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UPDATED TO 2023-2025 SYLLABUS

CAIE IGCSE
ICT
SUMMARIZED NOTES ON THE THEORY SYLLABUS
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CAIE IGCSE ICT

It is up to companies to decide if personal emails should

1. Communication be permitted on their systems
Companies may specify which company devices are
allowed to be used
1.1. Communication with Other ICT There needs to be a company standard style when
users Using E-mail sending emails
It must be made clear what email content is not
E-Mail permitted
Employees should be told only to use their accounts
Uses: when sending emails
There must be clear rules regarding the confidentiality of
Email is a technique of sending and receiving messages information
and files via the Internet. Staff need to be aware of the method and duration of
It is employed in personal communication, business storing emails
communications, and marketing. Incoming emails should only be read by the recipient
Acceptable language must be used based on the email's Company policy on how to deal with and prevent viruses
recipient, for example, professional when composing a must be laid out
work-related email. Monitoring of emails may be carried out, and staff must
Employers frequently establish requirements for be aware that the company has the right to read all
professional language, substance, and email frequency. emails
Email security is critical to preventing sensitive data from Suitable ongoing training will take place to ensure staff
being accessed or manipulated. follow company policy at all times
Netiquette is the proper conduct and politeness when
using email. Carbon Copies (Cc) and Blind Carbon Copies (Bcc)
Don’t be abusive
Don’t send spam Carbon copies are used to send the email to multiple
Be clear and concise with your message recipients.
Remember that posts are usually public and can be Blind carbon copies are made to send the email to
read by anyone. multiple recipients without them acknowledging that it
Always check your spelling and grammar. has been sent to other recipients.
Respect people's privacy and do not discuss or Forward enables users to send an already existing email
publish information that might embarrass somebody. to a new recipient.
Forgive people’s mistakes To attach files to be sent with an email, we make use of
Do not use CAPITAL LETTERS to highlight comments Attachments.
Do not plagiarize
Do not use too many emoticons, as they might annoy Spam
your readers.
Email groups enable mass communication to a specific It is defined as any unwanted email delivered via the
group of subscribers. Internet. These can range from annoying to genuinely
harmful, as they may contain viruses.
Guidelines set by employers: The main disadvantages are:

wasting time
annoying people
using up valuable bandwidth on the internet, thus
slowing it down
may have viruses or be a part of a phishing scam
can take up significant space in user inboxes

To minimize the spam you receive:

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use spam filters Definition:

avoid disclosing your email address publicly The Internet is a vast network of linked computer
don’t click on links in spam emails or reply to them networks and gadgets that communicate with one
another using the Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP).
1.2. Effective Use of the Internet The intranet is a secure network that operates within
an organization using internet technologies and
Characteristics of the Internet: protocols, such as TCP/IP.
Extranets are managed private networks that can
Allows individuals from all around the world to connect give access to third-party users and give users, such
and chat with one another instantaneously as partners, suppliers, or clients, safe access to a
It runs on a distributed network design, which means a portion of the intranet.
single central authority does not control it. Accessibility:
It is mainly used for transmitting data in a variety of The Internet is open and accessible to the public,
formats, such as text, photos, audio, and video. allowing users to access a wide range of information,
services, and resources worldwide.
Uses of the Internet: Intranets are restricted to internal users and typically
A vital communication tool that allows people to secured by firewalls and other security measures to
communicate via emails, instant messaging, and other maintain the security of critical corporate data.
means. Extranet provides authorized external users only
It acts as a massive database of information on almost limited access, in contrast to the internet, which is
any subject public, or the intranet, which is entirely restricted. To
The Internet has transformed business by offering a access the extranet, these users need a secure login.
platform for online purchasing, electronic payments, and Purpose:
digital transactions, allowing enterprises to reach global The Internet acts as a hub for intercultural dialogue,
consumers. the sharing of knowledge, and access to a range of
Internet resources, including websites, email, social
Advantages of the Internet: media, online shopping, and more.
An intranet's main goal is to make it easier for
users have access to an incredible amount of employees to communicate, work together, and
information, empowering them to learn share information.
enables individuals and businesses to connect and Extranets make it easier for external stakeholders to
communicate with people from different parts of the collaborate and communicate with a company. It
world in real-time enables the organization and its reliable clients or
the Internet has made many things easier to complete, partners to share information, documents, and
thus providing simplicity and effectiveness resources securely.
Disadvantages of the Internet: Many use the terms “Internet” and “World Wide Web”
interchangeably. However, they can’t be used in the same
Raises data security and personal privacy hazards context:
through the possibility of identity theft, data breaches, - The internet refers to the global network of computers
and online monitoring.
and other devices connected through routers and servers.
The spread of propaganda, fake news, and However, the World Wide Web is a collection of websites
misinformation due to the simplicity with which content and webpages accessed via the Internet.
can be created and distributed online.
The digital divide resulting from unequal Internet access
threatens to widen existing disparities.

