Glossary

The terms in your IT quote. Without the jargon.

The expressions that turn up in quotes, handover notes and project meetings — each one explaining what it means and how you notice when it is missing.

98 terms explained

Networking

DHCP

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) automatically assigns an IP address to a device joining a network, with nothing entered by hand.

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DNS

DNS (Domain Name System) translates human-readable names like ndvdl.io into the IP address a server actually uses on the network.

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Gateway

A gateway (default gateway) is the device, usually a router, through which a network connects to other networks or the internet.

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IoT Devices

IoT devices (Internet of Things) are networked devices such as sensors, cameras or controllers that send or receive data without being regular computers.

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IPv6

IPv6 is the current version of the Internet Protocol, with a far larger address space than the older, still widely used IPv4.

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LACP

LACP (Link Aggregation Control Protocol) bundles several physical network cables into a single logical link for more throughput.

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Managed Switch

A managed switch is a network switch that can be configured, monitored and split into VLANs instead of just passing cables through.

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MQTT

MQTT is a lightweight messaging protocol in which sensors and devices publish their data to a central broker instead of being polled one by one.

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NAT

NAT (Network Address Translation) translates private IP addresses inside a network into one shared public address for the internet.

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OT Network

The OT network (Operational Technology) is the network machines, plant equipment and controllers use to communicate, kept separate from the IT network.

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PoE

PoE (Power over Ethernet) delivers power and data together over a single network cable, so devices don't need a nearby power outlet.

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QoS

QoS (Quality of Service) prioritizes certain network traffic so time-sensitive applications keep working reliably even when the connection is busy.

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SASE

SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) combines SD-WAN with security functions such as firewalling and access control, delivered as a service from the cloud.

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SD-WAN

SD-WAN (Software-Defined WAN) manages the network connections between multiple sites centrally through software instead of configuring each link by hand.

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Spanning Tree

Spanning Tree (STP) prevents loops in a network with redundant links by automatically blocking the extra paths.

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Subnet

A subnet is a defined range of addresses within an IP network, marked off by a subnet mask.

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VLAN

A VLAN (Virtual LAN) splits one physical network into several logically separate networks on the same switch.

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Cabling & server room

Cat 6a

Cat 6a is a copper cabling category for structured cabling, specified up to 500 MHz, that reliably carries 10-gigabit Ethernet over the full 100-meter length.

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Container

A container packages an application together with everything it needs to run, inside its own isolated environment on a shared server.

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Fiber Optic Cable

Fiber optic cable is a transmission medium that carries data as light pulses through a thin glass strand instead of electrical signals through copper.

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Infrastructure as Code

Infrastructure as code describes servers, networks and cloud resources in versioned files from which a tool builds the target state — instead of clicking them together by hand in a console.

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Kubernetes

Kubernetes distributes containers across available servers automatically, restarts failed ones and adjusts their number to the load.

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Monitoring

Monitoring is the ongoing, automated observation of network, servers, and other IT infrastructure, with an alert as soon as a value looks abnormal.

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Patch Panel

A patch panel is a fixed panel of ports in the server rack where all of a building's permanently installed network cables terminate in one place.

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Rack Unit

A rack unit is the standardized measurement used for equipment height in a 19-inch server rack, where one rack unit equals 44.45 millimeters.

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Redundancy

Redundancy means a critical component exists twice or more, so the failure of one part does not interrupt operations.

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Server Rack

A server rack is a standardized 19-inch enclosure that holds servers, switches, patch panels, and a UPS in an orderly, protected, coolable way.

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SFP Module

An SFP module is a pluggable transceiver that connects a switch or router port to a specific cable type and speed.

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Structured Cabling

Structured cabling is a standardized cabling system for data and telephony, planned independently of the devices later connected to it.

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UPS

A UPS is a battery unit placed between the power outlet and connected equipment that takes over instantly and without interruption during a power outage.

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IT security

802.1X

802.1X is a standard that only lets a device onto a network port or Wi-Fi after it has successfully authenticated.

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DKIM

DKIM adds a cryptographic signature to outgoing email so the recipient can verify the message was not altered in transit.

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DMARC

DMARC tells recipients what to do with email that fails the SPF and DKIM checks — and reports back who is sending in the domain's name.

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EDR

EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) continuously monitors endpoints for suspicious behavior and can stop attacks directly on the device.

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Firewall

A firewall sits at the boundary between two networks and decides which traffic is allowed through and which is blocked.

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IPsec

IPsec is a protocol suite that encrypts and authenticates traffic between two network points at the network layer.

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Least Privilege

Least privilege means every account and system gets only the access rights it actually needs for its task, and nothing more.

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Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication requires at least two independent proofs of identity at login instead of a password alone.

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Network Segmentation

Network segmentation splits a company network into separate zones so a problem in one zone can't spread into the others.

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Next Generation Firewall

A next generation firewall inspects the actual application behind a connection, not just its port and source address.

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NIS2

NIS2 is an EU directive on cybersecurity that sets technical and organizational baseline requirements for network and information systems.

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Passkey

A passkey is a device-bound cryptographic key that lets you sign in with biometrics or a device PIN instead of typing a password.

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Patch Management

Patch management is the structured process of reviewing and installing security updates for operating systems and software.

