Basic Computer Terms

Question 1

Application (Apps)

Answer 1

A type of software that allows a user to perform specific tasks and activities.

Example: Web browsers, picture viewers, and games are all applications

Question 2

Utilities

Answer 2

Applications designed to help analyze, configure, optimize, or maintain a computer. Unlike application software (which focuses on benefiting the user), utilities are used to support the computer.

Example: An application that allows you to customize how the buttons work on your mouse.

Question 3

Operating System (OS)

Answer 3

Software that manages the computer hardware and software. It’s a system that sits between the applications and hardware. Microsoft Windows is an example of an operating system.

Question 4

Platform

Answer 4

The environment in which a piece of software is executed. It may be the hardware, operating system, a web browser, or other underlying software. For example, Microsoft Windows is a platform for Microsoft Word.

Question 5

Feature

Answer 5

A distinctive characteristic of software or hardware. For example, facial recognition is a feature of the iPhone X.

Question 6

Plugin

Answer 6

A component that adds a specific feature to software. Also referred to as an extension. For example, you can add a plugin to your web browser that allows you to change the theme colors.

Question 7

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Answer 7

Software licensed on a subscription basis. The software is stored centrally on a server. It’s sometimes referred to as “on-demand software.” Google Apps are SaaS.

Question 8

API (Application Program Interface)

Answer 8

A set of clearly defined methods of communication between software.

Question 9

Console

Answer 9

A user interface that manages and controls software and/or hardware. KnowBe4 customers access our products through a console (shown below).

Question 10

Dashboard

Answer 10

At-a-glance views of key info, relevant to a particular goal or business objective. They’re often displayed as charts and/or other graphical images on a web page.

Example: KnowBe4 uses dashboards to display sales data on monitors placed around the company.

Question 11

Server

Answer 11

A computer or program that manages access to centralized resources. For example, a file server would store and manage all the user files for a group of computers and users.

Question 12

Domain

Answer 12

Short for “domain name,” a unique name that identifies a website. The domain name for KnowBe4’s website is “knowBe4.com”

Question 13

Directory

Answer 13

1. Like physical folders, a directory organizes files or data on a hard drive or in a program. Directories can contain other directories, which are then called sub-directories.
2. Software that stores all resources on a network. Example resources are: users, groups, permissions, devices, and management policies. A directory is also referred to as a directory service.

Example: When a directory is given a username, it will return the profile of the user, which may include permissions for data access, as well as employee information.

Question 14

AD (Active Directory)

Answer 14

A directory service (definition 2 above), developed by Microsoft for use on Windows operating systems.

If you were in charge of all the users and computers on a network that are using a Windows server, you would use Active Directory to set up the users, their passwords and what devices they could access.

Question 15

SCIM (System for Cross-domain Identity Management)

Answer 15

An integration service for user provisioning. SCIM integration allows one to import their users and groups from their identity provider into their KnowBe4 Console.

Question 16

Protocol

Answer 16

A specific set of communication rules between computers.

Example: A web browser accessing a website will have a different protocol than an email server talking to an email application.

Question 17

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

Answer 17

One of the protocols used to transfer information (like a webpage) over the Internet.

Note: Web browsers show HTTP in lower case

Question 18

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS)

Answer 18

The same as HTTP but secure. This protocol secures the data by changing it to special code that requires special translation.

If you were inputting credit card data on a website, you would want that data to transmit securely, using HTTPS.

Question 19

White Paper

Answer 19

A report that describes how a technology or product solves a problem. It’s a marketing and technical document that doesn’t go too far in either direction.

Example: An organization creates a new solution for poor cell phone reception. That organization would release a white paper to advertise the technology’s effectiveness, and to describe how it works.

Question 20

White List

Answer 20

A list of trusted email addresses, domains and/or internet addresses that are permitted to pass through a system or filter.

Use: During a sales call with a prospect, it’s often necessary to have the prospect add the rep’s email address to their whitelist, so the spam filter doesn’t block the test email.