Tech explainers

Read in-depth guides to the most important technologies affecting organizations and individuals.

An explanation of ransomware

Ransomware encrypts data and demands payment for release. Protect yourself by backing up data, updating software and avoiding suspicious links.
What's going on with Nvidia stock and the booming AI market?

Nvidia's market value surpassed $3 trillion in 2024, fueled by the generative AI boom, rebounding tech sector and 154% stock growth in 2024. However, there are questions if AI will sustain the hype cycle.
An explanation of customer relationship management (CRM)

CRM software enhances customer relationships and drives sales growth by consolidating customer data into a single database, enabling effective marketing and improved service.
An explanation of RFID

RFID -- often an alternative to barcode systems -- uses electromagnetic frequencies to uniquely identify a person, object or animal.
An explanation of software as a service (SaaS)

Software as a service can be a cost savings to organizations, as it eliminates licensing fees, expensive hardware and maintenance.
Coffee badging explained: Why businesses are cracking down

Companies are enforcing return-to-office mandates, and employees aren't thrilled. Boosting morale with perks and flexibility can ease the transition.
7 common social media privacy issues

Social media usage continues to grow as people share posts, videos and photos. However, there are data privacy issues and risks with sharing on social media.
CrowdStrike outage explained: What caused it and what’s next

A CrowdStrike update caused a massive IT outage, crashing millions of Windows systems. Critical services and business operations were disrupted, revealing tech reliance risks.
What is cloud compliance and why is it important?

Cloud compliance ensures the safe and secure use and storage of data through strict adherence to existing cloud computing rules and guidelines, including applicable federal or international laws and regulatory compliance, as well as industry frameworks and best practices.
What is cloud architecture? Design and implementation

Cloud architecture is how infrastructure components are connected and configured to create a suitable cloud computing environment for the performance, reliability and scalability needed to host user workloads and data.
What is mixed reality?

Mixed reality refers to advanced technology that combines both virtual reality (VR), a fully immersive computer-generated experience, and augmented reality (AR), which integrates digital elements into the physical world.
How to opt out of AI training across social media platforms

Whether they are aware of it or not, businesses are increasingly using people's social media posts -- written content and images -- for their training AI systems.
How Hurricane Helene may cause semiconductor chip shortages

The hurricane disrupted quartz mining essential for semiconductors. While some operations resumed, delays may affect chip supply chains and global industries.
What is cloud networking?

Cloud networking is a type of IT infrastructure in which the cloud hosts some or all of an organization's networking resources.
The American Water cyberattack: Explaining how it happened

A cyberattack on American Water disrupted customer systems. While water operations were unaffected, the incident underscores the vulnerability of critical infrastructure.
Google antitrust case explained: What's next?

A U.S. judge ruled Google violated antitrust laws with an illegal monopoly over online searches -- a landmark decision with major implications for Big Tech and consumer choices.
FTX scam explained: Everything you need to know

Cryptocurrency values rose in 2021 but started to decline in 2022, causing some exchange platforms to fold. FTX appeared to stay strong -- until news broke of an elaborate scam.
Visa antitrust lawsuit explained: What happens next

The DOJ has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Visa, alleging it has unlawfully monopolized the U.S. debit card market, limiting competition and charging exorbitant fees.
11 ways to spot disinformation on social media

Social media disinformation is meant to be deceptive and can spread quickly. Here are some ways to spot it.
How AI speech recognition shows bias toward different accents

AI speech recognition systems often struggle to understand certain accents and dialects due to insufficient training data.
What is IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6)?

Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is a set of specifications from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that is responsible for identifying network devices and routing traffic across the internet.
What is cloud consulting? Everything you should know

Cloud consulting assists organizations with the complexity of cloud computing including building, deploying, managing and securing applications and infrastructure in the cloud.
What is AI inference?

AI inference is the process during which a trained AI model applies its understanding to generate original output in real time.
How to spot a fake review online

AI is making fake reviews harder to spot, as they become more convincing. The FTC's new rules target deceptive practices, helping consumers trust reviews before making a purchase.
What is a large action model (LAM)?

A large action model (LAM) is an AI system that understands queries and responds by taking action.
What is cloud economics?

Cloud economics analyzes the total cost of ownership, benefits of cloud services and the overall computing costs in an enterprise environment, focusing on the economic principles driving these factors.
8 largest IT outages in history

IT outages can be caused by cyberattacks, hardware failure, natural disasters and human error. Learn about some of the biggest outages here.
What is quishing (QR code phishing)?

QR code phishing, or 'quishing,' is a social engineering phishing attack that intentionally deceives its recipient into scanning a QR code, redirecting the person to a bogus website.
What is skill-based routing (SBR)?

Skill-based routing (SBR) is a strategy within customer service and contact centers to distribute incoming interactions -- phone calls, chats or emails -- based on the specific skills of the agents.
What is secure multiparty computation (SMPC)?

