Glossary: Difference between revisions

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While security is a very broad concept that has [[wikipedia:Security|many definitions]], in the concept of software, it mainly refers to ensuring someone cannot interact with your devices in a way that you do not want. For example, running software on your computer without permission. Security is most useful when thought of through the lens of [[Glossary#Threat modelling|threat modelling.]]

=== Threat ~~Modelling~~ ===

=== Threat Model ===

Threat ~~modelling~~ is ~~the process~~ of ~~planning out~~ how someone might interact with your device in a way that you do not want, and ~~making~~ a plan to prevent it. For example, if you do not want someone to be able to take your laptop apart and read your files off of your [[Glossary#Drive|drive]], you could encrypt it. It's important to understand what exactly you are concerned about, instead of just trying to "be secure."

Threat Model is a of plan of how someone might interact with your device in a way that you do not want, and a plan to prevent it. For example, if you do not want someone to be able to take your laptop apart and read your files off of your [[Glossary#Drive|drive]], you could encrypt it. It's important to understand what exactly you are concerned about, instead of just trying to "be secure."

=== Drive ===

A drive, or sometimes disk, is a device that contains data, for long periods of time. This is different from RAM, which only stores memory temporarily. The main tradeoff being that reading and writing to a drive is much slower than RAM. Drives can come in many forms, such as [[Glossary#SSD|SSD]], [[Glossary#HDD|HDD]], [[Glossary#(e)MMC|eMMC]], etc. The term drive can be a bit confusing though, as drives used to refer to devices with removable media, like [[Glossary#CD|CD]], [[Glossary#Floppy Disk|Floppy]], and even old Hard Disks. In present day though, drives rarely have removable media.

A drive, or sometimes "disk", is a device that contains data, for long periods of time. This is different from RAM, which only stores memory temporarily. The main tradeoff being that reading and writing to a drive is much slower than RAM. Drives can come in many forms, such as [[Glossary#SSD|SSD]], [[Glossary#HDD|HDD]], [[Glossary#(e)MMC|eMMC]], etc. The term drive can be a bit confusing though, as drives used to refer to devices with removable media, like [[Glossary#CD|CD]], [[Glossary#Floppy Disk|Floppy]], and even old Hard Disks. In present day though, drives rarely have removable media. The media itself cannot be read or interacted with without the hardware to ''drive'' it, which is why it is called a drive.

=== RAM ===

Random Access Memory, often just called "memory" is a device that contains data while it is powered, but can be read from and written to very quickly. RAM is critical for a [[Glossary#CPU|CPU]] to function.

Random Access Memory, often just called "memory" is a device that contains data ''only'' while it is powered, but can be read from and written to very quickly. It is very important to note that RAM is intended ''temporary'' working memory, which is critical for a [[Glossary#CPU|CPU]] to function.

=== CPU ===

Central Processing Unit is an [[Glossary#IC|IC]] that performs the majority of the processing or "thinking" operations for the computer. CPUs take in ~~[[Glossary#Bytes|bytes]]~~, and then refer to a list ~~of instructions~~ for what each ~~byte~~ should do, and then perform that action. For example, if the CPU receives ~~a byte~~ telling it to copy some data, it will do so! The list of instructions is called the Instruction Set Architecture (ISA).

Central Processing Unit is an [[Glossary#IC|IC]] that performs the majority of the processing or "thinking" operations for the computer. CPUs take in instructions, and then refer to a list for what each instruction should do, and then perform that action. For example, if the CPU receives an instruction telling it to copy some data, it will do so! The list of instructions is called the Instruction Set Architecture (ISA).

=== IC ===

Integrated Circuit, or sometimes "chip", is ~~a complete~~ electronic circuit, integrated into a single piece of silicon. The advantages of ICs is that they can operate much faster, use much less electricity for the same operations, and be much more durable than a larger more fragile board with components attached to it.

Integrated Circuit, or sometimes "chip", is an electronic ''circuit'', ''integrated'' into a single piece of silicon. The advantages of ICs is that they can operate much faster, use much less electricity for the same operations, and be much more durable than a larger more fragile board with components attached to it.

=== Circuit ===

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=== SSD ===

Solid State Drives are drives which have no moving parts. ~~These drives instead~~ of having disks, have flash chips on a board that contain the data. There are a few different types of flash ~~chip~~, but most commonly [[Glossary#NAND|NAND]] is used. SSDs are usually removable from the device, and can be upgraded as needed, though some devices do have their SSD [[Glossary#Soldering|soldered]] to the motherboard. SSDs are usually either SATA or NVME, with NVME offering faster speeds, but usually at a higher price.

Solid State Drives are drives which have no moving parts. Instead of having disks, they have flash chips on a board that contain the data. There are a few different types of flash chips, but most commonly [[Glossary#NAND|NAND]] is used. SSDs are usually removable from the device, and can be upgraded as needed, though some devices do have their SSD [[Glossary#Soldering|soldered]] to the motherboard. SSDs are usually either SATA or NVME, with NVME offering faster speeds, but usually at a higher price.

=== HDD ===

Hard Disk Drives are [[Glossary#Drive|drives]] which contain a spinning metal disk that can be magnetized. Depending on how the disk is magnetized, it ~~will send out~~ a corresponding 1 or 0 bit. Very old hard drives, for example for the Centurion computer, had removable disks, or "platters"~~, which is why it was called a drive. Even though this fairly quickly stopped being the case, the name has stuck around, and now many storage devices are called drives~~.

Hard Disk Drives are [[Glossary#Drive|drives]] which contain a spinning metal disk that can be magnetized. Depending on how the disk is magnetized, it stores a corresponding 1 or 0 bit. Very old hard drives, for example for the Centurion computer, had removable disks, or "platters".

