Computer Fundamentals and System Concepts

The Brain virus, created in 1986 by two brothers from Pakistan, is widely recognized as the first PC virus found in the wild (spreading outside controlled environments). It was a boot sector virus that infected floppy disks and is considered the first virus to spread naturally among computer users.

The term 'Malware' is a portmanteau of 'malicious' and 'software', representing any software intentionally designed to cause damage, disruption, or unauthorized access.

Ransomware is malware that encrypts data or locks a computer system, demanding payment for restoration. Cryptotrojan is an older/alternate term for similar malware that encrypts files and holds them hostage. Both terms describe malware that demands payment to restore access to data or systems.

chkrootkit is a widely used, classic Unix-based security tool designed to locally check for signs of a rootkit on a system.

This asks about the number of cables in old chip and PIN payment terminals. Legacy chip and PIN machines typically had 5 cables: power, ethernet/phone line for connectivity, and potentially serial/USB connections. The exact configuration varies by manufacturer and model, but 5 cables (option C) is marked as the correct answer in this domain-specific question.

Newer chip and PIN machines have fewer cables than older models, typically around 4. Modern payment terminals often use a single combined cable for power and data (like ethernet-powered devices) or USB, plus potentially a phone line backup. The reduced cable count reflects advances in payment technology and connectivity options. Option B (4 cables) is marked correct.

Chip and PIN payment terminals require electrical power to operate - they have electronic components including card readers, PIN pads, displays, and communication modules. Without power, the device cannot function to read cards, process PINs, or communicate with payment networks. The answer 'yes' (option A) is correct as all electronic payment terminals require power from batteries, AC adapters, or PoE (Power over Ethernet).

ATX is a motherboard form factor specification that defines the physical dimensions, mounting hole positions, and power connector layout. It is not an expansion slot type like ISA (Industry Standard Architecture), PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect), or AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port), which are actual slots for adding expansion cards.

The four fundamental functions of any computer system are input (accepting data), processing (manipulating data), output (presenting results), and storage (retaining data). Options B lists specific hardware components, C lists applications, and D mixes operations with presentation. The answer A correctly captures the functional categories of computing.

Silicon is the primary material used in manufacturing computer chips and integrated circuits. Its semiconductor properties (ability to conduct under certain conditions) make it ideal for creating transistors. Carbon (graphite/diamond) is not typically used, Uranium is radioactive, and Rubidium is an alkali metal with wrong properties.

A computer virus is a malicious software program that attaches itself to legitimate programs and replicates by inserting copies into other programs or documents. Options A and B describe physical/biological entities. Option C is incorrect - viruses are specifically designed malicious code, not just data the computer fails to handle.

POST (Power-On Self-Test) is the BIOS process that checks essential hardware components including peripherals during boot. It verifies memory, keyboard, disk drives, and other critical devices are present and functioning before the OS loads. CMOS stores BIOS settings, ROM contains the BIOS code itself, and configuration is a general concept. POST specifically performs the peripheral operational check.

Platform refers to the combination of hardware architecture (processor/CPU type) and operating system software that defines the computing environment. For example 'Windows on Intel' or 'Linux on ARM' are platforms. CPU is just the processor, BIOS is firmware, and CMOS is configuration memory - none of these capture both hardware and OS together. Platform is the standard term for the hardware/OS combination in computing.

POST (Power-On Self-Test) is the process that verifies essential peripheral devices are connected and functional during system startup. It checks components like keyboard, mouse, disk drives, and other critical hardware before the OS loads. Configuration (A) is a general setup process. CMOS (B) stores BIOS settings. ROM (C) is read-only memory chips.