ACRONYMS, FILE FORMATS, & COMMANDS STUDY DECK Flashcards
diskmgmt.msc
Disk Management
Console related to initializing, partitioning, and formatting disk drives.
dfrgui.exe
Defragment and Optimize Drives tool
Fragmentation occurs when a data file is not saved to contiguous sectors on an HDD and reduces performance. The defragmenter mitigates this and can also perform optimization operations for SSDs.
cleanmgr.exe
Disk Clean-up
Windows utility for removing temporary files to reclaim disk space.
tasksch.msc
Task Scheduler
Enables execution of an action (such as running a program or a script) automatically at a pre-set time or in response to some sort of trigger.
lusrmgr.msc
Local Users and Groups Manager
Console for creating and managing user and group accounts with the authentication and permissions scope of the local system.
certmgr.msc
Certificate Manager console
Console related to managing digital certificates for the current user and trusted root certification authority certificates.
gpedit.msc
Group Policy Editor
Console related to configuring detailed user and system registry settings via policies.
regedit.exe
Registry Editor
Tool for making direct edits to the registry database, such as adding or modifying keys or values. The Registry Editor can be used to make backups of the registry.
MMC
Microsoft Management Console
Utility allowing Windows administrative tools to be added as snap-ins to a single interface.
eventvwr.msc
Event Viewer
Windows console related to viewing and exporting events in the Windows logging file format.
msinfo32.exe
System Information
Utility that provides a report of the PC’s hardware and software configuration.
taskmgr.exe
Task Manager
Windows utility used to monitor and manage process execution, resource utilization, user sessions, startup settings, and service configuration.
services.msc
Services
Windows machines run services to provide functions; for example, Plug-and-Play, the print spooler, DHCP client, and so on. These services can be viewed, configured, and started/stopped via the Services console. You can also configure which services run at startup using msconfig. You can view background services (as well as applications) using the Processes tab in Task Manager.
resmon.exe
Resource Monitor
Console for live monitoring of resource utilization data for the CPU and GPU, system memory, disk/file system, and network.
perfmon.msc
Performance Monitor
Console for reporting and recording resource utilization via counter data for object instances.
Utility for configuring Windows startup settings.
msconfig.exe
Microsoft System Configuration Utility
cmd.exe
Basic shell interpreter for Windows.
rmdir
Command-line tool for deleting directories. The /s switch enables the deletion of non-empty directories.
md command
Command-line tool for creating directories.
Command-line tool for moving files.
move command
Command-line tool for copying files.
copy command
Command-line file copy utility recommended for use over the older xcopy.
robocopy command
Command-line directory and file copy utility offering improved functionality compared to the basic copy command.
xcopy command
Command-line utility used to configure disk partitions.
diskpart
Command-line utility for creating a file system on a partition.
format command
Command-line utility used to select the working drive.
X:
Command-line tool that verifies the integrity of a disk’s file system.
chkdsk
Command-line tool for shutting down or restarting the computer. The command is supported by Windows and Linux, though with different syntax.
shutdown command
Command-line utility that checks the integrity of system and device driver files.
System File Checker
sfc
Command-line tool for reporting Windows version information.
winver command
NTFS
New Technology File System
64-bit default file system for Windows, with file-by-file compression and RAID support as well as advanced file attribute management tools, encryption, and disk quotas.
APFS
Apple File System
Default file system for macOS-based computers and laptops.
EOL
End of Life
Product life-cycle phase where mainstream vendor support is no longer available.
RDP
Remote Desktop Protocol
Application protocol for operating remote connections to a host using a graphical interface. The protocol sends screen data from the remote host to the client and transfers mouse and keyboard input from the client to the remote host. It uses TCP port 3389.
HCL
Hardware Compatibility List
Before installing an OS, check that your PC parts are compatible. Incompatible parts may stop the installation or not work properly.
PXE
Preboot eXecution Environment
Feature of a network adapter that allows the computer to boot by contacting a suitably configured server over the network.
MBR
Master Boot Record
A sector on a storage device that stores information about partitions and the OS boot loader.
