Head office, Rana Pratap Bagh, Delhi011 2721 1512+91 97116 99511

Programming & Web Development

Web development, networking, databases and IT security

Programmes for class 10 pass students, over 6 months or 1 year.

Suits: Class 10 pass students

Duration, fees and batch timings are quoted by the head office or your centre.

Two students writing code together on a laptop and a desktop computer

4 study books in this course

  • HTML and CSS
  • Databases and SQL
  • Computer Networking
  • Cyber Security Basics
Lessons
28
Practice questions
140
Free ebooks
14

About the course

What the IT programme is about

A programme for class 10 pass students that covers four areas of IT side by side: building web pages with HTML and CSS, storing data in MySQL databases with SQL, how computer networks work, and keeping accounts, devices and data secure.

Together they give a broad footing for choosing a direction later, whether that is web development, IT support and networking, or security.

What you will practise

Drawn from the lessons of the study books below.

  1. 01

    Build responsive web pages with HTML5 and CSS3

  2. 02

    Create MySQL tables and write SELECT, UPDATE, GROUP BY and JOIN queries

  3. 03

    Understand IPv4 addresses, subnet masks, DNS and DHCP

  4. 04

    Know network devices, cables, Wi-Fi and the OSI and TCP/IP models

  5. 05

    Protect accounts with strong passwords and two-factor authentication

  6. 06

    Recognise phishing, UPI fraud and malware, and keep backups

What you will learn

4 subjects, 28 lessons

Every lesson of the study books that come with this course in the student portal, with the key points of each lesson and exercises to try. Your centre gives you the syllabus, the duration and the fee.

Subject 1 of 4

HTML and CSS

Build web pages with HTML5 and style them with CSS3, from document structure, text, tables and forms to selectors, the box model, Flexbox, Grid and responsive design.

  • 7 lessons
  • About 23 min of reading
  • 35 practice questions
  • 25 key terms
  1. 1The structure of an HTML5 document4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • HTML is a markup language that labels the structure of content; it is not a programming language.
    • An element is usually an opening tag, content and a closing tag; attributes go in the opening tag as name="value".
    • Every page starts with <!DOCTYPE html> and has one html element containing a head and a body.
    • The head holds information about the page, such as charset, viewport and title; the body holds the visible content.
    • Void elements such as br, img, input and meta have no closing tag.

    Try this

    1. Open Notepad, type the HTML5 skeleton with the doctype, html (lang set to en), head and body elements, set the title to My First Page, save it as index.html in a new folder named website with All files as the save type and UTF-8 encoding, and open it in Chrome or Edge to check that the title shows on the browser tab.
    2. In the same page, add an h1 heading with your name, two paragraphs about your favourite subject, an hr line between them, a br line break inside one paragraph and a comment that marks where the second paragraph starts; reload the page and confirm that the comment is not displayed.
    3. Add a sentence containing the rupee sign ₹ and a few words in Hindi and check that they display correctly, then right-click any web page, choose View page source and write down five element names and two attributes you recognise.
  2. 2Headings, paragraphs, lists, links and images4 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • Use one h1 for the page title and go down the heading levels in order, without skipping.
    • ul makes a bulleted list and ol a numbered list; every item is an li.
    • The a element creates links; href can be an absolute URL, a relative path, a #id on the same page, mailto: or tel:.
    • Every img needs alt text that describes it, or alt="" if it is purely decorative.

    Try this

    1. Build a page about your town with one h1, three h2 sections and an h3 under one of them, write a paragraph in each section, use strong for one important warning and em for one stressed word, and put a postal address on three lines using br.
    2. Add an unordered list of five things to carry to an exam, an ordered list of the steps to make tea with a nested list under one step, and change the ordered list to Roman numerals with its type attribute; then create contact.html and link the two pages to each other with relative links.
    3. Save a photo in an images folder, show it with an img element that has descriptive alt text, width and height, then misspell the file name to see the alt text appear in place of the image; also add a link that jumps to a section by its id, an email link using mailto: and a phone link using tel:.
  3. 3Tables and forms3 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • Use tables only for tabular data: tr makes a row, th a header cell and td a data cell.
    • colspan joins cells across columns and rowspan joins cells down rows.
    • Link every input to a label by matching the label's for attribute to the input's id.
    • method="get" puts form data in the URL; method="post" sends it in the request body, which suits passwords.
    • Radio buttons with the same name allow one choice; checkboxes allow several.

    Try this

    1. Make a marksheet table for five students with a caption, a thead row of Roll No, Name, Hindi, English, Maths and Total headings, a tbody with their marks, and a tfoot row in which the words Class average span the first two columns using colspan.
    2. Create your weekly class timetable as a table with the periods down the first column and the days across the top, use rowspan to show a two-period practical as one tall cell and colspan to show the lunch break as one cell across all the days.
    3. Build an admission enquiry form with a label for every control: text inputs for name and email, a tel input for phone, a date input for date of birth, radio buttons for morning or evening batch inside a fieldset with a legend, checkboxes for three subjects, a select for the city, a textarea and a submit button; make the name required, try submitting it empty, then leave out the action attribute so that the form sends its data back to the same page, set method to get, submit it filled in and read the name=value pairs added to the address bar.
  4. 4Semantic HTML5 elements3 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • Semantic elements describe what content is, which helps screen readers, search engines and other developers.
    • header, nav, main, article, section, aside and footer name the common parts of a page.
    • Use one visible main per page for the content unique to that page.
    • article is for self-contained content; section groups related content under a heading.
    • div and span carry no meaning and are used when no semantic element fits.

    Try this

    1. Write a page for an imaginary electronics shop using header, nav with three links, main, two article elements for two products, an aside with a buying tip and a footer with the address, without using a single div.
    2. Write a short page built only from div elements with classes such as menu, content, sidebar and bottom, then replace each div with the matching semantic element and check that there is exactly one main and that it is not inside header, footer, nav, article or aside.
    3. Give one article its own header with the product name and a footer with the date it was added, place a figure with an image and a figcaption inside it, add a section with its own h2 that groups both products, and write a comment beside each article, section and aside explaining why you chose that element.
  5. 5CSS basics: selectors, colours and fonts3 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • A CSS rule is a selector followed by declarations of the form property: value;
    • Use an external stylesheet linked from the head for real websites.
    • Class selectors start with a dot and can be reused; ID selectors start with # and must be unique.
    • When rules conflict, !important wins, then higher specificity, then the rule written later.
    • Colours can be named, hex, rgb() or hsl(); font-family lists fallbacks ending in a generic family.

