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IT glossary

Clear explanations of technologies, platforms and approaches used in modern IT.

214 terms

AI Automation

Leveraging artificial intelligence to automate complex tasks and decision-making processes, increasing efficiency and reducing manual effort.

AI Automation for Productivity

Using artificial intelligence to automate tasks and workflows, improving efficiency and freeing up human resources for higher-value work.

Ansible

A Red Hat automation tool for configuration management, application deployment and IT process orchestration. Uses YAML playbooks and requires no agents on managed machines.

Anton Marrero

A Ukrainian IT expert who has been working in the country’s IT industry since the mid-1990s. Anton Marrero holds a профиль-related higher education degree, having graduated from the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and the International Institute of Management (MIM). After completing his studies, Anton co-founded the company Softline together with like-minded partners, where he actively developed his professional skills and participated in numerous IT projects. Currently, Mr. Marrero continues to realize his professional potential and leverages his extensive experience to contribute to the development of Intecracy Group as a member of its Supervisory Board. Anton Marrero is also actively involved in professional IT community events in Ukraine, where he shares his experience and knowledge with younger generations of professionals.

API

Application Programming Interface — a set of protocols and tools for integrating applications with each other. REST API, GraphQL and gRPC are the most common types. The foundation of modern microservices architecture.

API Security Management

Implementing measures to protect Application Programming Interfaces from unauthorized access and malicious attacks. It matters for securing data exchange between applications and preventing breaches.

ArgoCD

A continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes implementing the GitOps approach. Monitors repository state and automatically syncs cluster configuration with the Git description.

Auto-scaling

The ability of cloud systems to automatically adjust computing resources up or down based on demand, ensuring performance and optimizing costs.

Automation

The use of technology to perform tasks with minimal human intervention, streamlining operations and increasing efficiency across various business functions.

Azure Arc

A Microsoft service for managing hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructure from a single Azure portal. Allows applying Azure policies to servers, Kubernetes clusters and databases in any environment.

Azure Stack HCI

Microsoft's hyperconverged infrastructure allowing Azure services to run on local hardware. An ideal hybrid cloud solution with Azure Arc support.

BaaS

Backup as a Service — a cloud service that automatically stores copies of data and applications in secure cloud storage with recovery capabilities.

Backup and Disaster Recovery

Processes and technologies for creating copies of data and systems to restore them after an outage or disaster. This is crucial for minimizing data loss and resuming operations quickly.

Backup Solutions

Systems and strategies for creating and storing copies of data to protect against loss due to hardware failure, cyberattacks, or human error.

Backup Strategy

A plan for regularly copying and storing data to protect against loss due to hardware failure, cyberattacks, or natural disasters, crucial for business continuity.

Bare Metal Servers

Bare Metal Servers provide dedicated physical hardware for maximum performance and control, crucial for demanding enterprise workloads.

Business Continuity Planning

A strategic plan to ensure essential business functions can continue during and after a disaster or disruption. It focuses on maintaining operations and minimizing impact on customers and revenue.

CAPEX

Capital Expenditure — upfront spending on servers, network equipment and licenses. In the cloud model, CAPEX shifts to OPEX — subscription-based payment.

CI/CD

Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery — the practice of automated code building, testing and delivery. CI verifies changes after each commit, CD automatically deploys tested code to production.

CI/CD Pipelines

Automated workflows that enable continuous integration and continuous delivery of software, accelerating development cycles and improving code quality.

Cisco Meraki

Cisco's cloud-managed networking platform for managing Wi-Fi, switches, routers and cameras from a single dashboard. Ideal for distributed offices and retail.

Cloud architecture

Designing IT systems with cloud services in mind: selecting components, connections between them, security policies and scaling. Proper architecture is the foundation of reliable and cost-effective cloud infrastructure.

Cloud Cost Optimization

Strategies and practices to reduce cloud spending while maintaining performance and reliability.

