Information Technology
What the domain covers
The Information Technology domain of MATSEC AM IT tests how computer-based systems capture, process, store and exchange data to meet organisational needs. You should be able to classify hardware and software, explain data communications and database concepts, outline the system development life cycle (SDLC), and discuss security, legal and ethical issues.
Core rules and concepts
- Data, information, knowledge. Data are raw facts (e.g., 37.5); information is processed data with context (e.g., "patient temperature 37.5 °C"); knowledge applies information (e.g., "this is normal").
- System model. Input → processing → output, with storage and feedback.
- Hardware. CPU (ALU, control unit, registers); memory hierarchy (cache, RAM, ROM, secondary storage). RAM is volatile; ROM is non-volatile and holds firmware.
- Software. System software (OS, utilities) vs application software; proprietary vs open source.
- Networks. LAN vs WAN; client-server vs peer-to-peer; TCP/IP; bandwidth vs latency.
- Databases. Tables, records, fields; primary/foreign keys; DBMS; basic SQL; normalisation.
- SDLC. Analysis, design, implementation, testing, deployment, maintenance; waterfall vs iterative.
- Security and law. CIA triad; malware and phishing; firewalls, encryption, backups, access control; data protection and copyright.
Worked example
A clinic replaces paper records. Raw data include patient name, date of birth and visit dates. Information is a recall list of diabetic patients due for review. Hardware: server and desktop terminals. Software: DBMS plus appointment application. Network: encrypted LAN. Security: role-based access and nightly backups. Reasoning: begin with stakeholder requirements, map each to a component, then check non-functional needs such as privacy and response time; choose off-the-shelf software if it meets most needs at lower cost.
Traps that cost marks
Calling a list of numbers "information" when it is data; confusing RAM with ROM; assuming extra bandwidth removes latency; omitting testing and maintenance from the SDLC; ignoring the legal basis for storing personal data.