GPT
Globally Unique Identifier(GUID) Partition Table
Modern disk partitioning system allowing large numbers of partitions and very large partition sizes.
WinRE
Windows Recovery Environment
A Windows tool that adds a command shell to a recovery partition to fix boot problems.
BSoD
Blue Screen of Death
A Microsoft error screen (also called a stop error) that shows when the system can’t recover. It’s usually caused by faulty drivers or hardware issues (like memory or disk problems). Other systems have similar error signs, like Apple’s pinwheel or Linux’s kernel panic.
NIC
Network Interface Card
An adapter card with Ethernet port(s) that connects devices to a network to exchange data over a link.
IP
Internet Protocol
Network (Internet) layer protocol in the TCP/IP suite providing packet addressing and routing for all higher-level protocols in the suite.
DNS
Domain Name System
A service that connects domain names to IP addresses on most TCP/IP networks, including the Internet.
DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
Protocol used to automatically assign IP addressing information to hosts that have not been configured manually.
VPN
Virtual Private Network
Secure tunnel created between two endpoints connected via an unsecure transport network (typically the Internet).
WWAN
Wireless Wide Area Network
A large network that uses wireless technologies, like cellular radio data or line-of-sight microwave signals.
Command tool used to gather information about the IP configuration of a Windows host.
ipconfig command
Cross-platform command tool for testing IP packet transmission.
ping command
Diagnostic tools that track the path a packet takes to reach its destination on a remote network.
tracert is used on Windows
traceroute is used on Linux.
Windows utility for measuring latency and packet loss across an internetwork.
pathping command
Cross-platform command tool for querying DNS resource records.
nslookup command
ACL
Access Control List
A set of access control entries (ACEs) that specify which users, devices, or accounts can access an object and what permissions (such as read-only or read/write) they have.
A command tool that works on various platforms to display network information, such as active connections and the routing table, on a TCP/IP-enabled machine.
netstat command
UAC
User Account Control
Windows feature designed to mitigate abuse of administrative accounts by requiring explicit consent to use privileges.
SMS
Short Message Service
System for sending text messages between cell phones.
MFA
Multifactor Authentication
a security process that requires users to provide two or more forms of identification to access an account or system. These forms typically include something you know (like a password), something you have (like a phone or security token), or something you are (like a fingerprint). This adds an extra layer of protection beyond just a password.
TPM
Trusted Platform Module
A hardware component in computers that provides security by storing encryption keys, hashed passwords, and other user-platform sensitive data, helping protect against unauthorized access.
SSO
Single Sign-On
Authentication technology that allows users to access multiple applications with one set of credentials, eliminating the need to log in separately to each one.
AD
Active Directory
Network directory service for Microsoft Windows domain networks that facilitates authentication and authorization of user and computer accounts.
OU
Organizational Unit
An OU (Organizational Unit) is a container in Active Directory used to organize and manage groups of users, computers, and other resources within a network. It helps simplify administration by grouping related items together.
GPOs
Group Policy Objects
GPOs (Group Policy Objects) are settings in Active Directory that control the behavior and security of computers and users in a network. They allow administrators to apply rules and configurations across many devices and users at once.
Command-line tools to apply and analyze group policies. Group policies are a means of configuring registry settings.
gpupdate
MDM
Mobile Device Management
Processes and technologies for tracking, controlling, and securing the organization’s mobile infrastructure.
Linux command for showing the current directory
pwd command
Print Working Directory
Linux command for listing file system objects.
ls command
Linux command to view and combine (concatenate) files.
cat command
Command-line Linux tool used to search the file system.
find command
Linux command for searching and filtering input. This can be used as a file search tool when combined with ls.
grep command
Command-line tool for copying files in Linux.
cp command
Command-line tool for moving files in Linux.
mv command
rm command
Command-line tool for delete files or directories in Linux.