Cloud Deployment Models

Different ways cloud services can be deployed, such as public, private, or hybrid clouds, each offering distinct characteristics for resources and management. Choosing the right model is key to aligning IT strategy with business goals.

Cloud Financial Management

Managing and optimizing cloud costs through visibility, accountability, and efficient resource utilization.

Cloud Governance

Policies and processes that ensure cloud environments are managed securely, compliantly, and cost-effectively. Effective governance is vital for controlling risk and optimizing cloud operations.

Cloud Infrastructure Management

Cloud Infrastructure Management oversees and optimizes cloud resources, ensuring performance, cost-efficiency, and security for cloud-based operations.

Cloud migration

The process of moving IT infrastructure, applications and data from on-premises servers to a cloud environment. Includes planning, compatibility assessment, actual transfer and optimization.

Cloud Migration

The process of moving digital assets, applications, and data from on-premises systems to cloud infrastructure, enabling modernization and cost efficiency.

Cloud Migration Strategy

A plan for moving applications, data, and IT infrastructure to a cloud environment to achieve specific business objectives.

Cloud Orchestration

Automating the management and coordination of cloud resources and services to streamline operations and ensure consistency.

Cloud Resource Optimization

Ensures cloud services are used efficiently, matching capacity to actual demand to reduce costs. This matters for controlling IT spend and maximizing the value of cloud investments.

Cloud Scalability

The ability of cloud systems to easily adjust computing resources up or down based on demand. It matters for maintaining performance during peak times and avoiding overspending during lulls.

Cloud Security Posture

The overall security status of an organization's cloud assets, assessed through continuous monitoring and management.

Cloud Security Standards

Established guidelines and best practices for securing data and applications hosted in cloud environments. They matter for protecting sensitive information and ensuring the integrity of cloud services.

Cloud Workstations

High-performance virtual desktops delivered from the cloud, offering scalable computing power and application access for demanding professional workloads.

Cloud-first Strategy

An approach where organizations prioritize cloud solutions for new IT initiatives and consider cloud options for existing systems, aiming for agility and innovation.

Cloud-native

A software development approach that fully leverages cloud computing: microservices, containers, CI/CD, autoscaling. Applications are designed for the cloud from day one.

Cloud-native Architecture

Cloud-native architectures are designed to run in cloud environments, enabling faster development and deployment of applications. This approach allows businesses to scale resources dynamically and leverage cloud services for greater agility and resilience.

Cloud-native Development

Designing and building applications specifically to run in cloud environments, leveraging services like containers and microservices. This approach enables faster development, scalability, and resilience.

Cloud-native SIEM

Security Information and Event Management systems built for cloud environments, offering advanced threat detection and response.

Compliance

IT system adherence to regulatory requirements and standards: GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS. Cloud providers offer compliance certifications, but responsibility is shared between provider and customer.

Conditional Access Policies

Security rules that grant or deny access to applications and resources based on specific conditions like user location or device health.

Container Orchestration

The automated management, deployment, and scaling of containerized applications, essential for running complex microservices architectures efficiently.

Containerization

A technology for isolating applications in containers — lightweight, portable environments containing code, dependencies and configuration. Ensures consistent application behavior across any environment.

Containerization

Packaging software and its dependencies into isolated units called containers, ensuring consistency across different environments and simplifying deployment.

Corporate Networking

The design, implementation, and management of an organization's internal network infrastructure, ensuring reliable connectivity and secure data flow.

Cost Optimization

Strategies and practices to reduce cloud spending without compromising performance or reliability, essential for managing IT budgets effectively.

Critical Infrastructure Security

Protecting essential services like power grids, water systems, and communication networks from threats. It matters for national security and the uninterrupted functioning of society.

CrowdStrike

An AI-powered cybersecurity platform for protecting endpoints, cloud workloads and identities. Falcon is their flagship EDR/XDR product.

Cyber Risk Management

Identifying, assessing, and mitigating threats to an organization's digital assets and data. It matters for preventing financial loss, reputational damage, and operational disruption.

