Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux are the three most common _______ _______ .
operating systems
What do you call the series of letters after a file name, such as .doc, .pdf, or .gif?
the file extension
What is the small unit of digital memory that is enough to code a single character (letter, number, symbol)?
a byte
Each byte is made up of 8 smaller units called bits.
Rank the following file sizes from smallest to largest: terabyte, kilobyte, gigabyte, megabyte.
- kilobyte or KB (1,000 Bytes)
- megabyte or MB (1,000 KB)
- gigabyte or GB (1,000 MB)
- terabyte or TB (1,000 GB)
About how large, in computer memory, is a typical 5-minute song in .mp3 format?
5 - 12 MB
In comparison, a typical high-definition 20 hour movie encoded with H.264 compression is around 2 GB in size.
What do you call a computer whose main purpose is to store data and communicate with other computing devices?
a server
Every website is hosted on a server(s). When you visit a web page, you are actually connecting with that company’s server and interacting with it.
What is the name for the system that assigns unique addresses (URLs) to documents?
HTTP
(HyperText Transfer Protocol)
The HTTP system was devised by Tim Berners-Lee (via the Worldwide Web Consortium) in 1989.
This technology marked the beginning of the World Wide Web. Previously, the Internet consisted of mostly military computers communicating with each other at a command line.
Hypertext itself is the concept of clickable text on a screen, typically indicated by the text being underlined and/or in a different color like blue.
HTML allows you to embed these URLs as clickable features in a document.
What is the name of the markup language used to code simple web pages?
HTML
(HyperText Markup Language)
The language was first used in 1993. Version HTML5 was released in 2014.
A computer has two types of memory: (i) a hard drive (or “solid state drive”) which stores computer data for the long term; and (ii) ____, which stores temporary data used by apps and processes currently in use.
RAM
(Random Access Memory)
A computer with a high amount of RAM is able to perform many operations at once, without slowing down or crashing.
As hard drive space (or “hard disk space”) has become so abundant and inexpensive on most computers, we rarely think about space constraints anymore, so many techies have come to refer to RAM as simply “memory”.
C, Java, PHP, Python, and Ruby on Rails are examples of major _________ ________.
programming languages
The programming languages listed above are typically used for the “back-end” logic that determines how an application should work.
The part of an app or website that users actually see is typically managed by the “front-end” language Javascript (no relation to Java), and by the HTML and CSS styling languages that determine how the screens will actually look.
Google, Bing, Yahoo, Excite, and DuckDuckGo are all examples of ____ _____.
search engines
In the late 1990s, Google emerged as the leading search engine, thanks to its secret sauce called Page Rank
This algorithm regularly indexes the entire web to measure the degree to which sites link to each other, thus determining which pages are most “credible” based on the number of other sites that are linking to them and a number of other factors.
The exact algorithm is continually being refined, and is kept secret by Google.
What term describes the effort of making a website appear more frequently in web searches?
SEO
(Search Engine Optimization)
“Good” SEO is typically achieved by having relevant and accurate content, using the proper placement of keywords on the page, and making sure that other credible websites link to that page.
Other factors influencing SEO include site speed, average time on page, and the appearance of “duplicate content.”
What is the term for the public-facing code that allows programmers to create applications that communicate with other sources?
API
(Application Programming Interface)
APIs provide outsiders with access to only what is important for the “transaction”, without allowing them to affect the code in the main application.
For example, when you make an online purchase, the store’s website communicates with your bank via an API.
Google Maps offers its API to any developers who want to create apps using its mapping technology.
What is the most widely used database language?
SQL
(Structured Query Language)
Oracle is a database that offers another variant (dialect) of SQL, like MySQL and SQLite.
What company is known as “the Chinese Google” and is one of the world’s largest technology firms?
Baidu
Baidu was founded in 2000 by Robin Li and Eric Xu, two Chinese nationals who studied and worked overseas before returning to China.
The company went public on the Nasdaq in 2005 and now consists of dozens of internet services beyond just search.
What is the computer keyboard shortcut to copy selected text?
Command + C (Mac)
Ctrl + C (Windows)
What is the computer keyboard shortcut to paste text?
Command + V (Mac)
Ctrl + V (Windows)
What is the computer keyboard shortcut to undo your last action?
Command + Z (Mac)
Ctrl + Z (Windows)
What is the computer keyboard shortcut to Open a New Browser Tab?
Command + T (Mac)
Ctrl + T (Windows)
What is the computer keyboard shortcut to Close your Current Browser Tab?
Command + W (Mac)
Ctrl + W (Windows)
What is the name of a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic?
firewall
A firewall is basically a digital barrier between a trusted and untrusted network.
It intercepts malicious attempts such as unauthorized access to a network.
Software intentionally designed to cause disruption on someone’s computer such as a virus, a trojan, or a worm are examples of a type of __________.
malware
Malware can be caught by a firewall and deleted through the use of antivirus software.
What does IP address stand for?
Internet Protocol
It is a numerical label that is connected to a computer network.
It helps identify a user and the location of where this user might be.
What is the name of the technique in which hackers use fake emails or text messages to obtain sensitive information such as their passwords or bank account info?
phishing
Be careful with clicking links in email messages. Hover your mouse over the link and the real link will appear in the bottom left of your screen. Make sure it matches with the one you actually want to go to.
If it’s a suspicious text message from someone claiming to be a relative or a good friend, always call them using the number you know and confirm it is them.
What is the name of a cyber attack in which a hacker attempts to shut down a website by flooding it with malicious traffic or data?
DDoS
(Distributed Denial of Service)
The quickest way of denying a DDoS attack is by filtering IPs to remove the offending source of traffic.
________ is a type of malware that functions by spying on user activity such as the keys they press, mining their personal data, or even taking over a webcam.
spyware
Minimize the effects of spyware by installing a firewall and having an active antivirus scanner.
What is the name of a type of malware which literally takes your computer hostage, preventing you from accessing anything, until a certain amount has been paid to the hacker group?
ransomware
Ransomware encrypts all your files making it unusable to you. After the ransom has been paid, files will be decrypted or recovered.
Never download files or programs from sources you don’t trust, and never click links in suspicious emails.
What is the name of a tool that makes an online user anonymous while using the internet by masking location and encrypting traffic?
VPN
(Virtual Private Network)
Common in organizations, VPN software became increasingly popular with individuals during COVID as many people worked from home and needed a secure connection.
What is the term for the user interface that lets you directly edit and manipulate the look and content of a document, page, or file?
WYSIWYG
(What You See Is What You Get)
The earliest computers did not use WYSIWYG and instead created formatted documents via custom coding languages and tags.
The functionality was added to create an editing interface that made it easy for those who weren’t well versed in HTML to build websites.
