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  • Access Control – a security mechanism that regulates who or what is allowed to access a system or resource.
  • Agile Development – A methodology for software development that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and rapid iteration
  • Air Handling Unit (AHU) – A device that is used to control the temperature, humidity, and air flow in a data center.
  • Algorithm – a set of instructions for solving a problem or achieving a goal
  • API (Application Programming Interface) – a set of rules and protocols for building and integrating software applications
  • Application Security – the practice of securing software applications and the systems on which they run, to protect against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction of data.
  • Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) – a theoretical AI system that is capable of understanding or learning any intellectual task that a human being can.
  • Artificial Intelligence – A field of study that focuses on creating machines and computer programs that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and language translation.
  • Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) – a theoretical AI system that is more intelligent than the most intelligent human being.
  • Asynchronous – A technique in which a process can continue to execute, even if it is not receiving input or providing output.
  • Authentication – the process of verifying the identity of a user, device, or system, to ensure that only authorized parties have access.
  • Authorization – the process of granting or denying access to a system or resource, based on the user’s identity and the level of access that is granted.
  • Autonomous Systems – a system that can operate independently from human intervention.
  • Backend – The part of a software application that handles the logic and data storage and is not visible to the user
  • Beta Testing – The process of testing a software application by a group of people before it is released to the general public
  • Big Data – A term used to describe the large volume of structured and unstructured data that is generated and collected by organizations and individuals, and that can be analyzed to uncover insights and patterns
  • Binary – A system of numerical notation that has 2 as its base, in which each digit is either 0 or 1
  • Binary Exploitation – the process of identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in binary programs to gain unauthorized access or control over a system.
  • Binary Search – An algorithm that uses a divide-and-conquer strategy to find an element in a sorted array
  • Binary Tree – A data structure in which each node has at most two child nodes
  • Blockchain – A decentralized, distributed digital ledger that is used to record transactions across a network of computers
  • Bug – an error or defect in software that causes it to malfunction
  • Build – The process of converting source code into an executable program
  • Cabinet – A larger framework, typically consisting of multiple racks, used to organize and store IT equipment in a data center.
  • Cache – A hardware or software component that stores frequently accessed data to improve the performance of a system
  • Cloud Backup – A service provided by a data center that allows customers to store copies of their data in a secure, off-site location, as a means of disaster recovery.
  • Cloud Computing – A model of delivering computing resources over the internet, rather than having them located on a user’s device
  • Cloud Computing – A service provided by a data center that allows customers to access computing resources, such as storage and computing power, over the internet.
  • Cloud Computing Services – a service provided by a cloud provider to access computing resources over the internet, such as storage, computing power, and software.
  • Cloud Native – A term used to describe applications and services that are designed to run in a cloud computing environment, and that take advantage of the scalability, security, and other features provided by the cloud
  • Cloud Security – the practice of protecting cloud-based systems, data, and applications from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.
  • Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) – an organization that promotes the use of cloud computing and provides guidelines and best practices for secure cloud adoption.
  • Cloud Service Models – the different ways in which cloud computing services can be provided such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS).
  • Code Refactoring – The process of modifying existing code to improve its readability, maintainability, or performance without changing its functionality
  • Colocation – A service provided by a data center that allows customers to rent space to store and operate their own IT equipment.
  • Command Line Interface (CLI) – A type of user interface that allows users to interact with a computer by typing commands
  • Common Criteria (CC) – an international standard (ISO 15408) for the evaluation of IT security products, that provides a common framework for evaluating the security features and capabilities of IT products.
  • Common Data Center Terminology
  • Compiler – a program that converts source code into executable code
  • Compliance – the act of adhering to laws, regulations, standards, or policies that govern the use of technology and data.
  • Compliance – The adherence to laws, regulations, standards, or policies that govern the use of technology and data in a data center.
  • Containerization – A technique in which an application, its dependencies, and its configuration are packaged together in a container, to ensure that the application runs consistently across different environments
  • Continuous Integration (CI) – A software development practice in which code changes are regularly and automatically integrated into a shared repository
  • Cryptography – The practice of securing communications by transforming plaintext into ciphertext, and vice versa, using mathematical algorithms
  • Cyber Kill Chain – a framework for understanding and defending against cyber attacks, that describes the stages of an attack from initial reconnaissance to exfiltration of data.
  • Cybersecurity – the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks, damage, or unauthorized access.
  • Data Center – A facility used to house computer systems and related components, such as telecommunications and storage systems.
  • Data Governance – the process of managing the availability, usability, integrity, and security of data in an organization.
  • Data Loss Prevention (DLP) – a set of technologies and practices that are used to prevent the unauthorized disclosure, loss, or theft of sensitive data.
  • Database – A collection of organized data that can be easily accessed, managed and updated
  • Debugging – the process of identifying and fixing errors in software
  • Deployment – The process of making a software application or system available for use in a production environment
  • DevOps – A set of practices and tools that are used to automate the software development process, from code creation to deployment, and that promote collaboration between development and operations teams
  • Digital Forensics – the process of identifying, collecting, analyzing, and preserving digital evidence in support of an investigation or legal proceeding.
  • Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) – a type of technology that enables data to be stored and shared across a network of computers, without the need for a central authority.
  • Distributed Systems – A system that is spread across multiple devices or locations, and that works together to perform a common task
  • Edge Computing – A computing model in which data is processed at the edge of a network, close to the source of the data, rather than in a central location
  • Encapsulation – a technique that is used to hide the implementation details of an object or a module, and to expose only the interface that is needed to interact with it.
  • Encryption – The process of converting plaintext into ciphertext, using a mathematical algorithm and a secret key, to protect the data from unauthorized access
  • Encryption Algorithms – a set of mathematical rules that are used to encrypt and decrypt data, such as RSA and AES.
  • Encryption Key – a secret value that is used to encrypt and decrypt data, and that must be kept secure to protect the data.
  • End-to-end encryption – a security technique that encrypts data from one end of the communication channel to the other, ensuring that only authorized parties can access the data.
  • Event-Driven Programming – A programming paradigm in which events, such as user input or system notifications, determine a program’s flow.
  • Federated Learning – a technique in which multiple devices or computers are used to train a machine learning model without sharing sensitive data.
  • Fire Suppression System – A system that detects and extinguishes fires in a data center.
  • Firewall – A security system that controls access to a network or a computer by blocking or allowing incoming and outgoing network traffic based on a set of rules.
  • Framework – a set of pre-written code that provides a structure for developing a software application.
  • Frontend – The part of a software application that handles the user interface and is visible to the user.
  • Functional Programming – A programming paradigm that emphasizes the use of functions to transform data and avoids the use of the mutable state.
  • Garbage Collection – A technique used in programming languages such as Java and C#, to automatically manage the memory used by an application and free up resources that are no longer needed.
  • Graph – A data structure consisting of vertices and edges used to represent relationships between objects or data.
  • Green Data Center – A data center that utilizes energy-efficient technologies and practices to reduce its environmental impact.
  • Hardware – the physical components of a computer or other device.
  • Hash Table – A data structure that uses a hash function to map keys to values.
  • Heap – A data structure in which elements are stored in a specific order such that the element with the highest or lowest value can be efficiently accessed.
  • Hot Aisle / Cold Aisle – The aisle in a data center where the fronts of the IT equipment face each other is called the hot aisle, and the aisle where the backs of the IT equipment face each other is called the cold aisle.
  • Hybrid Cloud – a type of cloud computing that uses a combination of on-premises and public cloud resources.
  • IDE (Integrated Development Environment) – A software application that provides a comprehensive environment for software development.
  • Identity and Access Management (IAM) – the practice of managing users’ identities and their access to systems and resources.
  • Incident Response – the process of identifying, analyzing, and responding to a security incident, such as a data breach or a malware attack.
  • Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) – using connected devices and sensors in healthcare, such as wearable devices and medical equipment, to collect and share data for improved patient care and treatment.
  • Internet of Things (IoT) – A network of physical devices, such as sensors and actuators, that are connected to the internet and can collect and share data.
  • Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) – a set of protocols used to secure IP communications by authenticating and encrypting each IP packet of a communication session.
  • Interpreter – A program that reads and executes source code, line by line, without converting it to machine code.
  • Iteration – The repetition of a process or a block of code in a loop.
  • JIT (Just-In-Time) Compilation – A technique in which source code is compiled into machine code at runtime, to improve the performance of a program.
  • Key Management – the practice of creating, storing, distributing, and managing cryptographic keys, to ensure the security of encrypted data.
  • Kubernetes – An open-source container orchestration system for automating containerized applications’ deployment, scaling, and management.
  • Library – A collection of pre-written code that a programmer can use to add functionality to a software application.
  • Linked List – A data structure in which each element references the next element.
  • Load Testing – The process of testing a software application or system to determine how well it can handle high levels of traffic or usage.
  • Low-Code Platform – a type of software development platform that allows users to create and deploy applications using pre-built components and visual drag-and-drop interfaces rather than writing code.
  • Machine Learning – A type of artificial intelligence that allows software to learn from data and make predictions or decisions without explicit programming.
  • Machine Learning Platform – A software platform that provides the necessary tools and resources to design, develop, and deploy machine learning models.
  • Malware – a type of software that is designed to cause harm, such as viruses, worms, and trojan horses.
  • Memory Leak – A condition in which a program allocates memory for use but does not release it, resulting in a gradual decrease in available memory.
  • Microservices – A software architecture in which a large application is broken down into smaller, independent services that communicate with each other over a network.
  • Microservices Architecture – an architectural style in which a large software application is broken down into small, loosely coupled services that can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently.
  • Multi-threading – A technique in which multiple threads are executed concurrently to increase the performance of a system.
  • Natural Language Processing (NLP) – A field of study that focuses on creating computer programs that can understand and generate human language.
  • Natural Language Understanding (NLU) – a branch of NLP that focuses on understanding the meaning and intent of natural language input.
  • Network Operations Center (NOC) – A centralized location where the operations and monitoring of a data center’s network and IT systems are managed and controlled.
