IT Glossary
Key Terms To Know In The IT Industry

Network Stewardship

The practice of managing and maintaining network resources and infrastructure responsibly, with a focus on long-term sustainability and efficiency.

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

Network Storage

The use of a network-connected device, such as a NAS or SAN, to store, manage, and access data across a network, providing centralized data access and management.

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

Network Storm

A condition in which network traffic floods the network, causing excessive broadcast traffic and degrading network performance, often due to a loop or malfunction in the network topology.

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

Network Strategy

The overall plan and approach for designing, implementing, and managing a network to meet the organization's objectives and requirements, including considerations for growth, security, and technology adoption.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Strategic Planning

Network Stress Testing

The process of evaluating a network's performance and reliability under extreme conditions or heavy load, to identify potential bottlenecks, weaknesses, and capacity limits.

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

Network Subnet

A logically visible subdivision of an IP network, created by partitioning a network's IP address space into multiple segments, improving routing efficiency and network organization.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Network Design

Network Subsystem

A specific, functional component within a network system, such as routing, switching, or security, that performs a distinct set of tasks related to network operation and management.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, System Design

Network Surveillance

The monitoring of network traffic for the purpose of data collection, analysis, and potentially intercepting or logging data, often used for security monitoring or law enforcement.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Security

Network Synchronization

The process of coordinating the timing of events or operations across multiple devices or systems in a network, ensuring that actions occur in a timely and coordinated manner.

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

Network TAP (Test Access Point)

A hardware device that allows monitoring of network traffic by creating a "copy" of the traffic for analysis without interfering with the network's operation.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Security

Network Telemetry

The collection and analysis of data about the network's performance and health.

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

Network Threat Detection

Network threat detection is the process of monitoring network traffic and activity to identify and mitigate potential security threats, such as malware infections, unauthorized access attempts, or suspicious behavior. It relies on techniques such as anomaly detection, signature-based analysis, and machine learning to detect and respond to threats in real-time.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Network Threat Intelligence

Network threat intelligence is information about potential or emerging security threats gathered from various sources, such as security research, threat feeds, and incident reports. It helps organizations identify and mitigate security risks more effectively.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Network Throughput

The rate at which data is successfully transmitted over a network, usually measured in bits per second (bps).

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

Network Time Protocol (NTP)

A protocol used to synchronize the clocks of computers over a network.

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

Network Time Synchronization

The practice of aligning the clock times of computers within a network to a single reference time source, critical for coordinating events and operations.

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

Network Topology

The physical or logical arrangement of nodes and connections in a computer network.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Network Topology Discovery

The process of automatically identifying the layout, devices, and connections in a network, often used for network management and security purposes.

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

Network Traffic

Network traffic refers to the data packets transmitted between devices on a computer network. It includes all forms of communication, such as web browsing, email, file transfers, and streaming media, flowing between clients, servers, and network devices.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Network Traffic Analysis

The process of monitoring and analyzing data packets flowing through a computer network to detect and investigate security threats or performance issues.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Security

Network Traffic Engineering

The application of technology and scientific principles to the measurement, modeling, characterization, and control of network traffic to achieve desirable performance outcomes.

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

Network Traffic Management

The process of managing and optimizing the flow of network traffic to ensure efficient use of resources and adherence to quality of service (QoS) requirements.

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

Network Traffic Shaping

The technique of regulating network data transfer to ensure a smooth flow of traffic and avoid bandwidth congestion, often by prioritizing certain types of traffic.

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

Network Transit

The service provided by network operators to carry traffic across their network, often involving multiple intermediate hops before reaching its destination.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Telecommunications

Network Transparency

The design principle in networking that hides the complexity and the details of network implementation from users and applications, making the network appear as a simple, direct connection.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Design Principles

Network Troubleshooting

Network troubleshooting is the process of diagnosing and resolving problems or issues that affect the performance, availability, or functionality of a computer network. It involves identifying the root cause of network problems and implementing solutions to restore normal operation.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Security

Network Tunneling

The process of encapsulating one type of network protocol within another protocol, enabling a secure or encrypted connection through an untrusted network.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Security

Network Utilization

A measure of the extent to which network resources (such as bandwidth) are being used, often expressed as a percentage of total capacity.

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

Network Validation

The process of testing and verifying the functionality and performance of a network or network components to ensure they meet specified requirements and standards.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Quality Assurance

Network Virtualization

The process of abstracting network resources, such as hardware and software, to create a virtual network that is independent of the underlying physical infrastructure.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Network Visibility

The ability to monitor, manage, and analyze network traffic and performance across all parts of the network, often using specialized tools and software.

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

Network Vulnerability Assessment

The systematic examination of a network or network component for security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Security

Networked Application

An application that uses network resources to perform its functions, typically involving client-server interactions over the internet or other networks.

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

Networking Protocol

A set of rules and conventions for communication between network devices, including protocols for error handling and data transmission.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Protocols

Neural Network

A computational model inspired by the structure and function of the human brain, capable of learning complex patterns and relationships from data.

You will find this term commonly used in AI

Next Generation Networking (NGN)

A broad term to describe key architectural evolutions in telecommunication core and access networks that will be deployed over the next 5–10 years.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Telecommunications

Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW)

An advanced type of firewall that provides capabilities beyond traditional firewalls, including deep packet inspection, intrusion prevention, and application-level traffic inspection.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Security

Next-Generation Network (NGN)

A broad term that refers to the technical architecture of telecommunications networks that evolve beyond traditional telephony to support a wide range of services, including voice, video, and data over IP.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Telecommunications

NFV (Network Functions Virtualization)

A network architecture concept that uses IT virtualization technologies to virtualize entire classes of network node functions into building blocks that may connect, or chain together, to create communication services.