=== NAND ===

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 While security is a very broad concept that has [[wikipedia:Security|many definitions]], in the concept of software, it mainly refers to ensuring someone cannot interact with your devices in a way that you do not want. For example, running software on your computer without permission. Security is most useful when thought of through the lens of [[Glossary#Threat modelling|threat modelling.]]
-=== Threat Modelling ===
+=== Threat Model ===
-Threat modelling is the process of planning out how someone might interact with your device in a way that you do not want, and making a plan to prevent it. For example, if you do not want someone to be able to take your laptop apart and read your files off of your [[Glossary#Drive|drive]], you could encrypt it. It's important to understand what exactly you are concerned about, instead of just trying to "be secure."
+Threat Model is a of plan of how someone might interact with your device in a way that you do not want, and a plan to prevent it. For example, if you do not want someone to be able to take your laptop apart and read your files off of your [[Glossary#Drive|drive]], you could encrypt it. It's important to understand what exactly you are concerned about, instead of just trying to "be secure."
 === Drive ===
-A drive, or sometimes disk, is a device that contains data, for long periods of time. This is different from RAM, which only stores memory temporarily. The main tradeoff being that reading and writing to a drive is much slower than RAM. Drives can come in many forms, such as [[Glossary#SSD|SSD]], [[Glossary#HDD|HDD]], [[Glossary#(e)MMC|eMMC]], etc. The term drive can be a bit confusing though, as drives used to refer to devices with removable media, like [[Glossary#CD|CD]], [[Glossary#Floppy Disk|Floppy]], and even old Hard Disks. In present day though, drives rarely have removable media.
+A drive, or sometimes "disk", is a device that contains data, for long periods of time. This is different from RAM, which only stores memory temporarily. The main tradeoff being that reading and writing to a drive is much slower than RAM. Drives can come in many forms, such as [[Glossary#SSD|SSD]], [[Glossary#HDD|HDD]], [[Glossary#(e)MMC|eMMC]], etc. The term drive can be a bit confusing though, as drives used to refer to devices with removable media, like [[Glossary#CD|CD]], [[Glossary#Floppy Disk|Floppy]], and even old Hard Disks. In present day though, drives rarely have removable media. The media itself cannot be read or interacted with without the hardware to ''drive'' it, which is why it is called a drive.
 === RAM ===
-Random Access Memory, often just called "memory" is a device that contains data while it is powered, but can be read from and written to very quickly. RAM is critical for a [[Glossary#CPU|CPU]] to function.
+Random Access Memory, often just called "memory" is a device that contains data ''only'' while it is powered, but can be read from and written to very quickly. It is very important to note that RAM is intended ''temporary'' working memory, which is critical for a [[Glossary#CPU|CPU]] to function.
 === CPU ===
-Central Processing Unit is an [[Glossary#IC|IC]] that performs the majority of the processing or "thinking" operations for the computer. CPUs take in [[Glossary#Bytes|bytes]], and then refer to a list of instructions for what each byte should do, and then perform that action. For example, if the CPU receives a byte telling it to copy some data, it will do so! The list of instructions is called the Instruction Set Architecture (ISA).
+Central Processing Unit is an [[Glossary#IC|IC]] that performs the majority of the processing or "thinking" operations for the computer. CPUs take in instructions, and then refer to a list for what each instruction should do, and then perform that action. For example, if the CPU receives an instruction telling it to copy some data, it will do so! The list of instructions is called the Instruction Set Architecture (ISA).
 === IC ===
-Integrated Circuit, or sometimes "chip", is a complete electronic circuit, integrated into a single piece of silicon. The advantages of ICs is that they can operate much faster, use much less electricity for the same operations, and be much more durable than a larger more fragile board with components attached to it.
+Integrated Circuit, or sometimes "chip", is an electronic ''circuit'', ''integrated'' into a single piece of silicon. The advantages of ICs is that they can operate much faster, use much less electricity for the same operations, and be much more durable than a larger more fragile board with components attached to it.
 === Circuit ===
@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 === SSD ===
-Solid State Drives are drives which have no moving parts. These drives instead of having disks, have flash chips on a board that contain the data. There are a few different types of flash chip, but most commonly [[Glossary#NAND|NAND]] is used. SSDs are usually removable from the device, and can be upgraded as needed, though some devices do have their SSD [[Glossary#Soldering|soldered]] to the motherboard. SSDs are usually either SATA or NVME, with NVME offering faster speeds, but usually at a higher price.
+Solid State Drives are drives which have no moving parts. Instead of having disks, they have flash chips on a board that contain the data. There are a few different types of flash chips, but most commonly [[Glossary#NAND|NAND]] is used. SSDs are usually removable from the device, and can be upgraded as needed, though some devices do have their SSD [[Glossary#Soldering|soldered]] to the motherboard. SSDs are usually either SATA or NVME, with NVME offering faster speeds, but usually at a higher price.
 === HDD ===
-Hard Disk Drives are [[Glossary#Drive|drives]] which contain a spinning metal disk that can be magnetized. Depending on how the disk is magnetized, it will send out a corresponding 1 or 0 bit. Very old hard drives, for example for the Centurion computer, had removable disks, or "platters", which is why it was called a drive. Even though this fairly quickly stopped being the case, the name has stuck around, and now many storage devices are called drives.
+Hard Disk Drives are [[Glossary#Drive|drives]] which contain a spinning metal disk that can be magnetized. Depending on how the disk is magnetized, it stores a corresponding 1 or 0 bit. Very old hard drives, for example for the Centurion computer, had removable disks, or "platters".
 === NAND ===

Glossary: Difference between revisions

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