The differences between the internet, intranet, and

extranet:

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The Functionality of the Internet Advantages of using the Internet to find information
information tends to be up to date because it is
Internet service providers (ISP): A company that quicker and easier to amend
provides internet access. Typically, a monthly fee is The Internet has vast amounts of information
charged for this service. Users' accounts are created searching for information using a search engine is
when registering with an ISP and acquiring login fast and easy
information such as user ID and password. people can look for information in the comfort of
Uniform Resource Locator (URL): The address of a web their own home
page on the WWW. It is a text-based address that information on the internet is essentially free of
uniquely identifies the location of any resource available charge
on the internet. The three main components are: webpages may have multimedia elements, making
Protocol: learning more interesting
It is the communication protocol used to transfer Disadvantages of using the Internet to find
data between the client and the server information
E.g. HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and others it isn’t regulated; anything can be posted
Domain: always the risk of accessing inappropriate websites
it is the name of the server where the resource is too easy to be distracted by the many distractions
located available on the internet
it can be a name or an IP address Some research skills are lost when using the internet,
Webpage/file name: as search engines do all the work for you.
it is the location of the file or resource on the server
it can contain the name of the file or directory where Speed of Searching
the resource is located
A URL looks like this: Search engines may scan billions of online pages to
protocol://domain/path/filename locate matches to your search query in a fraction of a
E.g. https://www.hoddereducation.co.uk/IGCSE/ICT is second.
a URL that consists of the HTTPS protocol, the Your internet connection and the effectiveness of the
domain name "www.hoddereducation.co.uk", the search engine's algorithms influence the speed.
path is “IGCSE” and the filename is “ICT”
A hyperlink is a word/phrase/image which references Amount of Information
data that the reader can follow by clicking or tapping,
usually taking you to another web page Because search engines can deliver a deluge of
A web browser is a software application used to locate, information, utilising particular and relevant search
retrieve, and display content on the WWW, including web phrases is critical.
Adding quotation marks for specific phrases, "+" signs for
pages, images, video, and other files
required terms, and "-" signs for omitting terms can help
Use of Search Engines narrow the search.

There are two fundamental methods for obtaining Finding Relevant and Reliable Information
information via the Internet. The first method is to enter the
The search engine algorithm determines the relevancy of
URL if you know the website's address. If you don't know
information by considering parameters such as keyword
where to look, the second option is to employ a search
frequency & page quality.
engine to locate the information you seek.
Reliable information is often obtained from recognized
sources such as educational, government, or well-known
industry websites.

Evaluating Information Found on the Internet

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Although the internet provides much information, not all

are genuine or dependable.
Consider the source's reputation and trustworthiness
when determining the information's dependability.
Check the accuracy of information by comparing it to
other reliable sources.
Assess whether the information is skewed, keeping an
eye out for views pushing a particular point of view.
Check if the material is current, as obsolete information
might be deceptive.

Internet Protocols
Protocols are rules on which the sender and recipient agree
when data is exchanged between devices.
1. Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP): when a web page is
being accessed, entering http:// at the front of an address
tells the web browser that ‘HTTP rules’ for communication
are to be obeyed.
2. Hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS): A secure
version of HTTP that encrypts data for security.
3. File transfer protocol (FTP): network protocol used when
transferring files from one computer to another over the
internet. It is similar to HTTP, but the protocol specifically
transfers files.
4. Secure sockets layer (SSL): a protocol that allows data to
be sent and received securely over the internet.

Risks of Using the Internet

Inappropriate and unlawful content: The internet may
attract people to potentially dangerous or illegal
materials.
Data restriction: Parental, educational, and ISP
restrictions can all be used to restrict access to specific
information or websites.

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authorised for personal use only by Kizito at Ruby International on 12/05/25.
CAIE IGCSE
ICT

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This version was created by Kizito on Mon May 12 2025 for strictly personal use only.
These notes have been created by Farhan Shahid for the 2023-2025 syllabus.
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