Course wrap-up

Terms and definitions from Course 4

A

Absolute file path: The full file path, which starts from the root

Application: A program that performs a specific task

Argument (Linux): Specific information needed by a command

Authentication: The process of verifying who someone is

Authorization: The concept of granting access to specific resources in a system

B

Bash: The default shell in most Linux distributions

Basic Input/Output System (BIOS): A microchip that contains loading instructions for the computer and is prevalent in older systems 

Bootloader: A software program that boots the operating system

C

CentOS: An open-source distribution that is closely related to Red Hat

Central Processing Unit (CPU): A computer’s main processor, which is used to perform general computing tasks on a computer

Command: An instruction telling the computer to do something

Command-line interface (CLI): A text-based user interface that uses commands to interact with the computer

D

Database: An organized collection of information or data

Date and time data: Data representing a date and/or time

Digital forensics: The practice of collecting and analyzing data to determine what has happened after an attack

Directory: A file that organizes where other files are stored

Distributions: The different versions of Linux

E

Exclusive operator: An operator that does not include the value of comparison

F

File path: The location of a file or directory

Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS): The component of the Linux OS that organizes data

Filtering: Selecting data that match a certain condition

Foreign key: A column in a table that is a primary key in another table 

G

Graphical user interface (GUI): A user interface that uses icons on the screen to manage different tasks on the computer

H

Hard drive: A hardware component used for long-term memory

Hardware: The physical components of a computer

I

Inclusive operator: An operator that includes the value of comparison

Internal hardware: The components required to run the computer

K

Kali Linux ™: An open-source distribution of Linux that is widely used in the security industry

Kernel: The component of the Linux OS that manages processes and memory

L

Legacy operating system: An operating system that is outdated but still being used

Linux: An open-source operating system

Log: A record of events that occur within an organization's systems

N

nano: A command-line file editor that is available by default in many Linux distributions

Numeric data: Data consisting of numbers

O

Operating system (OS): The interface between computer hardware and the user

Operator: A symbol or keyword that represents an operation

Options: Input that modifies the behavior of a command

P

Package: A piece of software that can be combined with other packages to form an application

Package manager: A tool that helps users install, manage, and remove packages or applications

Parrot: An open-source distribution that is commonly used for security

Penetration test (pen test): A simulated attack that helps identify vulnerabilities in systems, networks, websites, applications, and processes

Peripheral devices: Hardware components that are attached and controlled by the computer system

Permissions: The type of access granted for a file or directory

Primary key: A column where every row has a unique entry

Principle of least privilege: The concept of granting only the minimal access and authorization required to complete a task or function

Q

Query: A request for data from a database table or a combination of tables

R

Random Access Memory (RAM): A hardware component used for short-term memory

Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® (also referred to simply as Red Hat in this course): A subscription-based distribution of Linux built for enterprise use

Relational database: A structured database containing tables that are related to each other

Relative file path: A file path that starts from the user's current directory

Root directory: The highest-level directory in Linux

Root user (or superuser): A user with elevated privileges to modify the system

S

Shell: The command-line interpreter 

SQL (Structured Query Language): A programming language used to create, interact with, and request information from a database

Standard error: An error message returned by the OS through the shell

Standard input: Information received by the OS via the command line

Standard output: Information returned by the OS through the shell

String data: Data consisting of an ordered sequence of characters

Syntax: The rules that determine what is correctly structured in a computing language

U

Ubuntu: An open-source, user-friendly distribution that is widely used in security and other industries

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI): A microchip that contains loading instructions for the computer and replaces BIOS on more modern systems

User: The person interacting with a computer 

User interface: A program that allows the user to control the functions of the operating system

V

Virtual machine (VM): A virtual version of a physical computer

W

Wildcard: A special character that can be substituted with any other character