FUNDAMENTALS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

CONTENTS
(1) Generations of computers
(2) Classification of computers
(3) Role of Information Technology
(4) History of Internet
(5) Web Browsers
(6) Web Servers
(7) Internet connection types
(8) How Internet works
(9) Uses of Internet
(10) Internet Security
(1) Generations of computers.
First Generation
The period of first generation: 1946-1959. Vacuum tube based.
Second Generation
The period of second generation: 1959-1965. Transistor based.
Third Generation
The period of third generation: 1965-1971. Integrated Circuit based.
Fourth Generation
The period of fourth generation: 1971-1980. VLSI microprocessor based.
Fifth Generation
The period of fifth generation: 1980-onwards. ULSI microprocessor based.

(2) Classification of Computers

Computer scan is broadly classified by their speed and computing power.

PC (Personal Computer) or Micro-Computers
It is a single user computer system having a moderately powerful microprocessor. It is termed as
a computer that is equipped microprocessor as its CPU.
Workstation
It is also a single user computer system, similar to the personal computer, however, has a more
powerful microprocessor.
Mini-Computer
It is a multi-user computer system, capable of supporting hundreds of users simultaneously.
Main Frame
It is a multi-user computer system, capable of supporting hundreds of users simultaneously.
Software technology is different from minicomputer.
Super-Computer
It is an extremely fast computer, which can execute hundreds of millions of instructions per
second.

(3) Role of IT
Technology is an essential part of our daily life. Virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial
intelligence, 3D printing, and robotics are the important applications of information technology.
Technology shapes the future and it can help us to develop clean energy, transport possibilities
with less emissions and low-energy houses to save resources.
In future, information technology will change the world completely.

Information technology uses in number of different sectors including

 human resources,
 finance,
 manufacturing and
 security

Using information technology, businesses have the ability to view changes in the global markets.

Role in business sector:
Several companies store digital versions of documents on servers and storage devices.
Used to design and manage customer relationships.
The use of Internet and satellite television have created new media and audiences.
Role in Banking sector:
Technology in the banking industry provide lot of facilities like E-banking, Mobile
banking, Remote banking, Plastic money etc.
ERP system:
ERP systems are used worldwide, more technology embodies a proven set of logistics,
manufacturing, customer relations and financial practices. ERP systems can help businesses
become more time efficient and improve productivity.
Software industry growth:
The software field can be divided into three segments: corporate information services
departments, software vendors, and consultants.
Data migration from Legacy systems to modern application:
Data migration that differs from data movement, data integration and conventional extract
transform and load respectively.

(4) History of the Internet

On October 29, 1969, an organization called ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency)
launched the first iteration of the internet (also known as ARPANET) connecting four major
computers at The University of Utah, UCSB, UCLA, and Stanford Research Institute.

When this network of computers was connected, universities were able to access files and
transmit information from one organization to the other, as well as internally.
ARPANET was renamed “internet.”

Late 1960s: Libraries automate and network catalogs independent of ARPANET.

1970s: Transport Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is established, allowing for
internet technology to mature. The invention of these protocols helped to standardize how
information was sent and received over the web.

1986: National Science Foundation funded NSFNET, which is the 56 Kbps backbone of the
internet. There were commercial restrictions in place at this time because federal funds were
being used to run and maintain it.

1991: User-friendly internet interface was created.

July 1992: Delphi became the first national commercial online service to offer internet access.

May 1995: All commercial use limitations on the internet disappear. This allowed the internet to
diversify and grow rapidly.

1997: WiFi was invented.

1998: Windows 98 hit the market.

2007: Widespread smartphone adoption.

2009: 4G network is introduced.

Today: 3 billion people use the internet.

2030: 7.5 billion projected internet users and 500 billion devices connected to the internet.

(5) Web browser

A web browser (commonly referred to as a browser) is a software application for accessing

information on the World Wide Web.

When a user requests a web page from a particular website, the web browser retrieves the
necessary content from a web server and then displays the page on the user's device.

A web browser is not the same thing as a search engine, though the two are often confused.
For a user, a search engine is just a website that provides links to other websites. However, to
connect to a website's server and display its web pages, a user must have a web browser
installed.

Web browsers are used on a range of devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets,

and smartphones.

In 2020, an estimated 4.9 billion people use a browser, with more than half of them in Asia.

The most used browser is Google Chrome, with a 66% global market share on all devices,
followed by Safari with 17%.

Other notable browsers include Firefox and Microsoft Edge.

(6) WEB SERVERS

A web server is server software, or hardware dedicated to running this software, that can

satisfy client requests on the World Wide Web.

A web server can, in general, contain one or more websites.

A web server processes incoming network requests over HTTP and several other

related protocols.

The primary function of a web server is to store, process and deliver web pages to clients.

 The communication between client and server takes place using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol
(HTTP).
Pages delivered are most frequently HTML documents, which may include images, style
sheets and scripts in addition to the text content.

(7) Different Types of Internet Connections

There are many ways a personal electronic device can connect to the internet. 
They all use different hardware and each has a range of connection speeds.  As
technology changes, faster internet connections are needed to handle those
changes

Dial-Up (Analog 56K)Dial-up access is cheap but slow. A modem (internal or

external) connects to the Internet after the computer dials a phone number.  This
analog signal is converted to digital via the modem and sent over a land-line
serviced by a public telephone network.  Telephone lines are variable in quality and
the connection can be poor at times.  The lines regularly experience interference
and this affects the speed, anywhere from 28K to 56K. 
DSL.  DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line.  It is an internet connection that is
always “on”.  There is also no need to dial a phone number to connect.  DSL uses a
router to transport data and the range of connection speed, depending on the
service offered, is between 128K to 8 Mbps.

