IT Glossary
Key Terms To Know In The IT Industry
Binary Code
The most basic form of computer code or machine language, consisting of binary numbers (0s and 1s). Computers use binary code to perform various tasks and operations. It is the fundamental representation of data and instructions in computing and digital electronics.
You will find this term commonly used in General IT, Software Development
Binary Compatibility
The ability of software to run on hardware of the same architecture without modification, even if it was compiled with a different compiler or different versions of a compiler. Binary compatibility ensures that applications remain operational across updates and variations in the development environment.
You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, Hardware
Binary Large Object (BLOB)
A collection of binary data stored as a single entity in a database management system. BLOBs are typically used to store large files such as images, audio, and video. Storing BLOBs in databases allows for efficient management and access to multimedia and large data items.
You will find this term commonly used in Data Management, Databases
Binary Large Object (BLOB) Storage
A type of database storage for storing large binary objects such as images, audio files, and video clips. BLOB storage is designed for handling unstructured data efficiently.
You will find this term commonly used in Databases, Data Management
Binary Patching
The process of updating binary files with patches to fix bugs or vulnerabilities without the need for recompiling the source code. It's a quick way to distribute fixes and updates.
You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, Cybersecurity
Binary Release
A distribution of software in a binary format, ready for installation and use without the need for compilation. It's typically specific to a particular platform or operating system.
You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, Deployment
Binary Search
An efficient algorithm for finding an item from a sorted list of items. It works by repeatedly dividing in half the portion of the list that could contain the item, until the possible locations are narrowed down to just one.
You will find this term commonly used in Software Development
Binary Synchronous Communication (Bisync)
A communication protocol developed by IBM to synchronize data transmission over telecommunication networks between two points. It is used for batch file transmission and provides error correction.
You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Data Communication
Binary Translation
The process of translating and executing instructions from one computer architecture to another, enabling software compiled for one CPU architecture to run on another.
You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, Emulation
Bioacoustic Monitoring
The use of technology to capture and analyze sounds within ecosystems to monitor biodiversity and the presence or behavior of species. It's a growing field within environmental science and conservation efforts.
You will find this term commonly used in Emerging Technologies, Environmental IT
Bioinformatics
An interdisciplinary field that develops methods and software tools for understanding biological data. As an intersection of computer science, biology, mathematics, and engineering, bioinformatics focuses on the analysis and interpretation of various types of biological information, such as DNA sequences.
You will find this term commonly used in Data Analysis, Life Sciences
Biometric Authentication
A security process that relies on the unique biological characteristics of an individual to verify their identity. Common methods include fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, and iris scanning. Biometric authentication provides a high level of security for access control and identity verification.
You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity
Biometric Authentication Systems
Systems that use unique physiological characteristics, such as fingerprints or iris patterns, to identify and authenticate individuals for access control or security verification.
You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity
Biometric Encryption
A process that securely binds a digital key to a biometric or uses a biometric to encrypt data. It ensures that only the matching biometric data can decrypt and retrieve the original information.
You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity
Biometric Identification System
A technology-based system that identifies individuals based on unique biological traits, such as fingerprints, facial features, iris patterns, or voice recognition. Widely used in security and access control systems.
You will find this term commonly used in Security, Biometrics
Biometric Verification System
A security system that compares biometric data captured in real-time to stored, confirmed authentic data in a database. It's used for identity verification to grant access or approve transactions.
You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)
BIOS is a firmware used to perform hardware initialization during the booting process and to provide runtime services for operating systems and programs. It's a crucial interface that bridges the operating system and the computer's hardware components.
You will find this term commonly used in Hardware, General IT
BIOS Chip
A chip that contains the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) firmware on a computer motherboard. It initializes computer hardware and starts the bootloader to load the operating system.
You will find this term commonly used in Hardware, General IT
BIOS Password
A security feature found on motherboard BIOS setups that requires a unique password to grant access to the BIOS system settings. This security measure prevents unauthorized users from making changes to the BIOS settings.
