Every New Yorker Should Know the Meaning of 5 Easy Computer Terms

There are a few computer terms that people use all the time, but do you know what they mean? They are all just part of our current vernacular. Imagine now, knowing what these things that you hear every day actually mean?

So, what are these 5 phrases? It was only when I was sitting through a cyber security training video (October is cyber security awareness month) this weekend, that it even occurred to me that I had no idea what these phrases meant or stood for, and I use them every day.

The 5 key computers terms that everyone uses, but no one knows what they mean:

The first phrase is http(s)://, you see it all the time, on website addresses, but what does it mean? Hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) is the secure version of HTTP. If you want to buy something on the internet or are on a site that you are entering your info into, you will want to make sure you see the https, and not just the http, the s means the site is more secure than a regular site. Don't misunderstand, your info always that the potential to be stolen. 

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What does the term "url" mean?

You hear the term url and you probably know that is the 'real name' for website. The term stands for Uniform Resource Locator, essentially it is the website that is particular to the one you are seeking out.

What does the term phishing mean?

The term phishing (pronounced fishing) is one that you might hear a great deal, because people are always warning you about it. Think of it as a cybercriminal tries to send an email out to you, looking like a legit email, that 'fishes for' your personal information. You don't want to click on anything in an email that you are not 100% sure where the email actually came from.

What does gif mean? How is it pronounced?

A GIF is a Graphical Interchange Format, and it is pronounced, “gif” or “jiff”. It means that there is movement to one of those cute little photos that you see online. So gif has a photo with words and movement. What is a meme? How it is different than a gif? A meme (meem) is a humorous photo, with text, but no movement.