Vocabulary

Question 1

access control list (ACL)

Answer 1

The collection of access control entries (ACEs) that determines which subjects (user accounts, host IP addresses, and so on) are allowed or denied access to the object and the privileges given (read-only, read/write, and so on).

Question 2

access point (AP)

Answer 2

A device that provides a connection between wireless devices and can connect to wired networks, implementing an infrastructure mode WLAN.

Question 3

accounting

Answer 3

Tracking authorized usage of a resource or use of rights by a subject and alerting when unauthorized use is detected or attempted.

Question 4

advanced encryption standard (AES)

Answer 4

Symmetric 128-, 192-, or 256-bit block cipher used for bulk encryption in modern security standards, such as WPA2, WPA3, and TLS.

Question 5

advanced technology extended (ATX)

Answer 5

Standard PC case, motherboard, and power supply specification. Mini-, Micro-, and Flex-ATX specify smaller board designs.

Question 6

air-gapped

Answer 6

A type of network isolation that physically separates a host from other hosts or a network from all other networks.

Question 7

algorithm

Answer 7

Operations that transform a plaintext into a ciphertext with cryptographic properties, also called a cipher. There are symmetric, asymmetric, and hash cipher types.

Question 8

algorithms

Answer 8

Operations that transform a plaintext into a ciphertext with cryptographic properties, also called a cipher. There are symmetric, asymmetric, and hash cipher types.

Question 9

american standard code for information interchange (ASCII)

Answer 9

7-bit code page mapping binary values to character glyphs. Standard ASCII can represent 127 characters, though some values are reserved for non-printing control characters.

Question 10

antivirus software

Answer 10

Inspecting traffic to locate and block viruses.

Question 11

array

Answer 11

Identifier for a group of variables of the same type. The number of possible elements in an array is fixed when the array is declared.

Question 12

artificial intelligence

Answer 12

The science of creating machines with the ability to develop problem-solving and analysis strategies without significant human direction or intervention.

Question 13

assembly language

Answer 13

A compiled software program is converted to binary machine code using the instruction set of the CPU platform. Assembly language is this machine code represented in human-readable text.

Question 14

attenuation

Answer 14

Attenuation, or degradation of a signal as it travels over media, determines the maximum distance for a particular media type at a given bit rate.

Question 15

augmented reality (AR)

Answer 15

Using software and smartphone cameras or headsets to interact with real-world objects and images or change the way they appear in some way.

Question 16

authentication

Answer 16

A method of validating a particular entity’s or individual’s unique credentials.

Question 17

authorization

Answer 17

The process of determining what rights and privileges a particular entity has.

Question 18

availability

Answer 18

The fundamental security goal of ensuring that computer systems operate continuously and that authorized persons can access data that they need.

Question 19

backdoors

Answer 19

A mechanism for gaining access to a computer that bypasses or subverts the normal method of authentication.

Question 20

bandwidth

Answer 20

Generally used to refer to the amount of data that can be transferred through a connection over a given period. Bandwidth more properly means the range of frequencies supported by transmission media, measured in Hertz.

Question 21

basic input/output system (BIOS)

Answer 21

Legacy 32-bit firmware type that initializes hardware and provides a system setup interface for configuring boot devices and other hardware settings.

Question 22

biometric authentication

Answer 22

An authentication mechanism that allows a user to perform a biometric scan to operate an entry or access system. Physical characteristics stored as a digital data template can be used to authenticate a user. Typical features used include facial pattern, iris, retina, fingerprint pattern, and signature recognition.

Question 23

bit

Answer 23

The fundamental unit of data storage is the bit (b) which can represent 1 or 0.

Question 24

blu-ray

Answer 24

Latest generation of optical drive technology, with disc capacity of 25 GB per layer. Transfer rates are measured in multiples of 36 MB/s.

Question 25

branching

Answer 25

In scripting and programming, control statement that uses a condition to determine which code block to execute next.

Question 26

buses

Answer 26

Connections between components on the motherboard and peripheral devices providing data pathways, memory addressing, power supply, timing, and connector/port form factor.

Question 27

byte

Answer 27

8 bits form a byte (B), a unit that describes file sizes and memory capacity.

