Technology plays an impactful role in how your business operates.
Understanding IT concepts and engaging in deeper conversations will help you tap into technology as a strategic driver of business growth.
We hope you enjoy learning a new language with us in 2025 – the language of IT!
A device that connects to your network and gives devices like phones, laptops, and tablets a strong Wi-Fi signal.
What It Does: It extends your Wi-Fi coverage so more people and devices can connect to the internet in more places.
What It Means: With an access point, your business can ensure reliable internet access throughout the office, boosting productivity and keeping everyone connected without interruptions.
A set of rules that tells employees what they can and can’t do with company technology and data.
What It Does: It sets clear boundaries for using company devices, internet, and systems to protect the business from misuse and security risks.
What It Means: Having an acceptable use policy helps your business reduce risks like data breaches and downtime while promoting responsible use of technology.
The process of turning raw data into useful insights that helps inform decision-making processes.
What It Does: It collects, measures, and interprets data to show patterns, trends, and opportunities in your business.
What It Means: By observing analytics and bringing them into decision-making processes, your business can optimize operations, improve customer experiences, and drive smarter, data-informed growth strategies.
A software program that helps you get things done on a computer, phone, or other device. Applications are either local (installed on a specific device) or cloud-based (like those accessed through a web browser).
What It Does: It performs specific tasks, like managing emails, processing payments, or running business operations.
What It Means: The right applications streamline work, improve efficiency, and enable businesses to operate more effectively.
A security tool that protects your computers and devices from viruses, malware, and other cyber threats.
What It Does: It scans, detects, and removes harmful software to keep your systems safe and running smoothly.
What It Means: Using antivirus software helps prevent cyberattacks, protecting your business from data loss, downtime, and security breaches.
A system for keeping track of all the technology and software a business owns.
What It Does: It monitors, organizes, and maintains IT assets like computers, servers, software licenses, and network equipment.
What It Means: As part of an IT strategy, proper asset management helps businesses save money, improve security, and ensure they’re using their technology efficiently.
A thorough review and documentation of IT systems to check if everything is functional, secure, and compliant.
What It Does: During an audit, hardware, software, security, and policies are reviewed and analyzed to find risks and inefficiencies.
What It Means: Regular IT audits help businesses identify potential issues proactively, maintain any necessary compliance, and improve overall system performance.
The use of technology to complete tasks without human effort, or with reduced human effort.
What It Does: Automations streamline repetitive processes, like data entry or system updates, to save time and reduce errors.
What It Means: Investing in automation helps businesses increase efficiency, cut costs, and free up employees’ time for more critical work.
A copy of important data stored separately in case something goes wrong. Backups might be made on disk or tape storage, or in a cloud-based solution.
What It Does: Backups protects business information by allowing data to be restored after accidental deletion, cyberattacks, or hardware failures.
What It Means: Regular backups ensure business continuity, minimize downtime, and prevent data loss disasters.
The amount of data that can move through an internet connection at one time.
What It Does: Your bandwidth determines how fast and smoothly data can be sent and received over a network.
What It Means: Sufficient bandwidth keeps business operations running smoothly, preventing slow internet and system bottlenecks.
A temporary storage space that helps smooth out data flow.
What It Does: It holds data before it’s processed or displayed to prevent delays or interruptions.
What It Means: Buffers help improve performance while employees work, reducing lag in applications and network traffic.
A network of remote servers that store, manage, and process data over the internet instead of on local computers.
What It Does: Cloud systems allow businesses to access software, files, and computing power from anywhere with an internet connection.
What It Means: Cloud systems help business increase flexibility and reduce hardware costs, which has a measurable impact on scaling business operations.
The delivery of computing services like storage, servers, and applications over the internet.
What It Does: It provides on-demand access to IT resources without needing physical infrastructure.
What It Means: Cloud computing helps businesses scale easily, reduce IT maintenance, and improve collaboration.
Software that helps teams work together efficiently, no matter where they are.