Cable.  Cable provides an internet connection through a cable modem and

operates over cable TV lines.  There are different speeds depending on if you are
uploading data transmissions or downloading.  Since the coax cable provides a
much greater bandwidth over dial-up or DSL telephone lines, you can get faster
access.  Cable speeds range from 512K to 20 Mbps.

Wireless.   Wireless, or Wi-Fi, as the name suggests, does not use telephone lines or
cables to connect to the internet.   Instead, it uses radio frequency.  Wireless is also
an always on connection and it can be accessed from just about anywhere.  I really
mean it.  Speeds will vary, and the range is between 5 Mbps to 20 Mbps.

Satellite.  Satellite accesses the internet via a satellite in Earth’s orbit. The

enormous distance that a signal travels from earth to satellite and back again,
provides a delayed connection compared to cable and DSL.  Satellite connection
speeds are around 512K to 2.0 Mbps.

Cellular.  Cellular technology provides wireless Internet access through cell

phones.  The speeds vary depending on the provider, but the most common are 3G
and 4G speeds.  A 3G is a term that describes a 3rd generation cellular network
obtaining mobile speeds of around 2.0 Mbps.  4G is the fourth generation of
cellular wireless standards. The goal of 4G is to achieve peak mobile speeds of 100
Mbps but the reality is about 21 Mbps currently.

(8) How does the internet work?

The internet is a worldwide computer network that transmits a variety of data and media across
interconnected devices. It works by using a packet routing network that follows Internet Protocol
(IP) and Transport Control Protocol (TCP).
Messages + Packets
Data sent over the internet is called a message
Before messages get sent, they’re broken up into tiny parts called packets
Internet Protocol (IP)
Rules that govern how information is sent from one computer to another computer over an
internet connection
Specifies how computers should send information to other computers by sending data with an
attached numerical address (IP Address)
Transport Control Protocol (TCP)
Works with IP to ensure transfer of data is dependable and reliable
No packets lost, no delay negatively affecting data quality, packets reassembled in proper
sequence
What happens when you surf the internet
Step 1: Your PC or device is connected to the web through a modem or router, which allows it to
connect to other networks around the globe.
A router allows for multiple computers to join the same network while a modem connects to
your Internet Service Provider (ISP) which provides either cable or DSL internet.
Your personal PC is called a client as opposed to a server.
Client computers connect to the internet through an ISP.
Example: Your phone connected to a mobile network or your laptop connected to WiFi.
Servers are computers directly connected to the internet.
Step 2: Type in a web address, known as a URL. URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator.
Step 3: Your query is processed and pushed to your ISP. Your ISP has multiple servers which
store and send data like a NAP Server (Network Access Protection) and a DNS (Domain Name
Server).
Your browser looks up the IP address for the domain name you typed into your browser through
DNS.
DNS translates the text-based domain name you type into the browser into the number-based IP
address.
Example: Google.com becomes 64.233.191.255
Step 4: Browser sends a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request to the target server to send
a copy of the website to the client using TCP/IP.
HTTP: Language used for internet communication.
Step 5: Server approves request and sends a “200 OK” message to client computer. Then, the
server sends web page files to browser in the form of data packets.
Step 6: Web page loads as your browser reassembles packets.

(9) USES OF INTERNET

1. Electronic mail. At least 85% of the inhabitants of cyberspace send and receive e-mail.
Some 20 million e-mail messages cross the Internet every week.

2. Research.

3. Downloading files.

4. Discussion groups. These include public groups, such as those on Usenet, and the private
mailing lists that ListServ manages.

5. Interactive games. Who hasn’t tried to hunt down at least one game?

6. Education and self-improvement. On-line courses and workshops have found yet

another outlet.
7. Friendship and dating. You may be surprised at the number of electronic “personals”
that you can find on the World Wide Web.

8. Electronic newspapers and magazines. This category includes late-breaking news,

weather, and sports. We’re likely to see this category leap to the top five in the next
several years.

9. Job-hunting. Classified ads are in abundance, but most are for technical positions.

10. Shopping. It’s difficult to believe that this category even ranks. It appears that
“cybermalls” are more for curious than serious shoppers.

(10) Internet Security

Internet security refers to securing communication over the internet. It includes specific security
protocols such as:
Internet Security Protocol (IPSec)
Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

Internet Security Protocol (IPSec)

It consists of a set of protocols designed by Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It provides
security at network level and helps to create authenticated and confidential packets for IP layer.

Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

It is a security protocol developed by Netscape Communications Corporation. ). It provides
security at transport layer. It addresses the following security issues:

Privacy
Integrity
Authentication

Threats
Internet security threats impact the network, data security and other internet connected systems.
Cyber criminals have evolved several techniques to threat privacy and integrity of bank accounts,
businesses, and organizations.

Following are some of the internet security threats:

Mobile worms
Malware
PC and Mobile ransomware
Large scale attacks like Stuxnet that attempts to destroy infrastructure.
Hacking as a Service
Spam
Phishing

Email Phishing
Email phishing is an activity of sending emails to a user claiming to be a legitimate enterprise. Its
main purpose is to steal sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card
details.
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