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Content Filtering Glossary

AI - Artificial Intelligence – the ability of a computer or other machine to perform activities normally thought to require intelligent behaviour. 

API - Application Program Interface - set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. A good API makes it easier to develop a program by providing all the building blocks. A programmer puts the blocks together.

Becta - British Educational Communications and Technology Agency known as Becta is the United Kingdom Government's key partner in the strategic development and delivery of its information and communications technology (ICT) and e-learning strategy for the schools and the learning and skills sectors.

Blocking - preventing web sites or other Internet content from ever reaching a destination computer.

CIPA - Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is a federal law enacted by the United States' Congress in December 2000 to address concerns about access to offensive content over the Internet on school and library computers.

FCC - Federal Communications Commission - an independent government agency that regulates interstate and international communications by radio and television and wire and cable and satellite.

FTP - File Transfer Protocol – a protocol or method for transmitting files over the internet.

HTTP - Hyper Text Transfer Protocol – a set of rules for exchanging files (text, graphic images, sound, video, and other multimedia files) on the World Wide Web.  

ICT - Information and Communications Technology. Primarily used in Britain to describe Internet and computer services offered in schools.

IM - Instant Messaging – is a form of electronic communication allowing two or more users who are online to communicate instantaneously. 

Keylogging - The process of capturing keystrokes. Generally the result of spyware being introduced to a computer.

Linux Based Server – Linux is an open source Unix-like operating system designed to provide personal computer users a free or very low-cost operating system comparable to traditional and usually more expensive Unix systems. Linux has a reputation as a very efficient and fast-performing system. 

Usage Monitoring- Similar to blocking but Internet traffic is allowed to pass to the destination computer but this traffic is logged and monitored.

P2P - Peer-to-peer services, primarily file sharing.

Policy Server - A policy server is a security component of a policy-based network that provides authorization services and facilitates tracking and control of files. The policy server accepts access control requests, processes them against a formal set of statements that define how the network's resources are to be allocated among its clients (known as the policy), and returns access control responses.

RAS - Remote Access Server - A server that is dedicated to handling users that are not on a LAN but need remote access to it. The remote access server allows users to gain access to files and print services on the LAN from a remote location. For example, a user who dials into a network from home using an analog modem or an ISDN connection will dial into a remote access server. Once the user is authenticated he can access shared drives and printers as if he were physically connected to the office LAN.

SDK - Software Development Kit - A set of programs that allows software developers to create products to run on a particular platform or to work with an API.

SMB - Small to Medium-sized Business - a market that is larger than the small office/home office (SOHO), but smaller than a major company.

TPM - Technology Protection Measure – 1 of the 3 requirement of CIPA. is a specific technology that blocks or filters Internet access. It must protect against access by adults and minors to visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or — with respect to use of computers with Internet access by minors — harmful to minors. It may be disabled for adults engaged in bona fide research or other lawful purposes. For schools, the policy must also include monitoring the online activities of minors.

VoIP - Voice over Internet Protocol - converting analog voice data into digital packets and sending those packets over the Internet to a receiver at the other end.