Secure multiparty computation (SMPC) is a form of confidential computing that protects the privacy and security of systems and data sources, while maintaining the data's integrity.
GPUs vs. TPUs vs. NPUs: Comparing AI hardware options

Traditional CPUs struggle with complex ML and AI tasks, leading to today's specialized processors -- GPUs, TPUs and NPUs, each tailored to handle specific functions efficiently.
An explanation of Apple Intelligence

Core features of Apple's generative AI tool include natural language understanding, custom image generation and automatic transcription.
An explanation of configuration management

Configuration management has four key benefits -- compliance, consistency, service delivery and security.
Fibonacci sequence use cases in technology

The Fibonacci sequence has key applications in code testing, cryptography and quantum computing.
An explanation of cybersecurity

Cybersecurity protects internet-connected systems from attacks, covering hardware, software and data.
Explaining an AI bubble burst and what it could mean

As stock market turbulence sparks speculation of an AI bubble burst, the tech industry faces a critical shift, with inflated expectations turning to a review of AI's potential.
An explanation of subnets

Subnets make networking manageable and ensure efficient communication. Without subnetting, sending emails, texts and documents would be significantly slower.
Social Security number data breach: What you need to know

An estimated 2.9 million Social Security numbers and other PII have been leaked onto the dark web in a National Public Data breach.
MAC address vs. IP address explained

MAC and IP addresses serve different roles in data transmission, differing in location, format and use.
An explanation of fishbone diagrams

Fishbone diagrams assist in root cause analysis to identify the core issue of a problem.
What is an endpoint protection platform (EPP)?

An endpoint protection platform (EPP) is a security technology that safeguards endpoint devices.
An explanation of Industry 4.0 use cases

Industry 4.0 can be used across a number of industries, including retail, food service and cybersecurity.
An introduction to Industry 4.0

Here are the basics of Industry 4.0 -- the fourth industrial revolution -- featuring AI, IoT and cloud technologies.
SearchGPT explained: Details about OpenAI's search engine

SearchGPT is OpenAI's answer to Google search. It's a generative AI search engine that can ingest information in real time.
Explaining third-party cookies vs. tracking pixels

Websites personalize content using third-party cookies and tracking pixels but do so in different ways.
An explanation of centralized vs. decentralized finance

DeFi and CeFi manage cryptocurrency transactions in different ways. Here's how.
What is an embedded system?

An embedded system is a combination of computer hardware and software designed for a specific function.
An explanation of private 5G vs. Wi-Fi

Private 5G improves upon traditional cellular networks by catering to private networks, expanding accessibility beyond major carriers.
An explanation of serverless computing

Serverless computing simplifies app development by eliminating server management, streamlining coding for cloud platforms.
What is the Coalition for Secure AI (CoSAI)?

Coalition for Secure AI (CoSAI) is an open source initiative to enhance artificial intelligence's security.
Causes of IT outages explained

IT outages can be caused by utility disruptions, hardware faults, configuration errors and software faults.
12 types of endpoint security

With the rise of remote work, mobile devices and IoT, the traditional security perimeter extends beyond corporate networks, making endpoint security crucial for organizations.
An explanation of private cloud

Private clouds cater to a single organization, offering enhanced security and compliance, unlike multi-tenant public clouds.
Benefits and methods of load balancing

Load balancing ensures smooth network performance by distributing traffic equitably, enhancing scalability and adapting to dynamic IT landscapes.
An explanation of generative design

Generative design transforms the creation process across many fields and excels in generating unbiased, efficient designs.
An explanation of large language models

Large language models can be traced back to 1966 but are significantly more sophisticated today.
What is endpoint security? How does it work?

Endpoint security is the protection of endpoint devices against cybersecurity threats.
An explanation of prompt engineering

Prompt engineering is responsible for training AI language models to ensure accurate outputs in AI chatbots.
An explanation of romance scams (pig butchering)

Pig butchering is a scam that exploits virtual relationships to deceive and steal money.
An explanation of collaborative robots

Cobots are robotic arms equipped with sensors for manufacturing and assembly tasks. They also detect human presence for productivity enhancement.
An explanation of the CrowdStrike outage

A botched CrowdStrike update triggered a massive outage, affecting airlines, healthcare, banking and transit.
An explanation of Flipper Zero

Flipper Zero is both a tool for pen testers and a learning device for new hackers.
What is the blue screen of death (BSOD)?

The blue screen of death (BSOD) -- also known as a stop error screen, blue screen error, fatal error or bugcheck -- is a critical error screen that can be displayed by Microsoft Windows operating systems (OSes).
AT&T data breach: What's next for affected customers?

