A–Z Tech Terms Glossary

This glossary is the canonical reference for jargon used elsewhere on this site. Anything technical we mention in our IT support, data recovery, networking and Wi-Fi pages should have a definition here. Spotted a term we missed? Let us know and we’ll add it.

A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · L · M · N · O · P · R · S · T · U · V · W

A

ABN — Australian Business Number

The unique 11-digit number that identifies an Australian business. Required to invoice GST and trade legally in Australia.

ACSC — Australian Cyber Security Centre

Government cybersecurity agency. Publishes the Essential Eight baseline that small businesses can follow to harden against the most common cyber threats.

AIIA — Australian Information Industry Association

The peak body for the Australian tech industry. Member organisations meet a code of conduct and continuing-education standard.

APRA CPS 234 — Australian Prudential Regulation Authority — Prudential Standard CPS 234

Mandatory information-security standard for banks, super funds, insurers and other APRA-regulated entities.

ATO — Australian Taxation Office

The federal tax authority. Frequently impersonated in phishing scams — real ATO communication never asks for gift-card payments or remote-access tools.

B

BGA — Ball Grid Array

A chip-mounting technique where the chip’s contacts are tiny solder balls under the package. Common on modern laptops and phones — repair requires specialist BGA-rework equipment.

BIOS — Basic Input/Output System

The very first software a PC runs when you press the power button. Mostly replaced by UEFI on modern systems but still common.

BitLocker — Microsoft BitLocker (full-disk encryption)

Windows’s built-in disk encryption. Without the recovery key the drive’s data is mathematically unrecoverable — keep the key somewhere you can find it.

BYOD — Bring Your Own Device

A workplace policy where staff use their personal devices for work. Saves hardware spend but adds management complexity around security and data ownership.

C

CBD — Central Business District

The commercial heart of an Australian city — usually where postcodes start with 2000 (Sydney), 3000 (Melbourne), 4000 (Brisbane), etc.

CPU — Central Processing Unit

The main brain chip of a computer. Performance is measured in clock speed (GHz) and core count.

D

DNS — Domain Name System

The internet’s phone book — translates human-readable names like thepcdoctor.com.au into the numeric IP addresses computers actually use.

DR — Disaster Recovery

The plan and tooling that gets a business operational again after a major disruption — fire, flood, ransomware, hardware failure.

E

EDR — Endpoint Detection and Response

The next generation beyond traditional antivirus. Watches your computer’s behaviour for suspicious activity and can roll back ransomware encryption automatically.

Essential Eight — ACSC's Essential Eight Maturity Model

A baseline set of eight cybersecurity controls (patching, MFA, application allow-listing, etc.) that the ACSC recommends every Australian small business adopt.

F

FTTC — Fibre to the Curb

A National Broadband Network technology where fibre runs to the kerb outside your property and copper runs the last few metres. Generally faster than FTTN, slower than FTTP.

FTTN — Fibre to the Node

A National Broadband Network technology where fibre runs to a street-side cabinet and your old copper phone line carries the last leg. Speeds vary with line length and copper quality.

FTTP — Fibre to the Premises

The gold-standard National Broadband Network technology — fibre runs all the way to your premises. Capable of 1 Gbps+ and the most reliable option.

G

GPU — Graphics Processing Unit

The chip that draws graphics on your screen. Critical for gaming, video editing, AI tasks. Discrete GPUs sit on a separate card; integrated GPUs share the CPU’s memory.

H

HDD — Hard Disk Drive

A storage device with spinning magnetic platters. Cheap, large, but slower and more fragile than SSD. Usually the first thing to upgrade in an old computer.

HDMI — High-Definition Multimedia Interface

The standard cable for connecting computers to monitors and TVs. Carries both video and audio.

HFC — Hybrid Fibre Coaxial

A National Broadband Network technology that re-uses old cable-TV networks. Fibre to the suburb, coax cable to your house. Common in older suburbs.

I

IDCARE — IDCARE — Identity & Cyber Support Service

Australia and New Zealand’s national identity and cyber support service. Free help (1800 595 160) for individuals and small businesses dealing with identity theft and cybercrime.

ISO 27001 — ISO/IEC 27001 — Information Security Management Standard

The international standard for information-security management. Required by many enterprise clients and government tenders.

IT — Information Technology

The broad category covering computers, networks, software, data, and the people who keep all of that running.

L

LAN — Local Area Network

The network inside a single building or site — your office network, your home Wi-Fi, etc.

LCD — Liquid Crystal Display

The most common type of computer monitor and laptop screen. Uses a liquid-crystal layer plus a backlight to produce images.

LED — Light Emitting Diode

The tiny lights used to backlight modern screens (LED-backlit LCD). Also used as bulbs in keyboard backlighting and indicator lights.

