A handy guide of terms commonly used when referring to technology.
Adware – A computer program that causes advertising banners and pop-ups to appear on a user's computer. Adware programs may also track a user's Internet activities.
Attachment – Any file (photo, document, etc.) that is sent in an email.
Back Door – A way of getting into a program by circumventing the security measures in place.
Bandwidth – The amount of information that can be transmitted between two points in a given time. Listed in bits per second (bps), thousands of bits per second (kbps), millions of bits per second (mbps), or billions of bits per second (gbps). This higher the bandwidth, the faster information can be transmitted.
Blog – Short for web log. A blog is an online journal or diary that people use to chronicle the events of their lives or to offer input on a particular topic (gardening, politics, etc.).
Botnet – A combination of the words robot and network. A "bot" (or "zombie") is a computer that has been infected with a malicious program that allows the computer to be controlled from a remote location. A person can combine many bots and use the network of zombies to send out large amounts of spam, etc. Oversight Technology's System Sentinel provides protection against botnets and other forms of malware, spyware, and adware.
Broadband – Short for broad bandwidth. A high-speed connection capable of carrying large amounts of information very quickly. Broadband provides a much faster Internet connection than dial-up.
Browser – A program that allows you to surf the Internet. Popular browsers are Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape, and Safari.
Chat – A discussion between two or more people on the Internet where "talking" is done via typed text rather than voice communication. Popular chat programs include AOL Instant Messenger and Microsoft Messenger.
Code – The languages that computer programs are written in.
Cookies – A small file placed on a computer's hard drive by a web site. The web site will then "remember" information about the user, such as shopping cart information, the next time they visit the site.
Dial-Up – A connection made to the Internet by a modem via a telephone line. This method of connection is significantly slower than broadband.
Domain – Internet website subsets. Examples include: .com, .edu, .gov, etc.
Download – To transfer data from a remote computer to your hard drive.
Email Client – A program that allows the storing, sending, and viewing of e-mails. Microsoft Outlook is an example of an email client.
Encryption – Transforming data into secret code readable only to someone who has the key to the code. This prevents it from being accessed by unauthorized third parties. Passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive information should only be given out to websites that ensure encryption.
Flash – A software program created by Macromedia that allows multimedia animations to be played.
Flash Drive – An information-storing device that is plugged into a USB port.
FTP – File Transfer Protocol. A common way to send data between two computers via the Internet. FTP software is required on both computers to send information.
Hacker – A person who exploits security weaknesses in a computer or large network to illegally gain access.
History – Web sites you have visited in the past.
Hits – The number of times a website has been accessed. Also, the results returned from a search engine.
Host – A company that provides you with server space for your website.
IM – Instant Messaging. Chatting via text over the Internet in real time.
IP – Internet Protocol. The method by which data is sent from one computer to another using the Internet.
IP Address – Every computer has a unique set of 4 sequences of numbers separated by periods (e.g.125.98.18.712) that identifies it. This identifying number is the IP address.
ISP – Internet Service Provider. Any business that provides a connection to the Internet.
LAN – Local Area Network. A computer network covering a small area such as an office or college campus.
LINUX – A free, open-source operating system based off of Unix that was created by Linus Torvalds.
Malware – Short for malicious software. Any software put on a computer to intentionally cause harm to the system. Viruses, Trojans, and spyware are all examples of malware. Oversight Technology's System Sentinel provides complete protection against malware, spyware, and adware.
MP3 – MPEG-Layer 3. An audio compression technique that reduces the size of audio files to allow them to easily be streamed and downloaded off of the Internet.
Open-Source – Software code that is freely available for programmers to use and alter as they wish.
Operating System (OS) – The computer program that controls all of the systems of a computer. An operating system also provides an interface between the user and the computer components. Examples of operating systems include Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, and Linux.
PayPal – A payment system for online shopping that allows money to be transferred without revealing credit card numbers. PayPal is owned by eBay.
PC – Personal computer. A computer designed to be used by one person at a time. A PC uses a Windows, Linux or Unix operating system. Macintosh computers are personal computers, but they are not considered PCs.
PHP – "PHP Hypertext Preprocessor" or "Personal Home Page." An open-source program that allows dynamic web pages to be created.
Program – Instructions for a computer to tell it what to do.
Rootkit – An undetectable computer program that takes control of a computer and transfers that control to a third party without the legitimate computer user being aware of it.
Search Engine – A program that searches the Internet based on words that you input and returns a list of web sites it feels matches your criteria. Examples of search engines are Google, Yahoo, AltaVista, and MSN.
Server – A machine that stores retrievable files and programs for users.
Spam – Unsolicited or "junk" e-mail. Some spam is malicious and attempts to get your credit card number, etc. Never open or respond to any email from an address you are unfamiliar or suspicious of.
Spyware – Programs that track a user's web surfing habits and keystrokes (which will allow it to record credit card numbers, etc), and can wreak havoc on home pages, pop-ups, etc. The information collected by spyware can be transmitted back to a third-party, which will use it for its own purposes. Most spyware is installed unknowingly along with seemingly innocent downloads or legitimate programs. Oversight Technology's System Sentinel provides proactive protection against spyware, malware and adware.
Surfing – A slang term from browsing the Internet.
Trojan – An innocuous or desirable-looking program that once downloaded reveals itself to actually be a harmful virus or other destructive program.
UNIX – A computer operating system for multi-user systems used most frequently for workstations and servers.
Upload – The opposite of a download. The transfer of files from a computer to a remote computer or network.
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