This unit will explain the relationship between data, information and knowledge and introduce a number of different tools for managing, storing, securing, modelling, visualizing and analysing data. This unit will provide an understanding of how data can be manipulated to meet the information needs of users. Changing data into information can be accomplished with a range of tools, including XML, SQL, and data visualisation. Emphasis will be placed upon using the tools to match the information-seeking behavior of users. This unit introduces the techniques to enable the students to use these tools for managing data, creating information and allowing knowledge development. Overarching the whole unit is the importance of data security and how it can be achieved.

This unit provides students with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to develop an application system which uses a web interface to back-end databases. The unit assumes a sound basic knowledge of programming and database concepts and skills a developed in the introductory units in these areas. The emphasis in the unit is on mastery of the key concepts and the basic knowledge and skills required to build this kind of application. The unit will provide students with an awareness of the wide range of technologies which are used to support his kind of application, but will examine only a limited number of these technologies to demonstrate the key concepts and their application. The unit explores the purposes and approaches in using scripting and markup languages in relation to the client-server paradigm. The role of both server-side and client-side code are examined. Students will study the use of mark8- and scripting programming languages to connect to databases via a network.

Students are introduced to some of the most common security issues involved in the development of software, including secure coding practices, secure database access, secure data communications, security of web applications, use of encryption techniques and security testing. Students are provided with a wide range of practical exercises to reinforce their skills, including authenticating and authorising users programmatically, generating digital signatures programmatically, security testing, designing logging and auditing mechanisms.