Key Terms - Basics
Terms
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- KB
- Short for kilobyte. When used to decribe data storage, usually represents 1,024 bytes. When used to describe data transfer rates represents 1,000 bytes
- Virus
- A program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Can also replicate themselves. All are manmade.
- Firewall
- A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. Can be implemented in both hardware and software, or a combination of both.
- output devices
- Any machine capable of representing information from a computer
- OMR
- the technology of electronically extracting intended data from marked fields, such as checkboxes and fill-infields, on printed forms.
- ROM
- Read-Only Memory refers to special memory used to store programs that boot the computer and perform diagnostics.
- RAM
- Random Access Memory In common usage; synonymous with main memory, the memory available to programs.
- OCR
- refers to the branch of computer science that involves reading text from paper and translating the images into a form that the computer can manipulate (for example, into ASCII codes); enables you to take a book or a magazine article, feed it directly into an electronic computer file, and then edit the file using a word processor.
- Worm
- A program or algorithm that replicates itself over a computer network and usually performs malicious actions, such as using up the computer's resources and possibly shutting the system down
- Platform
- The underlying hardware or software for a system.
- logic bomb
- Also called slag code, programming code added to the software of an application or operating system that lies dormant until a predetermined period of time or event occurs, triggering the code into action. Typically are malicious in intent.
- ASCII
- Acronym for the American Standard Code for Information Interchange. Pronounced ask-ee; is a code for representing English characters as numbers, with each letter assigned a number from 0 to 127.
- Peripheral
- A computer device, such as a CD-ROM drive or printer, that is not part of the essential computer
- MHz
- megahertz. One MHz represents one million cycles per second.
- GB
- 2 to the 30th power (1,073,741,824) bytes. One gigabyte is equal to 1,024 megabytes.
- Bit
- Short for binary digit, the smallest unit of information on a machine.
- Encryption
- The translation of data into a secret code. The most effective way to achieve data security.
- MB
- short for megabyte (1,000,000 or 1,048,576 bytes, depending on the context).
- input devices
- Any machine that feeds data into a computer.
- Baud
- the number of signaling elements that occur each second. At slow speeds, only one bit of information (signaling element) is encoded in each electrical change. Indicates the number of bits per second that are transmitted
- Byte
- binary term, a unit of storage capable of holding a single character; is equal to 8 bits.
- storage
- The capacity of a device to hold and retain data.
- TB
- 2 to the 40th power (1,099,511,627,776) bytes. This is approximately 1 trillion bytes.
- bar code
- The machine-readable representation of the UPC; read by a scanner that passes over the code and registers the UPC. The width of each black line and the subsequent white space between each line coincides with the numbers of the UPC.
- Trojan horse
- A destructive program that masquerades as a benign application. Unlike viruses, do not replicate themselves but they can be just as destructive.
- data
- Distinct pieces of information, usually formatted in a special way
- Decryption
- The process of decoding data that has been encrypted into a secret format. Requires a secret key or password.
- Dpi
- dots per inch, which indicates the resolution of images. The more dots per inch, the higher the resolution