Cybersecurity

The practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from digital attacks, essential for safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining operational integrity.

Data Backup Strategy

A plan for regularly copying and storing data to protect against loss due to hardware failure, cyberattacks, or human error.

Data Center Modernization

Data Center Modernization updates aging IT infrastructure to improve efficiency, scalability, and security, ensuring business continuity and competitiveness.

Data Governance

A framework for managing data assets, ensuring data quality, security, and compliance with regulations, crucial for reliable analytics and decision-making.

Data Integrity Validation

Processes that ensure data is accurate, complete, and has not been altered or corrupted. It matters for maintaining the trustworthiness of information used for decision-making and compliance.

Data Sovereignty

The concept that digital data is subject to the laws and governance of the country where it is collected or processed. It matters for meeting legal requirements and protecting sensitive information.

Database Migration

Database Migration moves data from one database system to another, essential for upgrading systems, adopting new technologies, or consolidating infrastructure.

Declarative Configuration

Declarative Configuration describes the desired end state of a system, allowing tools to determine the steps needed to achieve it, simplifying complex IT management.

Desktop as a Service

A cloud computing offering that hosts desktop operating systems and applications on a remote server. DaaS provides flexible, scalable, and accessible virtual desktops for employees, improving productivity and IT management.

DevOps

A culture and set of practices uniting development (Dev) and operations (Ops) to shorten the software release cycle. Includes CI/CD, IaC, monitoring and automation.

DevOps Practices

A set of principles and practices that combine software development and IT operations to shorten the development lifecycle and provide continuous delivery. DevOps improves collaboration, speed, and reliability of software releases.

Digital Records Management

Systematic control of digital records throughout their lifecycle, from creation to disposition. It matters for efficient retrieval, compliance, and risk reduction.

Digital Signature Integration

Incorporating technology to electronically sign documents, verifying authenticity and integrity. It matters for streamlining workflows, ensuring legal validity, and enhancing security in transactions.

Disaster Recovery

A plan and procedures for restoring IT systems after failures, disasters or cyberattacks. Defined by RPO and RTO metrics. Can be implemented via DRaaS in the cloud.

Disaster Recovery

A plan and set of procedures to restore critical IT functions after a disruptive event, ensuring business continuity and minimizing downtime.

Disaster Recovery as a Service

Outsourcing disaster recovery capabilities to a third-party provider, offering scalable and cost-effective business continuity.

Disaster Recovery Planning

Developing a strategy to restore IT operations and data after a disruptive event, minimizing downtime and business impact.

DLP

Data Loss Prevention — technologies and policies preventing confidential data leakage outside the organization. Controls file movement via email, cloud storage, USB devices, etc.

DNS

Domain Name System — converts domain names (google.com) into IP addresses. A critical network infrastructure component and attack vector (DNS spoofing, DNS tunneling).

Docker

A platform for building, deploying and running applications in containers. A Docker container includes code, dependencies and configuration, ensuring consistent operation on any server.

DRaaS

Disaster Recovery as a Service — a cloud service providing server and data replication to a backup datacenter with automatic failover during outages.

E-service Integration

Connecting digital services and platforms to provide seamless customer or user experiences. It matters for improving efficiency, accessibility, and user satisfaction.

Edge Computing

Processing data closer to its source rather than in a centralized cloud, reducing latency and improving real-time responsiveness for applications.

EDR

Endpoint Detection and Response — a technology for monitoring and responding to threats on endpoints (workstations, servers). Detects suspicious behavior and allows rapid isolation of compromised machines.

Electronic Archiving

The process of storing digital records in a secure, organized, and retrievable format for long-term preservation. It matters for compliance, legal discovery, and historical record-keeping.

Endpoint Detection and Response

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) monitors endpoints for threats and provides tools to investigate and remediate security incidents.

Enterprise Cloud Computing

The use of cloud computing services by large organizations to host applications, store data, and manage IT resources. It offers scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency for complex business needs.

