Comsys IT
IT Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the IT terms you’ll actually come across — no jargon, no acronym soup.
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IT jargon, explained simply
The tech world loves acronyms. Here’s a plain-English guide to the terms you’ll actually come across.
- Managed IT
- Outsourcing your IT to a provider who looks after everything for a fixed monthly fee — proactively, not just when things break.
- MSP
- Managed Service Provider — a company (like us) that manages your IT systems and support on an ongoing basis.
- Backup vs. disaster recovery
- A backup is a copy of your data; disaster recovery is the full plan to get your whole business running again after an outage or attack.
- MFA
- Multi-factor authentication — a second step (like a code on your phone) that stops criminals getting in even if they have your password.
- Phishing
- Scam emails or messages designed to trick you into revealing passwords or clicking malicious links.
- Ransomware
- Malicious software that locks up your files and demands payment. Good backups and security are your best defence.
- VoIP
- Voice over IP — phone calls carried over the internet instead of old copper lines, with more features and lower cost.
- Cloud
- Software and storage delivered over the internet (like Microsoft 365) instead of running on your own servers.
- Endpoint
- Any device that connects to your network — laptops, desktops, phones — each one a potential entry point that needs protecting.
- Patch / patching
- Updates that fix bugs and security holes in software. Keeping systems patched is one of the simplest ways to stay secure.
- Firewall
- A security barrier that controls what traffic is allowed in and out of your network.
- SLA
- Service Level Agreement — a commitment to things like response times and uptime, so you know what to expect.
- Co-managed IT
- A model where an MSP works alongside your in-house IT person or team, rather than replacing them.
- Microsoft 365
- Microsoft’s subscription bundle of email, Office apps, Teams and cloud storage for business.
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