What It Does: These tools enable real-time and asynchronous communication, file sharing, and project management.
What It Means: With proper implementation and use, collaboration tools improve teamwork, speed up decision-making, and enhance productivity.
The setup and customization of hardware, software, or networks to function properly.
What It Does: A configuration determines how systems operate by defining settings, permissions, and performance parameters.
What It Means: Proper configuration ensures systems run efficiently, securely, and without disruptions.
A combination of usernames, passwords, or authentication methods that prove a user’s identity.
What It Does: It controls access to systems, ensuring only authorized users can log in.
What It Means: Strong credential management protects sensitive business data from unauthorized access.
A set of equipment that prevents technology hardware from overheating.
What It Does: Cooling systems are often used to regulate the temperature in data centers, server rooms, and workstations.
What It Means: A reliable cooling system extends hardware lifespan and prevents failures, keeping business operations running.
A set of routine practices that keep your IT systems clean and secure.
What It Does: Cyber hygiene practices include updating software, using strong passwords, and avoiding phishing scams.
What It Means: Good cyber hygiene reduces security risks from everyday human errors and protects business data from cyber threats.
The practice of protecting IT systems, networks, and data from cyber threats.
What It Does: Cybersecurity is critical to defend against hackers, and all forms of unauthorized access to business systems and data.
What It Means: Strong cybersecurity keeps business operations safe, prevents data breaches, protects a business from financial threats like ransom payments and lawsuits, and protects customer trust.
A visual display of key business or IT data in one place.
What It Does: It provides real-time insights and analytics to help users monitor performance.
What It Means: Dashboards make data-driven decision-making easier and improve operational efficiency.
When sensitive business data is accessed, stolen, or leaked without permission.
What It Does: Data breaches often expose personally identifiable information, harming customers and company reputation and potentially opening up a company to legal action.
What It Means: Preventing data breaches helps businesses avoid legal trouble, financial losses, and damage to trust.
A set of policies that ensure business data is accurate, secure, and properly managed.
What It Does: Data governance defines how data is collected, stored, and used across an organization.
What It Means: Strong data governance improves compliance, reduces risks, and ensures high-quality data for decision-making.
A structured system for storing, organizing, and retrieving data.
What It Does: It allows businesses to efficiently manage large amounts of information.
What It Means: Databases improve data access, security, and reliability for business operations.
Any piece of hardware that connects to a network, from laptops and phones to printers and audio/video communication systems.
What It Does: Devices allow users to interact with technology tools and access business resources.
What It Means: Managing devices properly ensures security, productivity, and smooth operations.
A strategy for restoring business systems and data after a major failure like a cyberattack or data breach.
What It Does: It outlines steps to recover from disruptions like hardware failures, ransomware, or natural disasters.
What It Means: A solid disaster recovery plan ensures business continuity. This minimizes downtime, and sets a plan for protecting data and backups.
The internet’s “phonebook” that translates website names into IP addresses.
What It Does: It allows users to access websites using easy-to-remember domain names instead of numbers.
What It Means: A reliable DNS ensures fast and secure access to websites and online services.
The period when a system, network, or website is unavailable.
What It Does: It prevents users from accessing services, causing disruptions to business operations.
What It Means: Downtime means a business cannot operate normally, leading to lost productivity and revenue.
Any device that connects to a network, like a computer, smartphone, or tablet.
What It Does: Endpoints interact with IT systems and can be vulnerable to security threats.
What It Means: Securing and monitoring endpoints is key to protecting business data and preventing cyberattacks.
A security solution that monitors and responds to threats on endpoint devices.
What It Does: An EDR tool goes beyond basic antivirus in its ability to detect, analyze, and mitigate security threats in real time.
What It Means: EDR helps businesses prevent data breaches and quickly respond to security incidents.
A method of scrambling data so only authorized users can read it.
What It Does: Encryption tools protect sensitive information by making it unreadable without a decryption key.
What It Means: Encryption keeps business data safe from hackers, reducing the risk of breaches.
