2FA — Two Factor Authentication
A form of MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) that adds an extra layer of security by requiring two types of verification to confirm your identity, such as a password and a code sent to your phone or email, or a dedicated security app on your device
Adware
Malicious software which displays unwanted advertising, often bundled with other software
API — Application Programming Interface
A set of specifications and rules that allow one software application to interact with another
Apache
A widely-used open-source web server software for delivering websites to users over the Internet
ASCII — American Standard Code for Information Interchange
A character encoding standard used by computers that includes the letters A through Z, the digits 0 through 9, punctuation and control characters
Auto-reply
An automatic email response sent when a message is received, often used for out-of-office messages or confirmations
Autoresponder
Another term for an email auto-reply
AWS — Amazon Web Services
A cloud platform by Amazon that provides servers, storage, databases, networking and other tools for building web applications and IT environments
Bandwidth
The amount of data a network can transmit over a period of time, typically measured in bits per second.
Bit
The smallest unit of data in computing, representing a 0 or 1
Bot
A software application designed to perform automated tasks over the Internet; Bots (short for “robots”) can be helpful (like search engine crawlers or chat assistants) or harmful (like spam bots or those used in cyberattacks)
bps — Bits per Second
The number of bits transmitted per second
Browser Cookie
A small file stored on a user’s device by websites to remember preferences or track activity
B/s — Bytes per Second
The number of bytes transmitted per second
Byte
A group of 8 bits processed together as a unit
Caching
Temporarily storing data in a fast-access location to improve performance and load times
CAPTCHA
A test to distinguish humans from bots, often used on web forms
Catch-all
An email address that receives all messages sent to undefined or non-existent email addresses within a domain
ccTLD — Country Code Top-Level Domain
A two-letter domain suffix for a specific country or region, such as .US, .UK, or .CA
CDN — Content Delivery Network
A network of servers that deliver web content from locations closest to the user to reduce latency and improve speed
CGI — Common Gateway Interface
A protocol for web servers to interact with external programs, typically to generate dynamic content
Cloud Computing
Delivery of computing services over the Internet, including servers, storage, databases, networking and software
CMS — Content Management System
Software used to create, manage and modify digital content, often used for websites
CPU — Central Processing Unit
The main component in a computer which carries out instructions and processes data
CPU Core
A single processing unit within a CPU; modern CPUs often have multiple cores which can handle tasks simultaneously
CSS — Cascading Style Sheets
A language used to define the layout, colors and styles of a web page
CSS3
The third and current major version of CSS
Database
An organized collection of structured information stored electronically
Data Breach
An incident where sensitive information is accessed or disclosed without authorization
DB
A common abbreviation for “database”
DBMS — Database Management System
Software that allows users to create, manage and interact with databases
DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service)
An attack where multiple systems overwhelm a targeted system, such as a server, with traffic to render it unavailable
DKIM — DomainKeys Identified Mail
An email authentication method that verifies the sender and ensures the message wasn’t altered in transit
Distribution Group
An email address that forwards messages to multiple recipients
DMARC — Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance
A protocol that tells mail servers how to handle unauthenticated emails
DNS — Domain Name System
The system which translates domain names to IP Addresses
DNS Records
Entries that define how DNS handles requests for a domain, such as directing traffic or email
Domain Name
A human-readable address used to access websites, such as example.com
Domain Reseller
A company that sells domain names on behalf of a registrar
Email Address
An identifier for sending and receiving email, usually in the form user@example.com
Email Alias
An alternate email address that forwards email to a different mailbox
Email Client
Software used on a computer or device to send, receive and manage emails, such as Outlook or Apple Mail
Email Forwarding
A feature to redirects email from one address to another
Email Mailbox
A storage location for received email messages
Encryption
The process of converting data into encoded values to prevent unauthorized access
Firewall
A network security system which monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic
FTP — File Transfer Protocol
A standard method for transferring files between computers over a network
Gateway
A device which connects different networks and translates communication protocols, allowing data to flow between them
GB — Gigabyte
1,000 megabytes (1,000,000,000 bytes); for memory, may refer to 1,073,741,824 bytes (a gibibyte).
