Level:
Correct: 0
Incorrect: 0
Marks: 0/0
Exam Practice
Subject:
Topics:
Cambridge IGCSE Computer Science (Paper 1) Smart practice A mixed round aimed at your weak spots
Unit 1
Data representation
Number systems
Binary, denary and hexadecimal conversions
0%
Uses of hexadecimal
0%
Binary addition and overflow
0%
Logical binary shifts
0%
Two's complement
0%
Text, sound and images
Character sets: ASCII and Unicode
0%
Representing sound
0%
Representing images
0%
Data storage and compression
Data storage units and file size calculations
0%
Data compression
0%
Unit 2
Data transmission
Types and methods of data transmission
Packets and packet switching
0%
Methods of data transmission
0%
The USB interface
0%
Methods of error detection
Parity, checksum and echo check
0%
Check digits and ARQ
0%
Encryption
Encryption
0%
Unit 3
Hardware
Computer architecture
The CPU, Von Neumann architecture and the FDE cycle
0%
Cores, cache and clock speed
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Instruction sets and embedded systems
0%
Input and output devices
Input devices
0%
Output devices
0%
Sensors
0%
Data storage
Primary storage: RAM and ROM
0%
Secondary storage: magnetic, optical and solid-state
0%
Virtual memory and cloud storage
0%
Network hardware
Network hardware: NIC, MAC and IP addresses, routers
0%
Unit 4
Software
Types of software and interrupts
System software, application software and operating systems
0%
Firmware and interrupts
0%
Programming languages, translators and IDEs
High-level languages, low-level languages and assembly language
0%
Compilers and interpreters
0%
Integrated development environments (IDEs)
0%
Unit 5
The internet and its uses
The internet and the world wide web
The internet, the world wide web, URLs and HTTP(S)
0%
Web browsers, locating web pages and cookies
0%
Digital currency
Digital currency and blockchain
0%
Cyber security
Cyber security threats
0%
Keeping data safe: security solutions
0%
Unit 6
Automated and emerging technologies
Automated systems
Automated systems
0%
Robotics
Robotics
0%
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
0%
Avg
score:
–
Topics
done:
0/39

Keeping data safe: security solutions

Practise 35 exam-style questions on Keeping data safe: security solutions for Cambridge IGCSE Computer Science (Paper 1). Write your answer as you would in the exam and get it marked in seconds against the mark scheme, point by point, with an AI tutor on hand if you get stuck.

  • 35 questions
  • 1–6 marks each
  • Instant marking
  • No sign-up needed
20 questions, marked as you go

Sample questions with model answers

Here are 4 of the questions in this topic, each with a model answer, an explanation of why it earns the marks and the mark scheme an examiner would use.

Question 1

1 mark

A student receives this message: 'Congratulations! You have won a £500 voucher. Reply within one hour to claim your prize.'

State one feature of the tone of this message that suggests it may be a scam.

Model answer

It puts pressure on the student to act quickly by saying they must reply within one hour.

Explanation

Scammers use urgency so people act before thinking, and unexpected prizes that seem too good to be true. Genuine organisations rarely demand an immediate reply. Recognising this tone is one of the solutions for keeping data safe from phishing.

Mark scheme
  1. 1 mark

    Any one from: it creates urgency / pressure (reply within one hour); the offer is too good to be true (a prize the student did not enter for)

    accept 'it is overexcited / over-friendly'; do not accept 'spelling mistakes' (there are none)

Question 2

2 marks

Explain how checking the spelling and tone of a message can help a person avoid being a victim of phishing.

Model answer

Phishing messages often have spelling and grammar errors or use an urgent or threatening tone to pressure people, while real companies write carefully and professionally. If the person spots these signs, they will realise the message is probably fake and will not click its link or hand over their details.

Explanation

Checking spelling and tone is a human security measure: it relies on the reader noticing that a message does not look like it came from a real organisation. Marks come from saying what the warning signs are and what the person then does (or does not do) as a result.

Mark scheme
  1. 1 mark

    Phishing messages often contain spelling or grammar mistakes / an urgent, threatening or unusually informal tone, whereas genuine organisations check their messages and write professionally

  2. 1 mark

    Noticing these signs warns the person the message may be fake, so they do not click the link / reply / give personal details

Question 3

3 marks

The table shows the passwords chosen by four students for the school network.

Identify the student with the strongest password and give two reasons why it is the strongest.

Student passwords. Table with columns "Student", "Password". Student: Amir; Password: amir2011 | Student: Bella; Password: sunshine | Student: Carlos; Password: Gq7!mZ2#rT9w | Student: Dana; Password: 12345678.

Model answer

Carlos has the strongest password. It is the longest at 12 characters, and it mixes upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols, so it is not a word or a pattern and would take far longer to crack by brute force than the others.

Explanation

Strong passwords are long, use a mix of character types and avoid words, names, dates and simple sequences. Amir's password contains his name and probably a year, 'sunshine' is a dictionary word and 12345678 is one of the most common passwords, so all three could be guessed quickly.

Mark scheme
  1. 1 mark

    Carlos

    accept the password Gq7!mZ2#rT9w

  2. 1 mark

    It is the longest password (12 characters)

    reasons: max 2

  3. 1 mark

    It contains a mix of upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers and symbols

    accept any two of these types for this mark

  4. 1 mark

    It is not a dictionary word / not personal information (name or year of birth) / not a simple sequence such as 12345678

  5. 1 mark

    There are far more possible combinations, so it is much harder to guess / would take much longer to crack with a brute-force attack

    do not accept 'it is harder to remember'

Question 4

4 marks

Describe how a firewall helps to keep the data on a company's network safe.

Model answer

A firewall sits between the company's network and the internet and examines all incoming and outgoing traffic. It checks each item of traffic against a set of rules set by the network manager and blocks anything that does not meet them, such as traffic from known undesirable IP addresses. It logs traffic and warns the manager about attempted unauthorised access, helping to keep hackers out.

Explanation

The key ideas are position (between the network and the internet), monitoring of traffic in both directions, comparison with rules, and blocking. 'It stops viruses' on its own is not enough: describe how the firewall decides what to block.

Mark scheme
  1. 1 mark

    Sits between the company network / computer and the internet (external network)

    max 4

  2. 1 mark

    Monitors / examines all incoming and outgoing traffic

  3. 1 mark

    Checks the traffic against a set of rules / criteria (set by the user or network manager)

  4. 1 mark

    Blocks traffic that does not meet the rules

  5. 1 mark

    Can block traffic from / to particular IP addresses / keeps a list of undesirable IP addresses

  6. 1 mark

    Can block access to certain (undesirable) websites

  7. 1 mark

    Logs traffic so it can be checked later

  8. 1 mark

    Warns the user / network manager about attempted unauthorised access, or when software tries to access an external source

  9. 1 mark

    Helps prevent hackers gaining access / malware entering the network

Ready to try the rest? Every answer you write is marked against the mark scheme, so you can see exactly where the marks are.

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