The process of moving an IT issue to a higher level of support.
What It Does: It ensures complex problems receive a proper level of review and are handled by experts who can resolve them as quick as possible.
What It Means: Effective escalation minimizes the impact of technology issues and improves customer and employee support.
A wired connection that links devices to a network for fast and stable internet access.
What It Does: An ethernet connection transmits data between computers, servers, and routers within a local area network (LAN).
What It Means: Ethernet provides reliable, high-speed connectivity for business operations.
A virtual or physical security barrier that blocks unauthorized access to a network.
What It Does: It monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic based on security rules.
What It Means: Firewalls protect businesses from cyber threats, preventing data breaches and attacks.
A “bridge” that connects different networks so they can communicate with each other.
What It Does: A gateway translates data between networks with different protocols to enable seamless connectivity.
What It Means: Gateways help businesses integrate systems, improve communication, and expand IT capabilities.
A support service that assists users with IT issues.
What It Does: Individuals working on a helpdesk team troubleshoot problems, answer technical questions, and provide solutions to users in your company.
What It Means: A responsive helpdesk improves productivity by quickly resolving IT disruptions.
The service of storing and running websites, applications, or data on a server.
What It Does: It provides the infrastructure needed to keep websites and online services accessible.
What It Means: Reliable hosting ensures business websites run smoothly and securely for customers.
A mix of on-premise, private, and public cloud services.
What It Does: Setting up a hybrid cloud system allows businesses to balance workloads between cloud and in-house systems.
What It Means: A hybrid cloud setup offers flexibility, scalability, and cost efficiency.
The process of handling IT disruptions and security threats.
What It Does: An incident management process identifies, assesses, and resolves issues to restore normal operations.
What It Means: Strong incident management reduces downtime and prevents business disruptions.
A structured approach to addressing cybersecurity threats and breaches.
What It Does: An incident response process detects, contains, and eliminates security incidents to minimize damage.
What It Means: A fast and effective response limits financial loss, reputational damage, and operational downtime.
A virtual server running in the cloud.
What It Does: It provides computing power for applications without requiring physical hardware.
What It Means: Cloud instances allow businesses to scale resources easily and reduce IT costs.
The process of connecting different technology systems so they work together.
What It Does: Integrations enable data and applications to share information seamlessly.
What It Means: Effective integration improves efficiency, automation, and decision-making.
A private, secure internal network for a company’s employees.
What It Does: An intranet provides a central space for communication, collaboration, and document sharing.
What It Means: A well-structured intranet improves productivity and internal communication.
A unique number that identifies a device on a network.
What It Does: It allows computers and servers to communicate over the internet.
What It Means: Managing IP addresses ensures secure and efficient network operations.
A collection of organized information and FAQs for users.
What It Does: It provides self-service answers to common IT and business questions.
What It Means: A strong knowledge base reduces support requests and improves efficiency.
The delay before data starts moving between systems.
What It Does: Latency negatively affects response times in applications, websites, and networks.
What It Means: Low latency ensures fast performance and smooth user experiences.
Outdated technology systems that are still in use.
What It Does: A legacy system may struggle to integrate with newer technologies, opening security risks due to lack of updates.
What It Means: Upgrading legacy systems improves security, efficiency, and business agility.
The complete journey of an IT asset from purchase to retirement.
What It Does: It includes acquisition, maintenance, upgrades, and disposal.
What It Means: Managing IT lifecycles reduces costs and keeps technology up to date.
The distribution of network traffic across multiple servers to ensure no single server gets overwhelmed.
What It Does: It helps balance demand, improving speed, reliability, and uptime for services.
What It Means: Effective load balancing enhances performance, reduces downtime, and ensures a smooth user experience for business applications.
Maintenance
Is: The ongoing process of keeping IT systems and equipment running smoothly.
Does: Maintenance involves tasks like updates, repairs, and replacements to prevent failures.
Means: Regular maintenance prevents costly disruptions, extends the lifespan of technology, and supports business continuity.
