IT Terminologies – Photo by Farzad on Unsplash
Many business owners hire an IT department or outsource to a Managed Service Provider, assuming that’s all they need to do on the IT front. While your team of IT professionals will certainly take care of the brunt of your tech-centric needs, it’s still important that you understand what they’re doing and have a grasp of the terminology they use. So, from cyber resilience to sandboxing, here are seven of the most important IT terminologies for business owners to know.
1. Cyber resilience
Cyber resilience refers, in part, to your company’s ability to prevent data breaches and cyber-attacks. If the worst occurs, a cyber-resilient company should also be able to bounce back quickly and efficiently, with the least amount of harm accruing for the business, its clients, and its stakeholders. If you don’t have a cyber resilience framework and cyber recovery plan in place, it’s highly likely that your business doesn’t have the level of protection it needs to thrive in the modern world.
2. Gap analysis
If your IT team is running a gap analysis, it means they’re seeking out performance issues in your system that may be causing lags and preventing you from achieving optimal operational efficiency. By pinpointing these problems, your IT team will be able to develop an informed strategy to address them efficiently. This is, as you can probably imagine, a far better approach than going by guesswork.
3. API
An application programming interface, or API, is like a connection point that allows different software components to work together. These interfaces are foundational to your systems and any customer-facing apps, websites, or programs your business offers. APIs are also the ideal place to start with any automation efforts you’re considering, with RPA (Robotic Process Automation) being an excellent add-on for any processes that can’t be automated via API workflows.
4. Agile development methodology
This approach to software development demands that everything from production to the implementation of new software should be managed in a streamlined way that allows for seamless collaboration across teams. Agile development reduces the amount of disruption experienced by end-users, making it central to an effective IT strategy.
Photo by Bruce Mars on Unsplash
5. Virtualization
Virtualization will become increasingly important over the coming years as more and more activities are digitized. It refers to the conversion of IT assets that have traditionally been hardware-based to digital formats. This can be done with anything from your servers to your Operating System (OS), allowing for greater flexibility and a host of other benefits.
6. Endpoint security
Any devices used to access your system are considered endpoints. These computers, smartphones, tablets, and other devices are crucial for your daily operations, but they are also targets for hackers who can use them as entry points to your system. This is why endpoint security is crucial for business owners to understand.
Endpoint security is achieved through both a proactive and reactive approach. With technology advancing rapidly and remote work taking over as a popular paradigm, this form of security is more important than ever.
7. Sandboxing
If your IT team is “sandboxing,” they isolate a certain app or program to run diagnostics or experiments. The program in question will have access to every resource it needs to operate. However, it will be otherwise isolated from the rest of your system. Sandboxing is a great way to test out code without putting the greater IT ecosystem at risk.
These IT terminologies are an excellent place to start. However, there’s no need to end your IT education here. By keeping up-to-date with common industry terms, you can communicate more effectively with your IT team and better protect your business.
