AP Computer Science Principles - Unit 8 Vocabulary

Computing Innovation

Includes a program as an integral part of its function, which can be a physical object (e.g., self-driving car), non-physical software (e.g., picture editing software), or non-physical concepts (e.g., e-commerce).

Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

Information about an individual that identifies, links, relates, or describes them.

Phishing

A technique that attempts to trick a user into providing personal information for accessing sensitive online resources.

Keylogging

The use of a program to record every keystroke made by a computer user to gain access to passwords and other confidential information.

Malware

Software intended to damage a computing system or take partial control over its operation.

Freeware

Untrustworthy (often free) downloads from freeware or shareware sites that can contain malware.

Rogue Access Point

A wireless access point that provides unauthorized access to secure networks.

Virus

A malicious program that copies itself and gains access to a computer in an unauthorized way.

Encryption

A process of encoding messages to keep them secret, accessible only by authorized parties.

Decryption

The process that reverses encryption, reproducing the original plain text from a secret message.

Symmetric Key Encryption

Involves one key used for both encryption and decryption.

Public Key Encryption

Pairs a public key for encryption with a private key for decryption. The sender does not need the receiver’s private key to encrypt a message, but the receiver’s private key is required to decrypt the message

Strong Password

Easy for a user to remember but difficult for someone else to guess.

Multi-factor Authentication

A system that requires at least two steps to unlock protected information, adding layers of security.