    Try this

    1. Create style.css, link it from the head of index.html with a link element, set the body font-family to "Noto Sans", Arial, sans-serif with a font-size of 1rem and a line-height of 1.6, then colour the h1 with a named colour, a hex code and an rgb() value in turn.
    2. Give two paragraphs the class price and one heading the id offer, style them with .price and #offer selectors, add a nav a rule and an a:hover rule that changes the link colour, and style h1 and h2 together with one grouped selector.
    3. Write two rules that give the same paragraph different colours, one using the element selector p and one using a class selector, predict which colour wins and check in the browser; then swap the order of the rules, and finally add !important to the element rule and note the result each time.
  6. 6The box model and Flexbox3 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • Every element is a box of content, padding, border and margin.
    • With the default content-box, width covers only the content; border-box includes padding and border.
    • Margin and padding shorthand runs clockwise: top, right, bottom, left.
    • display: flex on a container lines up its children along one axis.
    • justify-content works on the main axis and align-items on the cross axis.

    Try this

    1. Style a .card with width 300px, padding 20px, a 5px solid border and margin 16px, check in the browser developer tools (F12) that it takes 350px of width, then add box-sizing: border-box and confirm that it becomes exactly 300px wide.
    2. Give four boxes margins written with one, two and four values and label each box with the values you used, centre a box that has a fixed width with margin: 0 auto, and place a paragraph with a 20px bottom margin above one with a 30px top margin to see that the gap is 30px, not 50px.
    3. Build a navigation bar with display: flex containing a logo, four links and a search box, use justify-content: space-between, align-items: center and gap: 12px, give the search box flex: 1, add flex-wrap: wrap and narrow the window to watch the items wrap onto a new line.
  7. 7CSS Grid and responsive design3 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • Grid lays out rows and columns together; Flexbox handles one direction at a time.
    • repeat(3, 1fr) makes three equal columns; fr is a share of the free space.
    • grid-column: span 2 makes an item two columns wide.
    • Responsive pages need the viewport meta tag, flexible sizes and media queries.
    • Mobile-first means base styles for phones, then min-width media queries for larger screens.

    Try this

    1. Lay out six product cards with display: grid, grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr) and a 16px gap, make the first card span two columns with grid-column: span 2, then change the columns to 2fr 1fr 1fr and see how the space is shared.
    2. Build a gallery of nine photos with grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(200px, 1fr)), add the rule img { max-width: 100%; height: auto; }, and drag the browser window from wide to narrow, counting how many columns fit at each width.
    3. Write a mobile-first product page that shows one column by default, two columns from a min-width of 600px and four from 1024px, check that the viewport meta tag is in the head, then open device emulation with F12 and Ctrl+Shift+M and test it at 390px for sideways scrolling, readable text and buttons large enough to tap.
Glossary: 25 key terms of HTML and CSS
Alt text
A short description of an image, written in the img element's alt attribute, that screen readers read aloud and browsers show if the image fails to load.
Attribute
Extra information written in an opening tag as name="value", such as the href of a link or the src of an image.
Box model
The way a browser draws every element as a rectangular box made of content, padding, border and margin, from the inside out.
Cascade
The rules CSS uses to decide which declaration wins when several set the same property on an element: importance first, then specificity, then the order the rules are written in.
Class selector
A CSS selector that starts with a dot, such as .price, and styles every element whose class attribute contains that name.
CSS
Cascading Style Sheets, the language that controls how HTML looks, including colours, fonts, spacing and layout.
CSS Grid
A CSS layout method, switched on with display: grid, that places items in rows and columns at the same time.
Doctype
The declaration on the first line of an HTML file that tells the browser the page is HTML5, so that it displays it in standards mode.
Element
One part of an HTML page, usually made of an opening tag, its content and a closing tag, such as a paragraph or a heading.
Flexbox
A CSS layout method, switched on with display: flex on a container, that lines up its direct children along one direction, as a row or a column, letting them wrap onto new lines when flex-wrap is set.
fr unit
A CSS Grid unit meaning one fraction of the free space, so 2fr 1fr makes the first column twice as wide as the second.
HTML
HyperText Markup Language, the markup language that labels the structure of a web page, such as its headings, paragraphs, links and images.
ID selector
A CSS selector that starts with #, such as #cart, and styles the one element whose id attribute has that name, which must be unique on the page.
Label
A form element tied to an input by matching its for attribute to the input's id, so that clicking it focuses the input and screen readers announce it.
Margin
The transparent space outside an element's border that pushes neighbouring elements away.
Media query
A block of CSS written with @media whose rules apply only when a condition is true, such as the browser window (the viewport) being at least 600px wide.
Mobile-first
A way of writing CSS in which the base styles suit phones and min-width media queries add layout for wider screens.
Padding
The space inside an element's box between its content and its border, which is filled by the element's background colour.
Pseudo-class
A selector part written after a colon that targets an element in a particular state, such as a:hover or input:focus.
Responsive design
Designing a page so that its layout adapts to every screen size, using the viewport meta tag, flexible sizes and media queries.
Selector
The part of a CSS rule that chooses which HTML elements the rule's declarations apply to.
Semantic element
An HTML element whose name describes the meaning of its content, such as header, nav, main, article or footer.
Specificity
The weight of a CSS selector, used to decide which of two conflicting declarations wins when neither is marked !important: an inline style beats an ID, an ID beats a class or pseudo-class, and a class beats an element selector.
Tag
A name written inside angle brackets that marks where an element starts or ends, such as the opening and closing tags of a paragraph.
Void element
An element such as br, img, input or meta that has no content and therefore no closing tag.

Subject 2 of 4

Databases and SQL

Understand how a database management system stores data in related tables, and write MySQL 8 queries to create tables, add, read, change and summarise data, join tables and design them well.