Command-line tools used to report storage usage in Linux.
df and du commands
Disk Free Disk Usage
Linux command used to switch to another user account, typically the root (administrator) account. It allows you to execute commands with the privileges of that user. When used without specifying a user, it defaults to the root account.
su command
substitute user
Linux command allowing a user to use the root account or execute commands restricted to privileged users.
sudo command
superUser Do
(Difference between su and sudo: su switches users entirely, while sudo grants temporary elevated privileges for specific tasks.)
One of the package management tools, a command available in Linux for installing and updating software.
apt-get
advanced package tool
Linux command for managing file permissions; used to change the permissions of a file or directory
chmod command
Linux command for managing the account owner for files and directories.
chown command
Package manager for installing, maintaining, inventorying, and removing software from the Red Hat family of Linux distributions.
yum
yellowdog updater, modified
Linux command for retrieving process information.
ps command
process status
Interactive Linux command for monitoring process information.
top command
table of processes
Deprecated Linux command (now commonly used in its place is the ip command) used to gather information about the IP configuration of the network adapter or to configure the network adapter.
ifconfig
interface configuration
Linux command tool used to gather information about the IP configuration of the network adapter or to configure the network adapter (Newer version of the ifconfig)
ip command
BYOD
Bring Your Own Device
Security framework and tools to facilitate use of personally-owned devices to access corporate networks and data.
DDoS
Distributed Denial of Service
An attack that uses multiple compromised hosts (a botnet) to overwhelm a service with request or response traffic.
DoS
Denial of Service
Any type of physical, application, or network attack that affects the availability of a managed resource.
XSS
Cross-Site Scripting
Malicious script hosted on the attacker’s site or coded in a link injected onto a trusted site designed to compromise clients browsing the trusted site, circumventing the browser’s security model of trusted zones.
WPA
Wi-Fi Protected Access
Standards for authenticating and encrypting access to Wi-Fi networks.
TKIP
Temporal Key Integrity Protocol
Mechanism used in the first version of WPA to improve the security of wireless encryption mechanisms, compared to the flawed WEP standard.
AES
Advanced Encryption Standard
Symmetric 128-, 192-, or 256-bit block cipher used for bulk encryption in modern security standards, such as WPA2, WPA3, and TLS.
Encryption protocol used for wireless LANs that addresses the vulnerabilities of the WEP protocol.
Counter Mode with Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code Protocol
CCMP
Personal authentication mechanism for Wi-Fi networks introduced with WPA3 to address vulnerabilities in the WPA-PSK method.
Simultaneous Authentication of Equals
SAE
PSK
Pre-Shared Key
Wireless network authentication mode where a passphrase-based mechanism is used to allow group authentication to a wireless network. The passphrase is used to derive an encryption key.
EAP
Extensible Authentication Protocol
Framework for negotiating authentication methods that enables systems to use hardware-based identifiers, such as fingerprint scanners or smart card readers, for authentication, and establish secure tunnels through which to submit credentials.
AAA
Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting
Security concept where a centralized platform verifies subject identification, ensures the subject is assigned relevant permissions, and then logs these actions to create an audit trail.
RADIUS
Remote Authentication Dial-in User Service
AAA protocol used to manage remote and wireless authentication infrastructures.
TACACS+
Terminal Access Controller Access Control System Plus
It is an AAA protocol that was developed by Cisco and used by numerous third-party implementations that is used in authenticating administrative access to routers and switches.
SSID
service set ID
Character string that identifies a particular wireless LAN (WLAN).
DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
It is a network protocol used to automatically assign IP addresses and other network configuration details (like gateway and DNS server information) to devices on a network.
UPnP
Universal Plug-and-Play
Protocol framework allowing network devices to autoconfigure services, such as allowing a games console to request appropriate settings from a firewall.
DMZ
Demilitarized Zone
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EFS
Encrypting File System
Microsoft’s file-level encryption feature available for use on NTFS.
C&C (C2)
Command and Control
PII
Personally Identifiable Information
Data that can be used to identify or contact an individual (or in the case of identity theft, to impersonate them).
RAT
Remote Access Trojan
Malware that creates a backdoor remote administration channel to allow a threat actor to access and control the infected host.
VNC
Virtual Network Computing
Remote access tool and protocol. VNC is the basis of macOS screen-sharing.
