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Xcapit

Knowledge Base

Technology Glossary

Key terms in AI, blockchain, cybersecurity, and software development — explained simply.

40 terms

LLM (Large Language Model)

A type of AI model trained on vast text datasets that can understand and generate human language, powering chatbots, code assistants, and content tools.

AI

AI Agent

An autonomous software system that uses AI to perceive its environment, make decisions, and take actions to achieve specific goals without continuous human guidance.

AI

RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)

A technique that enhances AI responses by retrieving relevant information from external knowledge bases before generating answers.

AI

Fine-Tuning

The process of further training a pre-trained AI model on domain-specific data to improve its performance for a particular use case.

AI

Prompt Engineering

The practice of designing and optimizing inputs (prompts) to AI models to achieve desired outputs and behaviors.

AI

MCP (Model Context Protocol)

An open standard that enables AI models to securely interact with external tools, APIs, and data sources in a standardized way.

AI

Computer Vision

AI technology that enables machines to interpret and analyze visual information from images or video feeds.

AI

NLP (Natural Language Processing)

The branch of AI focused on enabling computers to understand, interpret, and generate human language.

AI

Smart Contract

Self-executing code deployed on a blockchain that automatically enforces agreement terms when predefined conditions are met.

Blockchain

Tokenization

The process of converting rights to an asset into a digital token on a blockchain, enabling fractional ownership and programmable transfers.

Blockchain

DeFi (Decentralized Finance)

Financial services built on blockchain networks that operate without traditional intermediaries like banks or brokerages.

Blockchain

FHE (Fully Homomorphic Encryption)

Encryption that allows computations on encrypted data without decrypting it first, enabling privacy-preserving data processing.

Blockchain

Layer 2

Scaling solutions built on top of existing blockchains (Layer 1) to increase transaction speed and reduce costs while maintaining security.

Blockchain

Digital Public Good (DPG)

Open-source software recognized by the DPGA that contributes to sustainable development goals and adheres to privacy and security standards.

Blockchain

WASM (WebAssembly)

A portable binary instruction format that enables near-native performance for web applications and serves as a sandboxing mechanism for secure code execution.

Blockchain

EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine)

The runtime environment for smart contracts on Ethereum and compatible blockchains, defining how contract state changes with each block.

Blockchain

Penetration Testing (Pentesting)

Authorized simulated cyberattacks on systems to identify security vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them.

Cybersecurity

ISO 27001

International standard for information security management systems (ISMS), providing a framework for managing and protecting sensitive data.

Cybersecurity

Zero Trust

A security model that requires strict identity verification for every person and device trying to access resources, regardless of network location.

Cybersecurity

SOC 2

A compliance framework that evaluates an organization's controls for security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.

Cybersecurity

Threat Modeling

A structured approach to identifying potential security threats and vulnerabilities in a system during the design phase.

Cybersecurity

SAST/DAST

Static and Dynamic Application Security Testing — automated methods to find vulnerabilities in source code (SAST) and running applications (DAST).

Cybersecurity

CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures)

A standardized system for identifying and cataloging publicly known cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

Cybersecurity

eBPF

Extended Berkeley Packet Filter — a Linux kernel technology enabling programmable, high-performance monitoring and security enforcement without modifying kernel code.

Cybersecurity

CI/CD

Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment — automated pipelines that build, test, and deploy code changes to production environments.

Software

Microservices

An architectural pattern where applications are built as a collection of small, independent services that communicate via APIs.

Software

API (Application Programming Interface)

A set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate and share data with each other.

Software

DevOps

A methodology that combines software development and IT operations to shorten the development lifecycle and deliver high-quality software continuously.

Software

Technical Debt

The implied cost of future rework caused by choosing a quick or easy solution now instead of a better approach that would take longer.

Software

SaaS (Software as a Service)

A software distribution model where applications are hosted in the cloud and accessed via subscription rather than installed locally.

Software

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

The practice of managing and provisioning computing infrastructure through machine-readable configuration files rather than manual processes or interactive tools.

Software

Containerization

A lightweight virtualization method that packages applications and their dependencies into isolated containers, ensuring consistent behavior across development, testing, and production environments.

Software

Observability

The ability to understand the internal state of a system by examining its external outputs — typically through logs, metrics, and distributed traces.

Software

Edge Computing

A distributed computing paradigm that brings computation and data storage closer to the sources of data, reducing latency and bandwidth usage for real-time applications.

AI

Federated Learning

A machine learning approach where models are trained across multiple decentralized devices or servers holding local data, without exchanging raw data — preserving privacy while enabling collaborative model improvement.

AI

Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP)

A cryptographic method that allows one party to prove to another that a statement is true without revealing any information beyond the validity of the statement itself.

Blockchain

DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization)

An organization governed by smart contracts and token-based voting rather than a traditional management hierarchy, enabling transparent and programmable collective decision-making.

Blockchain

Incident Response

A structured methodology for detecting, containing, eradicating, and recovering from cybersecurity incidents to minimize damage and restore normal operations.

Cybersecurity

SIEM (Security Information and Event Management)

A platform that aggregates and analyzes security data from across an organization's infrastructure in real time, enabling threat detection, investigation, and compliance reporting.

Cybersecurity

DevSecOps

An approach that integrates security practices into every phase of the software development lifecycle, making security a shared responsibility rather than an afterthought.

Cybersecurity