CLEP Information Systems flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Relative cell reference

A spreadsheet reference such as A1 that adjusts automatically when the formula is copied to another row or column, preserving the relative position of the referenced cell.

Absolute cell reference

A spreadsheet reference such as $A$1 that remains fixed when the formula is copied, because both the column and row are locked with dollar signs.

Mail merge

A word-processing feature that combines a main document with a data source, producing personalized copies such as letters or labels for each record.

VLOOKUP function

A spreadsheet function that searches the first column of a table for a value and returns a value from a specified column in the matching row.

Primary key

A field or combination of fields whose value uniquely identifies each record in a database table and cannot be duplicated or null.

DNS

Domain Name System; a hierarchical naming service that translates human-readable domain names into numeric IP addresses so browsers can locate web servers.

HTTP status 404

An HTTP response code meaning Not Found; the server cannot locate the requested resource, often due to a mistyped URL or removed page.

HTTPS

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure; HTTP layered over TLS, which encrypts traffic, authenticates the server, and protects data from interception or tampering.

Cookie

A small text file stored by a web browser on behalf of a website to remember state such as login sessions, preferences, or shopping cart contents.

URL

Uniform Resource Locator; the address of a resource on the web, typically including a scheme, host, path, and optional query string.

CIA triad

The three core security goals: confidentiality (only authorized access), integrity (data not altered improperly), and availability (systems usable when needed).

Symmetric encryption

An encryption method in which the same secret key is used to encrypt and decrypt data; it is fast but requires secure key distribution.

Asymmetric encryption

An encryption method using a public key to encrypt and a mathematically related private key to decrypt, solving the key distribution problem of symmetric encryption.

Hash function

A one-way mathematical function that converts input data into a fixed-length digest; it verifies integrity but cannot be reversed to recover the original data.

Phishing

A social-engineering attack using fraudulent emails or messages that impersonate trusted entities to trick recipients into revealing credentials or installing malware.

Ransomware

Malicious software that encrypts a victim's files or locks a system and demands payment, usually in cryptocurrency, for the decryption key.

Firewall

A network security device or software that inspects incoming and outgoing traffic and permits or blocks packets according to configured rules.

Least privilege

A security principle granting users and processes only the minimum permissions necessary to perform their required tasks, reducing potential damage from misuse.

Von Neumann architecture

A computer design in which the CPU, memory, input, output, and storage are connected by a bus and instructions share the same memory as data.

RAM

Random Access Memory; volatile primary storage that holds programs and data currently in use and loses its contents when power is removed.

SSD

Solid-State Drive; non-volatile storage using flash memory with no moving parts, offering faster access and greater shock resistance than magnetic hard disks.

Cloud IaaS

Infrastructure as a Service; a cloud model providing virtualized computing resources such as servers, storage, and networks that customers manage themselves.

Operating system

System software that manages hardware, processes, memory, files, and devices, and provides a user interface and security services for applications.

Hypervisor

Software that creates and runs virtual machines by allocating physical CPU, memory, and storage resources among multiple guest operating systems.

SDLC

Systems Development Life Cycle; the phases of planning, analysis, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance used to build information systems.

Unit testing

A testing level that verifies individual components or functions in isolation, usually written and run by developers before integration.

Regression testing

Testing performed after changes to confirm that new code has not broken existing functionality, often by rerunning previously passed test cases.

Version control

A system that records changes to files over time, enabling developers to review history, revert to earlier versions, and collaborate through branches and merges.

Foreign key

A field in one table that references the primary key of another table, enforcing referential integrity and linking related records.

ACID properties

Database transaction guarantees: atomicity (all or nothing), consistency (valid states), isolation (concurrent transactions do not interfere), and durability (committed changes persist).

SQL SELECT

A data manipulation statement that retrieves columns from one or more tables, optionally filtered by WHERE, grouped by GROUP BY, and sorted by ORDER BY.

Digital divide

The gap between groups with adequate access to computers, internet connectivity, and digital skills and those without, often linked to income, geography, or age.