Entra ID

Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) — a cloud identity and access service. Provides SSO, MFA, conditional access and identity management for Microsoft 365 and thousands of SaaS applications.

Extended Detection and Response

An integrated security approach that unifies detection and response across multiple security layers like endpoints, networks, and cloud. XDR provides broader visibility and faster, more effective threat containment.

FinOps

Financial management of cloud spending — a practice uniting IT, finance and business to optimize cloud costs. Includes monitoring, forecasting, rightsizing and governance.

FinOps

A financial management discipline for cloud computing that brings financial accountability to the variable spend model of the cloud, enabling teams to make data-driven spending decisions.

FinOps Cost Audit

Reviewing cloud spending to identify inefficiencies and ensure financial accountability for cloud resources.

FinOps Optimization

A financial management practice for cloud computing that brings financial accountability to variable cloud spending. FinOps aims to maximize the business value of cloud investments through cost transparency and optimization.

GDPR Compliance

Adhering to the General Data Protection Regulation, which governs data privacy and protection for individuals in the European Union. It matters for avoiding significant fines and maintaining trust with EU customers.

Generative AI

Artificial intelligence capable of creating new content, such as text, images, or code, offering new possibilities for innovation and automation in business.

Generative AI Integration

Incorporating AI models that can create new content, such as text or images, into business applications to enhance capabilities.

GitOps

An operational model where a Git repository is the single source of truth for infrastructure and configuration. Changes are made via pull requests and the system automatically syncs cluster state.

GitOps Workflow

A method for implementing continuous delivery and infrastructure as code using Git as the single source of truth for declarative infrastructure and applications. GitOps enhances reliability, speed, and auditability of deployments.

High Availability

The ability of a system to operate continuously with minimal downtime. Achieved through redundancy, load balancing and geographic distribution. Measured in "nines": 99.9%, 99.99%, etc.

High Availability

High Availability ensures that systems and applications remain operational and accessible with minimal downtime, critical for business continuity.

HPC

HPC, or High-Performance Computing, uses powerful systems to solve complex problems and perform large-scale computations, accelerating research and innovation.

Hybrid cloud

An IT architecture combining on-premises infrastructure with a public cloud. Data and workloads move between environments based on security, performance and cost requirements.

Hybrid Cloud

A computing environment combining on-premises infrastructure with public or private cloud services, offering flexibility and scalability for enterprise workloads.

Hybrid Cloud Architecture

Designing IT infrastructure that combines on-premises resources with public and private cloud services for flexibility and scalability.

Hybrid Cloud Workplace

Enabling employees to work effectively using resources hosted across both private and public cloud environments.

Hybrid Infrastructure Management

Managing and integrating IT resources across both on-premises and cloud environments. This ensures seamless operation and consistent policy enforcement across diverse IT landscapes.

Hyperconverged Infrastructure

Hyperconverged Infrastructure integrates compute, storage, and networking into a single system, simplifying management and scaling for businesses.

IaaS

Infrastructure as a Service — a cloud model where a provider supplies virtual servers, networks, and storage. Instead of buying physical hardware, you rent resources and pay for actual consumption.

IaC

Infrastructure as Code — managing IT infrastructure through code instead of manual configuration. Code is stored in Git, versioned, tested and automatically applied. Tools: Terraform, Ansible, Pulumi.

Identity and Access Management

Identity and Access Management (IAM) controls who can access what resources within an organization, ensuring security and compliance.

Identity Governance

Managing user access and permissions across IT systems to ensure only authorized individuals can access specific resources.

Identity Management

The process of ensuring that the right individuals have the appropriate access to technology resources, critical for security and compliance.

Immutable Backups

Backups that cannot be altered or deleted once created, providing robust protection against ransomware and accidental data modification.

Incident Response

A structured approach to managing the aftermath of a security breach or cyberattack, aiming to minimize damage and restore normal operations.

Infrastructure as Code

Managing and provisioning IT infrastructure through machine-readable definition files, enabling automation, version control, and consistency.

