IT Glossary
Key Terms To Know In The IT Industry

Stream Cipher

A method of encrypting text (to produce ciphertext) in which a cryptographic key and algorithm are applied to each binary digit in a data stream, one bit at a time.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cryptography

Stream Processing

Real-time processing of data streams to extract insights or trigger actions as the data is generated.

You will find this term commonly used in Big Data, Analytics, General IT

Streaming

Transmitting data continuously in real-time over a network.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking

Structured Data

Data that is organized into a predefined format, such as a database.

You will find this term commonly used in Database Management

Structured Query Language (SQL) Injection

A code injection technique used to attack data-driven applications, in which malicious SQL statements are inserted into an entry field for execution.

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

Subnet

A logical subdivision of an IP network. The practice of dividing a network into two or more networks is called subnetting.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Network Management

Subnet Mask

A 32-bit number that masks an IP address, and divides the IP address into network address and host address.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Network Management

Supervised Learning

A type of machine learning where a model is trained on a labeled dataset, meaning each training example is paired with an output label.

You will find this term commonly used in AI, Machine Learning

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Systems

Large-scale, industrial control systems used to monitor and control industrial, infrastructure, or facility-based processes.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Industrial Control Systems

Supply Chain Management

Supply chain management (SCM) is the process of planning, coordinating, and optimizing the flow of goods, services, information, and finances across the entire supply chain, from raw material sourcing to production, distribution, and delivery.

You will find this term commonly used in Logistics, Operations, Business Process Management

Swagger

A set of tools for designing, building, documenting, and consuming RESTful web services. It includes automated documentation, code generation, and test-case generation.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, API Development

Swarm Intelligence

The collective behavior of decentralized, self-organized systems, natural or artificial. The concept is employed in work on artificial intelligence.

You will find this term commonly used in AI, Robotics

Swift

A powerful and intuitive programming language for macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, Programming Languages

Switch

A network device that connects multiple devices within a local area network (LAN) and forwards data packets between them.

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

Switching

The process of directing data packets between devices on the same network or between networks.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Data Communication

Symmetric Encryption

A type of encryption where only one key (a secret key) is used to both encrypt and decrypt electronic information.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Cryptography

Syntax Highlighting

A feature of text editors that displays text—especially source code—in different colors and fonts according to the category of terms.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, Programming

Synthetic Data

Artificial data generated programmatically to mimic real data for testing, training, or research purposes.

You will find this term commonly used in Data Science, General IT

Synthetic Intelligence

An alternative term often used to describe artificial intelligence that emphasizes the creation of intelligence through synthetic (or artificial) means.

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

Synthetic Monitoring

Monitoring the performance and availability of applications and systems using simulated transactions.

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

Syslog

A standard for message logging. It allows separation of the software that generates messages, the system that stores them, and the software that reports and analyzes them.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, System Administration

System

A collection of hardware, software, and firmware components that work together to perform a specific function or task.

You will find this term commonly used in General IT

System Administrator

A person responsible for managing and maintaining computer systems and networks.

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

System Integration

The process of combining different subsystems or components into one larger system.

You will find this term commonly used in General IT

System on a Chip (SoC)

An integrated circuit that integrates all components of a computer or other electronic system into a single chip.

You will find this term commonly used in Hardware, Electronics

System Testing

The process of testing an integrated system to verify that it meets specified requirements.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, Quality Assurance

System Under Test (SUT)

Refers to a system that is being tested for correct operation. The term is used mostly in software testing to describe a particular software program or product.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, Testing

Systems Administrator

Manages and tunes in-house computer software systems and network connections to ensure high levels of availability and security.

You will find this term commonly used in Systems Management, IT Operations

Systems Analysis

The process of observing systems for troubleshooting or development purposes. It involves identifying the operations of a system and its components.

You will find this term commonly used in Software Development, IT Management

Systems Analyst

Analyzes and designs information systems solutions to help organizations operate more effectively and efficiently.

You will find this term commonly used in Systems Engineering, IT Solutions

Systems Architecture

The structural design of systems. In IT, this refers to the framework that defines the structure and behavior of systems.

You will find this term commonly used in General IT, Systems Engineering

Systems Engineering

An interdisciplinary field of engineering and engineering management that focuses on how to design, integrate, and manage complex systems over their life cycles.

You will find this term commonly used in General IT, Systems Engineering

Systems Integration

Systems integration is the process of combining different subsystems or components into a single system, ensuring they function together as a cohesive and unified entity to fulfill specific business requirements or objectives.

You will find this term commonly used in Integration, Enterprise Systems, Software Development

Systems Thinking

An approach to integration that is based on the belief that the component parts of a system can best be understood in the context of relationships with each other and with other systems.

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

T-SQL (Transact-SQL)

A proprietary extension by Microsoft to SQL (Structured Query Language). T-SQL expands on the SQL standard to include procedural programming, local variables, and support for error handling.

You will find this term commonly used in Databases

Tableau

A visual analytics engine that makes it easier to create interactive and shareable dashboards.

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

TACACS (Terminal Access Controller Access-Control System)

A protocol developed for the authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) services in network equipment. It allows a remote access server to communicate with an authentication server to determine if the user has access to the network.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Security

Tag Management System

A tool used in web development and digital marketing for managing the deployment of tags on a website without having to modify the code. Tags can include analytics, tracking, and marketing optimization scripts.

You will find this term commonly used in Web Development, Digital Marketing

Tailgating

An unauthorized person following an authorized person into a secured area, often by closely following them through a door intended for single-person access. It's a security breach that physical security measures aim to prevent.

You will find this term commonly used in Security, Physical Security

Taint Analysis

A form of static code analysis that checks if data from an untrusted source could flow into a security-sensitive location, without being sanitized. This technique is used to prevent vulnerabilities like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS) in web applications.

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

Taint Checking

In programming, taint checking refers to the process of tracking the "taintedness" of inputs to a program or system, which helps in the detection and prevention of injection vulnerabilities.

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

Task Automation

The use of software to reduce the need for human intervention in the execution of tasks. Task automation is widely used in IT to streamline processes, reduce errors, and improve efficiency.

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

TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)

An estimation of the expenses associated with purchasing, deploying, using, and retiring a product or piece of equipment. TCO is important in the IT industry for budgeting and decision-making processes.

You will find this term commonly used in General IT, Business Analysis

TCP Wrappers

A host-based networking ACL system, used to filter network access to Internet protocol servers on (Unix-like) operating systems such as Linux or BSD. It allows the host to deny or allow access based on the service and originating IP address.

You will find this term commonly used in Networking, Security

TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol is the suite of communications protocols used to connect hosts on the Internet. It specifies how data is exchanged over the network.