Innovative Digital Solutions for SMBs
Glossary of terms and definitions for IT (Information Technology), the Internet and cyber security.
This glossary provides more than 480 clear and concise definitions of commonly used terms in the fields of information technology, the internet, and cyber security. It is designed to support users of all levels in understanding key concepts, technical jargon, and acronyms frequently encountered across digital platforms and security-related discussions. Whether you are a business owner, student, professional, or simply interested in the digital landscape, this resource aims to enhance your knowledge and confidence in navigating the ever-evolving world of technology.
A computer system that sends, receives, and stores email messages using standard protocols such as SMTP, IMAP, and POP3.
Example: A university manages its own mail server on-site to handle student and staff email communications internally.
See also: Email, IMAP, POP3, SMTP
An email authentication method that uses cryptographic signatures to verify that an email was sent from an authorised mail server and that its content has not been tampered with during transit.
Example: An outgoing email is digitally signed with DKIM, and the recipient's mail server verifies the signature to confirm its authenticity.
A standard email protocol that allows users to access and manage their email messages on a mail server from multiple devices. Unlike POP, IMAP keeps messages on the server, enabling synchronisation across devices.
Example: IMAP allows users to read email from multiple devices.
See also: POP3, Mail Server
Mail Exchange (MX) Record is a DNS record that specifies the mail server responsible for receiving email on behalf of a domain.
Example: To direct email traffic correctly, the domain example.com has an MX record pointing to mail.example.com.
See also: DNS, Mail Server
A standard email protocol used to retrieve emails from a mail server to a local device. POP3 downloads the messages and usually deletes them from the server after download.
Example: She configured her email client to use POP3 so that her messages would be stored on her laptop and not kept on the server.
See also: IMAP, Mail Server
A standard communication protocol used to send emails from a client to a server or between servers. It handles the delivery of outgoing email messages.
Example: The email client used SMTP to send the message to the recipient's mail server.
See also: Mail Server