33  ICT: Abbreviations and Terminology

ICT — Information and Communication Technology — encompasses all technologies that handle information: capture, store, process, transmit and present it. NTA Paper-I tests recognition of standard abbreviations and basic vocabulary.

33.1 Hardware

TipCommon Hardware Abbreviations
Abbreviation Full Form What it does
CPU Central Processing Unit The “brain” — executes instructions
GPU Graphics Processing Unit Specialised processor for graphics and parallel computation
RAM Random Access Memory Volatile (loses data on power off); fast working memory
ROM Read-Only Memory Non-volatile; holds firmware (BIOS)
HDD Hard Disk Drive Magnetic spinning-disk storage
SSD Solid State Drive Flash-based storage; faster than HDD
USB Universal Serial Bus Standard interface for peripherals
HDMI High-Definition Multimedia Interface Carries digital video and audio
VGA Video Graphics Array Older analog display interface
NIC Network Interface Card Connects a computer to a network
UPS Uninterruptible Power Supply Battery backup against power loss
BIOS Basic Input/Output System Firmware that initialises hardware at boot
MoBo / Motherboard — Main circuit board
PCB Printed Circuit Board Electronic substrate carrying components

33.2 Software

TipCommon Software Abbreviations
Abbreviation Full Form Description
OS Operating System Master software (Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS)
GUI Graphical User Interface Mouse-and-window user interface
CLI Command-Line Interface Text-based interface
API Application Programming Interface Standard way for programs to talk to each other
SDK Software Development Kit Tools for writing software
IDE Integrated Development Environment All-in-one programming workspace
FOSS Free and Open Source Software Linux, Firefox, LibreOffice
SaaS Software as a Service Software via subscription over web
PaaS Platform as a Service Cloud platform for developers
IaaS Infrastructure as a Service Cloud-based servers and storage

33.3 Networking

TipCommon Networking Abbreviations
Abbreviation Full Form Description
LAN Local Area Network Within a building or campus
WAN Wide Area Network Across cities and countries
MAN Metropolitan Area Network Across a city
PAN Personal Area Network Around a single user (Bluetooth, etc.)
VPN Virtual Private Network Secure tunnel over a public network
WiFi Wireless Fidelity Wireless LAN technology
IP Internet Protocol Addressing scheme for the internet
TCP Transmission Control Protocol Reliable data delivery
UDP User Datagram Protocol Faster, unreliable delivery
DNS Domain Name System Maps names to IP addresses
DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Auto-assigns IP addresses
HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol Web protocol
HTTPS HTTP Secure HTTP with TLS encryption
FTP File Transfer Protocol File transfer
SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol Sending email
POP3 Post Office Protocol v3 Downloading email
IMAP Internet Message Access Protocol Email with server-side storage
VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol Voice calls over internet
SSL / TLS Secure Sockets Layer / Transport Layer Security Encryption protocols
5G Fifth Generation Latest mobile network standard

33.4 Internet & Web

TipInternet & Web Vocabulary
Term Description
WWW World Wide Web — interlinked documents accessible over the internet
URL Uniform Resource Locator — web address
URI Uniform Resource Identifier — generic identifier (URL is a type of URI)
HTML HyperText Markup Language — web page structure
CSS Cascading Style Sheets — web page styling
XML eXtensible Markup Language — data interchange format
JSON JavaScript Object Notation — data interchange
ISP Internet Service Provider
CDN Content Delivery Network — distributed servers for fast content
SEO Search Engine Optimisation
Cookie Small data stored by website on user’s browser
Cache Temporary storage of web data for faster retrieval
OTT Over-The-Top — streaming via internet (Netflix, Hotstar, Prime)

33.5 Storage Units

TipDigital Storage Units
Unit Symbol Size
Bit b 0 or 1 — smallest unit
Byte B 8 bits
Kilobyte KB 1,024 bytes (or 1,000)
Megabyte MB 1,024 KB
Gigabyte GB 1,024 MB
Terabyte TB 1,024 GB
Petabyte PB 1,024 TB
Exabyte EB 1,024 PB
TipWorking unit conversions
  • 1 byte = 8 bits.
  • 1 character (ASCII) ≈ 1 byte.
  • A 4-page MS Word document ≈ 25–50 KB.
  • A typical photo ≈ 1–5 MB.
  • A standard movie ≈ 1–4 GB.
  • 1 TB ≈ 250 movies.

