Certified - CompTIA Cloud+ Audio Course

Welcome to the Bare Metal Cyber PrepCast for the CompTIA Cloud Plus exam. In this episode we are going to review important acronyms that appear on the certification. These acronyms represent core technologies, security concepts, and infrastructure elements that you will encounter both in cloud environments and on the test itself. The goal here is to make each one clear and approachable even if it sounds unfamiliar. I will walk you through what each acronym stands for and provide a simple explanation of how it fits into cloud computing. Let us begin.
ACL stands for Access Control List. An access control list is a set of rules used to decide which traffic is allowed or denied on a network device like a router or firewall. In cloud environments access control lists are important for controlling who or what can access specific services and resources.
ARP stands for Address Resolution Protocol. This protocol is responsible for mapping an IP address to a device’s physical network address known as the MAC address. In both traditional and virtual networks ARP makes sure that devices can locate and communicate with each other correctly.
BGP stands for Border Gateway Protocol. This is the routing system that the internet uses to determine the best paths for data between networks. Cloud providers rely on BGP to manage traffic between data centers and across the wider internet, and a failure in BGP can lead to large scale outages.
CDN stands for Content Delivery Network. A content delivery network distributes data across many servers in different geographic regions. Instead of requests always traveling back to one central server, the content is delivered from a server close to the user, which speeds up performance and reduces delays.
DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. This protocol automatically assigns IP addresses and network settings to devices when they connect to a network. In the cloud DHCP makes it possible for virtual machines and containers to come online quickly without manual configuration.
DNS stands for Domain Name Service. It is the system that translates human readable names like example dot com into numerical IP addresses that computers use to communicate. Without DNS users would have to remember long sequences of numbers, so it is essential for making cloud applications reachable.
DNSSEC stands for DNS Security Extensions. These extensions add cryptographic authentication to DNS records. This ensures that the DNS responses you receive are authentic and have not been tampered with, which is especially important for protecting large scale cloud services.
DoH stands for DNS over HTTPS. This method sends DNS queries inside encrypted HTTPS traffic. The encryption prevents attackers or network providers from intercepting or altering the requests, making it a useful feature for privacy and security in cloud services.
DoT stands for DNS over TLS. Similar to DNS over HTTPS, this method protects DNS queries by encrypting them using the TLS protocol. The goal is to keep DNS lookups private and secure, which helps prevent attacks that rely on monitoring or modifying DNS traffic.
GRE stands for Generic Routing Encapsulation. This protocol allows one type of network traffic to be carried inside another. Cloud environments use GRE to create tunnels across networks, making it possible to securely connect remote sites or extend private connections over the public internet.
ICMP stands for Internet Control Message Protocol. This protocol is used for diagnostic and error reporting between devices. The most common example is the ping command which uses ICMP to check if a host is reachable and how long it takes for data to travel.
IPAM stands for IP Address Management. This refers to the tools and processes used to plan, track, and manage IP addresses in a network. In a cloud environment IPAM ensures that resources such as virtual machines and containers have unique and properly allocated addresses.
IPSec stands for Internet Protocol Security. This is a suite of protocols that encrypt and authenticate data at the IP level. It is often used to secure virtual private networks and to protect communication across untrusted networks.
ISNS stands for Internet Storage Name Service. This service is used to manage and discover iSCSI devices over a TCP IP network. In a cloud setting it helps organize and identify storage devices in a large distributed environment.
ISP stands for Internet Service Provider. This is the company or organization that provides users with internet connectivity. In the context of cloud services, ISPs play a role in how fast and reliable access is to hosted applications and data.
LAN stands for Local Area Network. This is a network that connects devices within a limited area such as a building or a data center. Cloud deployments often link to LANs for internal communication before traffic is routed to broader networks.
L2TP stands for Layer Two Tunneling Protocol. This protocol is used to create secure tunnels for sending data across networks. It is commonly combined with IPsec for virtual private network services that are used in both enterprise and cloud systems.
MAC in this context stands for Mandatory Access Control. This is a strict security model where the system enforces rules about which users can access which resources. Unlike discretionary access control, MAC policies cannot be changed by end users and are typically used in highly secure environments.
MPLS stands for Multiprotocol Label Switching. This technology directs data based on short labels rather than long network addresses. It speeds up traffic flow and is often used by service providers and cloud providers to create efficient and scalable network connections.
MTU stands for Maximum Transmission Unit. This defines the largest size of a packet that can be sent across a network interface without needing to be broken into smaller pieces. Setting the MTU correctly is important in cloud networking to avoid fragmentation and improve performance.
