Basic Puzzle

3. The delay before a transfer of data begins.
4. The most common storage drives today. They are smaller and faster than hard disk drives.
5. A digital circuit inside the CPU that has the capacity to perform billions of operations per second.
7. A device performing a Boolean logic operation on one or more binary inputs and then outputs a single binary output.
8. A storage space for units of memory that are used to transfer data for immediate use by the CPU.
11. A collection of electronic components on a motherboard that manages the flow of data.
14. A microchip on the motherboard that acts as a high-speed communication hub, connecting the CPU to RAM and other parts.
15. A program that starts up when you turn on your computer and is responsible for the most basic functions.
16. Any intrusive software developed by cybercriminals to steal data and damage computers.

1. A tiny semiconductor device that acts as an electronic switch, controlling the flow of electrical current.
2. Hardware or software that is used to store data, temporarily in a computing environment.
6. Software programs designed to assist in managing, maintaining, and optimizing the functionality of a computer.
9. The practice of sending fraudulent communications that appear to come from a legitimate and reputable source.
10. The "skeleton" of the computer that ties the components together at one spot and allows them to communicate.
11. The "brain" of the computer.
12. An international encoding standard for use with different languages and scripts.
13. A piece of computer hardware that uses laser light to read and write data to and from optical discs.