Glossary
The terms we use, explained without the jargon. Each one starts with a one-line answer, with a longer explainer and the articles that use it underneath.
- Terms
- 112
- Full explainers
- 112
- Last updated
Most used in our articles
- 01Active Exploitation
Active exploitation is the use of a security vulnerability in real attacks or confirmed exploitation attempts.
In 6 articles - 02CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures)
A CVE is a standardized identifier used to track publicly documented cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
In 5 articles - 03Capital expenditure (CapEx)
Capital expenditure is money a company spends to buy or improve long-term assets, such as servers, data centers, buildings and equipment.
In 4 articles - 04CISA
CISA is the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which helps protect critical infrastructure and coordinate cybersecurity defense.
In 4 articles
A16
- Acceptance RateThe percentage of eligible people who accept an offer, such as a voluntary retirement or employee exit program.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Active ExploitationActive exploitation is the use of a security vulnerability in real attacks or confirmed exploitation attempts.Full explainerIn 6 articles
- After-hours tradingAfter-hours trading is the buying and selling of stocks outside the regular trading hours of an exchange.Full explainerIn 1 article
- AI agentsAI agents are AI systems that carry out tasks and workflows with some degree of independence, using models and tools to reach a goal.Full explainerIn 1 article
- AI Evaluation HarnessAn AI evaluation harness is software that runs AI model tests, manages test conditions and records results.Full explainerIn 1 article
- AI GuardrailsAI guardrails are rules and technical controls designed to restrict unsafe or unauthorized AI behavior.Full explainerIn 1 article
- AI infrastructureAI infrastructure is the set of computing, networking, storage and data-center resources that is needed to build and run AI systems.Full explainerIn 2 articles
- AI Model MitigationsSafeguards or environmental protections that limit potentially harmful model behavior or attack success.Full explainerIn 1 article
- AI monetizationAI monetization is the way a company earns revenue from AI products, features or services.Full explainerIn 1 article
- AI-Assisted Vulnerability DiscoveryAI-assisted vulnerability discovery is using artificial intelligence to help identify security weaknesses in software.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Analyst consensusAnalyst consensus is the combined or average view of financial analysts on a company's expected results, such as revenue, earnings or price target.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Annual contract value (ACV)Annual contract value is the yearly value of a customer contract, normally excluding one-time fees.Full explainerIn 1 article
- At-the-Market Offering (ATM)A program allowing a company to sell newly issued shares gradually at prevailing market prices.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Attack SurfaceThe attack surface is all the possible entry points through which an attacker could target a system.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Authentication BypassAn authentication bypass is a security weakness that allows access to protected functionality without completing normal authentication.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Average Revenue per User (ARPU)Average revenue generated per user or subscriber during a specified period.Full explainerIn 1 article
B4
- Basis PointA unit equal to 0.01 percentage point, commonly used to describe changes in margins and interest rates.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Binomial Standard ErrorAn estimate of uncertainty for a proportion calculated from outcomes with two possible results, such as success or failure.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Bond IssuanceRaising money by selling debt securities that typically require interest payments and repayment of principal.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Bond TrancheA portion of a debt offering with its own maturity, interest rate, or other terms.Full explainerIn 1 article
C14
- Capital expenditure (CapEx)Capital expenditure is money a company spends to buy or improve long-term assets, such as servers, data centers, buildings and equipment.Full explainerIn 4 articles
- Capital Expenditure (CapEx)Money spent to acquire, build, or improve long-term assets such as equipment, facilities, and infrastructure.Full explainerIn 1 article
- CISACISA is the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which helps protect critical infrastructure and coordinate cybersecurity defense.Full explainerIn 4 articles
- Cloud computingCloud computing is the delivery of computing resources and services, such as servers, storage, databases and software, over a network, usually the internet.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Common StockCommon stock is shares representing ordinary ownership in a company, typically carrying economic and sometimes voting rights.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Consumption-based pricingConsumption-based pricing is a model in which customers are charged according to how much they use a product or service, and not by a fixed number of licenses.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Controlled CompanyA company in which an individual, group, or another company controls more than half of the voting power.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Corporate BondA corporate bond is a debt security issued by a company to borrow money from investors.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Credential RotationCredential rotation is replacing passwords, authentication tokens or cryptographic keys to reduce security risks.Full explainerIn 2 articles