  • 7 lessons
  • About 24 min of reading
  • 35 practice questions
  • 25 key terms
  1. 1Databases and the DBMS4 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • A DBMS is software that stores, protects and shares data; programs ask the DBMS instead of reading files directly.
    • Compared with separate files, a DBMS reduces redundancy and inconsistency and adds constraints, safe multi-user access, security and backup.
    • A relational database stores data in tables: a column is one field and a row is one record.
    • SQL commands are grouped into DDL, DML, DCL and TCL.

    Try this

    1. List the data a coaching centre keeps about students, fees and exams, mark every item that would be copied into more than one file if the accounts clerk and the exam clerk kept separate Excel files, and write one sentence on how a DBMS avoids each copy.
    2. On paper, draw a students table with the columns roll_no, name, city and course, fill in five rows, and label one column as a field and one row as a record; then write which column could identify every student on its own.
    3. Open the MySQL command-line client or MySQL Workbench, run SHOW DATABASES; and SELECT VERSION(); to check that you are using MySQL 8, then sort these commands into DDL, DML, DCL and TCL: CREATE, INSERT, GRANT, COMMIT, ALTER, DELETE, REVOKE and ROLLBACK.
  2. 2Data types, NULL and keys4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • Every column has a data type; use DECIMAL for money and text types for phone numbers and PIN codes.
    • NULL means missing or unknown, which is different from zero or an empty string.
    • A primary key uniquely identifies each row and can never be NULL; a table has at most one.
    • A foreign key refers to the primary key of another table and keeps the link between the tables valid.
    • A UNIQUE key blocks duplicates but allows NULL, and a table can have several.

    Try this

    1. Choose a MySQL data type for each of these columns and give a reason for each: roll number, student name, mobile number, PIN code, course fee, date of admission, the date and time of an exam, and whether the fee is paid.
    2. Plan a library database with books, members and loans tables: write each table's columns, choose a primary key for each table, and mark which columns of the loans table are foreign keys and which table each one refers to.
    3. For an employees table with the columns emp_code, name, email, phone, date_of_joining and dept_id, list the candidate keys, choose the primary key, name the alternate keys, and decide which columns may be NULL and which should be NOT NULL.
  3. 3Creating tables and inserting data3 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • CREATE DATABASE makes a database and USE selects it.
    • CREATE TABLE lists each column with its data type and constraints such as PRIMARY KEY, NOT NULL, UNIQUE, DEFAULT and FOREIGN KEY.
    • INSERT INTO table (columns) VALUES (...) adds rows; text and dates go in single quotes, dates as 'YYYY-MM-DD'.
    • ALTER TABLE changes a table's structure, and DROP TABLE deletes the table and all its data.

    Try this

    1. Create a database named institute, select it with USE, and create a courses table with an AUTO_INCREMENT primary key course_id, a NOT NULL course_name, a DECIMAL(8,2) fee with a CHECK that it is greater than 0 and a duration_months column; check the result with DESCRIBE courses;.
    2. Create a students table whose course_id is a foreign key referencing courses, add four courses and eight students with multi-row INSERT statements and admission dates written as 'YYYY-MM-DD', then try inserting a student with a course_id that does not exist and read the error.
    3. Use ALTER TABLE to add an email column to students and to change the length of the name column with MODIFY (repeat NOT NULL in the new definition, because MODIFY replaces the whole column definition and would otherwise drop it), add a phone column with the UNIQUE constraint and insert a duplicate phone number on purpose to see it rejected, and finally create a practice table and remove it with DROP TABLE.
  4. 4Reading data: SELECT, WHERE and ORDER BY3 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • SELECT chooses the columns, FROM names the table and WHERE filters the rows.
    • BETWEEN includes both ends, IN matches a list, and LIKE matches patterns with % and _.
    • Test for missing values with IS NULL, never with = NULL.
    • ORDER BY sorts in ascending order by default; DESC reverses it and LIMIT returns only the first rows.

    Try this

    1. Create the lesson's products table with at least eight items, including a supplier_email column left NULL for some of them, then write queries that show every column, only name and price, a 10 percent lower price with the alias sale_price, and each category once using DISTINCT.
    2. Write WHERE queries to find products under ₹1,000, accessories that are in stock, products priced between ₹500 and ₹10,000, products in the Displays or Printers categories using IN, and names containing the word mouse using LIKE.
    3. List the products with no supplier email using IS NULL, then try = NULL and see that it returns no rows; finally show the three most expensive products with ORDER BY price DESC LIMIT 3, and sort all products by category and then by price.
  5. 5Changing data: UPDATE, DELETE and transactions3 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • UPDATE ... SET ... WHERE changes values in existing rows, and DELETE FROM ... WHERE removes whole rows.
    • Without a WHERE clause, UPDATE and DELETE affect every row, so test the condition with SELECT first.
    • A transaction's changes become permanent with COMMIT or are cancelled with ROLLBACK.
    • TRUNCATE empties a table and DROP removes it; in MySQL neither can be rolled back.

    Try this

    1. In the products table, first run SELECT with WHERE product_id = 2, then UPDATE the same row's price and stock, raise every printer's price by ₹100 with SET price = price + 100 WHERE category = 'Printers', and check both changes with SELECT. If MySQL Workbench refuses the printer update with error 1175, its Safe Updates option is on: run SET sql_safe_updates = 0; first and SET sql_safe_updates = 1; straight after.
    2. Create an accounts table with two accounts, START TRANSACTION and move ₹5,000 from one to the other with two UPDATE statements, look at the balances, run ROLLBACK and check that both are back to their old values; then repeat the transfer and finish it with COMMIT.
    3. Run SET sql_safe_updates = 1; and try UPDATE products SET price = 0; to see MySQL refuse it, try deleting a course that still has students linked to it by their foreign key (such as DELETE FROM courses WHERE course_id = 1;) and read the error, then empty a practice table that has an AUTO_INCREMENT key with TRUNCATE TABLE, insert a row and check that the numbering starts again from 1.
  6. 6Aggregate functions and GROUP BY3 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • COUNT, SUM, AVG, MIN and MAX turn many rows into one value.
    • COUNT(*) counts rows; COUNT(column) and the other aggregates ignore NULL values.
    • GROUP BY calculates the aggregates separately for each group of rows that share a value.
    • WHERE filters rows before grouping; HAVING filters groups after aggregation.