33.6 Generations of Computers

TipFive Computer Generations
Generation Period Technology Example
First 1946–59 Vacuum tubes ENIAC, UNIVAC
Second 1959–65 Transistors IBM 1401
Third 1965–71 Integrated Circuits (IC) IBM 360
Fourth 1971–80s Microprocessors (VLSI) IBM PC, Apple II
Fifth 1980s–present Artificial Intelligence, ULSI, parallel processing Modern PCs, smartphones

33.7 Cybersecurity Vocabulary

TipCommon Cybersecurity Terms
Term Description
Malware Malicious software (virus, worm, Trojan)
Virus Self-replicating malware that spreads through host files
Worm Self-replicating malware that spreads through networks
Trojan Malware disguised as legitimate software
Ransomware Encrypts user data; demands payment
Spyware Steals data covertly
Phishing Fraudulent emails / messages to extract credentials
DDoS Distributed Denial of Service attack
Firewall Filters network traffic; blocks unauthorised access
Encryption Converting data into unreadable form to protect it
2FA / MFA Two-Factor / Multi-Factor Authentication
CERT-In Indian Computer Emergency Response Team

33.8 Emerging Technologies

TipEmerging Technology Acronyms
Acronym Full Form Description
AI Artificial Intelligence Machines that simulate aspects of human intelligence
ML Machine Learning Algorithms that learn patterns from data
NLP Natural Language Processing Computers process human language
IoT Internet of Things Network of internet-connected devices
VR Virtual Reality Computer-generated immersive environment
AR Augmented Reality Digital overlays on real world
MR / XR Mixed / Extended Reality Blends VR and AR
Blockchain — Distributed, append-only digital ledger
NFT Non-Fungible Token Unique digital token on a blockchain
Quantum computing — Computing using quantum bits (qubits)
Cloud computing — On-demand computing over the internet
Big Data — Datasets too large or complex for traditional tools

33.9 Practice Questions

Q 01 Hardware Easy

CPU stands for:

  • AComputer Personal Unit
  • BCentral Processing Unit
  • CCentral Programming Unit
  • DComputer Print Unit
View solution
Correct Option: B
CPU = Central Processing Unit — the brain of the computer.
Q 02 Memory Easy

Which of the following is a *volatile* memory?

  • ARAM
  • BROM
  • CSSD
  • DHDD
View solution
Correct Option: A
RAM is volatile — it loses data when power is off. ROM, SSD, HDD all retain data.
Q 03 Storage Units Easy

1 byte equals how many bits?

  • A2
  • B4
  • C8
  • D16
View solution
Correct Option: C
1 byte = 8 bits.
Q 04 Networking Medium

Match the abbreviation with its full form:

(i) LAN (a) Wide Area Network
(ii) WAN (b) Personal Area Network
(iii) MAN (c) Local Area Network
(iv) PAN (d) Metropolitan Area Network
  • A(i)-(c), (ii)-(a), (iii)-(d), (iv)-(b)
  • B(i)-(a), (ii)-(b), (iii)-(c), (iv)-(d)
  • C(i)-(b), (ii)-(c), (iii)-(d), (iv)-(a)
  • D(i)-(d), (ii)-(c), (iii)-(b), (iv)-(a)
View solution
Correct Option: A
LAN → Local; WAN → Wide; MAN → Metropolitan; PAN → Personal.
Q 05 Storage Medium

Arrange the following storage units in ascending order: KB, GB, MB, TB

  • AKB < MB < GB < TB
  • BTB < GB < MB < KB
  • CMB < KB < GB < TB
  • DKB < GB < MB < TB
View solution
Correct Option: A
Each successive unit is 1024× the previous: KB < MB < GB < TB.
Q 06 Computer Generations Medium

The first generation of computers used:

  • AVacuum tubes
  • BTransistors
  • CIntegrated circuits
  • DMicroprocessors
View solution
Correct Option: A
First generation (1946–59) — vacuum tubes. Then transistors → IC → microprocessors → AI.
Q 07 Cybersecurity Medium

Which of the following is malware that *encrypts* a user's data and demands payment for decryption?

  • ASpyware
  • BRansomware
  • CWorm
  • DTrojan
View solution
Correct Option: B
Ransomware encrypts the user's data and demands a ransom for the decryption key.
Q 08 Cloud Service Models Hard

Match the cloud service model with its primary offering:

(i) SaaS (a) Servers, storage, networking
(ii) PaaS (b) Application software via subscription
(iii) IaaS (c) Development platform with libraries and runtime
  • A(i)-(b), (ii)-(c), (iii)-(a)
  • B(i)-(a), (ii)-(b), (iii)-(c)
  • C(i)-(c), (ii)-(a), (iii)-(b)
  • D(i)-(c), (ii)-(b), (iii)-(a)
View solution
Correct Option: A
SaaS → application software (Gmail, Office 365); PaaS → dev platform (Heroku, Google App Engine); IaaS → raw infrastructure (AWS EC2).
ImportantQuick recall
  • Hardware: CPU, GPU, RAM, ROM, HDD, SSD, USB, HDMI, NIC, BIOS.
  • Networking: LAN, WAN, MAN, PAN, VPN, IP, TCP, UDP, DNS, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SMTP, POP3, IMAP, VoIP, SSL/TLS.
  • Storage units: bit < byte < KB < MB < GB < TB < PB < EB (each ×1024).
  • Five generations: Vacuum tube → Transistor → IC → Microprocessor → AI.
  • Cybersecurity: Virus, Worm, Trojan, Ransomware, Spyware, Phishing, DDoS, Firewall, 2FA, CERT-In.
  • Cloud models: SaaS · PaaS · IaaS.