- Credit Default Swap (CDS)A derivative contract that transfers specified credit risk associated with a borrower or debt instrument.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Credit RatingAn assessment of a borrower's or debt instrument's ability to meet financial obligations.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Current remaining performance obligations (cRPO)Current remaining performance obligations are the contracted revenue that a company expects to recognize within the next 12 months.Full explainerIn 1 article
- CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures)A CVE is a standardized identifier used to track publicly documented cybersecurity vulnerabilities.Full explainerIn 5 articles
- CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System)CVSS is a framework that assigns numerical severity scores to security vulnerabilities.Full explainerIn 4 articles
D5
- Data Center FinancingData center financing is the arrangements used to fund data-center construction or operation through cash flow, debt, equity, leases or partnerships.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Denial-of-Service (DoS)Denial-of-service is an attack or condition that makes a system or service unavailable to legitimate users.Full explainerIn 2 articles
- DepreciationDepreciation is the allocation of the cost of a tangible asset over the years in which it is expected to be useful.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Digital ForensicsDigital forensics is the collection and analysis of digital evidence during investigations.Full explainerIn 1 article
- DRAM (Dynamic Random-Access Memory)A type of volatile computer memory used to temporarily store data needed by processors.Full explainerIn 1 article
E4
- Earnings guidanceEarnings guidance is a company's own forecast of its future financial results, such as revenue, profit or earnings per share.Full explainerIn 2 articles
- Earnings per share (EPS)Earnings per share is the portion of a company's profit that belongs to each outstanding share of its stock.Full explainerIn 1 article
- EBITDAEarnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, commonly used to compare operating performance.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Exploit ChainAn exploit chain is a sequence of vulnerabilities or attack techniques combined to compromise a system.Full explainerIn 1 article
F6
- Fair-Value AdjustmentAn accounting change reflecting an updated estimate of an asset's or liability's fair value.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Finance leaseA finance lease is a lease that gives a company most of the economic use and risk of an asset, and that is recorded as an asset and a debt-like obligation.Full explainerIn 2 articles
- Financial GuidanceManagement's forecast or expected range for future business and financial performance.Full explainerIn 2 articles
- Free cash flow (FCF)Free cash flow is the cash a company has left after paying for its operations and its capital expenditures.Full explainerIn 4 articles
- Free Cash Flow (FCF)Cash generated by operations after deducting capital spending, according to the calculation used.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Fresh Issue of SharesNewly created shares sold by a company to raise capital.Full explainerIn 1 article
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H3
- Held-Out Test SetA held-out test set is evaluation data kept separate from training or development to test performance on unseen examples.Full explainerIn 1 article
- HotfixA hotfix is an urgent, targeted fix, often released outside the normal release process.Full explainerIn 2 articles
- HyperscalerA company operating very large computing and cloud infrastructure capable of expanding to massive workloads.Full explainerIn 1 article
I9
- Incident ResponseIncident response is the organized process for handling a security incident, from detection through containment, cleanup and learning.Full explainerIn 2 articles
- Independent BenchmarkA performance evaluation conducted by an organization separate from the system's developer.Full explainerIn 2 articles
- Integrity CheckingIntegrity checking is verifying that files, software or system configurations have not changed unexpectedly.Full explainerIn 2 articles
- Internet-Facing AssetAn internet-facing asset is a device, application or service accessible from the public internet.Full explainerIn 3 articles
- Inventory Pull-ForwardPurchasing or shipping inventory earlier than normal in anticipation of future demand, shortages, or price increases.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Investment-Grade DebtDebt rated by credit agencies as having a relatively low risk of default.Full explainerIn 1 article
- IPO Listing PremiumThe percentage by which a stock's initial trading price exceeds its IPO issue price.Full explainerIn 1 article
- IPO Price RangeThe proposed range of prices at which shares may be offered during an IPO.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Issue PriceThe price at which securities are initially offered to investors.Full explainerIn 1 article
K1
L4
- Lease CommitmentA contractual obligation to make payments for the use of an asset over a specified period.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Lease LiabilityA lease liability is the present value of qualifying future lease payments recorded as a liability on a company's balance sheet.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Lease Not Yet CommencedA lease not yet commenced is a signed lease agreement whose contractual commencement date has not yet arrived.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Lease-Adjusted LeverageA debt measure that incorporates lease obligations when evaluating a company's financial leverage.Full explainerIn 1 article
M5
- Mandatory Convertible Preferred StockPreferred shares that must convert into common shares under specified contractual terms.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Mark of the Web (MotW)The Mark of the Web is Windows metadata that identifies files obtained from potentially untrusted sources.Full explainer
- Market capitalizationMarket capitalization is the total market value of a company's outstanding shares, found by multiplying the share price by the number of shares.Full explainerIn 2 articles