Malicious software designed to harm or exploit a system.
What It Does: Malware can be used by hackers to steal data, damage files, or disrupt operations by infecting devices.
What It Means: Cybersecurity protects against malware, ensuring business data and systems remain secure and operational.
A combination of technology tools and professionals that goes beyond endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to continuously monitor and respond to cyber threats in real time.
What It Does: MDR detects, analyzes, and mitigates security threats 24/7 to protect business IT infrastructure.
What It Means: MDR provides high levels of proactive security, reducing the impact of attacks and greatly improving overall risk management.
The process of continuously observing systems and networks for issues.
What It Does: It tracks performance, security, and availability to identify problems before they cause disruptions.
What It Means: Effective monitoring improves system uptime, detects vulnerabilities, and enhances overall IT health.
A security method that requires more than one form of identification to access systems.
What It Does: It combines something you know (password), something you have (phone), or a physical part of you (fingerprint) to provide multiple points of identity verification.
Means: MFA strengthens security, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and protecting business data.
A storage device connected to a network, providing shared access to data.
What It Does: It allows users to store and retrieve files from a centralized location over the network.
What It Means: NAS improves data management, collaboration, and backup by centralizing storage resources.
The arrangement of different elements in a computer network, including devices, connections, and paths.
What It Does: It defines how devices are connected and how data flows between them.
What It Means: Proper mapping of network topology improves efficiency, security, and troubleshooting within business networks.
The process of integrating new employees into a company and its systems.
What It Does: Your onboarding process provides new employees with the necessary tools, resources, and training to use technology effectively within their work.
What It Means: A smooth onboarding process improves productivity, reduces turnover, and ensures new employees are set up for success.
The software that manages hardware and software resources on a computer or device.
What It Does: An operating system enables users to interact with their device and run applications.
What It Means: A stable operating system ensures smooth, efficient operations and compatibility with business applications.
A small unit of data transmitted over a network.
What It Does: A packet contains information that is sent between devices as part of network communication.
What It Means: Efficient packet transmission ensures fast, reliable communication for business systems and services.
A software update that fixes vulnerabilities, bugs, or improves functionality.
What It Does: A patch addresses security flaws and system issues to maintain the health and performance of software.
What It Means: Regular patching and establishing a patch policy reduces security risks and keeps business systems running smoothly.
A simulated cyberattack designed to identify vulnerabilities in a system.
What It Does: A penetration test assesses the security of networks, applications, and systems by exploiting weaknesses.
What It Means: Investing in regular penetration testing helps businesses find and fix security holes before they can be exploited by attackers.
The access rights given to users or systems to interact with resources.
What It Does: It controls who can view, edit, or delete specific files, applications, or system settings.
What It Means: Proper permission management prevents unauthorized access and ensures security for business data.
A cyberattack that uses fake emails or websites to trick individuals into sharing sensitive information.
What It Does: Someone conducting a phishing attack typically aims to steal login credentials or financial data by pretending to be a trusted entity.
What It Means: Preventing phishing helps protect business data and minimizes the risk of identity theft or fraud.
A communication endpoint used by software to exchange data over a network.
What It Does: Ports allow different programs and devices to send and receive information on specific channels.
What It Means: Proper port management ensures secure and reliable communication between business systems and applications.
The component that provides electricity to a device or system.
What It Does: It converts electrical energy from an outlet into the correct voltage and current for hardware.
What It Means: A reliable power supply prevents system shutdowns, ensuring business operations stay uninterrupted.
A cloud computing environment dedicated to a single organization, either on-premises or hosted by a third party.
What It Does: A private cloud provides more control over security and resources compared to public cloud solutions.
What It Means: A private cloud ensures privacy, security, and customized resources for businesses with sensitive data needs.
A server that acts as an intermediary between a user and the internet.
What It Does: It filters requests, provides security, and can cache data for faster access.
What It Means: Proxies improve security, privacy, and network performance by controlling internet traffic and blocking malicious sites.