NAT stands for Network Address Translation. This method allows multiple devices on a private network to share a single public IP address when connecting to the internet. Cloud providers use NAT to let many virtual machines communicate externally while conserving IP address space.
NFS stands for Network File System. This protocol allows files to be shared and accessed over a network as if they were local. In cloud systems NFS is often used for shared storage between servers or virtual machines.
NIC stands for Network Interface Controller. This is the hardware or virtual component that connects a device to a network. In cloud computing, virtual NICs are assigned to virtual machines so they can send and receive network traffic.
NIS stands for Network Information Service. This service is used for centralizing management of user and system information on Unix and Linux systems. While it is older technology, you may still encounter NIS concepts when dealing with hybrid or legacy systems connected to cloud environments.
NTP stands for Network Time Protocol. This protocol keeps the clocks of devices synchronized across a network. Accurate time is critical in the cloud for logging, authentication, and maintaining consistency across distributed systems.
NTS stands for Network Time Security. This is an enhancement to the Network Time Protocol that provides cryptographic authentication. It prevents attackers from tampering with time synchronization which is vital for secure and accurate operations in the cloud.
OSPF stands for Open Shortest Path First. This is a routing protocol used to find the best path for data inside large networks. Cloud service providers and enterprises use OSPF to dynamically update routing tables and keep data flowing efficiently.
PAT stands for Port Address Translation. This is a form of network address translation where multiple devices share one public IP address but are distinguished by port numbers. PAT is commonly used in both home networks and cloud environments to expand limited IP address availability.
SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol. This protocol is used to establish, manage, and terminate real-time communication sessions such as voice and video calls. Cloud-based voice over IP and collaboration tools often depend on SIP for connection setup.
SNMP stands for Simple Network Management Protocol. This protocol allows administrators to monitor and manage devices on a network. In the cloud, SNMP is often integrated with monitoring systems to track resource usage and health.
SR IOV stands for Single Root Input Output Virtualization. This technology allows a single physical network interface card to appear as multiple separate virtual interfaces. In the cloud this is useful for improving performance and isolating workloads that share the same physical hardware.
SSH stands for Secure Shell. It is a protocol used to securely connect to remote systems over an unsecured network. In cloud environments SSH is a common way to manage virtual machines and run administrative commands safely.
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. This was an early protocol for encrypting communication over the web. Although SSL has largely been replaced by TLS, you will still hear the term used when describing secure website connections.
TCP stands for Transmission Control Protocol. This is one of the main protocols of the internet that ensures data is delivered reliably between devices. In cloud services TCP is critical for applications that require accuracy such as web servers and database communication.
TLS stands for Transport Layer Security. TLS is the modern replacement for SSL and is the current standard for encrypting data across networks. Nearly all secure cloud applications rely on TLS to protect sensitive traffic.
UDP stands for User Datagram Protocol. Unlike TCP, UDP does not guarantee delivery or order of data packets. It is used for applications where speed is more important than reliability such as video streaming or online gaming, and cloud providers use it for performance sensitive services.
VLAN stands for Virtual Local Area Network. A VLAN separates network traffic logically within the same physical network. Cloud networks use VLANs to improve security and organization by segmenting resources without needing additional hardware.
VNC stands for Virtual Network Computing. This technology allows remote access to graphical desktops over a network. In cloud environments VNC can be used to control virtual machines through a simple remote desktop connection.
vNIC stands for Virtual Network Interface Controller. This is a virtualized version of a network interface card that is attached to a virtual machine. vNICs allow virtual machines to connect to virtual networks just like a physical device would on a traditional network.
VoIP stands for Voice over IP. This is the technology that enables voice communication over internet networks instead of traditional phone lines. Cloud based communication platforms often use VoIP as the foundation for phone and conferencing services.
VPC stands for Virtual Private Cloud. A virtual private cloud is a logically isolated section within a public cloud provider’s infrastructure. It allows organizations to run resources with greater control, security, and customization, similar to having a private data center inside the cloud.
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. A virtual private network creates a secure encrypted tunnel between two endpoints across an untrusted network. In cloud environments VPNs are often used to connect on premises networks securely to cloud services.
VXLAN stands for Virtual Extensible LAN. This is a network virtualization technology that allows large numbers of isolated virtual networks to exist on the same physical infrastructure. It is widely used in cloud data centers to provide scalable multi tenant networking.
WAN stands for Wide Area Network. A wide area network connects devices across large geographical distances using service provider infrastructure. Cloud services rely heavily on WAN connections to link customers, data centers, and distributed systems worldwide.
WAF stands for Web Application Firewall. A web application firewall is designed to protect web applications by filtering and monitoring traffic. In cloud deployments WAFs defend against common attacks such as SQL injection or cross site scripting.