IT Glossary
Key Terms To Know In The IT Industry

Baseband Transmission

The transmission of a signal without modulation to a higher frequency, meaning the transmission of raw data as it is, over a dedicated channel. It is commonly used in LAN technologies for short-distance communication.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Data Communication

Bash (Bourne Again Shell)

A Unix shell and command language written as a free software replacement for the Bourne shell. Bash has become a de facto standard for shell scripting on most flavors of UNIX, offering powerful programming features to automate tasks and enable system management.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, Systems Administration

Batch Processing

A computing process where a group of transactions is collected over a period and processed as a single operation. This method is efficient for large, repetitive data jobs where immediate processing is not critical, commonly used in banking, payroll, and data mining operations.

You will find this term commonly used in General IT, Data Processing

Bayesian Filtering

A technique used for email filtering, spam detection, and other applications involving classification. It makes use of probabilities to predict the category of a piece of information.

You will find this term commonly used in Data Analysis, Cybersecurity

Bayesian Network

A statistical model that represents a set of variables and their conditional dependencies via a directed acyclic graph (DAG). Bayesian networks are used for a variety of purposes, including machine learning, data mining, and prediction.

You will find this term commonly used in AI, Data Analysis

BCP (Business Continuity Planning)

A strategic process that organizations implement to ensure critical business functions can continue during and after a disaster. BCP involves identifying potential threats, determining their impact, and developing policies and procedures to mitigate risks.

You will find this term commonly used in General IT, Security

Beacon

Small wireless devices that transmit signals to nearby portable electronic devices, primarily using Bluetooth technology. Beacons are used in location-based services, such as indoor navigation in malls and airports, to push notifications or advertisements directly to smartphones.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, IoT

Beacon Frame

A packet sent by a wireless access point (AP) to signal its presence to wireless devices. It contains information about the network, such as its SSID and security settings, helping devices find and connect to the network.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Wireless Communication

Beacon Protocol

A network protocol designed for applications that need to broadcast small, critical pieces of information to nearby devices without requiring a paired connection. Beacon protocols are widely used in IoT applications for proximity detection and contextual awareness.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, IoT

Behavior Specification Language

In software engineering, a language used to define or specify the behaviors of a system in a formal manner. These specifications are crucial for the development, testing, and maintenance of complex systems.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, System Design

Behavior-Driven Development (BDD)

A software development approach that encourages collaboration among developers, QA, and non-technical or business participants in a software project. It focuses on obtaining a clear understanding of desired software behavior through discussion with stakeholders.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, Agile Methodologies

Behavioral Analysis

A method used in cybersecurity to detect malicious activity by analyzing patterns of behavior rather than relying solely on known signatures. Behavioral analysis can identify anomalies that indicate potential security threats, offering proactive protection against new and evolving attacks.

You will find this term commonly used in Cybersecurity, Data Analysis

Behavioral Analytics

The use of data about people's behavior to understand intent and predict future actions. It's widely used in marketing, cybersecurity, and user experience design.

You will find this term commonly used in Data Analysis, Cybersecurity

Behavioral Biometrics

A field of study that deals with the measurement of patterns in human activities. In cybersecurity, it's used as a form of authentication by analyzing the unique ways in which individuals interact with computer systems and devices.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Behavioral Elicitation Technique

In software engineering and user experience design, techniques used to understand user behavior, preferences, and requirements through observation, interviews, and other methods to inform system design.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, UX/UI Design

Benchmark Optimization

The process of improving software or system performance based on the results of benchmark tests, which assess the speed, efficiency, and capability of a system under a series of standardized tasks.

You will find this term commonly used in Performance Optimization, Software Development

Benchmark Testing

The process of running a set of standardized tests on a computer, server, or network to evaluate performance and compare it against reference standards or previous tests.

You will find this term commonly used in Performance Optimization, Testing

Bi-directional Data Sync

The process of synchronizing data in both directions between two or more systems or devices, ensuring consistency and accuracy across different storage locations or platforms.

You will find this term commonly used in Data Management, Software Development

Bi-directional Replication

The process of synchronizing data between two databases in real-time, allowing each database to receive and send updates. This ensures data consistency and availability in distributed database systems.

You will find this term commonly used in Databases, Data Management

Bi-directional Synchronization

The process of keeping data in two or more locations updated through the continuous reciprocal exchange of data. This ensures consistency and accuracy across systems or devices, often used in cloud computing, data backup, and collaborative applications.

You will find this term commonly used in Data Management, Cloud Computing

Bidirectional Charging

Refers to the capability of electric vehicles (EV) and devices to not only draw energy from the grid but also to feed electricity back into the grid. This concept is increasingly relevant in discussions about smart grids and sustainable energy management.

You will find this term commonly used in Emerging Technologies, Sustainability

Big Data

Refers to extremely large datasets that may be analyzed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations, especially relating to human behavior and interactions. Big Data is characterized by its volume, velocity, and variety.

You will find this term commonly used in Data Analysis, General IT

Big Data Visualization

The representation of complex data sets in graphical or visual formats to help users understand, interpret, and derive insights from vast amounts of data. Utilizes tools and technologies designed for big data analytics.

You will find this term commonly used in Data Analysis, Big Data

Binary

A fundamental concept in computing and digital electronics, binary refers to a base-2 numeral system or binary number system, using only two symbols: 0 and 1. It's the core language of computers, representing data and facilitating operations at the most basic level.

You will find this term commonly used in General IT, Software Development

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.