    Try this

    1. Create the lesson's sales table with its five bills, entering the two missing emails as NULL without quotes (the text 'NULL' would count as a value), run COUNT(*), COUNT(email), SUM(amount), AVG(amount), MIN(amount) and MAX(amount), and check that you get 5, 3, 16500, 3300, 1800 and 5000.
    2. Add five more bills spread across the three branches, then use GROUP BY branch to show each branch's number of bills, total and average amount, sorted by total from highest to lowest, and count the branches with COUNT(DISTINCT branch).
    3. Write a query that leaves out bills under ₹2,000 with WHERE and keeps only branches whose total is over ₹4,000 with HAVING, then move the SUM condition into the WHERE clause and read the error MySQL gives.
  7. 7JOINs and normalisation4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • A JOIN combines rows from two tables, usually by matching a foreign key to a primary key.
    • INNER JOIN returns only matching rows; LEFT JOIN keeps every row of the left table and fills missing matches with NULL.
    • Normalisation splits data into related tables so that each fact is stored once.
    • Repeated data causes update, insert and delete anomalies.
    • 1NF needs a single value in every cell, 2NF removes partial dependencies and 3NF removes dependencies between non-key columns.

    Try this

    1. Create the lesson's customers and orders tables with the same rows, write an INNER JOIN with the table aliases c and o that lists each order with the customer's name, and check that Sana does not appear.
    2. Change the query to a LEFT JOIN so that every customer appears, add WHERE o.order_id IS NULL to list the customers who have never ordered, then remove that WHERE and add GROUP BY c.customer_id, c.name to show each customer's number of orders with COUNT(o.order_id), so that Sana shows 0.
    3. Write a flat admissions table for a computer centre in which the student name, phone, course name and course fee repeat on every row, point out one update, one insert and one delete anomaly in it, then split it into students, courses and admissions tables in third normal form and mark every primary and foreign key.
Glossary: 25 key terms of Databases and SQL
Aggregate function
A function such as COUNT, SUM, AVG, MIN or MAX that turns the values of many rows into a single result.
Anomaly
A problem caused by repeating data in a badly designed table: an update anomaly leaves some copies of a value changed and others not, an insert anomaly stops a fact being recorded on its own, and a delete anomaly loses a fact together with an unrelated row.
AUTO_INCREMENT
A MySQL column option that makes the database give each new row the next number automatically, usually for an integer primary key.
Candidate key
Any column or set of columns that could uniquely identify every row and so could be chosen as the primary key.
Column
One field of a table, such as name or city, in which every value has the same data type.
Constraint
A rule set on a column or table, such as NOT NULL, UNIQUE, CHECK or FOREIGN KEY, that the DBMS uses to reject invalid data.
Data type
The kind of value a column can hold, such as INT for whole numbers, DECIMAL for money, VARCHAR for text or DATE for dates.
Database
An organised collection of related data, stored so that it can be found, updated and shared easily.
DBMS
Database Management System, software such as MySQL that creates and manages databases and does the reading and writing of data for users and programs.
DDL
Data Definition Language, the group of SQL commands such as CREATE, ALTER, DROP and TRUNCATE that create, change and remove the structure of databases and tables.
DML
Data Manipulation Language, the group of SQL commands such as INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE that add, change and remove rows.
Foreign key
A column in one table that refers to the primary key of another table, linking the two so that every value in it, unless it is NULL, must match a row that exists there.
GROUP BY
A clause that gathers rows sharing the same value into groups, so that aggregate functions are calculated separately for each group.
HAVING
A clause that filters groups after GROUP BY has calculated the aggregates, so it can test a condition such as SUM(amount) > 4000.
INNER JOIN
A join that returns only the rows that have a matching row in both tables.
LEFT JOIN
A join that returns every row of the left table together with the matching rows of the right table, filling in NULL where there is no match.
Normalisation
Organising data into related tables, following normal forms such as 1NF, 2NF and 3NF, so that each fact is stored only once.
NULL
A marker meaning a value is missing or unknown, which is different from zero or an empty string and is tested with IS NULL.
Primary key
The column or set of columns whose value uniquely identifies each row of a table and can never be NULL.
Query
A request written in SQL, most often a SELECT statement, that asks the database for data.
Referential integrity
The guarantee, enforced through foreign keys, that every reference from one table points to a row that really exists in the other table.
Row
One record in a table, holding all the details of a single item such as one student or one invoice.
SQL
Structured Query Language, the standard language for creating, reading, changing and controlling access to data in relational databases.
Table
A set of rows and columns in a relational database that holds data about one kind of thing, such as customers or invoices.
Transaction
A group of SQL statements that either all take effect together with COMMIT or are all cancelled with ROLLBACK.

Subject 3 of 4

Computer Networking

Learn how computers connect and talk to each other, from network types, topologies, devices, cables and Wi-Fi to IPv4 addressing, DNS, DHCP, the OSI and TCP/IP models, common ports and basic troubleshooting.

  • 7 lessons
  • About 28 min of reading
  • 35 practice questions
  • 25 key terms
  1. 1Networks, network types and topologies4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • A network connects devices so they can share data, printers and an internet connection.
    • In a client-server network, servers provide services to clients; in a peer-to-peer network all computers are equal.
    • By size, networks are PAN, LAN (building or campus), MAN (city) and WAN (countries); the internet is the largest WAN.
    • Star is the usual LAN topology: a broken cable affects one device, but a failed central device stops them all.
    • A full mesh of n devices needs n(n-1)/2 links.