Question 28

cascading style sheets (CSS)

Answer 28

A simple language for adding style, such as different colors, fonts, spacing, and other formatting, to Web documents.

Question 29

cathode ray tube (CRT)

Answer 29

A CRT receives an analog signal from the graphics adapter and forms a color image on the screen by illuminating red, green, and blue dots (triads). CRTs are no longer mass-manufactured and modern systems use LCD panels.

Question 30

cd-rom

Answer 30

A type of read-only memory consisting of a pre-pressed optical compact disc that contains data. Computers can read—but not write or erase—this type of storage.

Question 31

cd-rw

Answer 31

Optical storage technology supporting up to 700 MB per disc with recordable and re-writable media also available.

Question 32

cellular radio

Answer 32

Standards for implementing data access over cellular networks are implemented as successive generations. For 2G (up to about 48 Kb/s) and 3G (up to about 42 Mb/s), there are competing GSM and CDMA provider networks. Standards for 4G (up to about 90 Mb/s) and 5G (up to about 300 Mb/s) are developed under converged LTE standards.

Question 33

central processing unit (CPU)

Answer 33

Principal microprocessor in a PC or mobile device responsible for running firmware, operating system, and applications software.

Question 34

certificate

Answer 34

Issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) as a guarantee that a public key it has issued to an organization to encrypt messages sent to it genuinely belongs to that organization.

Question 35

certificate authority (CA)

Answer 35

A server that guarantees subject identities by issuing signed digital certificate wrappers for their public keys.

Question 36

ciphertext

Answer 36

Data that has been enciphered and cannot be read without the cipher key.

Question 37

client-server

Answer 37

Administration paradigm where some host machines are designated as providing server and services, and other machines are designated as client devices that only consume server services.

Question 38

client-server architecture

Answer 38

Administration paradigm where some host machines are designated as providing server and services, and other machines are designated as client devices that only consume server services.

Question 39

coaxial cable

Answer 39

Media type using two separate conductors that share a common axis categorized using the Radio Grade (RG) specifications.

Question 40

command line interface (CLI)

Answer 40

A text-based interface between the user and the operating system that accepts input in the form of commands.

Question 41

comma-separated value (CSV)

Answer 41

A comma-separated value file type uses commas and new lines to organize information into cells in a table format, and stores the table as a text file. This file type uses the extension ".csv" and is one of the most common outputs for any spreadsheet program.

Question 42

compiler

Answer 42

A type of software that translates code written in one programming language (the source language) into another language (the target language). "Compiler" is not one piece of software, but refers to a variety of types of programs that translate source code from high-level programming language to a low-level programming language (such as assembly language, object code, or machine code) to create an executable program.

Question 43

computing cycle

Answer 43

The sequence of actions that a device goes through to process instructions and perform tasks. The four main steps of the computing cycle are input, process, storage, and output.

Question 44

confidentiality

Answer 44

The fundamental security goal of keeping information and communications private and protecting them from unauthorized access.

Question 45

cookies

Answer 45

A text file used to store information about a user when they visit a website. Some sites use cookies to support user sessions.

Question 46

cybersecurity

Answer 46

Protection of computer systems and digital information resources from unauthorized access, attack, theft, or data damage.

Question 47

data at rest

Answer 47

Information that is primarily stored on specific media, rather than moving from one medium to another.

Question 48

data in transit

Answer 48

Information that is being transmitted between two hosts, such as over a private network or the Internet.

Question 49

database

Answer 49

Data storage systems that organize electronic information into structured tables, allowing for the easy retrieval and interpretation of data. Many databases are operated using Structured Query Language (SQL, pronounced "sequel"). Database design, programming, and administration is complex and security should be considered as a critical requirement.

Question 50

database administrators (DBAs)

Answer 50

The IT role responsible for the configuration, management, and support of database applications.

Question 51

defense in depth

Answer 51

Security strategy that positions the layers of diverse security control categories and functions as opposed to lying on perimeter controls.

Question 52

defragmentation

Answer 52

Fragmentation occurs when a data file is not saved to contiguous sectors on an HDD and reduces performance. The defragmenter mitigates this and can also perform optimization operations for SSDs.

