Level 2 Report

29 / 10 / 2024

Task 1: Basic Chat Application Using Node.js and Socket.io

A simple real-time chat app using Node.js and Socket.io allows multiple users to send messages simultaneously. Each user is assigned a unique ID, and messages are broadcast in real-time to all participants.

• Node.js: A JavaScript runtime built on Chrome's V8 engine, known for its event-driven, non-blocking I/O model that supports high performance.
• Socket.io: Facilitates real-time, bi-directional communication, adding features like automatic reconnection and cross-browser compatibility, making it ideal for group communication.
• Hosting: The client side uses the Live Server extension, while the server side is run in development mode, offering hot reloading and debugging.
• Functionality: Users are assigned unique IDs, and their messages are broadcast in real time, creating an interactive chat experience.

Task 2: Introduction to Git Bash and GitHub

• Git Bash: A Unix-like command-line tool for Windows, providing an environment to use Git commands and Unix tools. It simplifies scripting and Git operations, making version control easier for developers accustomed to Linux systems.
• Common Commands: git init, git clone , git add , git commit -m "", and git push.
• GitHub: A web-based platform for hosting repositories. It supports collaboration, version control, issue tracking, code reviews, and branching/merging to manage code efficiently.
• Importance: Essential for collaborative projects, GitHub allows remote access, version history, and simplifies team contributions.

Task 3: Understanding the OSI Model

The OSI Model standardizes network communication into seven layers: Application, Presentation, Session, Transport, Network, Data Link, and Physical.

• Purpose: Simplifies networking concepts, aids in troubleshooting, and ensures interoperability between devices.
• Key Layers:
  • Application: Interfaces with software, handling user services (HTTP, FTP).
  • Transport: Ensures reliable data transfer (TCP, UDP).
  • Network: Manages routing and logical addressing (IP).
  • Physical: Handles the transmission of raw data (cables, hubs).
• Importance: Though the TCP/IP model is more common, the OSI Model is fundamental in understanding network protocols and troubleshooting.

Task 4: Kali Linux and SSH

• Kali Linux: A Debian-based OS for penetration testing, preloaded with tools like Nmap and Wireshark for cybersecurity tasks. It supports extensive hardware, is open-source, and is customizable for different needs.
• SSH (Secure Shell): A secure protocol for remote access and data transfer, offering encryption, secure tunneling, and key-based authentication. It’s critical for safely managing remote servers.
• Nmap: A versatile tool for network scanning, detecting open ports, operating systems, and services. Essential for network audits and security assessments.
• Use Case: Kali and SSH are key for ethical hacking, with SSH facilitating secure connections and Kali providing a rich testing environment.

Task 5: IP Addressing and Protocols

• IP Addressing: Uniquely identifies devices on a network. IPv4 (32-bit) is widely used, while IPv6 (128-bit) addresses the growing need for IP addresses.
• TCP/IP Model: The backbone of internet communication, split into four layers: Link, Internet, Transport, and Application. TCP manages reliable data transfer, while IP handles addressing and routing.
• Web Scraping: Tools like Beautiful Soup in Python simplify data extraction from HTML/XML files. It’s powerful, easy to use, and integrates seamlessly with requests for efficient scraping.

Task 6: Encryption Techniques

• Encryption: Protects data by converting it into an unreadable format.
• Symmetric Encryption: Uses the same key for encryption and decryption. AES is secure and fast, while DES is outdated and vulnerable.
• Asymmetric Encryption: Utilizes a key pair (public and private) for secure communication, exemplified by RSA. It’s essential for data transmission and digital signatures.
• Hashing: Generates fixed-size outputs from variable-length input data. SHA-256 is reliable, whereas MD5 is outdated. Hashing is crucial for data integrity and secure password storage.

Task 7: Databases

• Databases: Organize and manage structured data efficiently. MySQL is a popular open-source relational database that offers high performance, security, and cross-platform support.
• CRUD Operations: The backbone of database management:
  • Create: Add new data.
  • Read: Retrieve data.
  • Update: Modify existing records.
  • Delete: Remove records.

These operations enable effective data management and are fundamental in software applications.