    Try this

    1. Walk round your home, school lab or computer centre and list every networked device you can find, such as computers, a printer, the router, phones and a smart TV, then decide whether the setup is client-server or peer-to-peer and write one reason.
    2. Write one real example each of a PAN, a LAN, a MAN and a WAN from your own life, such as earbuds paired to a phone or a bank linking its branches, and note roughly how far each one stretches and who is likely to own it.
    3. On paper, draw bus, star, ring, full mesh and tree layouts for six computers, mark what happens in each when one cable breaks, and use n(n-1)/2 to work out how many links a full mesh of 4, 6 and 8 devices needs.
  2. 2Network devices: NIC, hub, switch, router and access point4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • Every networked device has a NIC with a 48-bit MAC address, written as 12 hexadecimal digits.
    • A hub repeats data out of every port; a switch learns MAC addresses and sends data only to the right port.
    • A router connects different networks and forwards packets using IP addresses.
    • An access point lets wireless devices join a wired network.
    • A home Wi-Fi router combines a router, a switch, an access point, a DHCP server and a firewall.

    Try this

    1. On a Windows computer, open Command Prompt, run ipconfig /all and write down the Physical Address of each Ethernet and Wi-Fi adapter, count its 12 hexadecimal digits, and check in Wi-Fi settings whether Random hardware addresses is turned on, because then the Wi-Fi address will not identify the manufacturer.
    2. Look at a home or office Wi-Fi router and its label: find the internet (WAN) port, the LAN ports and the power socket, note whether a separate modem or ONT is connected to it, and write which parts show it working as a router, a switch and an access point.
    3. Draw a network diagram for a small office with an ONT, a router, an eight-port switch, a wireless access point, four wired computers, a network printer and phones on Wi-Fi, and label the switch and the router with the OSI layer each works at and whether it forwards data by MAC address or by IP address.
  3. 3Cables, connectors and Wi-Fi4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • Twisted-pair LAN cable has four twisted pairs to reduce interference and uses RJ45 connectors.
    • A single twisted-pair Ethernet run should be no longer than 100 metres.
    • Optical fibre carries light, covers long distances at high speed and is immune to electrical interference.
    • 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi reaches further; 5 GHz is faster with a shorter range.
    • Secure Wi-Fi with WPA3 or WPA2; WEP is outdated and unsafe.

    Try this

    1. Examine a LAN cable: read the category printed on its jacket, such as Cat5e or Cat6, look through the clear RJ45 plug to identify the eight wires in four colour pairs, and compare the plug's width with an RJ11 telephone plug.
    2. Estimate the cable length from a lab switch to the farthest computer and check it is within 100 metres, then choose a cable for each of these and give a reason: a 10 Gbps run of 80 metres on one floor, a link between two buildings on the same campus, and a link between two cities.
    3. In Windows Settings, open the properties of the Wi-Fi network you are connected to and note its SSID, protocol (such as Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6), security type and network band, then write whether the security is WPA3 or WPA2 and whether a 5 GHz band would be better in that room.
  4. 4IPv4 addresses, private ranges and subnet masks4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • An IPv4 address is 32 bits, written as four octets from 0 to 255; IPv6 uses 128 bits.
    • The subnet mask divides an address into a network part and a host part; /24 means 255.255.255.0.
    • A /24 network has 254 usable addresses; the first is the network address and the last is the broadcast address.
    • The private ranges are 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12 and 192.168.0.0/16, and NAT lets them share a public address.
    • Traffic for another network goes to the default gateway, which is the router.

    Try this

    1. Write valid or invalid with a reason for each address, and say whether each valid one is private or public: 192.168.1.25, 10.0.0.300, 172.16.5.1, 256.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8 and 192.168.1.
    2. For 192.168.10.77/24, work out the network address, the broadcast address, the first and last usable addresses and the number of usable hosts, then decide whether 192.168.10.200 and 192.168.11.5 are on the same network.
    3. Run ipconfig on your computer and write down its IPv4 address, subnet mask and default gateway, write the mask in prefix form and in binary, say whether the address is private, and check that the gateway is on the same network as the computer.
  5. 5DNS and DHCP4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • DNS translates domain names such as www.example.com into IP addresses, and answers are cached.
    • A lookup goes from the resolver to a root server, then the top-level domain servers, then the domain's authoritative server.
    • DHCP gives a device its IP address, subnet mask, default gateway and DNS servers automatically.
    • DHCP works in four steps, Discover, Offer, Request and Acknowledge (DORA), and addresses are leased.
    • Printers and servers need a fixed address: a static address or a DHCP reservation.

    Try this

    1. In Command Prompt, run nslookup followed by the name of a website you use often, note the IPv4 address, any IPv6 addresses and the DNS server that answered, run it again with 1.1.1.1 added after the name to ask that server instead, and then run ipconfig /displaydns to see the names your computer has cached (nslookup asks the DNS server directly, so its own lookups do not appear there, but sites you opened in the browser do).
    2. Run ipconfig /all and find the DHCP Enabled line, the DHCP Server address, the DNS Servers and the Lease Obtained and Lease Expires times, then write the four DORA steps that gave your computer its address.
    3. With the owner's permission, sign in to a home Wi-Fi router's settings page, find the DHCP address range, the lease time and the list of connected devices, and plan a fixed address for a printer either outside that range or as a DHCP reservation tied to its MAC address.
  6. 6The OSI and TCP/IP models and common ports4 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • The OSI model has seven layers: Physical, Data link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation and Application.
    • The TCP/IP model has four layers: Network access, Internet, Transport and Application.
    • TCP is reliable and connection-oriented; UDP is faster and connectionless.
    • Well-known ports: 80 HTTP, 443 HTTPS, 22 SSH, 25 SMTP and 53 DNS.

    Try this

    1. Write the seven OSI layers from 1 to 7 from memory using the memory aid, add each layer's job and one example protocol or device, mark the data unit at layers 1 to 4, and draw a second column showing the TCP/IP layer each one belongs to.
    2. Sort these into TCP or UDP with a reason for each: loading a web page, sending an email, downloading a file, a DNS lookup, a live video call and an online game; then write the port numbers of HTTP, HTTPS, SSH, SMTP, DNS and FTP from memory and check them against the lesson.
    3. With a few web pages open in the browser, run netstat -n in Command Prompt to list your computer's TCP connections, find remote addresses ending in :443 or :80, and write which protocol each port belongs to and why most connections use 443.
  7. 7Troubleshooting with ping and ipconfig4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • ipconfig shows a Windows computer's IP address, subnet mask and default gateway; ipconfig /all adds the MAC address and the DHCP and DNS servers.
    • ping checks whether an address replies and shows the round-trip time in milliseconds.
    • An address starting with 169.254 means the computer could not get one from DHCP.
    • Troubleshoot outwards: loopback, then the default gateway, then an internet address, then a name.
    • If an IP address replies but a name cannot be found, the problem is DNS.

