2FA (Two-Factor Authentication)

A way of adding an extra layer of security when logging into an account. As well as your password, you’re asked to prove it’s really you — usually by entering a code sent to your phone or generated by an app. Even if someone gets hold of your password, they still can’t get in without that second step.

AI (Artificial Intelligence)

Software that can perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence — things like writing, summarising, answering questions, and recognising images. AI tools like Microsoft Copilot and Claude are now built into many of the apps you use every day.

API (Application Programming Interface)

The behind-the-scenes connection that lets two pieces of software talk to each other. When you connect your email marketing tool to your website sign-up form, an API is doing the work. You don’t need to understand how it works — just know that when someone mentions an API, they mean two systems sharing information automatically.

Automation

Getting software to do a repetitive task for you, without you having to do it manually each time. Sending a welcome email when someone signs up to your list is automation. Setting up the rule once and letting it run is the whole point.

AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)

The practice of making your content easy for AI tools to find and use as an answer. As more people search using AI assistants rather than traditional search engines, AEO is becoming increasingly important. Where SEO helps you rank in Google, AEO helps your content get picked up as the answer when someone asks an AI a question. You may also see this referred to as GEO — the terms are often used interchangeably as the field is still evolving.

B2B (Business to Business)

A business that sells to other businesses rather than directly to consumers. If your customers are companies or professionals rather than members of the public, you’re operating in the B2B space.

B2C (Business to Consumer)

A business that sells directly to individual customers rather than to other businesses. Most retail and e-commerce is B2C. Many small businesses operate in both B2B and B2C simultaneously.

Bandwidth

The amount of data that can be transferred over your internet connection at once. Think of it like a pipe — the wider the pipe, the more water (data) can flow through at the same time. Low bandwidth means slower speeds, buffering videos, and struggling on video calls.

Browser vs Search Engine

A browser is the programme you use to access the internet — Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari. A search engine is the tool you use to find things once you’re there — Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo. You use a browser to get to a search engine. They are not the same thing, though it’s one of the most common points of confusion in tech.

Bad Actor

Another term for a Threat Actor — someone who deliberately tries to cause harm online, whether through hacking, scamming, or data theft. You’ll see this term used a lot in cybersecurity and tech news. It’s not the most elegant phrase, but it’s become the standard shorthand for anyone with malicious intent online.

Backup

A copy of your files stored separately from the originals, so you can recover them if something goes wrong — your device is lost, stolen, or infected with malware. Best practice is the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of your data, on two different types of storage, with one stored offsite or in the cloud.

Big Data

Extremely large sets of data that are too complex for traditional software to process. Used by large organisations to spot patterns, trends, and insights. As a small business owner you’re unlikely to work with big data directly, but the tools and platforms you use — like Google Analytics or your email marketing software — use big data principles behind the scenes.

Bluetooth

A short-range wireless technology that connects devices to each other without cables. Used to connect headphones to your phone, a keyboard to your laptop, or a speaker to your tablet. Only works over short distances — usually around 10 metres.

CMS – Content Management System

Software used to create and manage digital software, often websites.

CPD – Continuing Professional Development

The term used to describe the learning activities professionals engage in to develop and enhance their abilities. It enables learning to become conscious and proactive, rather than passive and reactive.

Cloud / Cloud Storage

Storing your files on the internet rather than on your computer or a physical drive. Services like OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox are all cloud storage. It means you can access your files from any device, anywhere.

Copilot

Microsoft’s AI assistant, built into Microsoft 365. It can help you draft emails, summarise documents, generate content in Word, analyse data in Excel, and more. Available as part of certain Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

Cache

A temporary store of data saved by your browser or device to make things load faster next time. Your browser saves parts of websites you’ve visited so it doesn’t have to download everything again. If a website looks odd or isn’t updating, clearing your cache often fixes it.

Chatbot/Bot

A piece of software designed to have a conversation with you — usually to answer questions or help you find information. Older chatbots followed rigid scripts. Modern AI-powered chatbots like Claude and ChatGPT can hold much more natural, flexible conversations.

ChatGPT

An AI chatbot made by OpenAI. You type a question or instruction and it generates a response — text, ideas, summaries, code, and more. One of the most well-known AI tools and the one that brought AI assistants into mainstream conversation in 2022. Similar tools include Claude (made by Anthropic) and Microsoft Copilot.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

Software used to manage your relationships with customers and potential customers. It stores contact details, tracks conversations, and helps you follow up at the right time. Examples include HubSpot and Salesforce. Some email marketing tools like ActiveCampaign also have CRM features built in.

