Tag: computer systems
What is a Firewall?
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 network, such as the network in your home or business…
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 network please read this other post first – What is…
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 username. Data refers to stuff that not human-readable, but still…
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 can understand. In computing, encoding is used to transform information…
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 data over transmission. Websites have to save your passwords somewhere,…
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, or been a victim too, phishing attempts. When someone on…
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 more tasks are run at the same time in parallel….
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 on each end called an RJ45. The RJ in RJ45…
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 route the packet through a network. When you send an…
The TCP/IP Model
TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol. It is basically a protocol or set of rules, that was developed by the Department of Defence (DoD) in 1974 about how to send data from computer to another computer across or within a network. When data is sent across the…