IT Glossary
Key Terms To Know In The IT Industry

Bot Detection and Mitigation

Technologies and practices designed to identify, block, and mitigate the impact of malicious automated software agents (bots) on websites, networks, and applications.

You will find this term commonly used in Cybersecurity, Web Development

Botnet

A botnet is a network of private computers infected with malicious software and controlled as a group without the owners' knowledge, e.g., to send spam or launch denial-of-service attacks. It's a significant cybersecurity threat, leveraging the combined computing power for nefarious purposes.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Botnet C&C (Command and Control)

The infrastructure through which botnets are controlled and managed by attackers. C&C servers send commands to compromised machines (bots) to execute malicious activities.

You will find this term commonly used in Cybersecurity, Network Security

Botnet Detection

The process of identifying a collection of bots that are remotely controlled by a central authority, used mainly for malicious purposes like launching DDoS attacks or spreading malware. Detection is crucial for cybersecurity defenses.

You will find this term commonly used in Cybersecurity, Networking

Bounce Message

An email message that is returned to the sender because it cannot be delivered for some reason. Bounce messages are a form of network administrative messages.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Email Systems

Bounce Rate

In web analytics, the percentage of visitors to a particular website who navigate away from the site after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate indicates that the site failed to convince the user to stay and explore more, often used as a metric for website effectiveness.

You will find this term commonly used in Web Development, SEO

Boundary Defense Mechanisms

Security measures implemented at the perimeter of a network to defend against external threats and unauthorized access. These mechanisms include firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), and intrusion prevention systems (IPS).

You will find this term commonly used in Cybersecurity, Network Security

Boundary Scan

A method for testing interconnections on printed circuit boards (PCBs) or integrated circuits using a standard JTAG (Joint Test Action Group) interface. Boundary scan helps in diagnosing hardware failures and verifying that components are correctly installed.

You will find this term commonly used in Hardware, Testing

Bounded Context

A central pattern in Domain-Driven Design. It is the focus of DDD's strategic design section which is all about dealing with large models and teams. Bounded Context is a boundary within which a particular model is defined and applicable.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development

Bounded Service

In computing, a service that offers a defined interface and is bound by specific contractual agreements in terms of its functionalities and performance metrics. Bounded services are common in Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and microservices architectures, ensuring clear service boundaries.

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

Branch Cache

A feature in some versions of Microsoft Windows that allows computers in a network to store cached copies of files accessed from a central server, reducing bandwidth usage and improving access times for users.

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

Branch Office VPN

A virtual private network (VPN) configuration used to securely connect remote branch offices to a company's main network, ensuring safe and reliable communication over the internet.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Cybersecurity

Branch Prediction

A technique used in computer architecture to improve the flow of instruction execution by guessing the outcome of conditional operations and preparing the execution path accordingly. Branch prediction enhances CPU performance by reducing execution stalls.

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

Branching Strategy

In version control, a methodology for how branches are created, used, and merged back into the main code base. It's critical for managing features, fixes, and releases in software development.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, Version Control

Branchless Programming

A programming paradigm that minimizes or eliminates the use of conditional branching (if-else statements, loops) in favor of straight-line code to improve execution predictability and efficiency.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, Programming Techniques

Brand Safety

The practice of ensuring that online advertising does not appear alongside content that is detrimental to the brand's image or reputation. Brand safety involves using technologies and policies to protect brands from association with harmful or inappropriate content.

You will find this term commonly used in Web Development, Marketing

Branded Keywords

In digital marketing and SEO, specific words or phrases that include the brand's name or unique product names. These keywords are used to capture traffic from search queries directly related to the brand or its products.

You will find this term commonly used in Marketing, SEO

Breadcrumbs

In web development, a navigational aid that allows users to keep track of their locations within programs, documents, or websites. Breadcrumbs typically appear horizontally across the top of a web page, providing links back to each previous page the user navigated through.

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

Breadth-First Search (BFS)

An algorithm for traversing or searching tree or graph data structures. It starts at the tree root and explores all neighbor nodes at the present depth prior to moving on to the nodes at the next depth level.

You will find this term commonly used in Algorithms, Data Structures

Breakpoint

A debugging tool that allows developers to temporarily halt the execution of a program at a specific point so they can examine the current state of the program, including variable values, the execution stack, and the system's state.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development

Breakpoint Debugging

A debugging method that involves setting breakpoints in the code, which temporarily halt the execution of a program at specific points. This allows developers to inspect the state of the application at various stages of execution to identify and troubleshoot issues.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development

Bridge

A network device that divides a network into segments or connects different networks together, such as connecting a local area network (LAN) to another local area network that uses the same protocol (Ethernet, for instance).

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC)

A policy where employees are allowed to use their personal cloud storage services for storing and accessing work-related data. It poses potential security risks and challenges in data management and compliance.

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

Bring Your Own Key (BYOK)

A cloud security model that allows cloud service customers to use their own encryption keys, giving them control over the security of their data in the cloud.

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

Broadband

A high-capacity transmission technique using a wide range of frequencies, which enables a large number of messages to be communicated simultaneously. Broadband is widely used for internet connections and telecommunications.

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

Broadband Amplification

The process of increasing the bandwidth of a signal by using amplifiers. It's used in telecommunications to enhance the signal strength over long distances or in wireless communication.

You will find this term commonly used in Telecommunications, Networking

Broadband Over Fiber (BoF)

The delivery of broadband internet access via optical fiber directly to the home or business, offering high-speed data transmission and significant bandwidth capacity over long distances.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Telecommunications

Broadband over Powerlines (BPL)

A technology that allows Internet data transmission over the electrical power lines. BPL provides an alternative means of accessing Internet services without requiring new infrastructure separate from the existing electrical distribution network.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Internet Access

Broadband Wireless Access (BWA)

A technology that provides high-speed internet access over a wireless connection. BWA can be delivered through various wireless technologies, including Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and LTE, offering an alternative to wired broadband solutions, particularly in areas where cable or DSL is not feasible.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Internet Technology

Broadcast Address

A network address at which all devices connected to a multiple-access communications network are enabled to receive datagrams. Broadcast addresses are used in broadcasting messages to all network devices.

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

Broadcast Domain

A network segment in which if any device sends a broadcast (a packet destined for all devices), all the devices in the network segment receive it. Broadcast domains are typically bounded by routers since routers do not forward broadcast traffic.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Broadcast Encryption

A cryptographic method that allows the secure transmission of data to multiple recipients, ensuring that only authorized users can decrypt the broadcasted content.