MSRA
Microsoft Remote Assistance
Windows remote-support feature allowing a user to invite a technical support professional to provide assistance over a network using chat. The user can also grant the support professional control over his or her desktop. Remote Assistance uses the same RDP protocol as Remote Desktop.
SSH
Secure Shell
Application protocol supporting secure tunneling and remote terminal emulation and file copy. SSH runs over TCP port 22.
UEM
Unified Endpoint Management
Enterprise software for controlling device settings, apps, and corporate data storage on all types of fixed, mobile, and IoT computing devices.
RMM
Remote monitoring and management
Category of support software designed for outsourced management of client networks by MSPs.
EDR
Endpoint Detection and Response
Software agent that collects system data and logs for analysis by a monitoring system to provide early detection of threats.
GFS
Grandfather-Father-Son
Media rotation scheme that labels tapes/devices used for backup jobs in generations, with the youngest generation having a shorter retention period than the oldest.
EULA
End-User License Agreement
Contract governing the installation and use of software.
DRM
Digital Rights Management
Copyright protection technologies for digital media. DRM solutions usually try to restrict the number of devices allowed for playback of a licensed digital file, such as a music track or ebook.
IRP
Incident Response Plan
Procedures and guidelines covering appropriate priorities, actions, and responsibilities in the event of security incidents, divided into preparation, detection/analysis, containment, eradication/recovery, and post-incident stages.
CSIRT
Computer Security Incident Response Team
Team with responsibility for incident response. The CSIRT must have expertise across a number of business domains (IT, HR, legal, and marketing, for instance).
SE
Secure Erase
Method of sanitizing a drive using the ATA command set.
ISE
Instant Secure Erase
*Media sanitization command built into HDDs and SSDs that are self-encrypting that works by erasing the encryption key, leaving remnants unrecoverable.**
.SH
Extension for a Linux shell script file format. The shebang in the first line of the script identifies the shell type (Bash, for instance).
PS command
PowerShell
Command shell and scripting language built on the .NET Framework that use cmdlets for Windows automation.
.PS1
Extension for the PowerShell script format.
VBScript
A command shell and scripting language built on the .NET Framework, which allows the administrator to automate and manage computing tasks.
.VBS
Extension for the Visual Basic Script file format.
.BAT
Extension for the batch file format that is used to execute a series of Windows CMD shell commands.
.JS
Extension for the JavaScript file format.
.PY
Extension for a script written in the Python programming language.
API
Application Programming Interface
Methods exposed by a script or program that allow other scripts or programs to use it. For example, an API enables software developers to access functions of the TCP/IP network stack under a particular operating system.
SOP
Standard Operating Procedure
Documentation of best practice and work instructions to use to perform a common administrative task.
KB
Knowledge Base
Searchable database of product FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), advice, and known troubleshooting issues. The Microsoft KB is found at support.microsoft.com.
AUP
Acceptable Use Policy
Policy that governs employees’ use of company equipment and Internet services. ISPs may also apply AUPs to their customers.
ESD
Electrostatic Discharge
Metal and plastic surfaces can allow a charge to build up. This can discharge if a potential difference is formed between the charged object and an oppositely charged conductive object. This electrical discharge can damage silicon chips and computer components if they are exposed to it.
UPS
Uninterruptible Power Supply
Battery-powered device that supplies AC power that an electronic device can use in the event of power failure.
MSDS
Material Safety Data Sheet
Information sheet accompanying hazardous products or substances that explains the proper procedures for handling and disposal.
SOHO
Small Office Home Office
The Windows Home edition is designed for domestic consumers and possibly small office home office (SOHO) business use
OEM
Original Equipment Manufacturer
HDD
Hard Disk Drive
SSD
Solid-State Drive
MBR
Master Boot Record
GPT
GUID [globally unique identifier] Partition Table
PBR
partition boot record
CPU
Central Processing Unit
POST
power on self-test
UEFI
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface.
rstrui.exe
System Restore tool
FQDN
Fully Qualified Domain Name
