MySecureCyberspace: Internet basics

Active Content – Interactive Web content that can carry malicious code
Bandwidth – How fast information can be moved from one computer to another
Blogging – Publishing an online diary
Bluetooth – A way for portable devices to communicate with each other over short-distances
Bookmark – A browser feature that allows you to click to a Web site, rather than have you type the address.
Cache – Temporary data storage area on your computer
Chat Code – A system of symbols, acronyms, and abbreviations used online
Chat Room – Virtual locations on the Internet where two or more users can communicate with one another in real time
Client – A computing system that acts like a user by requesting services from another computer called a server
Communications Protocol – A set of rules or standards that allow two computers to "talk" to each other.
Confidentiality – Accessibility of computer information exclusively to those authorized to access it
Cookie – Information, usually in a file, about someone’s Internet activities, such as the date of the last visit to a Web site, preferences, etc.
Decryption – Conversion of a coded message to a readable form
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) – The protective hardware and software between an internal network (LAN) and the external network (Internet)
Digital Dirt – Traces left behind of your Internet activity that could reflect poorly on you
Digital Identity – A name and credentials created to participate in electronic transactions
Digital Rights Management – A system that restricts use of digital media to only the rightful owner
Digital Signature – A special file used to confirm the identity of the sender and integrity of an electronic document
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) – A method of digital data transmission over the telephone network
Digital Wallet – The electronic equivalent of a wallet for e-commerce transactions
Domain Name – A string of text that identifies one or more computers on the Internet
E-commerce – Buying items online and conducting business over the Internet
E-money – Activities such as online banking, online money transfers and online trading
Easter Egg – A hidden feature or functionality in software that usually activates only when certain keystrokes or commands are typed
Electronic Auctions – Auctions where the transaction takes place over the Internet
Email – A system for sending and receiving electronic messages over a computer network
Email Client – A software application that handles electronic mail
Ethernet – A communication protocol that provides rules for signaling and communication between two computers or devices on a local area network
Extensible Markup Language (XML) – A computer language that can be used across many different computer operating systems and environments.
File Sharing – Making files available for others to download, or downloading such files
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) – A common method for transferring files between two computers on a network
Firmware – Software that is embedded in hardware
Fisking – Criticism that highlights perceived errors or other problems in a statement, article, essay or blog entry
Flaming – Posting messages that are deliberately hostile and insulting
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) – A system for collecting, analyzing and managing spatially related data
HTTP – A communication protocol that defines how messages are sent across the World Wide Web
Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) – A computer language that is used for creating World Wide Web pages
IP Address – A number used to identify a computer or other device on the Internet
Instant Messaging (IM) – A communication service that allows you to chat online using text messages
Internet – The world’s biggest computer network, providing many services, including email, e-commerce and multimedia
Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) – Email protocol that allows you to access email via the Internet
Internet Privacy – The general freedom from compromise of your personal or other sensitive information while using the Internet
Internet Protocol (IP) – A set of rules used by the Internet for computer communication and addressing
Java – Popular programming language
JavaScript – Java-based scripting language for Web pages
Leetspeak – A way of communicating online in code by changing the spellings of words
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) – A phonebook-like method for accessing and compactly presenting information on users and resources available on a computer network
Local Area Network (LAN) – A group of computers within a small area, such as a house, office or school, that are connected to each other
MAC Address – A unique identifier for network interface cards
Mobile Browsing – Using a mobile phone to access the Internet
Mobile Device – Portable devices for communication and computation
Moblogging – An application that lets you read and write emails using a Web browser
Netiquette – A code of conduct followed on the Internet in order to be respectful and clearly understood (Internet + etiquette)
Network Address Translation – A method for hiding the internal structure of a network and allowing it to use a single public IP address
Online Dating – A web service for establishing friendships and romantic relationships
Online Identity – A social identity that network users establish in online communities
Password – A string of letters, numbers and/or symbols that grants access to something private
Pay Per Click – An arrangement whereby Web advertisers pay Web site owners for each click on an advertisement.
Photo Sharing – Sharing and distributing digital photos over the Internet
Plug-in – A software module that adds some specific service or function to a larger system
Pop-up Blocker – Software to suppress automatically displayed browser windows, called pop-ups, which are often used for advertisements
Port – An interface on a computer used to connect it to another device
Portable Document Format (PDF) – A format of electronic documents that permits viewing and accessing without the need to have the software that originally created it
Post Office Protocol (POP) – Email protocol that downloads email to your computer
Proxy Server – A server used to make an Internet connection from certain computers
RSS – A tool for incrementally or selectively downloading digital content from frequently updated sources, such as news sites
Radio-Frequency Identification – A means of uniquely identifying objects via radio-frequency communication
Remote Desktop (RD) – Technology that allows you to interact with a remote computer as if it were in front of you
Search Engine – Software that quickly finds information on the Web
Server – Computer system that provides shared resources over a network
Social Networking Sites – Sites that let you post a profile and create a network with other people
Streaming Media – Media that can be played while it is still being received
Team Dating – An online service facilitating social interactions among groups
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) – The set of rules for communication on which most major networks are based
Uniform Resource Locator (URL) – Address of a Web page or other Web resource
Virtual Private Network (VPN) – The set of rules for communication on which most major networks are based
Virtual Tourism – The activity of "visiting" sites of interest over the Internet without having to physically travel to them
VoIP – Technology that allows you to make telephone calls using the Internet
Web 2.0 – The second generation of the World Wide Web, characterized by social networking and a high degree of content created by users
Web Browser – Software that allows you to view Web pages
Web Page – The basic unit of information on the Web
Web Site – A group of Web pages with related content and a home page as a main point of entry
Web Traffic – Measurements of the frequency and time spent by Web site visitors on a site, which indicate the popularity and utility of the site
Webmail – An application that lets you read and write emails using a Web browser
WiFi – Wireless Fidelity, shorthand for various wireless networking technologies
Wiki – A type of Web site that allows users to easily add and edit content using any Web browser