IT Glossary
Key Terms To Know In The IT Industry

Cybersecurity Skills Certification

A formal recognition awarded to individuals who have demonstrated a certain level of skill or competence in cybersecurity through the completion of specified courses and exams. Certifications can help professionals validate their expertise, increase employment opportunities, and stay updated with the latest security practices and technologies.

You will find this term commonly used in Cybersecurity, Professional Development

Cybersecurity Skills Gap

The difference between the cybersecurity skills that organizations need to effectively protect their information systems and the skills that the current workforce possesses. The cybersecurity skills gap poses challenges for organizations trying to defend against increasing cyber threats.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Workforce Development

Cybersecurity Threat Intelligence Platform

A solution that aggregates, correlates, and analyzes threat data from multiple sources to provide actionable intelligence on potential cybersecurity threats. These platforms help organizations stay ahead of cyber threats by providing insights into attacker tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity Threat Modeling

The systematic identification and assessment of potential threats to an organization's information systems and data. Threat modeling involves analyzing the attack surface, identifying vulnerabilities, and prioritizing threats based on their severity and likelihood, guiding the development of effective security strategies and controls.

You will find this term commonly used in Cybersecurity, Risk Management

Cybersecurity Training and Awareness

Programs designed to educate employees and users about the importance of cybersecurity, the types of threats that exist, and the best practices for protecting information and systems. Training and awareness programs aim to reduce the risk of human error, which is a leading cause of security breaches.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity Vulnerability Assessment

The process of identifying, quantifying, and prioritizing (or ranking) the vulnerabilities in a system. Vulnerability assessments are used in cybersecurity to detect weaknesses that could be exploited by cyber attacks and to determine the effectiveness of existing security measures.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity Vulnerability Database

A centralized repository that collects, maintains, and disseminates information about identified software vulnerabilities and their potential impacts. These databases are critical resources for cybersecurity professionals, enabling them to stay informed about new vulnerabilities and how to mitigate them.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity Workforce Development

Initiatives and programs aimed at building the skills and capabilities of current and future cybersecurity professionals. Workforce development encompasses education, training, certifications, and awareness efforts to address the cybersecurity skills gap and prepare individuals to effectively combat cyber threats.

You will find this term commonly used in Education, Cybersecurity Workforce

Cybersecurity Workforce Planning

The strategic process of identifying the current and future cybersecurity talent needs of an organization. Workforce planning involves assessing skill gaps, forecasting hiring needs, and developing training and recruitment strategies to build a skilled cybersecurity team capable of protecting against evolving cyber threats.

You will find this term commonly used in Cybersecurity, Human Resources

Data Access Layer (DAL)

An abstraction layer that manages the connection to the database, allowing for data manipulation and retrieval.

You will find this term commonly used in General IT

Data Activation

The process of making data available and usable for various analytical or operational purposes, often in real-time or near-real-time.

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

Data Aggregation

The process of gathering and summarizing information in a structured form for analysis or reporting.

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

Data Analyst

Processes and analyzes datasets to help businesses make informed decisions based on data insights.

You will find this term commonly used in Data Science, Business Intelligence

Data Analytics

The science of analyzing raw data to make conclusions about that information.

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

Data Anonymization

The process of protecting private or sensitive information by erasing or encrypting identifiers that connect an individual to stored data.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Data Architecture

The overall structure of data and data-related resources as an integral part of the enterprise architecture.

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

Data Binding

The process of connecting a database, UI elements, or other sources of data to data-consuming mechanisms (e.g., a graphical interface).

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

Data Blending

The process of combining data from multiple sources to create a cohesive dataset, often for analytical purposes.

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

Data Block

The smallest unit of data storage that a database can read or write; often contains multiple records or files.

You will find this term commonly used in General IT

Data Broker

A business that collects personal information about consumers and sells that information to other organizations.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Data Brokerage

The act of aggregating, cleaning, and enhancing data from multiple sources and then selling it to parties interested in using it for analysis, marketing, or other purposes.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Data Caching

The process of storing data in a cache, or temporary storage area, for quick access upon request.

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

Data Capture

The process of collecting, formatting, and storing data in a computer system or database for further analysis or processing.

You will find this term commonly used in General IT

Data Carving

A technique used in digital forensics to extract data from a digital artifact (e.g., a file or a disk) without the aid of file system metadata.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Data Catalog

A collection of metadata, combined with data management and search tools, that helps managers and other users find, understand, and trust the data they need.

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

Data Center

A facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems.

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

Data Churn

The process of cleaning and preparing data by removing or modifying data that is incorrect, incomplete, improperly formatted, duplicated, or irrelevant.

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

Data Classification

The process of organizing data into categories for its most effective and efficient use.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Data Cleansing

The process of detecting and correcting (or removing) corrupt or inaccurate records from a record set, table, or database.

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

Data Clustering

A technique used in machine learning and data mining that involves grouping sets of data points in such a way that objects in the same group (or cluster) are more similar to each other than to those in other groups.

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

Data Cohort

A group of data points or users grouped together for analysis based on shared characteristics or behaviors over a specified time frame.

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

Data Compression

The process of reducing the size of a data file or data transmission to save space or transmission time.

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

Data Consistency

The guarantee that a read request to a database returns either the most recent write or an error.

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

Data Consolidation

The process of combining data from multiple sources into a single dataset, often to provide a more unified view or to improve data quality and consistency.

You will find this term commonly used in General IT

Data Consumer

An individual, application, or service that uses data for purposes such as analysis, decision making, or operational support.

You will find this term commonly used in General IT

Data Containment

The strategy of ensuring that data does not leak outside of a designated environment, particularly for privacy and security reasons.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cybersecurity

Data Cube

A multi-dimensional array of values, commonly used to describe a dataset in data warehousing scenarios, which allows data to be modeled and viewed in multiple dimensions.

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

Data Curation

The activity of managing and promoting the use of data from its point of creation to ensure it is fit for contemporary purpose and available for discovery and reuse.

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

Data Deduplication

A specialized data compression technique for eliminating duplicate copies of repeating data.

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

Data Dictionary

A centralized repository of information about data such as meaning, relationships to other data, origin, usage, and format.