LOB — Line-of-Business application

Industry-specific software that runs your business — accounting suites, practice-management systems, point-of-sale tools. The opposite of generic productivity software like Office.

M

MFA — Multi-Factor Authentication

A login that requires two or more proofs — typically your password and a one-time code from your phone. The single most effective protection against account takeover. Sometimes called two-factor authentication (2FA).

MSP — Managed Service Provider

An IT company that manages your technology under a fixed monthly contract — proactive monitoring, helpdesk, patching, security. The Original PC Doctor offers this through our Managed Services Plans.

N

NAND — NAND flash memory

The chip technology used in SSDs, USB drives, and phone storage. When NAND is soldered to the logic board (modern MacBooks, phones), recovery requires chip-off techniques.

NAS — Network Attached Storage

A small file-server appliance for offices and homes. Plugs into your network and provides shared storage, backup, and often app-hosting. Common brands: Synology, QNAP.

NBN — National Broadband Network

Australia’s national wholesale broadband network. You don’t buy from NBN Co directly — you buy from a Retail Service Provider (RSP) like Telstra, Optus, Aussie Broadband. Run our free NBN speed test.

NVMe — Non-Volatile Memory Express

The modern high-speed protocol used by fast SSDs. NVMe drives are typically 5–10x faster than older SATA SSDs.

O

OS — Operating System

The base software that runs your computer — Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS.

P

PC — Personal Computer

Originally meaning IBM-compatible computers running Microsoft Windows or DOS. Now used colloquially for any non-Mac desktop or laptop.

R

RAID — Redundant Array of Independent Disks

A way of combining multiple drives so they appear as one. RAID 1 mirrors for safety. RAID 5/6 stripe with parity for capacity + safety. RAID 0 is faster but offers no redundancy.

RAM — Random Access Memory

Your computer’s short-term memory. More RAM = ability to run more programs at once without slowdown. 16 GB is the practical minimum for new business computers in 2026.

RPO — Recovery Point Objective

How much data you’re prepared to lose if something fails. If you back up daily, your RPO is 24 hours. Tight RPOs need more frequent backups.

RSP — Retail Service Provider

The company you actually buy your NBN connection from — Telstra, Optus, Aussie Broadband, TPG, iiNet, etc. NBN Co only sells wholesale; RSPs resell to consumers and businesses.

RTO — Recovery Time Objective

How long you’re prepared to be down after a failure. Tighter RTOs (e.g. back online in an hour) require faster restore tooling and tested runbooks.

S

SaaS — Software as a Service

Cloud software you subscribe to monthly rather than buying outright — Microsoft 365, Xero, Salesforce, etc.

SATA — Serial ATA

The traditional connection standard for desktop hard drives and SSDs. Slower than NVMe but still common in older hardware.

SOC — Security Operations Centre

A 24/7 cybersecurity monitoring team. Most small businesses don’t need a dedicated SOC — appropriate EDR + an MSP is enough.

SOC 2 — Service Organization Control 2 audit

A US-led audit standard that proves a software vendor handles your data securely. Common requirement when selling SaaS to enterprise.

SSD — Solid-State Drive

A storage device with no moving parts — much faster, more reliable, and quieter than a traditional HDD. The single biggest performance upgrade for any computer made before about 2018.

T

T-CON — Timing Controller (in LCD monitors)

A small board inside an LCD monitor that converts the incoming video signal into the row-and-column drive signals the panel needs. Common failure point — usually cheaper to replace than a new monitor.

TPM — Trusted Platform Module

A small security chip that stores encryption keys and verifies hardware integrity at boot. Required for Windows 11 and BitLocker. Most business PCs from the last 5+ years have one.

U

UEFI — Unified Extensible Firmware Interface

The modern replacement for BIOS. Faster boot, better security (TPM integration, secure boot), and supports drives larger than 2 TB.

USB — Universal Serial Bus

The standard cable and connector type for connecting peripherals. Comes in versions (USB 2 / 3 / 3.1 / 3.2 / 4) and shapes (USB-A, USB-B, USB-C, micro-USB).

V

VLAN — Virtual Local Area Network

A way of logically separating one physical network into multiple isolated networks — common for separating staff Wi-Fi from guest Wi-Fi, or a building’s network from a tenant’s.

VoIP — Voice over Internet Protocol

Phone calls carried over the internet rather than the old copper phone network. The default for new business phone systems since the NBN copper-phone switch-off.

VPN — Virtual Private Network

A secure encrypted tunnel between two points on the internet — often used to give remote staff access to office network resources, or to protect privacy on public Wi-Fi.

W

WAN — Wide Area Network

A network covering a large geographic area — typically connecting multiple sites or branches together over the internet or private links.