At a coastal wildlife centre, Tessy and Camille review information from motion-sensitive cameras placed near seal nesting sites. Fig. 1 shows the small digi...
Question 1 Report
At a coastal wildlife centre, Tessy and Camille review information from motion-sensitive cameras placed near seal nesting sites. Fig. 1 shows the small digital operations cabin. Each camera saves short clips to a network storage device. Researchers use laptop computers in the cabin to view the video, add the location and date to the data, and upload selected clips to an online archive. Viren sometimes uses a smartphone to check whether a camera is working when he is away from the centre. Only authorised researchers should be able to access the archive.
(a) State two items of hardware, other than a computer, that are needed to allow the cameras to send their data to the storage device. [2]
(b) Describe how user names and passwords can restrict access to the online archive. [4]
(c) Which type of software would Tessy use to organise the camera data into fields such as clip ID, date, location and animal count? Give a reason for your choice. [3]
(d) Explain why the centre should make backup copies of the video files and store a copy away from the cabin. [5]
(e) Give three ways the centre can protect the personal information of researchers who use the network, and explain why each way is useful. [6]
Answer Details
(a) Two suitable items are a router or wireless access point and a switch. A network interface card/wireless adapter and Ethernet cable are also valid hardware needed for network communication. [2]
(b) A researcher enters a unique username or user ID and then a password. The system checks whether that password matches the stored password for the username. Access is granted only if the account is authorised; unauthorised users are refused. [4]
(c) Use database software, a DBMS. It stores information as records made up of fields, such as clip ID, date, location, and animal count. It also allows searching, sorting, filtering, and querying, for example to find clips from a specified location. [3]
(d) Backups provide another copy if the main storage fails or is damaged, and allow recovery after deletion or corruption. They reduce loss from malware or ransomware. A copy stored away from the cabin remains safe if the cabin is affected by fire, flood, or theft, allowing research to continue or clips to be recovered more quickly. [5]
(e) Strong passwords make accounts harder to guess. Two-factor authentication requires a second code or device as well as a password. Encryption makes intercepted or stolen data unreadable without the key. Permissions restrict each researcher to information required for their role. A firewall blocks unauthorised connections, and updated anti-malware detects or removes software that could steal data. Explain any three protections. [6]
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