can track who made what changes and when.

Database Challenges

Databases are complicated to design and set up, requiring detailed knowledge of the data in order to structure it appropriately.
The people who create and maintain databases must have professional training.
Databases require high performance hardware with high capacity memory and processing resources.
Databases typically contain sensitive or mission-critical data that needs special protection.
The database must be adequately secured to protect against intruders, and it must be sufficiently backed up in case of data loss or hardware failure.

Relational Databases

Relational databases are aptly named because of the relationships between various types of data within the database.
Relational databases are well suited for data that can be organized into tables where each record in a table stores the same type of information.

SQL

SQL (Structured Query Language) is a programming language used to communicate with databases.
SQL can query (select) data from a database, modify (update) existing data, add (insert) new data, or delete (delete) data.
Mastery of SQL can significantly increase the efficiency of working with a database. Using SQL, the database administrator can perform large numbers of record additions, updates, or deletions with just one SQL statement.

Database Security

Database security is crucial for companies who store sensitive and valuable data in their databases.
A data breach can be costly for a company, potentially resulting in negative media exposure, a loss of trust with customers or business partners, and government fines and even jail time.
Companies should follow best practices in database security, including:
- requiring users to use strong passwords
- limiting user access privileges to the minimum needed to perform their job
- placing database servers behind firewalls
- encrypting sensitive data

Database Backup and Recovery

The CIA (Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability) triad is a classic security model for protecting data.
Regularly backing up a database ensures that data is not lost in case of hardware failure, software problems, human error, or environmental threats (such as fire or flood).
Databases can be recovered with minimal disruption using backup files.

Big Data

The massive volume of data kept by a typical organization complicates storage and analysis processes, especially when the data is not structured in a way that allows it to be stored in traditional relational database tables.
These large and complex data sources that defy traditional data processing methods are called Big Data.
Big Data is often described according to the three Vs:
- Volume: the massive amount of data that must be stored and analyzed
- Variety: the different formats in which this data can exist (such as music or video files, photos, social media texts, financial transactions, IoT sensor data, and more)
- Velocity: the fact that this data is often generated and received at high speeds
Two additional Vs often used to describe Big Data include:
- Value: how helpful that data is for making strategic decisions
- Veracity: how accurately the data reflects reality.

Nonrelational Databases

Nonrelational databases (NoSQL) resolve many of the weaknesses of relational databases.
Many kinds of data are stored in NoSQL databases.
A key-value database is one simple example of a NoSQL database.
Key-value databases (also called key-value stores) create any number of key-value pairs for each record.

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Description

Explore the key advantages and challenges of using databases compared to spreadsheets. This quiz highlights how databases validate data, handle large volumes of information, and support multiple users, along with the complexities of design and security requirements.