IT Glossary

Tech Glossary

Understand the language of technology. Plain explanations for complex terms.

A

A/B Testing
A marketing method that compares two versions of a web page or email to determine which performs better. Performance Marketing
Active Directory
The Microsoft service that keeps track of users and computers in a company network and controls their access. IT Infrastructure & Networking
API (Application Programming Interface)
A set of rules that allows different software applications to communicate with each other. Essential for integrations (e.g. connecting an online shop with a courier). Web Apps & Custom Platforms
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Software that performs tasks once requiring human judgement: classification, prediction, text or image generation. Web Apps & Custom Platforms
Automation (RPA)
The use of software robots to execute repetitive tasks (e.g. invoice entry, data processing), reducing human errors and costs. RPA Automation

B

Backend
The "behind the scenes" part of an application or website (server, databases, logic), invisible to the regular user but essential for operation. Web Apps & Custom Platforms
Bandwidth
The maximum data transfer capacity of a network. The higher it is, the faster data travels.
Bare Metal
A physical server rented in full, with no virtualisation layer — the whole machine serves a single company. See the service
Big Data
Voluminous data sets that are analysed computationally to reveal patterns, trends and associations, useful in Business Intelligence.
Bot
A program that performs actions online automatically. Some are useful (Google's crawlers), others hunt for vulnerabilities.
Bug
An error, defect or unexpected behaviour in software that produces an incorrect result.

C

Cache
A temporary storage space that keeps frequently used data to load it faster on the next access.
CDN (Content Delivery Network)
A globally distributed network of servers that delivers web content (images, video) to users from the closest geographical location, increasing speed. NVMe Web Hosting
CI/CD
The practice of testing and releasing code changes automatically, with no manual step on every delivery. DevOps & CI/CD
Cloud Computing
Delivery of IT resources (servers, storage, databases) over the internet, providing flexibility and eliminating the need for expensive physical hardware. IT Infrastructure & Networking
CMS (Content Management System)
A platform that lets you edit a website's content without writing code (e.g. WordPress). Web Apps & Custom Platforms
Conversion Rate
The percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action (purchase, subscription, form submission). Performance Marketing
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
Software platform used to manage interactions with customers, centralising sales and support data. Web Apps & Custom Platforms
CTR (Click-Through Rate)
The ratio of users who click on a specific link to the total number of users viewing a page, email or advertisement.
Cyber Security
The practice of protecting systems, networks and programmes from digital attacks aimed at accessing or destroying sensitive information. IT Infrastructure & Networking

D

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service)
A cyber attack that attempts to make an online service unavailable by overwhelming it with fake traffic from multiple sources. IT Infrastructure & Networking
DevOps
A set of practices that combines software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops) to shorten the development cycle and deliver software continuously. DevOps & CI/CD
DNS (Domain Name System)
The phonebook of the internet. Translates domain names (e.g. itechmedia.ro) into IP addresses that browsers use.
Docker
Technology that packages an application with everything it needs to run identically on any server. DevOps & CI/CD
Domain
The address under which a website is known (e.g. itechmedia.ro). Rented annually from a registrar. NVMe Web Hosting
Downtime
The period during which a service is unavailable. Measured in minutes per year and governed by the SLA. IT Helpdesk & Technical Support

E

EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response)
An advanced security solution that continuously monitors devices (laptops, servers) to detect and respond to threats in real time. IT Infrastructure & Networking
Encryption
The process of encoding information so that only authorised people (who have the decryption key) can read it.
Endpoint
Any device connected to the company network: laptop, phone, server. Each one is a possible way in. IT Infrastructure & Networking
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
Integrated software used by companies to manage daily business activities: accounting, procurement, projects and production. Web Apps & Custom Platforms

F

Failover
Automatic switching to a backup system when the primary one fails, so the service keeps running. IT Infrastructure & Networking
Firewall
A network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. IT Infrastructure & Networking
Framework
A basic structure (skeleton) on which programmers build applications, providing predefined functionality to accelerate development (e.g. Laravel, React).
Frontend
The part of a website or application that the user interacts with directly (visual interface, buttons, menus). Web Apps & Custom Platforms
FTP / SFTP
Protocols for transferring files to a server. SFTP is the encrypted variant and the only one recommended. NVMe Web Hosting

G

GDPR
General Data Protection Regulation. A legal framework setting the rules for collecting and processing personal data in the EU. ISO Audit & Compliance
Git
A version control system that allows programmers to track changes in code and collaborate efficiently.