    Try this

    1. Follow the lesson's step-by-step method on your own computer: check the connection, run ipconfig, ping 127.0.0.1, ping your default gateway, ping 8.8.8.8 and ping a website by its name, writing down the reply time or the error message at each step.
    2. On your own computer or with your instructor's permission, unplug the LAN cable or turn off Wi-Fi, run ipconfig and ping the gateway and note the messages, then reconnect, run ipconfig /release followed by ipconfig /renew, and check whether the address changed.
    3. Run tracert 8.8.8.8 and count the routers on the path, noting any hop that is slow or shows Request timed out; then run ping -t to your default gateway for a minute, stop it with Ctrl+C and read the summary of packets sent, received and lost.
Glossary: 25 key terms of Computer Networking
Access point
A device that lets Wi-Fi devices join a wired network, usually connected by cable to a switch.
Broadcast address
The last address of an IPv4 network, with all host bits set to 1, such as 192.168.1.255, which delivers data to every device on that network.
Default gateway
The router address a device sends traffic to when the destination is on a different network, such as the internet.
DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, which automatically gives a device its IP address, subnet mask, default gateway and DNS servers on a lease.
DNS
Domain Name System, the service that translates domain names such as www.example.com into the IP addresses computers use to connect.
Hub
An obsolete network device that repeats every signal it receives out of all its other ports, working at OSI layer 1.
IP address
A number that identifies a device on an IP network so that data can be delivered to it, written as four octets in IPv4 or hexadecimal groups in IPv6.
ipconfig
A Windows command that shows a computer's IP address, subnet mask and default gateway, with ipconfig /all adding the MAC address, DHCP and DNS details.
LAN
Local Area Network, a network covering a room, building or campus, usually owned by one organisation.
MAC address
The 48-bit hardware address of a network interface, written as 12 hexadecimal digits, that identifies a device on its local network.
NAT
Network Address Translation, done by a router so that devices with private addresses can share one public address on the internet.
NIC
Network Interface Card, the built-in or added hardware that connects a device to a wired or wireless network.
Optical fibre
Cable that carries data as pulses of light through thin strands of glass or plastic, giving high speeds over long distances without electrical interference.
OSI model
A seven-layer reference model, from Physical up to Application, used to teach and troubleshoot how data travels across a network.
Ping
A command that sends ICMP Echo Requests to an address and reports whether replies arrive and how long each round trip takes.
Port number
A number from 0 to 65535 that identifies which program on a device should receive the data, such as 443 for HTTPS.
Private IP address
An address in the ranges 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12 or 192.168.0.0/16, used inside homes, offices and labs and never routed on the internet.
Router
A device that connects different networks and forwards packets between them using IP addresses, working at OSI layer 3.
SSID
The name of a Wi-Fi network, which devices see when they look for networks to join.
Subnet mask
A number such as 255.255.255.0 that shows which part of an IPv4 address is the network part and which is the host part.
Switch
A LAN device that learns which MAC address is on each port and sends each frame only to the port of its destination, working at OSI layer 2.
TCP
Transmission Control Protocol, a connection-oriented transport protocol that sets up a connection, resends lost data and delivers it in order.
Topology
The layout in which the devices of a network are connected, such as bus, star, ring, mesh or tree.
UDP
User Datagram Protocol, a connectionless transport protocol that sends data with no handshake and no resending, which suits DNS lookups, video calls and games.
WAN
Wide Area Network, a network spanning states, countries or the world, often over lines rented from telecom companies; the internet is the largest WAN.

Subject 4 of 4

Cyber Security Basics

Protect your accounts, money and data: strong passwords, two-factor authentication, spotting phishing and UPI fraud, malware, safe browsing, backups and social media privacy.

  • 7 lessons
  • About 21 min of reading
  • 35 practice questions
  • 25 key terms
  1. 1Strong Passwords and Password Managers3 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • Length matters most: use a passphrase of at least 12 characters.
    • Use a different password for every account.
    • A password manager keeps passwords in an encrypted vault behind one master password.
    • Never share a password, even with someone claiming to be from your bank.
    • Passkeys sign you in with your device screen lock and resist phishing.

    Try this

    1. Write three practice passphrases (not ones you will really use) of at least four unrelated words each, count the characters in each one, and check that none of them contains your name, date of birth, mobile number or any other personal detail.
    2. Open the password manager built into your browser, such as Google Password Manager in Chrome or the Passwords page in Edge, count how many passwords are saved, and run its password check to list any that are reused, weak or leaked.
    3. List your five most important accounts, such as email, banking app and social media; change any password that is short or reused to a unique passphrase, and set up a passkey on any of those accounts that offers one.
  2. 2Two-Factor Authentication3 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • 2FA adds a second proof of identity, so a stolen password alone is not enough.
    • The factors are something you know, something you have and something you are.
    • Authenticator apps are safer than SMS OTPs; security keys and passkeys are strongest.
    • Deny any sign-in approval request you did not start.
    • Keep backup codes offline in case you lose your phone.

    Try this

    1. Open the security settings of your main email account, turn on two-step verification, and write down every kind of second factor it offers, such as SMS code, authenticator app, sign-in prompt on your phone or passkey.
    2. Install an authenticator app such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator, link it to one of your accounts by scanning the QR code shown by the website, then sign out and sign in again to confirm the six-digit code works.
    3. Generate the backup codes for that account, print them or copy them onto paper and keep them somewhere safe away from your phone; then turn on two-step verification with a six-digit PIN in WhatsApp under Settings > Account.
  3. 3Phishing, Smishing and Vishing3 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • Phishing impersonates a trusted source to steal secrets or install malware.
    • Smishing uses SMS or chat apps; vishing uses voice calls.
    • Urgency, prizes and requests for OTPs or PINs are red flags.
    • Verify by calling the official number on your card or the official website.
    • If you clicked, change passwords, enable 2FA and tell your bank quickly.