A cloud computing environment shared by multiple organizations, hosted by a third party.
What It Does: A public cloud offers scalable resources like storage and computing power, typically on a pay-as-you-go basis.
What It Means: A public cloud provides cost-effective and scalable IT resources for businesses that don’t need dedicated infrastructure.
A standardized measurement for the height of hardware in a server rack.
What It Does: It defines how much space a device occupies in a server rack, usually measured in 1.75-inch increments.
What It Means: Understanding rack units helps businesses plan data center layouts efficiently and maximize server room space.
A type of malware that encrypts files or systems and demands payment to restore access.
What It Does: Ransomware locks up critical data or systems and threatens to delete or permanently block access until the ransom is paid.
Means: Preventing ransomware attacks protects business data, prevents costly downtime, and avoids paying extortion fees.
The process of restoring data, applications, and IT systems after a disruption or failure.
What It Does: It includes actions like data restoration from backups and conducting system repairs, bringing service or production back to normal operations.
What It Means: A solid, well-communicated recovery plan ensures businesses can quickly bounce back from disasters, minimizing downtime and financial loss.
The duplication of critical systems, hardware, or network connections to prevent failure.
What It Does: It ensures that if one component fails, another takes its place without disrupting operations.
What It Means: A certain amount of redundancy increases reliability and availability, reducing the risk of costly downtimes for businesses.
The ability to connect to a computer or network from a distant location.
What It Does: It enables employees or IT staff to access resources and troubleshoot systems without being physically present in a particular location like an office.
What It Means: Remote access supports flexibility and productivity by allowing work to continue from anywhere.
The process of solving an IT problem or issue and closing a request for service.
What It Does: Proper resolution involves identifying the root cause, applying solutions to restore normal operations, and providing future guidance if necessary.
What It Means: Quick resolution of IT problems minimizes downtime and ensures business operations run smoothly.
The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating potential risks to business operations.
What It Does: Risk management planning involves controls and strategies to reduce the impact of threats like cyberattacks or system failures.
Means: Effective risk management protects business assets, ensures continuity, and minimizes unexpected costs.
The primary factor that causes a technology problem or failure.
What It Does: Identifying a root cause helps build understanding of what led to that issue or failure, rather than just addressing the most obvious symptoms.
What It Means: Identifying the root cause helps businesses prevent recurring issues and improve long-term performance.
A device that forwards data packets between networks, often connecting a local network to the internet.
What It Does: It directs internet traffic, ensuring devices on a network can communicate with each other and external systems.
What It Means: Routers ensure efficient and secure data communication, providing businesses with reliable network connectivity.
A specialized network that provides high-speed data access to multiple servers.
What It Does: It connects storage devices like disk arrays to servers, centralizing data storage and improving performance.
What It Means: A SAN improves data access speed, scalability, and redundancy, which helps businesses handle large amounts of data efficiently.
The ability of a technology system or network to handle growth, either in traffic, data, or users.
What It Does: Scalability is key because it allows businesses to expand their resources without major investments or changes to their infrastructure.
What It Means: Scalable systems ensure resources meet demand efficiently, enabling businesses to grow without costly overhauls.
A comprehensive review of a company’s security policies, systems, and controls.
What It Does: It identifies vulnerabilities and ensures compliance with security standards and regulations.
What It Means: Regular security audits help businesses prevent breaches, maintain compliance, and enhance security measures.
A system that collects and analyzes security data from various sources to identify threats.
What It Does: It monitors, detects, and responds to security incidents in real time.
What It Means: SIEM enhances security by providing a comprehensive view of threats, improving response times, and reducing the impact of incidents.
A centralized unit that monitors and defends an organization’s IT infrastructure against security threats, often operating 24/7.
What It Does: A SOC team continuously monitors, analyzes, and responds to cybersecurity threats and incidents.
What It Means: A SOC improves security by providing real-time threat detection, proactive incident management, and reducing risks to business assets.
A computer or system that provides services, resources, or data to other computers (clients) over a network.
