Networking, Internet & Security — IBPS PO
This chapter covers how computers talk to each other and how you keep that safe — network types, the devices that connect them, the internet's basic protocols, and the cyber-security threats and defences. For a banking exam it's doubly useful: the security half overlaps with the digital-banking and cyber-fraud topics in banking awareness, and it's exactly the knowledge a PO needs to protect customers. The syllabus is shallow and finite; learn the terms once and these are near-free Mains marks.
1. What IBPS actually asks
- Network types & devices: LAN vs WAN, what a router/switch/modem does.
- Internet basics: protocols (HTTP, FTP, SMTP), URL parts, email fields (To/Cc/Bcc), browsers vs search engines.
- Security: types of malware, phishing, firewalls, encryption, strong-password/OTP hygiene.
2. Network types (by size)
| Type | Scope |
|---|---|
| PAN | Personal (a few metres — Bluetooth) |
| LAN (Local Area Network) | A building/campus |
| MAN (Metropolitan) | A city |
| WAN (Wide Area Network) | Countries/global — the Internet is the largest WAN |
Topologies (how nodes are arranged): Bus, Star, Ring, Mesh — Star (all nodes to a central hub/switch) is the most common in offices.
3. Networking devices
- Modem — converts digital ↔ analog signals to connect to the internet (modulate/demodulate).
- Router — routes data between networks (your home network to the internet).
- Switch — connects devices within a LAN and forwards data to the specific target.
- Hub — a basic switch that broadcasts to all ports (older, less efficient).
- NIC (Network Interface Card) — the hardware that connects a device to a network.
Common question: "which device connects two different networks?" → Router. "Which forwards data within a LAN?" → Switch.
4. Internet & web basics
- Protocols: HTTP/HTTPS (web pages; the S = secure/encrypted), FTP (file transfer), SMTP/POP3/IMAP (email send/receive), TCP/IP (the internet's core protocol suite).
- URL parts:
https://www.example.com/page— protocol + domain + path. Top-level domains: .com, .org, .gov, .in. - IP address uniquely identifies a device; DNS translates a domain name to an IP.
- Browser vs search engine: a browser (Chrome, Firefox) displays web pages; a search engine (Google, Bing) finds them.
- Email fields: To (primary), Cc (visible copy), Bcc (hidden copy).
5. Cyber-security — threats
- Malware umbrella: Virus (attaches to files, spreads on execution), Worm (self-replicates across networks), Trojan (disguised as legitimate software), Ransomware (locks data for ransom), Spyware (secretly monitors).
- Phishing: fake emails/sites tricking you into revealing credentials — the #1 banking fraud vector.
- Vishing / Smishing: phishing via voice call / SMS.
- Keylogger: records keystrokes to steal passwords.
6. Cyber-security — defences
- Firewall: filters incoming/outgoing network traffic — the first barrier.
- Antivirus: detects and removes malware.
- Encryption: scrambles data so only authorised parties can read it (HTTPS uses it).
- Authentication: passwords, OTP (one-time password), 2FA/MFA (two/multi-factor), biometrics.
- Password hygiene: long, mixed-character, unique, never shared — and never share an OTP (the core banking-safety message).
The security half is where computer aptitude meets banking awareness — the same phishing/OTP knowledge answers questions in both sections and is the customer-safety advice a PO gives daily.
Solved examples
Q1 (network). The Internet is an example of which type of network?
Show explanation
Solution. A WAN (Wide Area Network) — the largest.
Q2 (device). Which device connects two different networks?
Show explanation
Solution. A Router.
Q3 (protocol). In HTTPS, what does the 'S' stand for?
Show explanation
Solution. Secure — the connection is encrypted.
Q4 (security). A program that self-replicates and spreads across networks without attaching to a file is a:
Show explanation
Solution. Worm.
Q5 (email). To send a copy of an email without other recipients seeing that address, use:
Show explanation
Solution. Bcc (Blind carbon copy).
8. The protocol
- Learn networks by size — PAN < LAN < MAN < WAN (Internet), plus Star topology.
- Match devices to roles — modem (internet access), router (between networks), switch (within LAN).
- Know the protocols — HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, SMTP, TCP/IP — and URL/email basics.
- Master the security terms — malware types, phishing/vishing, firewall, encryption, OTP/2FA.
- Link security to banking awareness — the phishing/OTP knowledge scores in both sections; keep prep to one focused session.