You will find this term commonly used in Hardware, Security
BIOS Update
The process of updating the Basic Input/Output System firmware on a computer's motherboard. This is essential for fixing bugs, adding new features, or improving compatibility with hardware and software, ensuring the system's reliability and performance.
You will find this term commonly used in Hardware, General IT
Bit
The smallest unit of data in computing represented by a binary digit (0 or 1). Bits are foundational to digital communication, signifying the binary choices or states in computing and digital electronics.
You will find this term commonly used in General IT, Hardware
Bit Depth
The number of bits used to represent the color of a single pixel in a bitmapped image or video frame buffer, or the number of bits used for each audio sample in a digital audio stream. Higher bit depth allows for a higher number of possible values and finer detail.
You will find this term commonly used in Multimedia, General IT
Bit Error Rate (BER)
The percentage of bits that have errors relative to the total number of bits received in a transmission, a measure of the quality of a communication channel or system.
You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Telecommunications
Bit Field
A set of adjacent computer memory bits that have been allocated to hold a specific type of data. Bit fields are used in programming to compactly store and manipulate sets of parameters, such as device status flags, efficiently within a single integer variable.
You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, Hardware
Bit Manipulation
The act of algorithmically modifying bits or binary digits within a byte or group of bytes. Bit manipulation is a fundamental aspect of low-level programming, enabling efficient data processing, storage, and communication.
You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, Hardware
Bit Rate
The number of bits that are conveyed or processed per unit of time in telecommunications and computing. High bit rates allow for higher quality audio or video files but also require more storage space and bandwidth to transmit.
You will find this term commonly used in Multimedia, Networking
Bit Rate Throttling
The intentional slowing down of Internet speed by an Internet service provider (ISP) or a software application, often used to regulate network traffic and manage bandwidth consumption.
You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Internet Technology
Bit Rot
The gradual degradation of data stored on physical media over time, leading to the potential loss or corruption of data. Bit rot can affect various storage media, including hard drives, optical discs, and magnetic tapes. Preventive strategies include regular data backups and data migration.
You will find this term commonly used in Data Management, Hardware
Bit Stream Access
Refers to the regulatory provision allowing third-party telecommunications service providers to access the digital bit stream of another provider's digital subscriber line (DSL) service, facilitating competition and service variety.
You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Telecommunications
Bit-Interleaved Coded Modulation (BICM)
A modulation and coding technique used in digital communication systems to improve the robustness and efficiency of data transmission over noisy channels.
You will find this term commonly used in Telecommunications, Data Communication
Bit-level Parallelism
The simultaneous processing of multiple bits of data in parallel, typically within a CPU or GPU, to improve performance and computational speed.
You will find this term commonly used in Hardware, Performance Optimization
BitLocker
A full disk encryption feature included with Microsoft Windows versions starting from Vista. It is designed to protect data by providing encryption for entire volumes.
You will find this term commonly used in Security, Data Protection
Bitstream Encryption
The encryption of data at the bitstream level, providing security for digital content as it is transmitted or stored. This method is often used in digital rights management (DRM) to protect copyright materials.
You will find this term commonly used in Cryptography, Digital Media
BitTorrent
A peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing protocol designed for transferring files over the internet efficiently. It breaks down large files into smaller pieces, which are downloaded from multiple sources, reducing the burden on any single source and speeding up download times.
You will find this term commonly used in Networking, General IT
Bitwise Operation
Operations that directly manipulate bits, the basic units of information in computing and digital communications. These operations include AND, OR, XOR, and NOT.
You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, General IT
Black Box Testing
A method of software testing that examines the functionality of an application without peering into its internal structures or workings. This method of test can be applied to virtually every level of software testing: unit, integration, system, and acceptance.
