AQA GCSE Computer Science key terms

Describes memory or storage that loses its contents when power is removed.

Memory that loses its contents when its power supply is switched off.

A weakness in software or a system that an attacker could exploit.

A password that is easy to guess or discover, for example because it is short, common or predictable.

An SQL clause containing a condition that determines which rows a statement applies to.

A network that usually covers a wide geographical area and is often under collective or distributed ownership. The Internet is the largest example.

A network connection that carries data through a physical cable.

A network that uses physical cables to connect devices and transmit data.

A device that allows wireless devices to connect to a network.

A network connection that carries data through the air using radio waves.

A network that uses radio waves to connect devices and transmit data through the air.

An operation that saves or changes data in storage. Flash memory supports a limited number of write cycles before its cells wear out.

Exclusive OR: a logical operation that produces 1 when exactly one of two inputs is 1. Written using a circled plus: $A\oplus B$.

A two-input gate that outputs 1 when its inputs are different and 0 when they are the same.