CTA (Call to Action)

The bit that tells someone what to do next — “Buy Now”, “Sign Up”, “Find Out More”, “Read the Blog.” Every piece of content or marketing should have one. A good CTA is clear, specific, and tells the reader exactly what will happen when they click.

CPC (Cost Per Click)

A way of paying for online advertising where you only pay when someone actually clicks your ad. Common on Google Ads and social media platforms. Useful for tracking how much each visitor to your website is costing you from paid advertising.

CPM (Cost Per Mille)

A way of measuring or paying for online advertising based on every thousand impressions — times your ad is shown, whether clicked or not. Mille is Latin for thousand. Used more for brand awareness campaigns where you want as many people as possible to see your content.

CX (Customer Experience)

The overall impression a customer has of your business across every interaction — from finding you online to buying from you to getting support afterwards. Good CX means every touchpoint feels easy, consistent, and positive. Often confused with UX, which is specifically about digital products.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

Software used to manage your relationships with customers and potential customers. It stores contact details, tracks conversations, and helps you follow up at the right time. Examples include HubSpot and Salesforce. Some email marketing tools like ActiveCampaign also have CRM features built in.

DMS – Document Management System

Document management, often referred to as Document Management Systems (DMS), is the use of a computer system and software to store, manage and track electronic documents and electronic images of paper-based information captured through the use of a document scanner. Popular with Legal firms.

Domain

A set of websites on the internet that end with the same letters. Popular domains include .com, .co.uk

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service)

A type of cyberattack where a website or online service is deliberately flooded with so much traffic that it crashes and becomes unavailable. Usually carried out by criminals using networks of compromised computers. Less likely to affect small businesses directly but worth knowing the term.

Device

Any piece of hardware used to access the internet, run software, or carry out digital tasks. This includes laptops, desktop computers, smartphones, tablets, and smart speakers. You’ll often hear “device” used as a general term when the advice or instruction applies regardless of which type of technology you’re using.

Desktop

A computer designed to stay in one place, usually consisting of a separate tower or unit, monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Desktops tend to be more powerful than laptops for the same price, but aren’t portable. See also: Laptop.

Digital Phone / VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)

A phone system that makes calls over the internet rather than a traditional phone line. Many businesses are switching to digital phones as the UK rolls out its full fibre broadband network and traditional landlines are phased out by 2027. You may also see this referred to as VoIP. The quality is generally excellent but relies on a stable internet connection.

Data Breach

When private or sensitive information is accessed, stolen, or exposed without authorisation. This could be customer data, passwords, financial information, or personal details. Data breaches can happen to businesses of any size and must be reported to the ICO within 72 hours if personal data is involved.

Deep Fake

A video, image, or audio clip that has been manipulated using AI to make it look or sound like someone said or did something they didn’t. Increasingly convincing and increasingly common. If a video of a public figure seems shocking or out of character, it’s worth questioning whether it’s real before sharing it.

Digital Marketing

Promoting your business, products, or services using digital channels — websites, social media, email, search engines, and online advertising. Covers everything from posting on LinkedIn to running Google Ads to sending a newsletter. The opposite of traditional marketing like print ads, flyers, or TV commercials.

Evergreen Content

Content that stays relevant and useful over time — not tied to a specific news event or trend. A blog post explaining what OneDrive is, for example, will still be useful in two years. Evergreen content is worth investing in because it keeps working for you long after you’ve published it.

E-commerce

Buying and selling products or services online. If you have an online shop, you’re doing e-commerce. Platforms like WooCommerce, Shopify, and Etsy are all e-commerce tools. Short for Electronic Commerce.

Encryption

The process of scrambling data so that only authorised people can read it. When you send a message on WhatsApp or enter your card details on a website, encryption keeps that information secure in transit. Look for HTTPS in a website address — that’s a sign the connection is encrypted.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

A way of transferring files between computers over the internet. You’re most likely to come across it if you’re uploading files to a website — some website hosts use FTP to let you access your site’s files directly. Most people now use easier tools that handle this in the background without you needing to know about it.

Firewall

A security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on set rules. Think of it as a security guard for your internet connection, blocking suspicious traffic before it reaches your device. Most operating systems have a built-in firewall — make sure yours is switched on.

