CompTIA Tech+ Exam Review Flashcards 2

These are changed so they do not have the term within the definition.

access control list (ACL)

A collection of entries that defines which entities (like user accounts or host addresses) are permitted or denied interaction with a resource and what privileges (such as read or write) they are granted.

access point (AP)

A device that links wireless devices to a wired network

accounting

The process of tracking the usage of resources or rights by an authorized entity and generating alerts for any detected or attempted unauthorized utilization.

advanced encryption standard (AES)

A symmetric block cipher that uses 128-bit

advanced technology extended (ATX)

The main specification for the physical size and layout of PC cases

air-gapped

A security strategy where a computer or network is completely isolated by physical separation

algorithm

A series of mathematical operations

algorithms

The operations

american standard code for information interchange (ASCII)

A 7-bit code page that assigns numerical binary values to specific characters

antivirus software

A program designed to inspect network traffic and files to locate and prevent malicious code from infecting a computer system.

array

An identifier for a group of variables of the same type

artificial intelligence

The field focused on developing computer systems that can create analytical and problem-solving techniques with minimal guidance or explicit instruction from humans.

assembly language

A human-readable text representation of the binary machine instructions that a processor directly executes

attenuation

The loss or weakening of a signal as it travels along a transmission path

augmented reality (AR)

The use of specialized glasses or smartphone applications to overlay digital content onto a user's view of the real world

authentication

The procedure of confirming the identity of a specific user or entity by verifying their unique credentials.

authorization

The function of establishing what permissions and capabilities a particular entity is allowed to have or use.

availability

The security goal of ensuring that computing resources are continuously operational and that necessary information is accessible to those who are permitted to view it.

backdoors

A hidden access method or mechanism that allows someone to bypass or circumvent the regular identity verification process to gain entry to a computer system.

bandwidth

Commonly refers to the volume of data that can be moved over a connection in a specified time

basic input/output system (BIOS)

The legacy 32-bit firmware that runs when a PC starts up to initialize hardware

biometric authentication

A process of verifying a user's identity based on a scan of a physical characteristic (such as facial

bit

The most fundamental unit of digital information

blu-ray

The newest generation of optical disc technology

branching

A control flow statement in programming or scripting that uses a true/false condition to decide which block of code should be executed next.

buses

The communication pathways on the main system board that link the processor

byte

A group of eight fundamental units of digital data

cascading style sheets (CSS)

A simple language used to define the visual formatting of web documents

cathode ray tube (CRT)

A legacy display technology that uses an analog signal to illuminate three colored dots (triads) on a screen to form an image; the viewable area is typically less than the advertised diagonal screen size.

cd-rom

A form of pre-pressed read-only optical storage where a computer can retrieve data but cannot write or erase it.

cd-rw

Optical storage technology supporting up to 700 MB per disc

cellular radio

Technical standards for implementing wireless data access over mobile telecommunications networks

central processing unit (CPU)

The principal microprocessor in a PC or mobile device responsible for executing system firmware

central processing units (CPUs)

The main microprocessors in a PC or mobile device that execute all system firmware

certificate

A digital document issued by a trusted entity to guarantee that a public key used for securing communications genuinely belongs to the organization it claims to represent.

certificate authority (CA)

A server responsible for verifying identities and issuing signed digital wrappers for public keys to guarantee their authenticity and trustworthiness.

ciphertext

Data that has been scrambled using a cipher and key

client-server

A network administration model where some hosts are dedicated to providing services and others are configured as consuming devices that only use those services.

client-server architecture

A network model in which specific hosts are configured to offer services

coaxial cable

A media type characterized by two separate

comma-separated value (CSV)

A simple text file format that uses commas to separate data fields and new lines to denote rows

command line interface (CLI)

A text-based method for a user to interact with an operating system by typing and entering specific instructions.

compiler

A type of program that translates source code written in a high-level language into low-level instructions (like assembly or machine code) that a computer's processor can execute.

computing cycle

The fundamental sequence of actions a device follows to execute instructions

confidentiality

The essential security objective of keeping information and communications private and protected from viewing by unauthorized parties.

cookies

Small text files stored on a user's computer by a website to retain user-specific data or manage session information during their visit.