    Try this

    1. Collect five suspicious SMS, email or WhatsApp messages from your own phone, or a family member's phone with their permission, without clicking any link or replying, and for each one write down the warning signs it shows: urgency, a prize, a request for an OTP or PIN, an odd sender or a look-alike address.
    2. Write ten short example messages of your own, five genuine and five phishing, mix them up, and ask a classmate to sort them into the two groups and name the warning sign in each phishing message.
    3. Write a short script of what you would say to a vishing caller who claims to be from your bank's KYC department, ending with hanging up and calling the number printed on your card, and role-play it with a friend taking the caller's part.
  4. 4UPI and OTP Fraud3 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • You never need a UPI PIN or a QR scan to receive money.
    • Never share an OTP; read what the OTP message says it is for.
    • Do not install screen-sharing apps at a stranger's request.
    • Take helpline numbers only from official apps, websites or your card.
    • Report fraud at once to your bank and on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.

    Try this

    1. Open your UPI app, or a family member's with their permission, and find where it shows the receiver's name before a payment (stop at that screen without entering your UPI PIN, so no money is sent), where the transaction history is kept and whether you can set a transaction limit; write down the menu path to each.
    2. Read five OTP messages already on your phone and copy down, for each one, what the OTP was sent for and the warning the message gives about not sharing it.
    3. Make a one-page poster for a shop counter or your home titled "PIN only to pay, never to receive", listing the six frauds described in this lesson and the national cyber crime helpline number 1930 for reporting fraud.
  5. 5Malware: Types and How It Spreads3 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • Malware is any software designed to harm, spy on or control a device.
    • A virus needs a host file, a worm spreads by itself, a trojan disguises itself.
    • Ransomware encrypts files and demands payment; an offline backup is the best defence.
    • Pirated software, unknown apps, attachments and pen drives are common routes in.

    Try this

    1. Make a table of the eight malware types in this lesson with three columns: what it does, how it usually gets onto a device, and one sign that a device may have it.
    2. Open the Windows Security app on a computer, go to Virus & threat protection, run a Quick scan, and note how many files were scanned and when the protection updates were last installed.
    3. Plug a pen drive into a Windows computer, right-click it in File Explorer (choose Show more options first on Windows 11 if needed), select Scan with Microsoft Defender before opening any file, and record the result.
  6. 6Updates, Antivirus and Safe Browsing3 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • Updates patch vulnerabilities, so install them promptly.
    • Windows 10 and 11 include Microsoft Defender Antivirus; run only one real-time antivirus.
    • HTTPS encrypts the connection but does not prove a site is genuine.
    • Check the real domain name before entering a password.
    • Avoid banking on public Wi-Fi and sign out on shared computers.

    Try this

    1. Open Windows Update in Settings on a computer, check for updates, and note the date of the most recent update in the update history and whether a restart is pending; then check your phone for a system update and update all its apps from the Play Store or App Store.
    2. In the Windows Security app, confirm that Real-time protection is on under Virus & threat protection > Virus & threat protection settings > Manage settings, and that the firewall is on for every network type under Firewall & network protection, and write down anything that shows a warning.
    3. Write ten made-up website addresses that use the name of a bank or shop, some genuine-looking and some tricks with the name at the start, then for each one underline the real domain by finding the first single slash and reading leftwards from it.
  7. 7Backups and Privacy on Social Media3 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises

    Key points

    • Follow 3-2-1: three copies, two kinds of storage, one copy off-site.
    • Keep an unplugged backup to survive ransomware, and test restoring files.
    • Syncing alone is not a backup.
    • Never post Aadhaar, PAN, tickets or your live location publicly.
    • Confirm unexpected money requests from friends by phone.

    Try this

    1. Plan a 3-2-1 backup for your own phone and computer in a table that lists your important data, the two kinds of storage you will use and where the off-site copy will be kept, then make one backup copy to a pen drive or external disk.
    2. Copy a practice file into your backup, delete the original from the computer, and then restore it from the backup, noting how long the restore took and whether the file opens correctly.
    3. Open the privacy settings of one social media account you use, make the profile private or limit who can see your posts, turn off finding you by phone number, and remove any connected third-party apps you no longer use.
Glossary: 25 key terms of Cyber Security Basics
Authenticator app
A phone app, such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator, that generates a new short sign-in code every 30 seconds or so as a second factor.
Backup
An extra copy of your data kept on a separate device or in the cloud, so it can be restored if the original is lost, damaged or locked.
Credential stuffing
An attack in which criminals try email and password pairs leaked from one website on many other websites, hoping people have reused them.
Encryption
Scrambling data with a key so that only someone who has the correct key can read it.
Firewall
A security feature that controls which network connections are allowed into and out of a device or network.
HTTPS
HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure, the secure form of the web protocol HTTP, which encrypts the connection between your browser and a website; it keeps data private but does not prove the website is honest.
Malware
Any software written to harm a device, steal data or take control of it, including viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware and spyware.
OTP
A one-time password: a short code sent by SMS or email, or generated by an app, that works only once and expires after a short time.
Passkey
A sign-in method that uses your device's fingerprint, face unlock or screen lock instead of a password and works only on the genuine website it was created for.
Passphrase
A long password made of several unrelated words, which is easier to remember and much harder to guess than a short jumble of characters.
Password manager
An app or browser feature that stores your passwords in an encrypted vault behind one master password and fills them in for you on the correct websites.
Patch
A software fix, delivered in an update, that corrects a bug or closes a security vulnerability.
Phishing
A trick in which a criminal pretends to be a trusted person or organisation to make you click a link, open an attachment or reveal secrets such as passwords or OTPs.
Ransomware
Malware that encrypts the files on a device and demands payment to unlock them.
SIM swap
A fraud in which a criminal gets a duplicate SIM card issued in your name, so your calls and OTP messages reach them instead of you.
Smishing
Phishing carried out through SMS or chat-app messages, such as a fake parcel or electricity bill alert.
Spear phishing
A phishing message aimed at one particular person or group that uses details such as their name, college or workplace to look genuine.
Spyware
Malware that secretly watches what you do on a device and sends the information to an attacker.
Trojan
Malware disguised as useful software, such as a free game or a crack, that tricks you into installing it and does not copy itself.
Two-factor authentication (2FA)
Signing in with a second, different kind of proof of identity, such as a code from your phone, in addition to your password; it is the most common form of multi-factor authentication.
UPI PIN
The secret number that approves payments out of your bank account in a UPI app; it is never needed to receive money.
Virus
Malware that attaches itself to a file or program and spreads when that file is run or shared.
Vishing
Phishing carried out over a voice call, where the caller pretends to be from a bank, company, government office or the police.
Vulnerability
A mistake in software that an attacker can use to break into a device or gain access it should not have.
Worm
Malware that copies itself across networks automatically, without needing a host file or anyone to open it.