Freelancer vs Contractor

Often used interchangeably but there are differences. A freelancer typically works with multiple clients at once, on a project basis, setting their own hours. A contractor usually works with one client at a time, often on longer engagements, sometimes through a limited company. Both are self-employed rather than employed. The tax and legal implications differ, so worth understanding if you’re hiring or working as one.

GDPR – Generalised Data Protection Regulation

The General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 is a regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy in the European Union and the European Economic Area. It also addresses the transfer of personal data outside the EU and EEA areas.

GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)

Similar to AEO — it’s about making your content visible and usable by AI-powered search tools that generate answers rather than just listing links. Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot are generative engines. GEO is the emerging practice of optimising for these rather than traditional search. You may also see this referred to as AEO — both terms are being used to describe the same shift in how people search and find information online.

Generative AI

A type of artificial intelligence that creates new content — text, images, audio, or video — based on what it has been trained on. When you ask an AI tool to write an email or generate an image, that’s generative AI at work. ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot are all examples.

GUI (Graphical User Interface)

The visual, clickable interface you use to interact with software — buttons, menus, icons, windows. Before GUIs existed, everything was done by typing text commands. Pronounced “gooey.” Basically everything you use on a computer today has a GUI.

HTML – HyperText Markup Language

All of the pages on the internet have code in the background, explaining how the web browser should display the content on the screen. As a number of languages exist, each page’s code needed to explain which one was being used, so that it can be read properly.

The current evolution is HTML5

HTTP – HyperText Transfer Protocol

Telling other computers which language is being used to communicate with other internet sites. In the beginning of the internet, there was more than one language for sharing information, so all pages needed to announce the one being used.

Today, HTTP is the standard around the world.

IT – Information Technology

Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to store, retrieve, transmit, and manipulate data or information. IT is typically used within the context of business operations as opposed to personal or entertainment technologies.

ICT – Information and Communications Technology

Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extensional term for information technology (IT) that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals) and computers, as well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage and audio/visual, that enable users to access, store, transmit, and manipulate information.

Examples include: Skype for Business, MS Teams, Slack

Internet

A global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using standardized communication protocols.

This includes: Email, WWW, Transfer Protocols.

ICDL – International Computer Driving License

Previously called ECDL, ICDL is recognised by employers across the globe as the benchmark in digital and IT user skills. Focusing on the skills, rather than the specific program, for the identified 7 key areas.

IoT (Internet of Things)

Everyday physical devices connected to the internet — smart speakers, thermostats, security cameras, even some fridges. They collect and share data, and can often be controlled remotely via an app. As more devices become “smart,” IoT becomes increasingly relevant for home and business security.

ISP (Internet Service Provider)

The company that provides your internet connection. In the UK, the biggest providers include BT, Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, EE, Vodafone, and Plusnet. When your internet goes down, your ISP is who you call. You may also come across smaller regional providers depending on where you live.

iOS

The operating system that runs on iPhones and iPads. Made by Apple. When your iPhone asks you to update your software, it’s updating iOS. The equivalent for Apple computers is macOS. See also: Android, macOS, Operating System.

iPad

A tablet computer made by Apple, running iOS. Designed for browsing, reading, watching content, and lighter work tasks. Larger than an iPhone but more portable than a laptop. See also: Tablet, Apple, iOS.

iPhone

A smartphone made by Apple, running iOS. One of the two dominant smartphone types alongside Android devices. See also: Smartphone, Apple, iOS, Android.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator)

A measurable value that shows how well something is working. In business, KPIs might include website visitors, email open rates, or monthly revenue. They help you track progress toward a goal rather than just guessing whether things are going well.

LMS – Learning Management System

A learning management system is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, automation and delivery of educational courses, training programs, or learning and development programs. 

LLM (Large Language Model)

The technology behind AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT. It’s a type of AI trained on huge amounts of text, which allows it to understand and generate human-like writing. When people talk about AI chatbots, an LLM is usually what’s powering them.

Laptop

A portable computer with a built-in screen, keyboard, and trackpad, powered by a battery. Designed to be used anywhere. Less powerful than a desktop for the same price, but far more practical for working on the go. See also: Desktop.

MMS – Multi Media Service

It is the media version of an SMS message, for messages that includes images, videos, or audio via a traditional mobile network. This was a common way of sending pictures, also known as Picture Messages, to friends and colleagues before mobile applications began using mobile Internet networks to send larger files.

MOOC – Massive Open Online Course

An online course aimed at unlimited participation and open access via the Web.

