AP Computer Science Vocab

Computing device

a machine that can run a program.

computing system

a group of connected computers that can send or receive data

computing network

a group of computers working together for a common purpose

path

a sequence of direct connects

Bandwidth

The maximum amount of data that can be sent in a fixed period of time over a network connection, typically measured in bits per second.

IP address

the protocol that determines how to address nodes on the network and how to route data from one node to a destination node (using routers)

DNS (Domain Name System)

A large database of unique IP addresses that correspond with domain names

Protocol

An agreed upon set of rules that specify the behavior of a system.

IPv4

the dominant protocol for routing traffic on the Internet, specifying "to" and "from" addresses using a dotted decimal

IPv6

provides a large number of new addresses to route Internet traffic, using "from" and "to" addresses written as colon-hexadecimal notation

router

A type of computer that forwards data across a network

redundancy

multiple paths between two locations on the Internet to get to the same place. So if one path is experiencing traffic or otherwise out of service, additional paths will be available. This makes internet more reliable and scalable

fault tolerance

it can function properly even in the event of one part failing.

packets

Small chunks of information that have been carefully formed from larger chunks of information.

UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

A lightweight data transport protocol with minimal error checking.

TCP (transmission control protocol)

A data transport protocol that includes mechanisms for reliably transmitting packets to a destination.

packet metadata

Data added to packets to help route the, through the network and reassemble the original message

WWW (World Wide Web)

A system of linked pages, media, and files, browsable over HTTP

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)

The protocol that powers the Web, used to request webpages from servers and submit form data to servers

ISP (internet service provider)

A company that provides customers access to the Internet.

Net Neutrality

the principle that all Internet traffic should be treated equally by Internet Service Providers.

Digital Divide

The idea that some communities or populations have less access to computing than others, typically due to limitations of Internet speed or computer hardware access

Internet Censorship

the control or suppression of what can be viewed, accessed, or published on the internet. It may be carried out by the government or by private organizations.

PII (Personally Identifiable Information)

Information about an individual that can be used to uniquely identify them (directly or indirectly)

phishing

An attack where a user is tricked into revealing private information, often via a deceptive email.

malware

software that is intended to damage or disable computers and computer systems.

keylogging

program used to infiltrate your computer to record information about all of your keyboard activities

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)

an attempt to make an online service, like a website, unavailable by overwhelming it with a flood of traffic from a team of hijacked computers.

Encryption

The process of scrambling data to prevent unauthorized access.

decryption

a process that reverses encryption, taking a secret message and reproducing the original plain text

Symmetric Key Encryption

A technique for encrypting data where the same key is used to both encrypt and decrypt data.

Public Key Encryption

An asymmetric encryption technique that uses different keys for encrypting versus decrypting data.

multifactor authentication

A method of user authentication which requires the user to present multiple pieces of evidence in multiple categories (such as knowledge and possession).