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Penetration Test

A penetration test is an authorized, simulated attack carried out by specialists to uncover exploitable vulnerabilities in real systems.

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Phishing

Phishing refers to fraudulent messages that impersonate a trusted sender to trick someone into revealing credentials or installing malware.

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Ransomware

Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts files on a device or across a network and then demands payment to decrypt them.

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Security Awareness

Security awareness refers to training that helps employees recognize phishing and other manipulation attempts in day-to-day work.

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SIEM

SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) centrally collects log data from many systems and analyzes it for suspicious patterns.

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SOC

A SOC (Security Operations Center) is the function that continuously monitors, assesses, and responds to a business's security events.

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SPF

SPF is a DNS record that states which servers are allowed to send email on behalf of a domain.

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VPN

A VPN creates an encrypted connection to a remote network across an untrusted network such as the internet.

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WireGuard

WireGuard is a modern VPN protocol that gets by with far less code and a fixed set of cryptographic algorithms than older approaches such as IPsec.

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XDR

XDR (Extended Detection and Response) combines security data from endpoints, network, email, and cloud to detect attacks spanning multiple sources.

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Zero Trust

Zero Trust is a security model that never trusts a device or request automatically just because it comes from inside the network.

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Backup & availability

3-2-1 Backup Rule

The 3-2-1 backup rule requires three copies of data on two different storage media, with one copy kept off-site.

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Disaster Recovery Plan

A disaster recovery plan is a written procedure defining who does what, and in what order, to bring operations back after an IT failure.

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High Availability

High availability means a system is built so that a single failed component does not interrupt ongoing operation, without human intervention.

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Hypervisor

A hypervisor is the software that sets up and manages several virtual machines on a single physical server.

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NAS (Network Attached Storage)

A NAS is a standalone storage device on the network that several workstations can access at the same time.

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RAID

RAID spreads data across multiple hard drives so that a single drive failure does not cause data loss.

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RPO (Recovery Point Objective)

RPO defines the maximum amount of data loss, measured in time, that is acceptable between the last backup and a failure.

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RTO (Recovery Time Objective)

RTO defines the maximum time a system is allowed to stay down before it must be back up and running after a failure.

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Snapshot

A snapshot is a saved point-in-time state of a system that lets you briefly roll back to exactly that moment.

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Virtualization

Virtualization splits a single physical server into several independent, isolated virtual servers running side by side.

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Wi-Fi

Access Point

An access point is the device that turns a wired network into Wi-Fi, giving laptops, phones, and scanners a way to connect wirelessly.

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Band Steering

Band steering is an access point feature that automatically nudges devices toward the less congested frequency band, usually 5 GHz.

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Captive Portal

A captive portal is the login page that opens automatically when a device joins a Wi-Fi network, before internet access is granted.

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Channel Width

Channel width is how much radio spectrum a Wi-Fi channel uses, measured in megahertz, and it directly affects possible speed.

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Guest Wi-Fi

Guest Wi-Fi is a separate wireless network for visitors that should be technically isolated from the internal company network.

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Mesh Wi-Fi

Mesh Wi-Fi is a system of multiple access points that talk to each other wirelessly and form one network under a single SSID.

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Roaming

Roaming is a Wi-Fi device switching from one access point to another as it moves, without the connection actually dropping.

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SSID

An SSID is the name of a Wi-Fi network, the one shown in the list of available networks on a phone or laptop.

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Wi-Fi 6

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) is a Wi-Fi standard whose real advantage lies mainly in handling many devices at once, not in the top speed of a single device.

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Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) succeeds Wi-Fi 6 and further improves connection quality for many devices at once, partly by using multiple frequency bands together.

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Wi-Fi Site Survey

A Wi-Fi site survey is an on-site measurement of how signal strength and interference actually behave throughout a building's rooms.

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WPA3

WPA3 is the current Wi-Fi encryption standard that secures the wireless connection between a device and an access point.

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Video & integration

AI object detection

AI object detection is software that automatically recognizes and distinguishes people, vehicles, or objects in a video feed, not just movement.

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API

An API is a defined interface through which two software systems exchange data automatically, without anyone transferring it by hand.

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Data Processing Agreement

A Data Processing Agreement sets out, under GDPR Article 28, how a service provider may process personal data on a company's behalf.

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Digital signage

Digital signage means screens whose content is managed centrally and scheduled, instead of being maintained locally on each device.

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IP camera

An IP camera is a surveillance camera that digitizes video and audio on board and sends it over the network instead of a dedicated video cable.

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middleware

Middleware is a software layer that sits between two or more systems, translates data formats, and catches errors between them.

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NVR

NVR stands for network video recorder, the device or software that centrally records and manages video streams from multiple IP cameras.

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ONVIF

ONVIF is a cross-vendor standard that defines how IP cameras, NVRs, and video software from different manufacturers communicate with each other.

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retention period

Retention period is the length of time recorded video is kept before it's automatically overwritten or deleted.

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Single Sign-On

Single Sign-On (SSO) lets one login give a user access to several different systems without having to sign in again for each one.

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TOMs

TOMs are the technical and organisational measures required under GDPR Article 32 to secure personal data against risk.

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webhook

A webhook is a mechanism where one system automatically sends a message to another address the moment a specific event happens.

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