The ‘Digital Terms’ publication sits within the framework of thinking and follows the same methodology that has been guiding the Terminology Working Group since 2017. The definitions were deliberately kept at a general strategic communications level and do not reflect nuances that might be used or understood only in a niche language community of computer scientists.
This glossary’s selection of terms and their definitions were guided by political, security, and, above all, strategic communications perspectives. As a first step, the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence’s (COE’s) Terminology Working Group created a comprehensive list of terms together with experts from the policymaking, commercial, technology, and military (NATO SHAPE, COE) sectors. The collection of terms was then narrowed down. Some terms were judged overly technical for the present publication. Such terms were deemed to squarely belong in the field of computer science, where they are already well-defined. The Terminology Working Group prioritised ‘digital’ and ‘cyber’ language which relates to the main concerns of the international security field; namely, power and influence. This glossary is not exhaustive, but helps clarify the language we use in our professional lives.
