INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & DIGITAL BANKING MODULE A QUIZ 2

Digitising a form can improve convenience, but broader benefits often require redesigning the end-to-end process, integrating systems, defining ownership and measuring outcomes. Technology added to a fragmented process may simply reproduce existing inefficiencies.

Effective governance aligns IT priorities with business objectives, establishes accountability, monitors risk and performance, and ensures compliance. Business and technology stakeholders should jointly oversee major investments and risk decisions.

Input validation checks whether entered data meet defined rules, such as format, range or validity. Validation can reduce errors but does not guarantee that the underlying information is factually true; other controls may be needed.

In a centralised processing arrangement, key processing and records are maintained at a central system, while branches access it through connected terminals or applications. This can support consistent records but makes central availability and resilience important.

Distributed systems can scale by adding nodes and may improve resilience by avoiding a single processing point. These benefits are not automatic: network failures, data consistency and coordination must be managed.

On-demand self-service and rapid elasticity are core cloud characteristics. They allow resources to be provisioned and released as needed. Cloud adoption still requires due diligence on security, resilience, compliance and exit arrangements.

Virtualisation allows multiple workloads to share a physical host rather than reserving a separate underused machine for each workload. Capacity planning, licensing, security isolation and host-failure impact still need to be considered.

Firmware is low-level software stored in non-volatile memory that controls or supports hardware operation, such as device startup and embedded functions. It differs from ordinary user applications and may require controlled updates.

Utility software supports system maintenance or protection, such as backup, file compression, disk management or malware scanning. It is distinct from operating-system core functions and from task-specific end-user applications, although categories can overlap.

Open-source licences impose conditions that vary by licence, so the bank should review licence obligations, third-party components, support, patching, security and operational suitability. Open source does not mean unrestricted use or absence of risk.

Cookies can store small pieces of state such as session identifiers or preferences because HTTP is fundamentally stateless. Sensitive session cookies should be protected using appropriate attributes, secure transport and sound session-management practices.

The Domain Name System (DNS) maps domain names to records, including IP addresses. DNS resolution helps a client locate the destination; it does not itself provide the web page or guarantee that the destination is safe.

In a star topology, each endpoint connects to a central device such as a switch. A central-device failure can affect many or all connected devices, while a single endpoint link failure often affects only that endpoint.

Data are divided into packets that are forwarded through a network. Packets may take different routes and can arrive out of order; higher-layer protocols may handle sequencing, retransmission or reassembly as needed.

Bandwidth refers to the theoretical or configured capacity of a communication link, often measured in bits per second. Throughput is the actual achieved data rate and is affected by congestion, protocol overhead, errors and other constraints.

Latency measures the time delay for data to travel or for a request-response interaction to complete. High bandwidth does not necessarily mean low latency; both can affect application performance.

TCP uses acknowledgements, sequence numbers and retransmission mechanisms to provide reliable, ordered delivery. This reliability adds overhead and does not mean every application protocol must use TCP.

UDP is connectionless and does not itself guarantee delivery, ordering or retransmission. It can suit time-sensitive traffic where application design handles loss or prefers timely data over retransmission delays. Some real-time applications use other transport approaches too.

An intranet is a private organisational network or set of services using Internet technologies and access controls. The Internet is a global network of interconnected networks. An intranet may use Internet protocols without being publicly accessible.

A virtual private network can create a protected tunnel over an untrusted network, commonly using encryption and authentication. A VPN does not replace endpoint security, access controls, monitoring or correct configuration.