What It Does: It hosts applications, data, websites, or resources and makes them accessible to users or other systems.
What It Means: Servers are critical to ensure business applications, websites, and data are always available and functioning, supporting day-to-day operations.
A formal agreement between an IT service provider (like Lighthouse!) and a client that outlines performance expectations and standards.
What It Does: It specifies the quality, availability, and responsibilities related to the service being provided. An SLA may also establish clarity around certain operational processes and the time required for work to be done.
What It Means: SLAs set clear expectations, ensuring service consistency, accountability, and customer satisfaction.
The process of saving data in digital form, either on local devices or in the cloud.
What It Does: Storage allows businesses to store, manage, and retrieve data as needed. Storage systems, however, are accessed more frequently than data backups.
What It Means: Efficient storage solutions ensure data is readily accessible, protected, and scalable as business needs grow.
A network device that connects multiple devices within a local area network (LAN) and forwards data between them.
What It Does: It directs data traffic efficiently, ensuring devices can communicate within the network without collisions.
What It Means: As part of proper network topology, switches improves network efficiency, speed, and scalability, enabling businesses to maintain smooth communication and data flow.
The design of an IT system, outlining the structure and relationships of its components.
What It Does: Your system architecture defines how hardware, software, and networks all interact to support business operations and goals.
What It Means: Proper documentation of system architecture ensures a cohesive, scalable, and efficient IT infrastructure.
A record created to track an IT issue or request.
What It Does: Tickets help document the problem, status, and resolution steps for efficient management and communication. Submitting tickets also help service providers effectively triage and track progress in resolving issues.
What It Means: Ticketing systems through a remote monitoring and management (RMM) system streamline issue resolution, improve accountability, and ensure timely support.
A potential or actual malicious activity that could harm or disrupt an IT system.
What It Does: It represents a risk to data, systems, or networks, such as cyberattacks, malware, or natural disasters.
What It Means: Identifying and mitigating threats helps businesses protect their assets and maintain system integrity.
The complete cost of owning and operating an IT system over its entire lifecycle, including purchase, maintenance, and operational costs.
What It Does: It includes upfront costs as well as ongoing expenses such as support, upgrades, and energy consumption.
What It Means: Calculating TCO as part of your IT strategy helps businesses assess the true financial investment while assessing different technologies, aiding in budget planning and cost optimization.
A secure network that allows users to connect to the internet or a remote network safely, typically over public networks like the internet.
What It Does: It encrypts data and routes it through secure servers to protect privacy and prevent unauthorized access.
What It Means: VPNs safeguard sensitive business information by ensuring secure remote access and protecting against cyber threats.
A weakness in a system or network that could be exploited by an attacker.
What It Does: A vulnerability provides an opportunity for malicious actors to breach security and compromise systems or data.
What It Means: Identifying vulnerabilities helps businesses strengthen their security posture, reducing the risk of cyberattacks and data breaches.
A process that scans IT systems or networks for weaknesses or vulnerabilities.
What It Does: Complementary to penetration testing, a vulnerability scan identifies security holes that could potentially be exploited by attackers.
What It Means: Regular vulnerability scans help businesses proactively address security issues and protect critical assets from threats.
A network that connects devices across large geographical areas, often using public or private communication infrastructure.
What It Does: It enables remote access and data transfer between offices or locations that are far apart.
What It Means: WANs support business expansion by connecting multiple locations and facilitating communication and data sharing across distances.
A method of transmitting data without physical cables, using radio waves or infrared signals.
What It Does: It enables devices to connect to networks and communicate over short or long distances without needing wired connections.
What It Means: Wireless technology increases mobility, flexibility, and ease of access, supporting remote work and connectivity for businesses.
A high-performance computer designed for professional or technical use, often with specialized hardware or software.
What It Does: It allows users to run complex applications, handle large datasets, or perform specialized tasks.
What It Means: Workstations ensure that employees can work efficiently and effectively with demanding applications, improving productivity in technical or creative tasks.
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