Basic Computer Knowledge and Awareness
This domain covers computer fundamentals, memory and storage, common office software, the internet, and basic cyber safety. For a police recruit, the cyber-safety portion matters in practice: you may be the first person a fraud victim approaches.
Fundamentals
- Hardware is physical; software is the set of instructions. Input devices include keyboard, mouse, scanner and microphone; output devices include monitor, printer and speaker.
- Memory: 8 bits = 1 byte; 1 KB = 1024 bytes; 1 MB = 1024 KB; 1 GB = 1024 MB; 1 TB = 1024 GB. RAM is volatile, ROM is non-volatile.
- Shortcuts: Ctrl+C copy, Ctrl+V paste, Ctrl+X cut, Ctrl+Z undo, Ctrl+Y redo, Ctrl+S save, Ctrl+P print, Alt+F4 close window, F5 refresh.
- Spreadsheets: a formula begins with "="; A1 is a relative reference, $A$1 is absolute, and mixing them locks only the row or only the column.
- Internet: a browser displays pages, a search engine finds them; HTTPS is the encrypted version of HTTP.
Worked example
A cell D4 contains =$B$2C3. It is copied to E5. What does E5 contain? Reasoning: the dollar signs lock column B and row 2 in $B$2, so that part does not change. The reference C3 is relative and shifts by one column right and one row down, becoming D4. Answer: =$B$2D4.
Cyber safety and traps
- Phishing, OTP fraud and fake "KYC update" links should be reported on cybercrime.gov.in or the 1930 financial-fraud helpline.
- Trap: using 1000 instead of 1024 for memory units.
- Trap: calling Google a browser - it is a search engine; Chrome and Firefox are browsers.
- Trap: confusing Save (Ctrl+S) with Save As, and Delete with permanent deletion.