Infrastructure as Code (Terraform)

Infrastructure as Code (Terraform) uses code to define and provision IT infrastructure, enabling automation, consistency, and version control for operations.

Infrastructure Assessment

A review of an organization's IT infrastructure to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement, guiding strategic planning and modernization.

Infrastructure Management

The oversight and control of an organization's IT hardware, software, and network resources to ensure optimal performance, availability, and security.

Infrastructure Monitoring

The continuous observation of IT infrastructure components to ensure performance, availability, and identify potential issues before they impact operations.

Infrastructure Resilience

The capability of IT systems to withstand and recover from disruptions like hardware failures or cyberattacks. It matters for ensuring business continuity and minimizing downtime.

Intune

Microsoft Intune — a cloud platform for mobile device management (MDM) and mobile application management (MAM). Controls corporate and BYOD devices from a single console.

IT Infrastructure Audit

A systematic review of an organization's IT hardware, software, and network to ensure compliance, security, and efficiency.

Kubernetes

An open-source container orchestration system for automating deployment, scaling and management of containerized applications. The de facto standard for cloud-native infrastructure.

Kubernetes

An open-source system for automating deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications, crucial for modern, scalable software operations.

Kubernetes in Production

Kubernetes in Production refers to using the Kubernetes container orchestration system to manage and scale applications in a live business environment.

Lift-and-shift

A migration strategy where applications are moved to the cloud without code or architecture changes. The fastest migration method, but does not leverage cloud advantages optimally.

Load Balancer

A component that distributes network traffic across multiple servers to ensure high availability and performance. Can be hardware or cloud-based (Azure Load Balancer, AWS ALB).

Long-term Data Validation

Ensuring the accuracy and usability of data over extended periods, often for legal or historical purposes. It matters for maintaining compliance and the reliability of archived information.

Managed Cloud Services

Outsourced management of cloud infrastructure and applications, providing expertise in optimization, security, and operations for cloud environments.

Managed Endpoint Security

Outsourced management of security solutions for devices like laptops and servers, protecting against malware and unauthorized access. This ensures consistent and expert protection for all company endpoints.

Managed Kubernetes

A service that handles the setup, operation, and maintenance of Kubernetes clusters, simplifying containerized application deployment and management for enterprises.

Managed Services

Outsourcing management of part or all of IT infrastructure to an external provider. Includes monitoring, support, updates and 24/7 incident response.

Managed SOC

A Security Operations Center service provided by a third party, offering 24/7 monitoring, threat detection, and incident response for an organization's security posture.

MFA

Multi-Factor Authentication — requires two or more methods of identity verification: password + SMS code, biometrics, hardware key, etc. A critical element of Zero Trust.

Microsegmentation

Dividing a network into isolated security zones at individual workload level. Limits lateral movement of an attacker in case of a breach. A key element of Zero Trust.

Microsegmentation

A security technique that divides data centers and cloud environments into small, isolated security zones to limit lateral movement of threats, enhancing breach containment.

Microservices

An architectural style that structures an application as a collection of small, independent services, improving development speed and maintainability.

Microservices Architecture

Microservices Architecture structures an application as a collection of small, independent services, enabling agility and scalability for development.

Microsoft 365

Microsoft's cloud productivity suite: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive. Includes cloud security, device management and compliance tools.

Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft's AI assistant integrated into Microsoft 365, Windows, Edge and Azure. Uses large language models to automate routine tasks, generate text, analyze data and code.

Microsoft Defender

Microsoft's security product line: Defender for Endpoint (EDR), Defender for Cloud, Defender for Identity, Defender for Office 365. Provides comprehensive protection for cloud and hybrid infrastructure.

Microsoft Sentinel

A cloud-native SIEM system by Microsoft built on Azure. Collects logs from across the infrastructure, uses AI for threat detection and automates response via SOAR playbooks.

Mobile Device Management

Mobile Device Management secures and manages mobile devices used for business, ensuring data protection and compliance.

