Commonly Used Acronyms
SaaS (Software as a Service)
SaaS (Software as a Service) SaaS is software you access over the internet instead of installing on your computer — and it's probably how you run most of your business already, whether you've called it that or not. Welcome to another entry in the ...
SSO (Single Sign-On)
SSO (Single Sign-On) SSO lets your employees log in once and access all their work applications without signing in again — which is better for productivity, better for security, and better for your IT team's sanity. Filed under the NerdSquad IT ...
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) BYOD means employees use their personal phones, laptops, or tablets for work — and if that's happening in your business without a formal policy, it's almost certainly a security and compliance problem you don't know you ...
BDR / BCDR (Backup and Disaster Recovery / Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery)
BDR / BCDR (Backup and Disaster Recovery / Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery) BDR is how you get your data back after something goes wrong. BCDR is how you keep your business running while you do. You're in the NerdSquad IT Dictionary. This ...
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
VPN (Virtual Private Network) A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel for your internet traffic — but the business version and the consumer version are solving very different problems, and confusing the two can leave you with a false sense of security. VPN ...
MFA / 2FA (Multi-Factor Authentication / Two-Factor Authentication)
MFA / 2FA (Multi-Factor Authentication / Two-Factor Authentication) A password alone isn't enough anymore — MFA requires a second proof of identity before anyone gets in, and it stops the vast majority of account takeover attacks cold. You've run ...
RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management) — The IT Equivalent of a Smoke Detector
It's the software your IT provider uses to babysit your computers from across town — quietly, constantly, and usually before anything actually breaks. You're in the NerdSquad IT Dictionary again, where acronyms go to get explained like a human wrote ...
MSP (Managed Service Provider) — Your IT Department, Without the Hiring Headache
MSP (Managed Service Provider) An MSP is a company that runs your IT for a flat monthly fee — so you stop paying to fix things and start paying to keep them from breaking. Welcome back to the NerdSquad IT Dictionary — where we translate tech-speak ...
XDR (Extended Detection and Response) — Cybersecurity Casts a Wider Net
XDR (Extended Detection and Response) Imagine EDR grew up, got promoted, and started keeping an eye on the whole neighborhood — not just your computers. That's XDR. It pulls signals from your devices, email, cloud apps, network, and identity systems ...
MDR (Managed Detection and Response) — When Your Cybersecurity Has a Pulse
MDR (Managed Detection and Response) MDR is cybersecurity with humans included. It's a fully managed service where a team of real analysts — not just software — monitors your systems around the clock, hunts for threats, and responds when something ...
EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) — What It Is, In Plain English
EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) EDR is the modern, smarter cousin of antivirus. Instead of just blocking known threats, it actively watches your computers and servers for suspicious behavior — then responds before damage spreads. Welcome to the ...