Question 53

digital subscriber line (DSL)

Answer 53

Carrier technology to implement broadband Internet access for subscribers by transferring data over voice-grade telephone lines. There are various "flavors" of DSL, notably S(ymmetric)DSL, A(symmetric)DSL, and V(ery High Bit Rate)DSL.

Question 54

digital visual interface (DVI)

Answer 54

Legacy video interface that supports digital only or digital and analog signaling.

Question 55

displayport

Answer 55

Digital audio/video interface developed by VESA. DisplayPort supports some cross-compatibility with DVI and HDMI devices.

Question 56

dotted decimal notation

Answer 56

Format for expressing IPv4 addresses using four decimal values from 0 to 255 for each octet.

Question 57

double data rate (DDR)

Answer 57

Series of high-bandwidth system-memory standards (DDR3/DDR4/DDR5) where data is transferred twice per clock cycle.

Question 58

dual inline memory module (DIMM)

Answer 58

Standard form factor for system memory. There are different pin configurations for different DDR-SDRAM RAM types.

Question 59

dvd

Answer 59

Optical storage technology supporting up to 4.7 GB per layer per disc with recordable and re-writable media also available.

Question 60

dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP)

Answer 60

Protocol used to automatically assign IP addressing information to hosts that have not been configured manually.

Question 61

elasticity

Answer 61

Property by which a computing environment can add or remove resources in response to increasing and decreasing demands in workload.

Question 62

encrypted, encryption

Answer 62

Scrambling the characters used in a message so that the message can be seen but not understood or modified unless it can be deciphered. Encryption provides for a secure means of transmitting data and authenticating users. It is also used to store data securely. Encryption uses different types of algorithm/cipher and one or more keys. The size of the key is one factor in determining the strength of the encryption product.

Question 63

end user license agreement (EULA)

Answer 63

Contract governing the installation and use of software.

Question 64

escape character

Answer 64

A character that is used to remove the special meaning from another character so it can be interpreted literally.

Question 65

extensible markup language (XML)

Answer 65

A system for structuring documents so that they are human and machine readable. Information within the document is placed within tags, which describe how information within the document is structured

Question 66

factors

Answer 66

In authentication design, different technologies for implementing authentication, such as knowledge, ownership/token, and biometric/inherence. These are characterized as something you know/have/are.

Question 67

fiber internet

Answer 67

Internet connection type that uses a fiber link between the subscriber premises and ISP network. Fiber to the premises (FTTP) uses a full fiber link, while fiber to the curb (FTTC) retains a short segment of copper wire between the subscriber premises and a street cabinet.

Question 68

file transfer protocol (FTP)

Answer 68

Application protocol used to transfer files between network hosts. Variants include S(ecure)FTP, FTP with SSL (FTPS and FTPES), and T(rivial)FTP. FTP utilizes ports 20 and 21

Question 69

firewall

Answer 69

Software or hardware device that protects a network segment or individual host by filtering packets to an access control list.

Question 70

flash memory

Answer 70

Flash RAM is similar to a ROM chip in that it retains information even when power is removed, but it adds flexibility in that it can be reprogrammed with new contents quickly. Flash memory is used in USB thumb drives and memory cards for removable storage and in Solid State Drives (SSDs), designed to replicate the function of hard drives.

Question 71

flowchart

Answer 71

A diagram that shows the relationships of various elements in a system or process.

Question 72

foreign key

Answer 72

Structured database in which information is stored in tables where columns represent typed data fields and rows represent records. Tables can have relationships, established by linking a unique primary key field in one table with the same value in a foreign key field in another table. The overall structure of a particular database and its relations is called a schema.

Question 73

form factors

Answer 73

Size and shape of a component, determining its compatibility. Form factor is most closely associated with PC motherboard, case, and power supply designs.

Question 74

function

Answer 74

A block of code that can be reused to perform a specific task.

Question 75

general data protection regulation (GDPR)

Answer 75

Provisions and requirements protecting the personal data of European Union (EU) citizens. Transfers of personal data outside the EU Single Market are restricted unless protected by like-for-like regulations, such as the US's Privacy Shield requirements.

Question 76

geofencing

Answer 76

Security control that can enforce a virtual boundary based on real-world geography.