Practice and study material

Study books and timed practice tests in the student portal

Students sign in to read the study books lesson by lesson, print them, mark lessons as done and test themselves with timed practice tests, every answer explained.

  • 4study books
  • 28lessons
  • 140practice questions
  • 100glossary terms

How the practice tests work

  • Fresh questions each time

    Up to 20 questions are picked at random from the subject’s question bank.

  • One minute per question

    A timer counts down. When it reaches zero, your answers are sent automatically.

  • Move around freely

    Skip a question, flag it, and come back to change your answer before you submit.

  • Learn from every answer

    At the end you see the right answer and an explanation for each question.

  • Read, print and keep track

    Each study book has its lessons, key points, exercises and a glossary. Print a lesson, or mark it as done.

Try 3 practice questions

Real questions from this course’s question banks. Pick an answer to see the explanation.

  1. HTML and CSS · Question 1

    Which method should a login form use when it sends a password?

    Show the answer

    Answer: C. method="post"

    With post the data travels in the request body instead of being added to the URL, where it could be seen and saved in the browser history.

  2. Databases and SQL · Question 2

    A column holds values such as "Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor" in a single cell. Which normal form does this break?

    Show the answer

    Answer: A. First normal form (1NF)

    1NF requires every cell to hold a single, atomic value.

  3. Cyber Security Basics · Question 3

    A buyer says, "Scan this QR code and enter your UPI PIN to receive ₹5,000." What will actually happen?

    Show the answer

    Answer: D. Money will be sent from your account

    Scanning a QR code and entering your PIN always pays money out; receiving money never needs a PIN.

Free ebooks

14 free ebooks for this course

Branded PDF books to read on your phone or print: the study books of this course and more. Free for anyone, no sign-in needed.

Browse all 100 free ebooks

Careers

Careers this course leads towards

The kind of work these skills are used for. Each guide explains what the job involves, the skills it asks for and how to get started.

  • Web developer

    Building and updating websites with HTML, CSS and JavaScript, and connecting them to data.

  • Hardware and networking technician

    Assembling and repairing computers, installing Windows and drivers, and setting up and fixing office networks.

  • Cyber security

    Keeping accounts, devices and networks safe: passwords, updates, backups, and spotting fraud and malware.

  • Software developer

    Writing, testing and fixing programs in languages such as C, C++, Java and Python.

How admission works

From your first question to your certificate.

The usual steps, at the head office in Delhi or at an authorised member centre.

Who can join
Students above 12 years of age.
Where
The Delhi head office and authorised member centres.
Fees and timings
On WhatsApp at +91 97116 99511, or by phone on 011 2721 1512.
Start with a question
  1. 1

    Ask about the course

    Call or WhatsApp the head office, or visit your nearest member centre. Ask for the duration, the fee and the batch timings in writing.

  2. 2

    Fill the admission form

    Admission forms are supplied by the head office to every centre.

  3. 3

    Learn in class

    Attend your batch at the centre, with the course material and study notes, and sign in to the student portal for the study books and practice tests.

  4. 4

    Take the exam

    The institute prefers written exams, taken in front of a teacher.

  5. 5

    Receive your certificate

    Students who pass get a Gurukul Technicals Institute certificate and marksheet. Employers can verify it with the head office.

Questions

Questions about the IT programme

Still have a question?

Chat on WhatsApp
Who can join the IT programme?

Students above 12 years of age can take admission, at the Delhi head office or at an authorised member centre. The course suits class 10 pass students. Tell the head office or your centre what you already know, and they will suggest where to start.

How long is the course and what is the fee?

The institute lists this programme over 6 months or 1 year. Duration, fees and batch timings depend on the course and the centre. Ask the head office or your nearest member centre, and get the details in writing before you pay.

Where are the classes?

At the head office in Delhi (A-10, Chief Commissioner Colony, opposite Rana Pratap Bagh) and at authorised member centres. Call or WhatsApp the head office to find the nearest centre.

What do I need to use the study books and practice tests?

A phone or a computer with an internet connection, and the login your centre gives you at enrolment. The student portal opens in an ordinary web browser, so there is nothing to install. Student login.

How do the practice tests work?

Sign in to the student portal and choose a subject. Each test picks up to 20 questions at random from that subject’s question bank and gives you one minute per question, with a timer that sends your answers automatically when it reaches zero. You can skip a question, flag it and come back before you submit, and at the end you see the right answer and an explanation for every question. This course has 140 practice questions across 4 subjects, and you can take the tests as often as you like.

Is there an exam and a certificate?

Yes. The institute prefers written exams, taken in front of a teacher. Students who pass receive a Gurukul Technicals Institute certificate and marksheet.

How is a Gurukul Technicals Institute certificate verified?

On the verify certificate page, anyone can enter a certificate number and check it against the institute’s online register, which covers certificates issued through the portal. For older certificates, or if there is any doubt, send a copy to the head office by email or WhatsApp; the reply comes within 2 working days.

Are the ebooks on this page really free?

Yes. The 14 ebooks for this course are free PDF downloads for anyone, whether or not you join. The whole library has 100 free ebooks: browse them all.

Ready to start the IT programme?

Ask the head office for the duration, the fee, the batch timings and your nearest member centre.

WhatsApp us