Gbps — Gigabits per Second
The number of gigabits (1,000,000,000 bits) transmitted per second
GB/s — Gigabytes per Second
The number of gigabytes (1,000,000,000 bytes) transmitted per second
GiB — Gibibyte
1,024 mebibytes (1,073,741,824 bytes), used for binary memory sizes
Git
A distributed version control system used in software development
GPU — Graphics Processing Unit
A specialized processor to handle complex calculations used for rendering graphics, animations and video
gTLD — Generic Top-Level Domain
A general-purpose TLD, such as .COM, .NET or .ORG
Hosting
The service of storing and delivering websites, email or other content over the Internet
HTML — HyperText Markup Language
A language for defining the structure of the content in a web page
HTML5
The fifth and latest major version of HTML
HTTP — HyperText Transfer Protocol
The protocol that governs communication between web servers and browsers
HTTPS — Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure
A secure version of HTTP which uses TLS/SSL to encrypt all communication
Hyperlinks
Clickable links that navigate to other content on the web
Hypertext
Text which includes hyperlinks to other documents or content
IAP — Internet Access Provider
Another term for an ISP (Internet Service Provider)
IDN — Internationalized Domain Name
A domain name which uses non-ASCII characters such as Greek, Cyrillic, etc.
IDS — Intrusion Detection System
A security tool to monitors networks or system activity for suspicious behavior or policy violations, alerting administrators to potential threats
IPS — Intrusion Prevention System
A security system that not only detects but actively blocks or prevents identified threats and malicious activity in real time
IMAP — Internet Message Access Protocol
A protocol for accessing and managing email stored on a mail server
Internet
The global system of interconnected networks used to access and exchange information; often simply referred to as “The Net”
Internet Browser
Another term for a Web Browser
Intranet
A private network within an organization, often modeled on Internet technology
IP — Internet Protocol
The system that governs how data is sent and received on the Internet
IP Address
A unique numeric identifier for a device on the Internet
IPv4
The older and most widely used version of the Internet Protocol, using 32-bits to support about 4.3 billion unique IP addresses, such as 192.168.0.1
IPv6
A newer version of the Internet Protocol designed to replace IPv4, using 128-bits to support much larger number of unique addresses, such as 2002:cb0a:3cdd:1::1
ISP — Internet Service Provider
A company which provides access to the Internet, such as Xfinity, Fidium, Fios and Spectrum
JavaScript
A scripting language used in browsers to create interactive and dynamic web pages
JSON — JavaScript Object Notation
A simple format used to store and share data, often used by websites and apps to send information
KB — Kilobyte
1,000 bytes; for memory, may refer to 1,024 bytes (a kibibyte)
Kbps — Kilobits per Second
The number of kilobits (1,000 bits) transmitted per second
KB/s — Kilobytes per Second
The number of kilobytes (1,000 bytes) transmitted per second
Keylogger
A type of spyware that records the keys you press on your keyboard to capture passwords and other sensitive information
KiB — Kibibyte
1,024 bytes, used for binary memory sizes
LAN — Local Area Network
A network which connects computers and devices within a limited area, such as a home, office or building
Latency
The time delay between sending a request and receiving a response, typically over a network
Linux
An open-source operating system used on many servers and computers, known for its stability, performance and security
Load Balancer
A system which distributes traffic across multiple servers to ensure reliability and performance
Load Testing
The process of testing how a system performs under heavy load
Mailing List
A list of email addresses used to send messages to multiple recipients
Malware
Malicious software designed to disrupt, damage or gain unauthorized access to systems
Managed Hosting
Hosting services maintained and monitored by a service provider on behalf of the customer
Markdown
A lightweight markup language used to format plain text with simple symbols for headings, links, emphasis, etc.
Markup
A way of annotating text to define structure and presentation, typically used in web languages like HTML
MariaDB
A popular open-source relational databases derived from MySQL
MB — Megabyte
1,000 kilobytes (1,000,000 bytes); for memory, may refer to 1,048,576 bytes (a mebibytes)
Mbps — Megabits per Second
The number of megabits (1,000,000 bits) transmitted per second
MB/s — Megabytes per Second
The number of megabytes (1,000,000 bytes) transmitted per second
MFA — Multi-Factor Authentication
A security method which requires two or more different types of verification to confirm your identity, such as a password, a security code, a fingerprint or a face scan
MiB — Mebibyte
1024 kibibytes (1,048,576 bytes), used for binary memory sizes
Mobile First
A design approach that prioritizes mobile user experience before scaling up for larger devices
MUA — Mail User Agent
Another term for an Email Client
MySQL
A widely-used open-source relational database management system
Name Server
A server that stores DNS records and responds to domain lookups
Network
A group of interconnected computers or devices that share resources and communicate with each other
Network Security Appliance
A specialized hardware device which acts as a firewall, content filter and/or anti-virus device
NGINX
A web server and reverse proxy, known for its efficient handling of concurrent connections, and often used as an alternative to Apache; pronounced “engine-X”
NoSQL
A non-relational database optimized for flexible data models and scalability
OAuth — Open Authorization
A standard which allows a user to grant an application access to their data without needing to share their password
