ICT: General Abbreviations and Terminology

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) includes various abbreviations and technical terms related to computers, networking, internet, communication, and digital technologies. These abbreviations are important for competitive exams like UGC NET, SSC, Banking, and other academic examinations.

Important ICT Abbreviations

Abbreviation	Full Form
ICT	Information and Communication Technology
CPU	Central Processing Unit
RAM	Random Access Memory
ROM	Read Only Memory
ALU	Arithmetic Logic Unit
CU	Control Unit
USB	Universal Serial Bus
VDU	Visual Display Unit
LAN	Local Area Network
MAN	Metropolitan Area Network
WAN	Wide Area Network
WWW	World Wide Web
URL	Uniform Resource Locator
HTTP	HyperText Transfer Protocol
HTTPS	HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure
HTML	HyperText Markup Language
XML	Extensible Markup Language
ISP	Internet Service Provider
IP	Internet Protocol
DNS	Domain Name System
SMTP	Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
POP3	Post Office Protocol Version 3
IMAP	Internet Message Access Protocol
PDF	Portable Document Format
JPEG	Joint Photographic Experts Group
PNG	Portable Network Graphics
GIF	Graphics Interchange Format
OS	Operating System
GUI	Graphical User Interface
AI	Artificial Intelligence
IoT	Internet of Things
VPN	Virtual Private Network
Wi-Fi	Wireless Fidelity
OCR	Optical Character Recognition
DBMS	Database Management System
CAD	Computer-Aided Design

Important ICT Terminology

Term	Meaning
Hardware	Physical components of a computer system.
Software	Programs and applications used by computers.
Internet	A worldwide network of computers.
Intranet	A private network within an organization.
Browser	Software used to access websites.
Search Engine	Tool used to search information online.
Cloud Computing	Using online servers for storage and processing.
Cybersecurity	Protection of systems and data from cyber threats.
Firewall	Security system that controls network traffic.
Malware	Malicious software designed to damage systems.
Encryption	Converting data into coded form for security.
Database	Organized collection of data.
Bandwidth	Data transfer capacity of a network.
Protocol	Rules for communication between devices.
Spam	Unwanted or junk email messages.

Importance for UGC NET

• Frequently asked in Paper 1 ICT Unit.
• Important for one-word MCQs.
• Useful for matching-type questions.
• Commonly repeated in previous year papers.