Monitoring

Continuous observation of IT system status: availability, performance, errors, resource usage. Tools: Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog, Azure Monitor. The foundation of proactive infrastructure management.

MPLS

Multiprotocol Label Switching — a traffic routing technology using pre-defined label-switched paths. Provides high speed and QoS but costs more than SD-WAN.

Multi-cloud

A strategy of using cloud services from two or more providers simultaneously (e.g. Azure + AWS). Helps avoid vendor lock-in, optimize costs and improve fault tolerance.

Multi-cloud Provisioning

Automating the setup of IT resources across multiple cloud environments, enabling consistent deployment and management.

Multi-cloud Strategy

A Multi-cloud Strategy utilizes services from multiple public cloud providers to optimize for cost, performance, and resilience.

Multi-factor Authentication

A security process requiring multiple forms of verification before granting access, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

Multicloud Orchestration

Automating and managing IT resources and services across multiple public and private cloud platforms. Multicloud orchestration simplifies complexity and optimizes resource utilization across different cloud providers.

Network Optimization

Techniques and tools used to improve network performance, reduce latency, and enhance bandwidth utilization for better application delivery and user experience.

Network Security Architecture

The design and implementation of security controls and policies across an organization's network infrastructure. A robust architecture is essential for protecting data and systems from unauthorized access and cyber threats.

NGFW

Next-Generation Firewall — with deep packet inspection, IPS, application control and cloud threat intelligence integration. Examples: Cisco Firepower, Palo Alto, Fortinet.

On-premises

Local IT infrastructure hosted on a company's own servers in a server room or datacenter. An alternative to cloud with full control but also full responsibility.

Operational Compliance

Ensuring that daily business activities and processes adhere to relevant laws, regulations, and internal policies. It matters for maintaining smooth operations, avoiding penalties, and building stakeholder trust.

OPEX

Operational Expenditure — ongoing costs for cloud services, subscriptions and support. Shifting from CAPEX to OPEX is one of the key advantages of the cloud model.

Oracle Database

Oracle Database is a robust relational database management system widely used by enterprises for critical data storage and management.

Orchestration

Automated coordination of multiple IT processes or containers to ensure smooth system operation. Kubernetes is the most widely used container orchestrator.

PaaS

Platform as a Service — a cloud platform providing an environment for developing, testing and deploying applications without managing the underlying infrastructure. Examples: Azure App Service, Google App Engine.

Penetration testing

A controlled simulated cyberattack on IT infrastructure to identify vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them. Can be external, internal or social engineering based.

Personal Data Protection

Safeguarding individuals' private information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. It matters for respecting privacy rights and complying with data protection laws.

Private cloud

A cloud environment dedicated to a single organization. Can be hosted in own datacenter or at a provider. Provides full data control and regulatory compliance.

Public cloud

Cloud infrastructure owned by a provider and offered to multiple customers over the internet. Resources are shared among users, reducing costs. Major providers: Azure, AWS, GCP.

Ransomware

Malicious software that encrypts victim data and demands a ransom for the decryption key. One of the biggest threats to business. Protection: backup, EDR, network segmentation, staff training.

Ransomware Protection

Ransomware Protection implements measures to prevent, detect, and recover from ransomware attacks, safeguarding business data and operations.

Recovery Time Objective

The maximum acceptable downtime for a business process or IT system after a disruption. Defining RTO helps prioritize recovery efforts and ensures business operations can resume within acceptable limits.

Regulatory Compliance

Adhering to all applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards relevant to an organization's operations. It matters for avoiding legal penalties, maintaining trust, and operating ethically.

Regulatory Policy Adaptation

Adjusting internal policies and procedures to meet evolving legal and industry regulations. It matters for ensuring ongoing compliance and avoiding operational disruptions.

Remote Work

The practice of employees working from locations outside a traditional office, supported by IT infrastructure and tools to maintain productivity and collaboration.

