IT Glossary
Key Terms To Know In The IT Industry

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

Blockchain Consensus

The mechanism used in blockchain networks to achieve agreement on the validity of transactions and the current state of the distributed ledger. Common consensus algorithms include Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of Stake (PoS), ensuring trust and integrity in decentralized systems.

You will find this term commonly used in Blockchain, Security

Blockchain Developer

Specializes in developing and implementing architecture and solutions using blockchain technology.

You will find this term commonly used in Blockchain, Software Development

Blockchain Network

A collective of nodes that together maintain a distributed ledger for a blockchain application. Blockchain networks can be public or private and are used in a variety of applications beyond cryptocurrencies, including supply chain management and secure transactions.

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

Blockchain Platform

A software infrastructure that enables the development, deployment, and management of blockchain systems and applications. Blockchain platforms provide the necessary tools and libraries for creating decentralized applications and smart contracts on a blockchain network.

You will find this term commonly used in Blockchain, Development

Blockchain Smart Contracts

Self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement directly written into lines of code. They automatically enforce and verify the terms of a contract on a blockchain network.

You will find this term commonly used in Blockchain, Legal Tech

Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS)

A cloud-based service that enables users to build, host, and use their own blockchain apps, contracts, and functions on the blockchain while the cloud service provider manages all the necessary tasks and activities to keep the infrastructure agile and operational.

You will find this term commonly used in Cloud Computing, Blockchain

Blogosphere Analysis

The examination and analysis of the blogosphere (the collective community of all blogs and bloggers) to gauge public opinion, trends, and influential content within specific topics or industries.

You will find this term commonly used in Data Analysis, Digital Marketing

Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)

A stop error screen displayed on a Windows computer system after a fatal system error or crash. The BSOD indicates a system crash in which the operating system has reached a condition where it can no longer operate safely.

You will find this term commonly used in Hardware, Software Development

Bluejacking

The practice of sending unsolicited messages over Bluetooth to Bluetooth-enabled devices such as mobile phones, tablets, or laptop computers. Bluejacking is typically used for marketing or social purposes and is not harmful; however, it can be exploited for malicious attacks in some cases.