H

Hosting (Web Hosting)
The service that allows a website to be published on the internet. Includes space on a server and computing resources. NVMe Web Hosting
HTML/CSS
The fundamental languages of the web. HTML provides the structure, while CSS handles styling and appearance.
HTTPS
The encrypted version of the web protocol. Without it, data sent through forms travels in plain text. NVMe Web Hosting

I

IMAP / SMTP
The email protocols: IMAP reads messages from the server, SMTP sends them. NVMe Web Hosting
Immutable Backup
A data backup copy that cannot be modified or deleted for a defined period — the only real protection against Ransomware attacks. NVMe Web Hosting
IoT (Internet of Things)
The network of physical objects ("things") that have embedded sensors and software to connect and exchange data over the internet.
IP Address
A unique numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network using the Internet Protocol for communication.
IT Audit
A complete evaluation of a company's infrastructure, security and technology processes to identify vulnerabilities and inefficiencies. ISO Audit & Compliance

J

JavaScript
The language that makes web pages interactive: menus, live-validated forms, content that changes without a reload. Web Apps & Custom Platforms
JSON
A simple data format used by almost every API to exchange information between applications. Web Apps & Custom Platforms

K

KPI (Key Performance Indicator)
A measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company achieves key business objectives.
Kubernetes
A system that automatically starts, stops and distributes an application's containers across multiple servers. DevOps & CI/CD
KVM
The virtualisation technology that splits a physical server into several fully isolated virtual servers. KVM VPS Servers

L

Latency
The time it takes for a data packet to travel from source to destination. Low latency is crucial for VoIP and gaming.
Lead
A person or company that has shown interest in your products or services and provided contact details. Performance Marketing
LiteSpeed
A web server built for speed, used as a faster alternative to Apache on high-traffic sites. NVMe Web Hosting
Load Balancer
A component that splits traffic across several servers so none of them gets overloaded. IT Infrastructure & Networking

M

Malware
Malicious software (viruses, ransomware, spyware) designed to cause damage to a computer, server or network.
Migration
Moving a website, application or database to different infrastructure, ideally with no visible interruption. NVMe Web Hosting
Monitoring
Continuous supervision of servers and services, with an automatic alert when something goes out of range. IT Helpdesk & Technical Support

N

Nameserver
The server that tells the internet where a domain is hosted. It changes when a site moves. NVMe Web Hosting
NAS (Network Attached Storage)
A storage device connected to the network, used for shared files and local backups. IT Infrastructure & Networking
NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express)
A high-performance storage protocol for SSDs, offering speeds far superior to classic SATA SSDs. NVMe Web Hosting

O

Open Source
Software whose source code is publicly available for anyone to inspect, modify and improve.

P

Patch
A fix released by the vendor for a vulnerability or defect. Delaying it causes most security incidents. IT Helpdesk & Technical Support
Penetration Test
A security test where a specialist attacks the system under control, to find gaps before real attackers do. ISO Audit & Compliance
Phishing
An online fraud method where attackers try to obtain sensitive information (passwords, cards) by pretending to be a trusted entity.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click)
An online advertising model where you pay a fee each time a user clicks on your ad (e.g. Google Ads). Performance Marketing

Q

QoS (Quality of Service)
A network rule that prioritises important traffic (e.g. VoIP calls) when bandwidth is congested. VoIP & Business Telephony
Query
A request sent to a database to retrieve or change information. Badly written ones slow down the whole site. Web Apps & Custom Platforms

