IT Glossary
Key Terms To Know In The IT Industry

Network Protocol Stack

The collection of network protocols used together to handle communication over a network, organized in layers as per the OSI or TCP/IP model.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Protocols

Network Provisioning

The process of setting up the network infrastructure and services.

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

Network QoS (Quality of Service)

The use of various technologies to manage network traffic, reduce latency, and enhance user experience.

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

Network Quality of Service (QoS)

Policies and technologies to control traffic and ensure the performance of critical applications by managing bandwidth, delay, jitter, and packet loss.

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

Network Query

A request for information from the network, typically involving retrieval of data or status information about network resources or services.

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

Network Query Language (NQL)

A specialized query language for managing, updating, and retrieving data from a network-oriented database.

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

Network Reconstruction

The process of rebuilding network infrastructure and services after a failure or disaster to restore normal operations.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Disaster Recovery

Network Redundancy

Network redundancy is the duplication of critical network components, connections, or pathways to ensure continuous operation and fault tolerance in case of component failures or network disruptions. It helps improve reliability and availability of network services.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Network Refactoring

The process of restructuring existing network architecture without changing its external behavior, to improve internal structure, efficiency, or manageability.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Design

Network Registration

The process by which devices or users are recognized and authorized to access network resources, often involving authentication and allocation of network addresses or resources.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Security

Network Reliability

The ability of a network to perform its required functions under stated conditions for a specified period of time without failure.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Reliability

Network Replication

The process of copying data or services from one network location to another to ensure data consistency and availability across multiple sites.

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

Network Resilience

The ability of a network to maintain acceptable levels of service in the face of faults and challenges to normal operation.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Reliability

Network Resource Allocation

The process of distributing network resources (such as bandwidth, IP addresses) among users or applications according to a certain policy or requirement.

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

Network Response Time

The amount of time it takes for a network to respond to a request, including the time it takes for data to travel from the source to the destination and back.

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

Network Restoration

The process of returning a network or service to its original or operational state after a disruption or failure.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Disaster Recovery

Network Retransmission

The process of sending data again across a network, typically because the original transmission was lost, corrupted, or acknowledged as received incorrectly.

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

Network Routing

The process of selecting paths in a network along which to send network traffic, based on routing protocols and algorithms.

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

Network Routing Protocol

A protocol that specifies how routers communicate with each other, disseminating information that enables them to select routes between any two nodes on a computer network.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Protocols

Network Scalability

The ability of a network to handle a growing amount of work, or its potential to accommodate growth in demand for network resources.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Design

Network Scan

The process of identifying active devices on a network and their characteristics, such as open ports and running services, often used for security assessment or network management.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Security

Network Scheduler

A component that manages the distribution of network traffic across various resources according to a specific scheduling algorithm.

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

Network Schema

A logical blueprint or model that represents the organization, configuration, and relationships of network resources and services.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Design

Network Security

Measures taken to protect a computer network from unauthorized access, misuse, or modification.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Network Security Architecture

Network security architecture refers to the design and implementation of security controls, mechanisms, and policies to protect computer networks from unauthorized access, data breaches, and cyber threats. It encompasses technologies such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and encryption protocols.

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

Network Security Assessment

Network security assessment is the evaluation of an organization's network infrastructure, policies, and procedures to identify vulnerabilities, assess risks, and recommend security controls. It helps improve the overall security posture and compliance with regulations.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Network Security Audit

A network security audit is a systematic evaluation of an organization's computer network infrastructure, policies, and practices to assess security vulnerabilities, compliance with regulatory standards, and adherence to best practices. It helps identify weaknesses and improve overall security posture.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Network Security Controls

Network security controls are measures and mechanisms implemented within a computer network to protect against security threats, vulnerabilities, and attacks. They include technologies such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, access control lists, and encryption protocols.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Network Security Incident

A network security incident is any adverse event or occurrence within a computer network that poses a threat to the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of data or resources. Examples include unauthorized access, malware infections, and denial-of-service attacks.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Network Security Key

A network security key, also known as a Wi-Fi password or passphrase, is a cryptographic key used to authenticate and secure access to a wireless network. It prevents unauthorized users from connecting to the network and protects data transmitted over the network.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Networking

Network Security Policy

A network security policy is a set of rules, guidelines, and procedures established to govern the use, configuration, and management of security controls within a computer network. It defines the security posture and requirements of an organization's network.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Network Security Threat

A network security threat is any potential danger or risk that could compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of data or resources within a computer network. Common threats include malware, phishing attacks, DDoS attacks, and insider threats.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Network Segmentation

The practice of dividing a computer network into smaller subnetworks to improve performance, security, and manageability.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Security

Network Segmentation Strategy

Network segmentation strategy is a plan or approach for dividing a computer network into smaller, isolated segments to improve security, performance, and manageability. It involves defining segmentation criteria, implementing controls, and monitoring traffic between segments.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Security

Network Segregation

The practice of separating network traffic into different segments based on criteria like function, security level, or user group, to enhance security and performance.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Security

Network Service Provider (NSP)

A company that provides backbone services to an Internet service provider (ISP), the company that most web users use for access to the Internet.

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

Network Session

A semi-permanent interactive information interchange between two or more devices, or between a computer and user (see session).

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

Network Simulation

The technique of using a computer model to predict the behavior of a network, typically for research, design, and planning purposes.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Analysis

Network Simulator

A network simulator is a software tool used to simulate the behavior and performance of computer networks. It allows network engineers and researchers to model and analyze network protocols, configurations, and scenarios in a controlled environment.