Remote Work Security

Implementing measures to protect company data and systems when employees access them from outside the traditional office network.

Reserved Instances

Commitment-based cloud purchasing options that offer significant discounts compared to on-demand pricing for predictable workloads, improving cost predictability.

Resource Rightsizing

Adjusting the capacity of cloud resources, like servers and databases, to match actual usage, reducing waste and cost.

Right-sizing

Adjusting computing resources to match the actual needs of applications, preventing over-provisioning and reducing unnecessary costs.

Rightsizing

The process of optimizing cloud resources — selecting the right type and size of VMs, storage and services to match actual workload. A key FinOps practice.

RPO

Recovery Point Objective — the maximum acceptable data loss in case of a disaster, expressed in time. RPO = 1 hour means the business can lose no more than one hour of data.

RTO

Recovery Time Objective — the maximum acceptable system downtime after a disaster. RTO = 4 hours means systems must be restored within four hours.

RTO & RPO Metrics

Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) define the maximum acceptable downtime and data loss for business continuity, guiding disaster recovery strategies.

SaaS

Software as a Service — a model for delivering software over the internet via subscription. Users access ready-made applications without installation. Examples: Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Google Workspace.

SASE

Secure Access Service Edge — a cloud model unifying network security (ZTNA, SWG, CASB, FWaaS) and SD-WAN into a single platform. Ensures secure resource access from any location.

SD-WAN

Software-Defined Wide Area Network — replaces or supplements MPLS. Intelligently routes traffic between branches across multiple links (internet, LTE, MPLS).

SD-WAN

Software-Defined Wide Area Networking optimizes network traffic routing and management across distributed locations, improving performance and reducing costs.

Security Automation (SOAR)

Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response tools that streamline security operations by automating repetitive tasks and coordinating responses.

Security Monitoring

The continuous observation of IT systems and networks for suspicious activity or security breaches. It matters for early detection of threats and timely response to incidents.

Serverless

A cloud computing model where the provider automatically manages server infrastructure. Developers write only function code, and the cloud scales and executes on demand. Examples: Azure Functions, AWS Lambda.

Serverless Computing

Serverless computing allows developers to build and run applications without managing servers, abstracting away infrastructure concerns. This reduces operational overhead and allows organizations to focus on code and pay only for actual execution time.

Service Level Agreement

A Service Level Agreement (SLA) defines the performance standards and responsibilities between a service provider and a customer, ensuring service quality.

Shared Responsibility Model

A cloud security framework outlining the security obligations of both the cloud provider and the customer, clarifying roles for maintaining a secure environment.

SIEM

Security Information and Event Management — a system for collecting, analyzing and correlating security logs from across the infrastructure in real time. Helps detect threats and incidents. Examples: Microsoft Sentinel, Splunk.

SIEM

Security Information and Event Management systems collect and analyze security logs from various sources to detect threats and manage security incidents.

SLA

Service Level Agreement — a contract between provider and customer defining guaranteed availability (e.g. 99.9%), incident response times and penalties.

SOC

Security Operations Center — a cybersecurity monitoring center that tracks threats 24/7, analyzes incidents and coordinates response. Can be internal or outsourced (SOC-as-a-Service).

SOC Automation

Automating repetitive tasks within a Security Operations Center (SOC) to improve efficiency and response times. This allows security analysts to focus on more complex threats and reduces human error.

Software-Defined WAN

A networking technology that uses software to manage and optimize Wide Area Network connections, improving performance and reducing costs. SD-WAN offers greater agility and control over network traffic.

Splunk

Cisco's data analytics and SIEM platform for monitoring, searching and visualizing machine data in real time. Widely used in SOC for security log analysis.

TCO

Total Cost of Ownership — the full cost of an IT solution including acquisition, implementation, maintenance, training and decommissioning. A key metric when choosing between on-premises and cloud.

TCO Analysis

TCO Analysis calculates the total cost of ownership for IT assets, helping businesses make informed decisions about investments and operational expenses.

