Information Technology, Digital Tools, and Business Applications
Digital foundations
Business technology includes hardware, operating systems, applications, networks, databases, and cloud services. Cloud models are commonly IaaS (infrastructure), PaaS (platform), and SaaS (software). Enterprise systems such as ERP integrate core processes, while CRM manages customer relationships. Spreadsheets remain central: formulas, functions, cell references, sorting, filtering, charts, and validation support analysis and reporting. Candidates should know relative references (A1) change when copied, while absolute references ($A$1) stay fixed; mixed references lock only a row or column.
Security and responsibility
Cybersecurity protects confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Threats include phishing, malware, ransomware, and social engineering. Controls include strong authentication such as multi-factor authentication, patching, access limits, and tested backups. Traps: confusing RAM (working memory) with storage; assuming cloud providers carry all security responsibility; treating a backup as an archive; and calling any suspicious email a virus when it is phishing.
Worked example
A price in C1 must multiply every quantity in B2:B20. Enter =B2*$C$1 in the first row and fill down. The $ locks column C and row 1, so the formula remains =B3*$C$1, =B4*$C$1, and so on. Without dollar signs, =B2*C1 copied down would shift the price reference and produce errors. Rule of thumb: lock the cell you want every copied formula to keep pointing to.