- Memory Contract PriceA negotiated price for memory chips purchased under supply agreements.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Memory Spot PriceThe price of memory chips traded for relatively immediate delivery outside long-term supply contracts.Full explainerIn 1 article
N2
- NAND Flash MemoryNonvolatile memory technology used for persistent data storage in phones, SSDs, and other devices.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Net Revenue Retention (NRR)A metric showing how revenue from an existing customer group changes over time, including expansion, contraction, and churn.Full explainerIn 1 article
O5
- Off-Balance-Sheet ObligationAn off-balance-sheet obligation is a financial commitment or exposure that is not recognized as a liability on the balance sheet under applicable accounting rules.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Operating cash flowOperating cash flow is the cash a company generates or uses through its normal business operations during a period.Full explainerIn 3 articles
- Operating expenses (OpEx)Operating expenses are the ongoing costs of running a business or a system, such as salaries, subscriptions, cloud bills and support.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Operating incomeOperating income is the profit a company earns from its core business operations, before interest and taxes.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Operating marginOperating margin is operating income expressed as a percentage of revenue.Full explainerIn 1 article
P7
- Pass@1Pass@1 is a benchmark metric measuring how often a model successfully completes a task on its first attempt.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Patch TuesdayPatch Tuesday is Microsoft's monthly security release day, on the second Tuesday of each month.Full explainerIn 1 article
- PhishingPhishing is a scam in which an attacker pretends to be a trusted person or service to trick someone into giving up a password, money or access.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Post-Money ValuationThe estimated value of a company immediately after a financing round, including the new investment.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Preferred StockA class of shares that generally has priority over common shares for specified dividends or liquidation proceeds.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E)A valuation metric comparing a company's share price or market value with its earnings.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Private PlacementA securities offering sold to selected investors rather than broadly to the public.Full explainerIn 1 article
R4
- Remote Code Execution (RCE)Remote code execution is a security weakness that allows an attacker to execute code on a remote system.Full explainerIn 2 articles
- Revenue backlogRevenue backlog is the value of contracted future revenue that a company has not yet recognized.Full explainerIn 2 articles
- Revenue growthRevenue growth is the percentage increase in a company's revenue compared with an earlier, comparable period.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Risk-Based Vulnerability ManagementRisk-based vulnerability management is prioritizing vulnerabilities according to exploitation evidence, exposure and potential impact rather than severity alone.Full explainerIn 3 articles
S10
- SaaS (Software as a Service)SaaS is a model in which software is hosted by the provider and delivered to customers over the internet, usually for a subscription fee.Full explainerIn 1 article
- SEC Form S-1A registration statement filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, commonly used for an IPO.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Security advisoryA security advisory is a vendor notice that names a flaw, the versions it affects and how to fix it.Full explainerIn 3 articles
- Security PatchA security patch is a software update that fixes a known security weakness.Full explainerIn 4 articles
- Security RemediationSecurity remediation is the actions taken to eliminate or reduce identified security weaknesses.Full explainerIn 2 articles
- Selling StockholderAn existing investor or shareholder who sells shares as part of a securities offering.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Severance PackageCompensation and benefits provided to employees when their employment ends under specified circumstances.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Share RepurchaseA transaction in which a company buys back its own outstanding shares.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Shareholder DilutionA reduction in an existing shareholder's percentage ownership when additional shares are issued.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Subscription revenueSubscription revenue is revenue recognized from customers who pay for ongoing access to a product or service.Full explainerIn 1 article
T3
- Tensor Processing Unit (TPU)A Tensor Processing Unit is a specialized processor designed by Google to speed up machine-learning workloads.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Threat HuntingThreat hunting is proactively searching systems and networks for evidence of malicious activity.Full explainerIn 2 articles
- Trailing twelve months (TTM)Trailing twelve months is a financial measurement that covers the most recent 12 months, regardless of the company's fiscal year.Full explainerIn 1 article
U1
V4
- Valuation multipleA valuation multiple is a ratio that compares a company's value or share price with a financial measure, such as earnings, sales or cash flow.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Voluntary Exit OfferAn employer program offering eligible employees financial or other benefits to leave the organization voluntarily.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Vulnerability DetectionVulnerability detection is the process of identifying weaknesses that could be exploited in software or infrastructure.Full explainerIn 1 article
- Vulnerability ManagementVulnerability management is the ongoing process of identifying, assessing, prioritizing and fixing security vulnerabilities.Full explainerIn 3 articles
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Y1
Z1
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