MOS – Microsoft Office Specialist

End-user certification on Microsoft Products – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Access. Once passed, allows you to prove your skills in the specific application and version. Administered by www.certiport.com.

MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)

The same idea as 2FA but potentially using more than two steps to verify your identity. In practice, most people use the terms interchangeably. MFA is the broader term — 2FA is a specific type of MFA. You’ll often see MFA used in business and IT settings.

Malware

Short for malicious software. Any software designed to damage, disrupt, or gain unauthorised access to your computer or data. Viruses, ransomware, and spyware are all types of malware. Good antivirus software and careful clicking habits are your best defence.

MVP (Minimum Viable Product)

The simplest version of a product that still works well enough to launch and get feedback from real users. Rather than spending months building something perfect, you build the core version first, see how people respond, and improve from there. Popular in tech startups but increasingly used in digital product businesses too.

macOS

The operating system that runs on Apple Mac computers — MacBook laptops and iMac desktops. The equivalent of Windows for Apple computers. If you use a Mac, you’re using macOS. See also: Windows, Apple, Operating System.

Microsoft

A US technology company best known for creating Windows and Microsoft 365 — the suite of apps that includes Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and more. One of the two dominant forces in personal and business computing alongside Apple. See also: Windows, Apple, Microsoft 365.

Mobile

A general term for a smartphone — a handheld device that can make calls, connect to the internet, run apps, and much more. Often used interchangeably with smartphone. See also: Smartphone, Android, iPhone.

Machine Learning

A type of AI where software learns from data and improves over time without being explicitly programmed for every scenario. The more data it processes, the better it gets. Spotify learning your music taste and Netflix recommending what to watch next are both examples of machine learning in everyday use.

Network

A group of connected devices that can communicate and share resources with each other. Your home Wi-Fi creates a network — your laptop, phone, printer, and smart TV are all on it. In a business, a network might connect dozens of computers, printers, and servers. The internet is essentially the world’s largest network.

OCR (Optical Character Recognition)

Technology that reads text from images or scanned documents and converts it into editable text. If you’ve ever photographed a receipt and had an app pull out the numbers, that’s OCR. Also used to make scanned PDFs searchable.

Operating System (OS)

The core software that runs your device and manages everything on it. Without an operating system, your device wouldn’t work. Windows and macOS run on computers. iOS and Android run on phones and tablets. Everything else — your apps, your files, your settings — runs on top of the operating system. See also: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.

Password Manager

An app that stores all your passwords securely in one place, so you only need to remember one master password. It can also generate strong, unique passwords for every site you use. Examples include 1Password and Bitwarden. Far safer than using the same password everywhere or keeping them in a spreadsheet.

Phishing

A scam where someone pretends to be a trusted organisation — your bank, HMRC, Microsoft — to trick you into handing over your login details or personal information. Usually arrives by email but can also come via text (smishing) or phone call (vishing). If something feels off, don’t click — go directly to the official website instead.

Phishing can also arrive by text (smishing) or phone call (vishing) — see those entries for more detail.

Prompt

The instruction or question you type into an AI tool to get a response. The better your prompt — the clearer and more specific you are — the better the output tends to be. “Write me a blog post” is a prompt. So is “Summarise this email in three bullet points.”

PDF (Portable Document Format)

A file format that preserves the layout and formatting of a document regardless of what device or software opens it. Created by Adobe, now a universal standard. When you want to share a document that should look the same for everyone — invoices, guides, forms — PDF is the format to use.

PLR (Private Label Rights)

Content — articles, ebooks, templates — that you buy the rights to and can edit, rebrand, and sell as your own. Common in the digital products space. Quality varies enormously, so always check what you’re buying before putting your name on it.

Passive Income

Money earned with minimal ongoing effort after the initial work is done. Digital products like ebooks, online courses, and downloadable guides are a common example — you create them once and sell them repeatedly. It’s a popular concept but worth being realistic — most passive income requires significant upfront work to set up and ongoing maintenance to keep running.

Personal Brand

The image and reputation you deliberately build around yourself as an individual, separate from any company you work for. Your name, your expertise, your personality, and how you present yourself online all contribute to your personal brand. Increasingly important for freelancers, consultants, and content creators.

Plugin

A piece of software you add to an existing programme or website to give it extra functionality. WordPress plugins, for example, can add contact forms, SEO tools, shop features, and much more. Think of it like adding an app to your phone — the core system stays the same, but the plugin extends what it can do.

