IT in plain English
The jargon, translated.
You shouldn’t need a dictionary to understand your IT provider. Here are the terms we hear business owners ask about most, each in a sentence or two.
The four we get asked about most
We say
MFA
We mean
A second check when you sign in, like a code on your phone, so a stolen password on its own isn’t enough.
We say
Tenant
We mean
Your organisation’s own space in Microsoft 365, where your users, email and files live.
We say
Restore test
We mean
Actually getting data back from a backup, to prove it works. A backup you’ve never restored is a hope, not a plan.
We say
Conditional access
We mean
Rules that decide whether a sign-in is allowed, based on things like the device, the location or the risk.
Security
- MFA
- A second check when you sign in, like a code on your phone, so a stolen password on its own isn’t enough.
- Short for multi-factor authentication. It is one of the simplest, most effective protections for email and business systems.
- Phishing
- A message pretending to be someone you trust, trying to get you to click a link, open a file or hand over details.
- Conditional access
- Rules that decide whether a sign-in is allowed, based on things like the device, the location or the risk.
- Least privilege
- Giving people only the access they need to do their job, and no more.
- Patch
- A software update that fixes a bug or closes a security hole.
- Firewall
- A gatekeeper that controls which network traffic is allowed in and out.
- Restore test
- Actually getting data back from a backup, to prove it works. A backup you’ve never restored is a hope, not a plan.
Microsoft 365 & cloud
- Tenant
- Your organisation’s own space in Microsoft 365, where your users, email and files live.
- Entra ID
- Microsoft’s sign-in and identity service. It decides who can log in to what. It used to be called Azure AD.
- Azure Virtual Desktop
- A Windows desktop that runs in Microsoft’s cloud. You connect to it from almost any device.
- Power Automate
- Microsoft’s tool for automating repeat tasks, like sending a form to the right person for approval.
- Licensing
- What you pay per user or device for the right to use software. The right mix matters more than the biggest plan.
Everyday IT
- Endpoint
- Any device that connects to your systems: laptops, desktops, phones and tablets.
- DNS
- The internet’s address book. It points your domain name to your website and your email.
- VPN
- An encrypted connection that lets you reach office systems securely from somewhere else.
- Offboarding
- Safely removing a departing person’s access and handing over their files and devices.
Working with a provider
- SLA
- A service level agreement: the written terms for how quickly a provider responds, and what’s covered.
- Scope
- The list of what’s included in a piece of work, and just as importantly, what isn’t.
General explanations to help conversations, not technical or legal advice for your environment.
Still sounds like jargon?
Ask us anything. We’ll explain it in plain English, and we won’t make you feel silly for asking.