Opt-In
A process where a user gives permission to receive emails, newsletters or other communications by actively choosing to subscribe to them
Phishing
Fraudulent attempts to obtain sensitive information by pretending to be a trustworthy entity via email
PHP
A server-side scripting language used to develop dynamic web pages and services
POP3 — Post Office Protocol 3
A protocol for downloading email from a server to a local device
Protocol
A defined standard for how systems communicate or exchange data
Proxy Server
A server that acts as an intermediary between a user’s device and the destination server
RAM — Random Access Memory
Temporary memory used by computers to store active data and instructions
Ransomware
A type of malicious software that locks or encrypts your files or device, demanding payment (a ransom) to unlock access
RDBMS — Relational Database Management System
Software used to manage relational databases
Redis
An in-memory NoSQL database often used for caching and high-speed data access
Registrant
The individual or organization that registers a domain name and holds the legal rights to use it
Registrar
A company authorized by a registry to sell and manage domain registrations
Registry
The organization responsible for managing a top-level domain (TLD)
Relational Database
A database structured into tables with rows and columns
Responsive Design
A design strategy that allows a website to adjust to different screen sizes and devices
Reverse Proxy
A server which forwards requests from users to another server behind the scenes, often to improve performance, security or load balancing
Router
A device which forwards data between computer networks and directs traffic on the Internet or within a local network
SaaS — Software as a Service
Software accessed and used over the Internet rather than installed locally
Scalability
The ability of a system to handle increased load or growth efficiently
SEO — Search Engine Optimization
The process of improving a website’s visibility in search engine results
SFTP — SSH File Transfer Protocol
A secure method for transferring files over a network, using SSH (Secure Shell) to encrypt data during transmission
Smishing
Phishing conducted via SMS text messages
SMTP — Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
The protocol used for sending emails between servers
Software Framework
A platform of pre-written code which provides a foundation for building software applications
Spam
Unwanted, unsolicited messages, often sent in bulk for advertising or malicious purposes
Spam Filtering
Tools or systems that identify and filter out spam messages
Spear Phishing
A targeted phishing attack aimed at a specific individual or organization, often using personalized information to trick the victim into revealing sensitive data or clicking a harmful link
SPF — Sender Policy Framework
An email authentication method that defines which servers are allowed to send mail for a domain
Spyware
Malicious software designed to secretly monitor your activities, collect personal information or track your browsing without your consent
SQL — Structured Query Language
A standard language used to query and manipulate databases
SSL — Secure Sockets Layer
An outdated protocol used to encrypt data transmitted over the web; replaced by TLS
SSL Certificate
A digital certificate that enables HTTPS and encrypts data between a website and its visitors
Subdomain
A domain that is part of a larger domain, for example blog.example.com is a subdomain of example.com
TB — Terabyte
1,000 gigabytes (1,000,000,000,000 bytes); for memory, may refer to 1,099,511,627,776 bytes (a tebibytes)
TiB — Tebibyte
1024 gibibytes (1,099,511,627,776 bytes), used for binary memory sizes
TLD — Top-Level Domain
The last part of a domain name, such as .COM, .NET or .ORG
TLS — Transport Layer Security
An encryption protocol that secures data over the Internet, replacing SSL
Trojan Horse
Malicious software disguised as legitimate software that tricks you into installing it, often creating a backdoor for attackers
UCE — Unsolicited Commercial Email
Another term for spam; email sent for commercial purposes without consent
Unix
A powerful, multiuser, multitasking operating system originally developed in the 1970s that inspired many others, including Linux and macOS
Uptime
The amount of time a website or server is available and operational
URL — Uniform Resource Locator
An address used to access a specific resource on the Web, such as a webpage
Virus
A type of malicious software designed to spread between computers and interfere with normal operations, often damaging files or systems
Vishing
Fraudulent voice calls or voicemails impersonating legitimate companies
VPN — Virtual Private Network
A service which creates a secure, encrypted connection over a less secure network, such as the Internet
WAN — Wide Area Network
A network which spans a large geographic area, connecting multiple LANs
Webmail
An email interface accessed via a web browser
Web Accessibility
Design practices that ensure websites can be used by people with all abilities, such as screen readers or alternate input devices
Web Browser
Software used to access and navigate websites; examples include Chrome, Firefox and Safari
Web Page
A single document viewable on the web
Web Server
A server that delivers web content such as HTML pages, images and videos
Website
A collection of web pages under a single domain; often referred to as simple a “site”
WHOIS
A public directory that contains registration details for domain names
Wi-Fi
A wireless technology which allows devices to connect to the Internet or a local network without using cables; sometimes written as WiFi
WWW — World Wide Web
The collection of all interconnected websites and webpages on the Internet; often referred to as “The Web”
XML — eXtensible Markup Language
A way to organize and share data using custom tags, often used for documents and data exchange between systems