HSC Information and Digital Technology (VET) key terms

The laws, duties and practices that protect people from injury and illness at work. In Australia it requires employers and workers to identify hazards, control risks and consult about safety.

A ranked list of ways to reduce risk, from most to least effective: eliminate the hazard, substitute it, isolate it, use engineering controls, then administrative controls, with personal protective equipment last.

A structured process of identifying hazards, judging how likely and how severe any harm could be, and deciding what controls are needed before work proceeds.

Any source or situation with the potential to cause harm, such as a frayed power lead, a spilled drink near equipment, or an unsecured server rack.

Items worn by a worker to reduce exposure to hazards, such as safety glasses, gloves, hearing protection or anti-static wrist straps. It is the least reliable control because it depends on correct use.

The legal and ethical obligation of employers and workers to take reasonable steps to avoid harming others, including colleagues, clients and visitors, while carrying out work activities.

A written record of an accident, near miss or hazard made soon after it occurs, describing what happened, who was involved and what action was taken so the cause can be investigated.

Working in ways that limit environmental harm, for example reducing energy use, reusing components, recycling e-waste and choosing suppliers with responsible disposal programs.

Discarded electronic equipment such as computers, monitors, printers and cabling. It contains valuable metals and hazardous substances, so it must be recycled through approved channels rather than sent to landfill.

Using less power to achieve the same result, for example by enabling sleep settings, consolidating servers, choosing efficient power supplies or switching off idle equipment.

Passing an issue to a more senior or specialised person when it exceeds your authority, skills or time limits, with a clear summary of what has been tried already.

Giving full attention to a speaker, then confirming understanding by paraphrasing or asking clarifying questions, so the customer feels heard and the real problem is uncovered.

Open questions invite a detailed answer and help diagnose a fault, while closed questions seek a short yes/no or specific fact to confirm details quickly.

Specialist language that outsiders may not understand. Technicians should replace it with plain terms when speaking to clients, while still using correct terminology in internal records.

Clear, direct writing or speech that avoids unnecessary technical words and long sentences, making instructions and explanations easy for any reader to follow.

A formal agreement setting out the level of service expected, such as response times, resolution targets, support hours and penalties for failing to meet them.

The first point of contact for users reporting problems. Staff log each request, attempt known fixes, keep the user informed and escalate unresolved issues.

A numbered record of a support request that tracks the problem, actions taken, who is responsible and its status until the issue is resolved and closed.

Keeping private information, such as client data, passwords or personal details, secure and sharing it only with people who are authorised and need it.

Australian law containing the Australian Privacy Principles, which govern how organisations collect, use, store, disclose and give access to personal information.

Legally protected creations of the mind, such as software code, designs, logos and written content. Using or copying someone else's work without permission can breach copyright.

The automatic legal right that stops others copying or distributing original work, such as programs, images or text, without the owner's permission or a valid licence.

A legal agreement stating how software may be installed, used and copied, including limits on the number of devices or users and rules about modification and redistribution.

Software released with source code that anyone may inspect, use, modify and share, usually under conditions set by a licence such as the GNU General Public License.

Software owned by a company or individual that is supplied without source code and used only under the terms of a paid or restricted licence.

The core software that manages hardware, memory, files and processes, and provides the services applications need to run, for example Windows, macOS or Linux.

Software that lets the operating system communicate with a particular piece of hardware, such as a printer, graphics card or network adapter.

Permanent low-level software stored on a hardware device, such as a router or printer, that controls its basic functions and can usually be updated by the manufacturer.

Firmware built into the motherboard that starts the computer, tests core hardware and hands control to the operating system. Modern machines often use its successor, UEFI.

The startup sequence in which a computer runs self-tests, loads firmware settings and then loads the operating system into memory so it is ready to use.

The method an operating system uses to name, organise, store and retrieve files on a drive, including rules for folders, paths and permissions, such as NTFS or ext4.

A copy of data kept separately so it can be restored if the original is lost, damaged or encrypted by malware. Good practice uses multiple copies and tests restores.

The process of securely removing data from storage so it cannot be recovered, used before equipment is reused, sold or recycled, for example by overwriting or physical destruction.

A unique numeric label given to a device on a network so data can be sent to and from it, such as 192.168.1.10 on a local network.

A number that works with an IP address to show which part identifies the network and which part identifies the individual device on that network.

The address of the router that a device sends traffic to when the destination is outside its own local network, allowing access to other networks and the internet.

The internet service that translates human-friendly names such as example.com into IP addresses so browsers and other programs can locate the correct server.

Hardware or software that inspects network traffic and blocks or allows it according to rules, helping protect devices from unauthorised access.

Software written to harm or exploit a system, including viruses, worms, trojans, spyware and ransomware. It is usually countered with updates, antivirus tools and user awareness.

Malicious software that encrypts files or locks a system and demands payment for restoration. Reliable offline backups and prompt patching are key defences.

A trick in which attackers pose as a trusted person or organisation by email, text or phone to steal credentials, money or data. Staff should verify requests before acting.

A login method requiring two or more different proofs of identity, such as a password plus a code from a phone, making stolen passwords far less useful to attackers.

A band worn on the wrist and clipped to a grounded point that safely discharges static electricity from the body, preventing damage to sensitive components during repairs.

A sudden flow of static electricity between objects that can silently destroy or degrade computer chips, memory modules and circuit boards if not controlled.

A systematic approach to faults: gather information, identify the problem, test likely causes, plan and apply a fix, verify the result and document what was done.

The underlying reason a fault occurred, as opposed to a symptom. Fixing it prevents the problem from recurring, while treating only the symptom usually does not.

The general capabilities that make a person effective in any workplace, including communication, teamwork, problem solving, initiative, planning, self-management, learning and technology use.

Working cooperatively with others towards shared goals by sharing information, respecting different roles and supporting colleagues when workloads or skills vary.

A set of written expectations about how staff behave at work, covering honesty, respect, appropriate use of company systems, conflicts of interest and confidentiality.

Running multiple isolated operating systems as virtual machines on one physical server, which reduces hardware needs, saves power and simplifies testing and recovery.