R

RAID
A method of combining several disks so the data survives the failure of one of them. See the service
Ransomware
A type of malware that encrypts the victim's data and demands a ransom for decryption. NVMe Web Hosting
Responsive Design
Web design approach that makes web pages automatically adapt to any device (mobile, tablet, desktop). Web Apps & Custom Platforms
ROI (Return on Investment)
Performance indicator used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment (how much you earn relative to how much you spend).
RTO / RPO
How long a service may stay down (RTO) and how old recovered data may be (RPO). Both are agreed before an incident. ISO Audit & Compliance

S

SaaS (Software as a Service)
Model where applications are hosted by a provider and accessed over the internet (e.g. Google Workspace, Office 365), on a subscription basis.
Scalability
A system's ability to handle traffic growth by adding resources, without being rewritten. IT Infrastructure & Networking
Security Incident
An event affecting the confidentiality, integrity or availability of data. Some must be reported by law. ISO Audit & Compliance
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
The process of optimising a website to increase its visibility in Google's organic results. SEO Optimisation
SERP (Search Engine Results Page)
The page displayed by a search engine in response to a user's query. SEO Optimisation
SIEM
A system that collects logs from across the infrastructure and flags patterns that indicate an attack. ISO Audit & Compliance
SLA (Service Level Agreement)
A contract between provider and client that defines the guaranteed level of service (e.g. response time, 99.9% uptime). IT Helpdesk & Technical Support
SSH (Secure Shell)
A cryptographic network protocol for operating network services securely over an unsecured network.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)
Security technology that encrypts the connection between a web server and a browser (the green padlock in the bar).
Subdomain
A separate section of a domain (e.g. client.itechmedia.ro), used for distinct applications or environments. NVMe Web Hosting

T

Ticket
A request logged in a support system, with history and a response deadline. Stops requests getting lost in email. IT Helpdesk & Technical Support
TLS
The current standard for encrypting web traffic. "SSL" survives in conversation, but today's technology is TLS. NVMe Web Hosting
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
A security method that requires two distinct forms of identification to access something (e.g. password + SMS code).

U

UI/UX Design
User Interface (visual appearance) and User Experience (ease of use). The two go hand in hand for a successful digital product. Branding & Visual Identity
Uptime
The measure of time during which a computer system is operational and available. NVMe Web Hosting
URL
The full address of a page, including protocol and path (e.g. https://itechmedia.ro/servicii.php).

V

Vector
Type of computer graphics defined by points, lines and curves, which can be resized infinitely without losing quality (ideal for logos).
Virtualisation
Splitting one physical server into several independent machines, so resources are used efficiently. KVM VPS Servers
VLAN
The logical division of a network into isolated segments, so departments cannot see each other's traffic. IT Infrastructure & Networking
VoIP (Voice over IP)
Technology that allows phone calls to be made using the internet instead of classic phone lines. VoIP & Business Telephony
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
A virtual private network that encrypts the internet connection and hides the IP address for confidentiality and security.
VPS (Virtual Private Server)
A virtual server that provides dedicated resources (CPU, RAM) similar to a physical server, but at a lower cost. KVM VPS Servers

W

WAF (Web Application Firewall)
A filter placed in front of the website that blocks malicious requests before they reach the application. IT Infrastructure & Networking
Webhook
An automatic notification sent from one application to another when something happens (e.g. a new order). Web Apps & Custom Platforms
WordPress
The world's most used website platform. Flexible, but it needs regular updates to stay secure. Web Apps & Custom Platforms

X

XSS (Cross-Site Scripting)
A vulnerability letting an attacker inject code into a site's pages, to be executed in visitors' browsers. ISO Audit & Compliance

Y

YAML
A human-readable configuration file format, widely used in DevOps and automation. DevOps & CI/CD

Z

Zero Day Exploit
A cyber attack that occurs on the same day a vulnerability is discovered in software, before the developer can release a fix.
Zero Trust
A security model where no request is trusted by default, not even from inside the network. ISO Audit & Compliance

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