QR Code (Quick Response Code)

The square barcode you scan with your phone camera to go straight to a website or piece of content. Originally used in manufacturing, now everywhere — restaurant menus, event tickets, business cards, and marketing materials. QR stands for Quick Response.

ROI – Return on Investment

Return on Investment (ROI) is a performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency or profitability of an investment or compare the efficiency of a number of different investments. 

Ransomware

A type of malware that locks you out of your files or computer and demands payment to restore access. Increasingly common and can be devastating for small businesses. Regular backups stored separately from your main system are your best protection.

SaaS – Software as a Service

Monthly or yearly paid subscription for software – downloaded or used via a web browser.

SEO – Search Engine Optimisation

Search engine optimization is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website or a web page from search engines. SEO targets unpaid traffic rather than direct traffic or paid traffic.

Scraping

Scraping is an automated process where sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn collect data from your web pages. The scraped data is used to create a little preview of the page in question when you post a link to it on social media

You are looking to see if the website shows an image, the site name, logo.

SMS – Short Message Service

It’s the most common form of text messaging used. With a single text message is limited to 160 characters including spaces.

Social Media

Websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. Popular ones include: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Instagram.

SOP – Standard Operating Procedure/Process

A standard operating procedure is a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organisation to help workers carry out routine operations. SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality output and uniformity of performance, while reducing miscommunication.

SSD – Solid State Drive

A solid-state drive is a storage device that uses non-moving parts to store data. Until traditional hard drives, the solid state drive doesn’t have a ‘head’ (that writes and reads data), that could damage the surface is dropped. It’s also offers faster speeds to access your data. Due to it (relative) expense, smaller SSD drives are installed compared to hard disk drives.

Smishing

A phishing scam that arrives by text message rather than email. You might get a text claiming to be from Royal Mail, your bank, or HMRC with a link to click. The link takes you to a fake site designed to steal your details. If you weren’t expecting a text, don’t click — go directly to the official website or app instead.

SECaaS (Security as a Service)

Cybersecurity tools and protection delivered via the internet on a subscription basis, rather than installed on your own systems. Instead of managing your own antivirus or firewall software, a third-party provider handles it for you in the cloud. Increasingly common for small businesses who don’t have an in-house IT team.

SMART (Goals)

A framework for setting clear, achievable goals. Each letter stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. Instead of “I want more website traffic”, a SMART goal would be “I want 20% more website visitors by the end of March.” Widely used in business planning and project management.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)

The technology that encrypts data sent between your browser and a website, keeping it secure. When you see a padlock in your browser address bar and a URL starting with HTTPS, SSL is working in the background. Essential for any website that handles personal data or payments. Often referred to now as TLS but SSL is still the commonly used term.

SWOT

A framework for analysing a business or situation. Stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal — things within your control. Opportunities and threats are external — things happening in your market or environment. A useful starting point for business planning.

Smartphone

A mobile phone with a touchscreen, internet connection, and the ability to run apps. Essentially a small computer that also makes calls. The two main types are iPhones (running iOS) and Android phones. See also: Mobile, iPhone, Android.

Software Update

A new version of a programme released by the developer, usually to fix bugs, patch security vulnerabilities, or add new features. Keeping your software updated is one of the simplest and most effective things you can do to stay secure online. When your device asks you to update — do it.

TLA – Three Letter Acronym(s)

Have you ever notice how many of the acronyms are three letters? Someone did, and created an acronym to explain them 😅

Threat Actor

Anyone who deliberately tries to cause harm to your systems, data, or business online. This could be an individual hacker, an organised criminal group, or even a disgruntled former employee. Understanding that cyber threats come from real people with real motives — usually financial gain — helps explain why staying secure online matters for businesses of every size. Also referred to as a Bad Actor — see that entry for more detail.

Tablet

A portable touchscreen device, larger than a smartphone but smaller and lighter than a laptop. Good for browsing, reading, watching content, and lighter tasks. The most well-known example is the iPad. See also: iPad, Laptop, Smartphone.

Two-Step Verification

Another term for Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) — an extra layer of security when logging into an account. See 2FA and MFA for more detail.

UAT – User Acceptance Testing

The IT department will always test any new software, but they are only making sure it works, and doesn’t interfere with the rest of the network. It’s the people who need to use the software everyday that need to test if it does the job. They need to test ad accept the new system.

