A database is organised collection of structures data. Database software enables you to organise and store data so that specific items of information can be retrieved easily and quickly in structured fashion.

A database file contains one or more tables. A table is a collection of related data about a subject and is divided into rows and colums. Each row is a record and each column is a field, A record is a group of related fields. A field is a data item.

Each record has a key field which uniquely identifies a record.Using a key field can speed up operations such as searching and sorting. A key field also allows tables to be lonked. Linking tables enables a database to create queries that retrieve data serveral data.

A flat-file database has only one table, whereas a relational database has serveral linked tables.

Each field is automatically assigned default field propeties depending on the data types. The field propeties can be changed, determine how a field is stores,how it works and how it is displayed

The data type determines the type of data that will be stored in a field and it will be treated.The data types available avaliable in the access are as following :Number,text,memo,date/time,currency,yes/no,ole object,autonumber and hyperlink.

Data can be input by entering it in a table in datasheet view, using an input form or uploading it froman existing file, for example, afile created in a spreadsheet.

A query enables you to view data from one or more tables in specified order. It is used for storing and answering questions about information in a database. When you run a query, the answer is displayed in dynaset- editable group of records that answers a query. There are sevearal types of queries; for example select and updates queries.

A select query is the most common type. It is used to search tables to retrieve data that satisfies the query.

An update Query makes changes to a group of records or to all of the records in one or more tables.

A report is an attractive display of the data or information in a table or query. It is a method used to diplay details as well as summary informtaion about the contents of a database. reports can be diplayed in either a columnar or tabular format. A columnar report displays each record in asingle column. A tabular report report displays all the data under the respective field names.

Data can be loaded from an existing file and a table created with the data in it.

 Computers are now commonplace, and affect our lives in many ways every day. An ICT system carries out a task in three main stages, which may overlap: input, processing and output.

 A computer is an electronic machine that can follow a set of instructions to input, process, store and output data.

Hardware is the equipment that makes up the complete ICT system: the components such as the keyboard, the monitor, the system unit and everything inside it, a printer, a scanner and speakers.

 Input devices include the keyboard, pointing devices (such as a mouse, joystick, game pad or trackpad), scanners, magnetic stripe readers, OMR readers and light sensors.

 Output devices include monitors, printers and speakers.

Printers can be divided into impact and non-impact printers. An impact printer strikes an inked ribbon which makes marks on the paper. A non-impact printer uses a non-striking method to form the image on the paper. This type includes laser printers and inkjet printers.

 Printers use different kinds of output medium, such as single A4 sheets of paper, continuous paper and specialist paper for printing photographs or other digitised images.

 Multi-function printers combine a printer, scanner and fax machine. Combining a printer with a scanner produces the effective functionality of a photocopier

Without an operating system you could not make use of a computer

• The os contrals all input and output and the transfer of data within th computer.
• The os manges errors
• The os allocates resources to the software running on the computer.
• The os provides a user interface so that the user can control the computer. Diffrent types of user interface include a command line, menu driven and graphical interface.
• The os stores files manges the file storage system.

• Utility programs     examplesinclude virus scanners, disk defragmenters and backuputilities.Generic - general purpose software that is not written for any particular type of business. Examples of this include word processors and  spreadsheets.Integrated - a collection of software that has a common set of commands/icons. Usually they include word processors, spreadsheets and graphics software, but they can contain databases as well. They tend to be cheaper than purchasing each application separately.Specific - software written for a defined purpose. Accountancy software is a good example of this that can be bought by anyone.Bespoke - bespoke software is written when a company requires a piece of software to perform a very specific task or function and there's no existing software that does what they need. It can be very expensive.

• Crop – cut off sides of an image to make it a suitable size or remove unwanted areas.
• Adjust contrast and brightness.
• Remove red-eye.
• Layers - you can have several different elements of the graphic as separate layers. These layers can be made invisible or even deleted at any time.
• Clone tool – allows the user to clone one part of the picture to another to remove an unwanted element.
• Special effects – the effects vary from one piece of software to another but usually include:
  • Artistic effects - for example, making a picture look like an oil painting.
  • Geometric effects - for example, making an image appear to be on the surface of a ball.
  • Colour adjustments - for example, turning a photo into greyscale or brightening certain colours.

1. The Information Commissioner is the person (and his or her office) who has powers to enforce the Act.
2. A data controller is an organisation or individual (for example, when self-employed) who determines what data the organisation collects, how it is collected and how it is processed.
3. A data subject is someone who has data about them stored somewhere, outside of their direct control. For example, a bank stores its customers' names, addresses and phone numbers. This makes us all data subjects as there can be few people in the UK who do not feature in computer records somewhere.

1. It must be collected and used fairly and inside the law.
2. It must only be held and used for the reasons given to the Information Commissioner.
3. It can only be used for those registered purposes and only be disclosed to those people mentioned in the register entry. You cannot give it away or sell it unless you said you would to begin with.
4. The information held must be adequate, relevant and not excessive when compared with the purpose stated in the register. So you must have enough detail but not too much for the job that you are doing with the data.

1. It must be accurate and be kept up to date. There is a duty to keep it up to date, for example to change an address when people move.
2. It must not be kept longer than is necessary for the registered purpose. It is alright to keep information for certain lengths of time but not indefinitely. This rule means that it would be wrong to keep information about past customers longer than a few years at most.
3. The information must be kept safe and secure. This includes keeping the information backed up and away from any unauthorised access. It would be wrong to leave personal data open to be viewed by just anyone.
4. The files may not be transferred outside of the European Economic Area (that's the EU plus some small European countries) unless the country that the data is being sent to has a suitable data protection law. This part of the DPA has led to some countries passing similar laws to allow computer data centres to be located in their area.

Hacking

Hacking is where an unauthorised person uses a network, internet or modem connection to gain access past security passwords or other security to see data stored on another computer. Hackers sometimes use software hacking tools and often target, for example, particular sites on the internet.

Data misuse and unauthorised transfer or copying

Copying and illegal transfer of data is very quick and easy using online computers and large storage devices such as hard disks, memory sticks and DVDs. Personal data, company research and written work, such as novels and textbooks, cannot be copied without the copyright holder's permission.

Copying and distributing copyrighted software, music and film

This includes copying music and movies with computer equipment and distributing it on the internet without the copyright holder's permission. This is a widespread misuse of both computers and the internet that breaks copyright regulations.c

Email and chat room abuses

Internet services such as chat rooms and email have been the subject of many well-publicised cases of impersonation and deception where people who are online pretend to have a different identity. Chat rooms have been used to spread rumours about well known personalities. A growing area of abuse of the internet is email spam, where millions of emails are sent to advertise both legal and illegal 

***********

A lot of indecent material and *********** is available through the internet and can be stored in electronic form. There have been several cases of material, which is classified as illegal, or which shows illegal acts, being found stored on computers followed by prosecutions for possession of the material

Identity and financial abuses

This topic includes misuse of stolen or fictional credit card numbers to obtain goods or services on the internet, and use of computers in financial frauds. These can range from complex well thought out deceptions to simple uses such as printing counterfeit money with colour printers.

Viruses

Viruses are relatively simple programs written by people and designed to cause nuisance or damage to computers or their files.