Terraform

An Infrastructure as Code tool by HashiCorp for describing and automatically deploying cloud infrastructure via declarative configurations. Supports Azure, AWS, GCP and dozens of other providers.

Terraform

An open-source Infrastructure as Code tool that allows users to define and provision infrastructure across multiple cloud providers and on-premises environments.

Threat Detection

The process of identifying and alerting on malicious activities or security breaches within an IT environment, essential for proactive cybersecurity.

Threat Hunting

Proactively searching for cyber threats within an organization's network that may have evaded existing security defenses.

Threat Intelligence

Information about potential or current threats to an organization's IT infrastructure, used to inform security decisions. It helps proactively identify and mitigate risks before they cause damage.

Trend Micro

A global cybersecurity solutions provider: endpoint, server, cloud and email protection. Vision One is their XDR platform with AI analytics.

Unified Endpoint Management

Unified Endpoint Management centralizes the management of diverse devices like PCs, laptops, and mobile phones, streamlining IT administration and security.

VDI

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure provides users with virtualized desktop environments hosted on a central server, enabling secure and flexible access to applications and data from any device.

Veeam

A backup and recovery platform for virtual, physical and cloud environments. A leader in backup for VMware, Hyper-V, AWS, Azure and Microsoft 365.

Vendor Lock-in

A situation where an organization becomes dependent on a specific vendor's products or services, making it difficult and costly to switch to alternatives.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

Hosting desktop operating systems on a central server, allowing users to access their desktops remotely from any device.

Virtualization

Virtualization creates multiple virtual machines on a single physical server, improving resource utilization and flexibility for enterprise operations.

Virtualization Platforms

Software that creates and manages virtual machines (VMs) and other virtualized resources on physical hardware. Virtualization enables efficient resource utilization, flexibility, and easier management of IT infrastructure.

VMware vSphere

Broadcom's (formerly VMware) leading virtualization platform for creating and managing virtual machines. Includes ESXi hypervisor and vCenter Server for centralized management.

VPN

Virtual Private Network — an encrypted tunnel between a device and the corporate network over the public internet. Provides secure remote access but is gradually being replaced by ZTNA within Zero Trust.

VPN & SD-WAN Integration

Combines VPN security with SD-WAN flexibility for optimized and secure network traffic routing across distributed locations. This integration ensures reliable connectivity and performance for enterprise applications.

WAF

Web Application Firewall — filters HTTP traffic and protects against SQL injection, XSS, application-level DDoS attacks. Deployed in front of the web server.

Workflow Automation

Using technology to automate sequences of tasks or actions within a business process. Workflow automation increases efficiency, reduces errors, and frees up employee time for more strategic work.

XDR

Extended Detection and Response — advanced threat detection combining data from endpoints, networks, cloud and email into a single platform for correlation and automated response.

Zero Trust

A security model where no user or device is trusted by default, even inside the corporate network. Every request is verified and authorized independently.

Zero Trust

A security framework that requires strict identity verification for every person and device trying to access resources on a private network, regardless of location, to minimize breach impact.

Zero Trust Access

Zero Trust Access verifies every access request regardless of origin, enhancing security by assuming no user or device is inherently trustworthy.

Zero Trust Architecture

Zero Trust Architecture is a security model that requires strict identity verification for every person and device trying to access resources, minimizing breach impact.

Zero Trust Implementation

Zero Trust Implementation is the process of applying the zero trust security model across an organization's IT environment, enhancing overall security posture.

Zero Trust Security

A security framework that requires strict identity verification for every person and device trying to access resources on a private network, regardless of location. Zero Trust minimizes the attack surface and prevents unauthorized access.

Zero-Touch Provisioning

Automated device configuration and deployment without manual intervention, enabling rapid scaling of IT infrastructure. ZTP simplifies network and device setup, reducing deployment time and costs.

ZTNA

Zero Trust Network Access — a secure remote access approach replacing VPN. Grants access only to specific applications after verifying identity and device posture, not the entire network.