UC – Unified Communication(s)

Unified communications (UC) is a business and marketing concept describing the integration of enterprise communication services such as instant messaging (chat), presence information, voice (telephone over the computer – telephony) and information sharing (i.e. screen, whiteboards, file). UC is not necessarily a single product, but a set of products that provides a consistent unified user interface and user experience across multiple devices and media types.

Examples include: Skype, Skype for Business, MS Teams, Zoom and Slack.

URL – Uniform Resource Location/Locator

This is the official term for what is usually referred to as web address. The ‘address’ of the page/site that you want to visit.

In reality, the URL is a sequence of numbers that identify, however to make it friendlier to humans, a name that is easier to remember (and type in) is used, and internet technology decodes it to the right number sequence. E.g www.bbc.co.uk

URL Shortener

With larger sites, you have many pages, often organised into folders to make it easier to find specific pages. However, this means that the URL gets longer as it needs to show the levels needed to get to the right page.

This long URL can be difficult to remember and hard to type in, using a URL Shortener allows you to replace it with a smaller version – often random letters and number e.g. https://bit.ly/32zZMWM

Popular URL Shortener’s include Bit.ly and Tiny URL

USP (Unique Selling Point/Proposition)

What makes you or your product different from everyone else. The reason a customer should choose you over a competitor. A strong USP is specific — “plain English tech training for small business owners” is a USP. “Great service” is not.

UI (User Interface)

The visual elements you interact with when using software or a website — buttons, menus, forms, icons. Good UI design makes things easy to find and use. Often discussed alongside UX (User Experience), which is about the overall feeling of using something, not just how it looks.

UX (User Experience)

How it feels to use a website, app, or digital product. Good UX means things are easy to find, intuitive to use, and don’t cause frustration. Bad UX is why you sometimes abandon a website because you can’t find what you’re looking for. Often discussed alongside UI (User Interface).

Update vs Upgrade

An update is a smaller, incremental improvement to existing software — fixing bugs, improving performance, patching security issues. An upgrade is a bigger, more significant change — moving from one version of software to a newer one, often with new features and a different look. Updates are usually free and automatic. Upgrades sometimes cost money.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A tool that encrypts your internet connection and hides your online activity. Useful if you’re working on public Wi-Fi — in a café or hotel for example — as it stops others on the same network from seeing what you’re doing. Also used to access content that’s restricted in certain countries.

Vishing

A phishing scam carried out over the phone. Someone calls pretending to be from your bank, Microsoft, HMRC, or another trusted organisation and tries to get you to hand over personal information or access to your computer. Legitimate organisations will never call you out of the blue and ask for your password or remote access to your device. If in doubt, hang up and call the official number yourself.

Digital Phone / VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)

A phone system that makes calls over the internet rather than a traditional phone line. Many businesses are switching to digital phones as the UK rolls out its full fibre broadband network and traditional landlines are phased out by 2027. You may also see this referred to as VoIP. The quality is generally excellent but relies on a stable internet connection.

W3C – World Wide Web Consortium

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international community where Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards. Led by Web inventor and Director Tim Berners-Lee and CEO Jeffrey Jaffe, W3C’s mission is to lead the Web to its full potential.

WWW – World Wide Web

While many people think of WWW as the internet, it is actually just one part of it.

Windows

The operating system made by Microsoft that runs on most non-Apple computers. When you turn on a PC and see the Start menu, you’re using Windows. The most widely used desktop operating system in the world, particularly in business. See also: macOS, Microsoft, Operating System.

WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 3)

The current standard for securing Wi-Fi networks. The “3” means it’s the third and most up-to-date version, replacing WPA2. It makes it significantly harder for someone to crack your Wi-Fi password or intercept data on your network. If your router supports WPA3, it’s worth enabling it. Most routers bought after 2020 support it, though many are still set to WPA2 by default. Check your router settings to see which version you’re using.

Wi-Fi

The wireless technology that connects your devices to the internet without a physical cable. Contrary to popular belief, Wi-Fi isn’t short for anything — it was simply a made-up name chosen to sound like Hi-Fi. The signal comes from a router, which connects to your broadband. The further you are from the router, the weaker the signal.

XML – eXtensible Markup Language

Extensible Markup Language is a markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable.

Zero Day

A security vulnerability in software that the developer doesn’t know about yet — meaning there are zero days to fix it before it can be exploited. When a zero day is discovered by hackers before the software company, it’s particularly dangerous. Keeping your software updated is one of the best defences, as updates often patch newly discovered vulnerabilities.