Another breach has affected millions of people -- this time it is AT&T customers. Learn more about this AT&T breach and what to do if you were part of this attack.
How to control Instagram's political content limits

Using echo chambers, Instagram political content is limited to accounts users engage with and follow.
An explanation of inception scores

Inception scores are a mathematical algorithm that measures the quality of AI-generated images.
WPA2 vs. WPA3

Wireless security has evolved from WEP to WPA protocols and play a pivotal role in safeguarding against cyberattacks.
An explanation of super apps

Super apps consolidate banking, shopping, transportation, email and food delivery into a single, versatile application.
5 examples of AI in the Olympics

The 2024 Olympics in Paris will use AI for judging accuracy, personalized recaps, security, logistics and enhancing athlete performance, aiming for a fairer and safer event.
What is NumPy? Explaining how it works in Python

NumPy is an open source mathematical and scientific computing library for Python programming tasks.
An explanation of bots

Bots are automated programs with varied roles. They can be both helpful and malicious.
An explanation of advanced vs. predictive analytics

Predictive analytics is a type of advanced analytics. Learn more in this video.
An explanation of the different types of AI

There are four main categories of AI -- reactive, limited memory, theory of mind and self-aware.
The CDK Global outage: Explaining how it happened

CDK Global was hit with a ransomware attack affecting thousands of U.S. auto dealerships. Keep reading to learn more about this attack and how it affected the industry.
tensor processing unit (TPU)

A tensor processing unit (TPU) is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) specifically designed to accelerate high-volume mathematical and logical processing tasks typically involved with machine learning (ML) workloads.
An explanation of GPT-4o

GPT-4o is a multimodal large language model developed by OpenAI.
An explanation of CIA triad

In information security CIA stands for confidentiality, integrity and availability.
Data protection vs. data privacy vs. data security explained

Data protection, privacy and security all play critical roles in effective data management.
An explanation of Trojan horse

Trojan horses are a type of malware that can take control of your computer and even access your camera.
An explanation of AI buzzwords

Here are some simple explanations of common AI buzzwords.
An explanation of AI model collapse

Generative AI creates content quickly and accurately but faces the risk of model collapse.
An explanation of foundation models

The core of every generative AI chatbot -- such as ChatGPT, Bard and YouChat -- is the foundation model.
An explanation of Hugging Face

Hugging Face is a machine learning platform that provides the means to run and deploy AI in live applications.
Pros and cons of AI-generated content

Artificial intelligence is growing rapidly in the tech sector and assisting with various tasks such as creating images and generating content. However, it cannot do everything.
How do cybercriminals steal credit card information?

Cybercriminals have various methods at their disposal to hack and exploit credit card information. Learn what they are, how to prevent them and what to do when hacked.
The importance of compliance officers

Compliance officers ensure a company follows both its internal rules as well as external laws from the government.
Differences between conversational AI and generative AI

While both AI types often work together, conversational AI enables natural interaction with machines, while generative AI creates new content such as text and images.
OpenAI and Apple's partnership, explained

Apple and OpenAI have partnered to bring ChatGPT to Apple devices via Apple's generative AI program, Apple Intelligence, uniting two major forces in the tech industry.
An explanation of CLI, GUI and NUI

A natural user interface uses human gestures, spoken words or biometrics for interaction, reducing reliance on typing and programming. This video will compare NUIs to CLI and GUI.
Conversational AI vs. generative AI: What's the difference?

As AI continues to evolve, understanding the differences and collaborative potential of conversational AI and generative AI is vital to their role in shaping the digital landscape.
Machine customers explained: Everything you need to know

In this fast-paced digital age, the concept of a machine customer has emerged, changing how businesses interact with their online platforms and services.
An explanation of gamification

Gamification integrates video game elements into nongame contexts such as business operations. It uses points, badges, levels and rewards to enhance engagement and motivation.
An explanation of Worldcoin

The Worldcoin cryptocurrency uses iris scans to create unique digital identities.
An explanation of rich communication services

In this video, TechTarget editor Tommy Everson talks about rich communication services.
AI lawsuits explained: Who's getting sued?

Authors, artists and others are filing lawsuits against generative AI companies for using their data in bulk to train AI systems without permission.
An explanation of vector search

Vector search is a multidimensional tool that represents words, sentences, images and audio as numbers across multiple dimensions.
An explanation of ICT

ICT is an umbrella term for all digital interaction technologies that, when combined, help people and organizations interact in the digital world.
History and evolution of machine learning: A timeline

Machine learning's legacy dates from the early beginnings of neural networks to recent advancements in generative AI that democratize new and controversial ways to create content.
Broadband infrastructure program explained: The details

With the $42.45 billion BEAD Program, each state will use allocated funds to connect all households to high-speed internet.
Hacking vs. spoofing: What's the difference?

While email, text and phone enable instant communication in a technology-driven world, they also expose individuals and companies to cyberattacks such as hacking and spoofing.