Backup
A protected copy of data or a system that can be used to restore information after deletion, corruption, failure, or an incident.
PLAIN-LANGUAGE GLOSSARY
The terms behind
managed IT.
Use this reference while reviewing proposals, service descriptions, security plans, and contracts.
Business associate agreement
An agreement defining responsibilities in a relationship subject to HIPAA business associate requirements. Applicability depends on the actual service and data; consult the responsible adviser.
Business continuity
The plans and capabilities that keep critical business processes operating during a disruption, not merely the restoration of technology.
Co-managed IT
A model in which internal IT and an external provider divide clearly defined operational responsibilities.
Conditional access
Access policies that evaluate signals such as identity, device, and context before allowing access. The exact features depend on the platform and configuration.
DNS
Domain Name System: the records that direct domain names to services such as websites and email. Keep ownership and administrator access documented.
EDR
Endpoint detection and response: software and operations used to detect, investigate, and contain suspicious activity on devices.
Help desk
The intake, communication, troubleshooting, and escalation function for employee technology questions and incidents.
Immutable backup
A backup copy designed so it cannot be altered or deleted during a defined retention period.
Incident response
The coordinated technical and business process for investigating, containing, communicating, and recovering from a security incident.
Least privilege
Granting only the permissions needed for an approved task or role, with review and removal when the need ends.
MDM
Mobile device management: administration of supported device settings, applications, and policies through a management service.
MDR
Managed detection and response: an operated security service that monitors, investigates, and responds to threats.
MFA
Multifactor authentication: verifying identity with more than one type of factor, such as something you know and something you possess.
MSP
Managed service provider: a company that operates defined technology services under an ongoing agreement.
NOC
Network operations center: a team or function that monitors and supports infrastructure and availability.
Privileged access
Permissions that can make significant administrative changes. Document who holds them, what they cover, and how use and removal are controlled.
RMM
Remote monitoring and management: tools used to observe and administer systems remotely. Tool access requires clear authorization and oversight.
RPO
Recovery point objective: the acceptable data-loss window measured in time for a system or process.
RTO
Recovery time objective: the target time for restoring a system or process after disruption.
Runbook
A documented operational procedure describing prerequisites, steps, owners, and validation for a recurring task or recovery activity.
Service desk
A broader support function that manages requests, incidents, communication, knowledge, and service processes.
SLA
Service-level agreement: documented service commitments such as coverage, priority, response, escalation, and reporting.
SOC
Security operations center: the people, process, and technology used to monitor, investigate, and respond to security events.
SSO
Single sign-on: using an identity service to access connected applications. Application scope and access removal still need verification.
Tenant
An organization’s logical environment within a cloud service. Record its identifier, business owner, and administrator access.
Ticket
The system record used to track a request, incident, communication, ownership, timing, and resolution.
vCIO
Virtual chief information officer: an external role intended to connect technology planning, risk, budget, and business priorities.
Zero trust
A security approach that continuously verifies access based on identity, device, context, and least privilege rather than assuming internal traffic is trusted.
Zero-day
A newly discovered vulnerability for which defenders may have little warning or no broadly available patch.
PUT TERMS IN CONTEXT
Service language should connect to an operating process.
Ask who owns the work, what triggers action, how performance is reported, and where the commitment appears in the agreement.
Explore the service library →REVIEW THE CONTRACT
Translate the proposal into clear ownership.
Scope, service levels, security roles, pricing, access, and transition obligations should be explicit before signing.
Read the contract guide →