You will find this term commonly used in Software Development
Black Hat Hacker
An individual with extensive computer knowledge whose purpose is to breach or bypass internet security. Black hat hackers are typically involved in malicious activities such as fraud, espionage, or vandalism. They may exploit security vulnerabilities for personal gain or to cause disruption.
You will find this term commonly used in Cybersecurity, Security
Black/Grey Box Testing
A hybrid software testing technique that combines elements of both black box testing (no prior knowledge of the internal workings) and grey box testing (some knowledge of the internal structure), aimed at efficient and comprehensive evaluation.
You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, Testing
Blacklist
A basic form of denying access to certain files, websites, or software applications. In cybersecurity, blacklisting helps protect computing systems and networks from potentially harmful or unauthorized software.
You will find this term commonly used in Cybersecurity, Networking
Blacklist Filtering
A security measure that blocks access to or usage of certain websites, email addresses, software, or IP addresses known to be malicious or undesirable.
You will find this term commonly used in Cybersecurity, Network Security
Blacklist vs. Whitelist
In cybersecurity, a blacklist is a list of entities identified as harmful or not allowed, while a whitelist contains entities that are considered safe. The use of these lists helps control access and protect systems from unauthorized or malicious activity.
You will find this term commonly used in Cybersecurity, Network Security
Blade Chassis
The physical frame and infrastructure that houses multiple blade servers, providing power, cooling, networking, and various interconnects to support them. Blade chassis are designed to optimize server density and consolidate resources, offering an efficient solution for data centers and enterprise computing.
You will find this term commonly used in Hardware, Data Center
Blade Enclosure
A chassis housing multiple blade servers, providing shared resources such as power, cooling, and networking. It enables high-density server deployment and efficient management.
You will find this term commonly used in Hardware, Data Center
Blade Server
A server chassis housing multiple thin, modular electronic circuit boards, known as server blades. Each blade is a server in its own right, often dedicated to a single application. Blade servers are designed to save physical space and consume less power.
You will find this term commonly used in Hardware, Data Center
Blob (Binary Large Object)
A collection of binary data stored as a single entity in a database management system. Blobs are typically used to store images, audio files, or other multimedia objects.
You will find this term commonly used in Databases, Data Management
Blob Storage
A service for storing large amounts of unstructured data, such as text or binary data, that can be accessed from anywhere via HTTP or HTTPS. Commonly used in cloud storage services to manage massive amounts of data.
You will find this term commonly used in Cloud Computing, Data Storage
Block Cipher
A method of encrypting text in which a cryptographic key and algorithm are applied to a block of data at once as a single unit, rather than encrypting one bit at a time.
You will find this term commonly used in Cryptography, Security
Blockchain
Blockchain technology is a decentralized and distributed ledger system that records transactions across multiple computers in a way that ensures security, transparency, and immutability. It's the backbone of cryptocurrencies and has applications in various sectors beyond finance.
You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity, General IT
Blockchain Analysis
The study and investigation of blockchain transaction data to identify patterns, track cryptocurrency movements, and ensure compliance with regulations. It's crucial for security and financial monitoring.
You will find this term commonly used in Blockchain, Security
Blockchain as a Service (BaaS)
A cloud-based service that enables users to build, host, and use their own blockchain apps, smart contracts, and functions, without the need to maintain and setup the underlying infrastructure themselves.
You will find this term commonly used in Blockchain, Cloud Computing
Career Path?
Microsoft Excel 2019 Training
$49.00
PMI Risk Management Training
$49.00
Adobe Spark Training
$49.00
Microsoft Powerpoint 2016 Training
$49.00
Information Security Analyst Career Path
$51.60
Agile Project Management & Mastering Scrum Bundle
$49.00
New To IT Tech Training Series – 9 Courses
$47.40
Microsoft MTA 98-367
$49.00
Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 Training
$49.00
Microsoft 70-347: Office 365 Course
$49.00
Adobe After Effects
$49.00
SSAS : Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services
$49.00
