ITSpedia – your IT encyclopedia / February 2026

Welcome to February's package of new terms for your IT collection of terms and abbreviations. As always, we bring you three more contributions, and you can find the complete list below for download in PDF format.

We wish you enjoyable self-study!

Latest entries in the collection

IIoT

Industrial Internet of Things – the intersection of the reliable industrial world (OT) and modern data technologies (IT and IoT). This means enriching physical machines and production lines with smart sensors and connectivity to collect detailed telemetry. The goal is to obtain data for predictive maintenance, performance optimization, and remote monitoring, ideally without disrupting the critical control of the machine itself.

Our tip: Before you start equipping old production lines with expensive electronics, figure out the architecture—how to safely transfer data from a strictly isolated OT network to the cloud (e.g., via data diodes). Above all, you need to know in advance what business action you will take based on that data, otherwise you will end up with a storage full of useless numbers and an expensive project that will never pay for itself.

OT

Operational Technology – Operational Technology (OT) refers to hardware and software that directly monitors and controls physical devices, processes, and events in industry or infrastructure. Unlike traditional IT, which manages data, OT moves the physical world (production lines, power plants, ventilation systems) and its absolute priority is operational safety, continuous operation, and real-time response.

Our tip: Keep in mind that OT systems tend to have a lifespan of decades and were often not designed to be connected to the internet. Before you start integrating them with your corporate IT environment, focus on strict network segmentation, because a successful cyberattack here means not only data leakage, but also production stoppages or physical threats.

Vulnerability scan

An automated process in which deployed software comprehensively scans networks, systems, or applications and compares them with a database of known vulnerabilities (e.g., missing updates, unsecured ports, misconfigurations). It's like sending a robot to walk around a building and report where a lock is missing or a window is ajar.

Our tip: Before you order a scan from someone, clarify what they will actually deliver. Will they just put a generated PDF on your desk, or will they help you prioritize and offer solutions right away? Consider the limitations of your own team—if you dump a report with a hundred vulnerabilities on your people, they will only fix half of them due to lack of time, and the benefit will be zero. Furthermore, scanning makes sense mainly as a regular activity. Only by comparing results over time can you tell whether you are actually improving or just regularly wasting money on reports that you don't have the capacity to address anyway.