A firewall is a network security system that is used to monitor and filter incoming and outgoing network traffic on a network or host basis. Firewalls are usually used to create a barrier between a trusted network and an untrusted … Click to read more
Category: Computer Systems
The Difference Between a LAN and a WAN
The difference between a Local Area Network (LAN) and a Wide Area Network (WAN) is the expanse and physical size of the network. If you’re unsure what a computer network is or need a refresher on what makes a computer … Click to read more
Client-Side vs. Server-Side Programming
Client-side code runs on a client’s computer whereas server-side code runs on a web server before a webpage is sent to the client. A user first requests a webpage from a server, the server may then run some operations or … Click to read more
Data vs. Information
Data and information are often confused or used interchangeably when in fact they have two different meanings. Information refers to stuff that is readable and understandable by a human, it is human-readable. Such as a plain text password or a … Click to read more
What is Encoding?
Encoding is the process of transforming the format of information into a different format required for consumption by a different program or service. This can be compared to translating natural languages, like English or French, so that the other person … Click to read more
What is Encryption?
Encryption is the process of securing information and translating it into unreadable data. Encryption is a two-way process, which means anything that is encrypted can be decrypted too. It is often used to secure users’ passwords or to secure sensitive … Click to read more
What is Phishing?
Phishing is a malicious attempt of getting someone’s private login details to a service or application. A phishing attack will be comprised of three parts, the initial entrance, the malicious mock website, and the saved details. You have probably seen, … Click to read more
Concurrency vs. Parallelism
Concurrency and parallelism are two distinct words with distinct meanings that are often misused or confused. They both refer to the execution of multiple tasks and how multi-tasking is handled by the computer.
Parallelism is true multi-tasking, where two or … Click to read more
Ethernet Cables Explained
Ethernet cables are used within networking to connect computers to devices or other computers. Ethernet cables can be found plugged into routers, or into a client computer to supply network and internet access. They have a small plastic connector clip … Click to read more
What is a Network Packet?
A network packet is a formatted unit of data that is sent through a packet-switched network. A packet will contain the data that is sent through the network as well as information about that data and other metadata to help … Click to read more