  • Networking – The practice of connecting multiple devices together, to share resources and communicate with each other.
  • NoSQL – A database management system that does not use a fixed schema and is designed to handle large amounts of unstructured data.
  • Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) – A programming paradigm that uses objects, which are instances of classes, to represent and manipulate data.
  • Open Source – Software that is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute.
  • Operating System – software that manages the resources of a computer and provides a platform for other software to run on.
  • ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) – A technique for mapping the objects in an object-oriented program to the tables in a relational database.
  • Penetration Testing – the process of simulating an attack on a computer system or network to identify vulnerabilities that an attacker could exploit.
  • Pipeline – A series of steps executed in sequence to achieve a specific goal, such as building, testing, and deploying a software application.
  • Power Distribution Unit (PDU) – A device that distributes electrical power to IT equipment in a data center.
  • Predictive Maintenance – a technique that uses data and machine learning models to predict when equipment or machinery will require maintenance, so that maintenance can be scheduled in advance, before a failure occurs.
  • Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) – a set of hardware, software, people, policies, and procedures that are used to create, manage, distribute, use, store, and revoke digital certificates and public-key encryption.
  • Quantum Computing – A field of study that focuses on creating computers that can perform certain types of computations using quantum-mechanical phenomena, such as superposition and entanglement.
  • Queue – A data structure in which elements are added and removed in a First In, First Out (FIFO) order.
  • Rack – A physical framework that is used to mount and organize servers, storage devices, and other IT equipment in a data center.
  • Recursion – A programming technique in which a function calls itself to solve a problem.
  • Regression Testing – The retesting a software application or system after changes have been made to ensure that it still functions as expected.
  • Remote Hands – A service provided by a data center that allows customers to have on-site assistance with tasks such as equipment installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
  • Resilience – The ability of a data center to continue to operate in the event of a failure or disruption.
  • REST (Representational State Transfer) – An architectural style for building web services based on statelessness principles, uniform interface, and resources.
  • Risk Management – the process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information and systems.
  • Robotics Process Automation (RPA) – a technology that allows organizations to automate repetitive and rule-based tasks, such as data entry and customer service, using software robots.
  • Scalability – The ability of a data center to expand its capacity to meet the changing needs of its customers.
  • Scripting Language – A programming language used to write scripts, tiny programs that automate tasks.
  • Search Engine – A software application that allows users to search for information on the internet
  • Secure Socket Layer (SSL) / Transport Layer Security (TLS) – a security protocol that is used to encrypt network communications and to authenticate the identity of the server.
  • Security – The protection of a data center’s IT systems and data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.
  • Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) – a security management system that collects, analyzes, and correlates security-related data from various sources, such as network devices, servers, and applications, to detect and respond to security threats.
  • Serverless Computing – A cloud computing model in which the cloud provider is responsible for allocating and managing the servers needed to run an application.
  • Server-Side Rendering (SSR) – A technique in which the server generates the HTML that is sent to the browser, rather than the browser generating the HTML using JavaScript.
  • Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) – a type of software that is used to diagnose, treat or prevent a disease or condition, and falls under the regulation of medical devices.
  • Source code – the instructions written in a programming language that are used to create a software program.
  • Speech Recognition – the process of converting spoken words into text using machine learning models.
  • SQL (Structured Query Language) – A programming language used to manage relational databases.
  • Stack – A data structure in which elements are added and removed in a Last In, First Out (LIFO) order.
  • Streaming – The process of delivering audio or video content over the internet in real-time, as it is being recorded or broadcast.
  • Synchronization – A technique used to coordinate the execution of multiple threads, to avoid race conditions and other concurrency issues.
  • Test-Driven Development (TDD) – A software development methodology in which tests are written for a piece of code before the code is written.
  • Thread – A lightweight process that runs independently of other threads, allowing multiple tasks to be executed simultaneously.
  • Time Series Data – data that is collected over time, such as stock prices, weather data, and sensor data.
  • U (Unit) – A measurement of the height of a rack-mountable device, with 1U being 1.75 inches (44.45 mm).
  • Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) – A device that provides emergency power to IT equipment in the event of a power outage.
  • Version Control – a system that tracks changes made to software source code over time.
  • Virtual Reality (VR) – a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment that can be interacted with using special equipment, such as a headset and gloves.
  • Virtualization – A technique that allows multiple virtual machines to run on a single physical server, increasing the utilization and efficiency of the server’s resources.
  • Virtualization – The creation of a virtual version of a device or resource, such as a virtual machine or virtual storage, that can be accessed and used like an actual device or resource.
  • Vulnerability Management – the process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating vulnerabilities in systems and applications to reduce the risk of a security incident.
  • Web Scraping – The process of automatically extracting data from websites using code.
  • Zero Trust – a security model that assumes that all actors, systems, and networks are untrusted and that access to resources is granted only after a rigorous identity and access verification process.

These terms are just a few examples of the many terms and concepts used in the software development industry. Software security is a complex field constantly evolving, and new threats are always emerging.

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