cybersecurity

The comprehensive practice of protecting computer systems and digital assets from unauthorized access

data at rest

Information that is primarily static

data in transit

Information that is currently being transmitted or moved across a network

database

A structured storage system that organizes electronic information into tables with defined relationships

database administrators (DBAs)

The IT professionals responsible for the configuration

defense in depth

A security approach that involves layering diverse categories of security controls throughout a system or network

defragmentation

A utility that reorganizes data on a mechanical storage device to ensure files are saved in contiguous blocks

digital subscriber line (DSL)

A carrier technology providing high-speed internet access to customers by transmitting data over standard voice-grade phone lines

digital visual interface (DVI)

An older standard for connecting displays that is capable of carrying a digital signal only

displayport

A digital audio and video connection standard developed by VESA

dotted decimal notation

The common format for expressing 32-bit network addresses (IPv4)

double data rate (DDR)

A family of main system memory standards (DDR3/DDR4/DDR5) where data is transferred on both the rising and falling edges of the clock signal

dual inline memory module (DIMM)

The standardized physical format for system memory components

dvd

Optical disc storage technology with a capacity of up to 4.7 GB per layer

dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP)

A network standard used to automatically assign necessary network configuration details

elasticity

The property by which a computing environment can automatically scale its resources up or down in response to fluctuating user demand and workload.

encrypted

Describes data that has been scrambled using a cipher and key

encryption

The process of scrambling information using various types of mathematical operations and one or more secret keys to provide a secure method for storing or sending data.

end user license agreement (EULA)

A contractual document that dictates the terms and conditions for the installation and operation of a piece of application software.

escape character

A special symbol used to tell a system to interpret the symbol that immediately follows it literally

extensible markup language (XML)

A system using descriptive tags to create documents that are easily read by both humans and machines

factors

The different categories of technology used to implement identity verification

fiber internet

A type of high-speed network connection that uses glass or plastic threads for data transmission between the customer's location and the service provider's network.

file transfer protocol (FTP)

An application-layer standard

firewall

A device or program

flash memory

A type of non-volatile computer chip storage that retains data when power is removed and can be quickly reprogrammed

flowchart

A visual diagram that uses standard symbols to illustrate the sequential steps

foreign key

A field in a structured data table that links to a unique identifying field (primary key) in another table

form factors

The physical size

function

A modular

general data protection regulation (GDPR)

A comprehensive set of rules and requirements established to protect the personal information of individuals residing in the European Union (EU).

geofencing

A security control that creates a virtual perimeter based on real-world geographical coordinates to enforce policy or trigger actions when a device enters or leaves the defined area.

global positioning system (GPS)

A satellite-based navigation system that allows a receiver to determine its precise location on Earth by calculating signals received from orbital devices.

graphical processing unit (GPU)

A microprocessor

graphical user interface (GUI)

A visual

hard disk drive (HDD)

A high-capacity magnetic storage device that uses rapidly spinning mechanical platters and movable heads to read and write data to specific locations.

hard disk drives

Mass storage devices that utilize rotating magnetic platters and read/write heads to persistently store information.

hard disk drives (HDDs)

Persistent storage devices that rely on spinning

hard drive

A common term for a magnetic storage device that stores data persistently using spinning disks and read/write heads.

health insurance portability and accountability act (HIPAA)

A United States federal law that dictates strict standards for the protection of an individual's sensitive medical data.

heatsink

A passive cooling component

hexadecimal

A base-16 numbering system

high definition multimedia interface (HDMI)

A digital cable standard designed to carry both audio and video signals

hot-swappable

Describes a hardware component that can be safely added to or removed from a computer system while the operating system is running

hypertext markup language (HTML)

A system of coded tags used to define the structure and elements of documents intended for viewing in web browsers.

hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)

The foundational application-layer set of rules

hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS)

The application-layer set of rules

hypervisor

Specialized software or firmware that creates and manages multiple isolated virtual machine instances on a single set of physical host hardware.

identity fraud

The act of inventing entirely false personal credentials or stealing and misusing an individual's private information

image

A complete

incremental backups

A data saving process that only copies files that have changed since the very last data preservation operation (either full or partial).

information technology (IT)

The comprehensive use of computer systems

infrastructure as a service (IaaS)

A cloud service model where the provider offers fundamental computing resources like virtual machines

input

The data