Data, Information and Knowledge

Data: Raw numbers, letters, symbols, sounds or images without meaning or context.

Information: Data with context and meaning. Knowledge: Information to which human experience
has been applied

Sources of Data

Static Data: Data that does not normally change.

Dynamic Data: Data that changes automatically without user intervention.

Primary Data: Data that is collected for the purpose for which it will be used.

Secondary Data: Data that was collected for a different purpose.

Quality of Information
Accuracy Data must be accurate to be considered of a good quality

Relevance Information must be relevant to its purpose

Age Information must be kept up to date in order to be useful

Level of Detail Too much information will make it difficult to find the
information required. Too little information means that it
cannot be used correctly.
Completeness All of the information required must be provided.

Coding and Encoding Data

Advantages and Disadvantages of Coding Data

Advantages
Data can be presented in small spaces, and less
storage space is required.
Data can be input more quickly.
Processors can process data more quickly since
they only have to process the coded data.
Coded data can be validated by checking its
length and/or its format.
Data can be coded so that it cannot be
understood by others.
Disadvantages
There may not be enough codes available to
use, meaning that more letters or numbers
need to be added.
Inputting data too quickly may result in errors.
Some letters such as O and 0 can be hard to
distinguish, especially if handwritten.
If a user inputting codes does not know what
code to use, then they will be unable to enter
the data efficiently.
Some information and detail may be lost in the
process of coding.
Encoding Data
When data is encoded, it is stored in a specific format. Computers use binary digits, which are 1s and
0s.

Text is encoded as a number which is then represented by a binary number. The most common
encoding method is ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange), which consists of
256 codes from 0 to 255

Images are encoded as bitmaps. The pixel size of the image, the bit count, compression type and
resolution are encoded.

Sound is encoded by including information about the sample rate, the bit depth, and the number of
channels. Lossy compression will reduce file size and reduce quality at the same time, while lossless
compression reduces the file size without losing any quality.

Video is encoded by storing both image and sound. Images are stored as frames, and an FPS value
(frames per second) must also be determined. The resolution of the video and the bit rate is also
encoded.

Advantages

● Reduces file size, leading to smoother streaming and downloading.

● Reduced file size means that more files can be stored.

● Different file formats can be used for different purposes.

Disadvantages

● Required codecs may not be installed.

● Not all software is capable of opening different file types.

● Quality is lost when using lossy compression

Encryption
Encryption scrambles data so that if it is found, it cannot be understood. However, this does not stop
the data from being intercepted, stolen or lost. As long as the encryption key or keys are kept
secure, it is virtually impossible for somebody to decrypt the data using brute-force methods.

Caesar Cipher

A cipher is a secret way of writing. It is usually applied by shifting the letters of the alphabet along.
This was used in the Roman Empire by Julius Caesar to communicate in secret with his generals.

Symmetric Encryption

It requires both the sender and recipient to possess the same encryption key, which is used to
encrypt and decrypt the message. The secret key must be sent to the recipient, either alongside the
message or separately. This isn’t very secure as both the message and the key could be
compromised at the same time.

Asymmetric Encryption

This is also known as public-key cryptography. It helps overcome the problem of keys being
intercepted by using a pair of keys. Each person possesses a public key and private key. The public
key is known to everyone, and is used to encrypt the message. The encrypted message is then sent
to the recipient, and only they can decrypt the message by using the corresponding private key. This
means that even if the message is intercepted, it cannot be read since the attacker does not have
the corresponding private key. Digital certificates are used to list public keys, which list the public
key itself, the certificate issuer, organisation name, and the user’s details. However, constant
encryption and decryption will slow down the transmission of information.

HTTPS

Normal web pages transmitted using HTTP are not encrypted, meaning that attackers can easily read
the data being received and transmitted. HTTPS adds a layer of security, usually Secure Sockets Layer
(SSL) or Transport Layer Security to encrypt and decrypt pages and information sent and received by
web users. When a browser connects to a secure page, it will check if the digital certificate is valid. If
it is, the browser will use the corresponding public to encrypt a new symmetric key, sent to the
server. All communication is then encrypted using the new symmetric key, which is much quicker
than asymmetric encryption.

Hard Disks

Disk encryption will encrypt every single bit of data stored on a disk. This means that even if
someone gets physical access to the disk, they still cannot read the data since the encryption key will
still be required. This is especially important for portable devices like USBs, since they are the most
vulnerable to be stolen.

Email

Email encryption uses asymmetric encryption. Before encrypted emails can be sent and received,
both the sender and recipient must send each other a digitally signed message containing their
public key. The most common form of email encryption is known as PGP.

Validation
Validation takes place when data is input into a computer system. The data is checked to ensure that
it has been entered correctly, and that it makes sense. If it isn’t, the user will be informed and they
will be prevented from entering the data incorrectly. However, it is important to note that validation
cannot check that the data itself is correct; it can only check that it has been entered correctly.
Presence Check A presence check is used to ensure that data is entered, and that a field isn’t
left blank.
Range Check A range check ensures that data is within a defined range. This can be
implemented by either using one boundary or two boundaries.
Type Check A type check ensures data is in the correct data type.
Length Check A length check ensures data is of a correct range or within a range of
lengths.
Format Check A format check ensures that data matches a specific format. In databases,
this is implemented as an input mask. A common example is for emails; they
must follow the format xxx@xxx.xxx
Lookup Check A lookup check tests to see if the inputted data corresponds to an option on
a list. This is similar to referential integrity.
Consistency A consistency check compares data in one field to existing data in another
Check field to ensure that it is consistent.
Check Digit A check digit is a number or letter added at the end of an identification
number. This character is calculated based on the rest of the previous
numbers according to a specific algorithm

Verification
Verification is the process of checking that the data entered into a computer system matches the
data from the original source.

Verification

Verification is the process of checking that the data entered into a computer system matches the
data from the original source.

Double Data Entry

This is where data is input twice, and the data is compared by the computer system to ensure that
they match. If there are any differences, it means that one of the inputs must have been incorrect.
However, if a user enters the data incorrectly twice in the same manner, the data will still be wrong
but it will be verified.

Proofreading

Proofreading is where a person re-reads the input data to ensure that it makes sense. This is usually
carried out using a person other than the one that did the data entry, since they will be able to spot
errors more quickly. For large pieces of text, it may also be a good idea to proofread using spellcheck
and grammar software, or printing the document out and reading it over line by line