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Home > IT Support Center > APU Login Terms, Codes, Account Access, and Common Abbreviations
APU Login Terms, Codes, Account Access, and Common Abbreviations
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Understanding APU Login Terms, Codes, Account Access, and Common Abbreviations

This article explains common APU terms, informal language, and abbreviations you may encounter when working with APU IT Support. It is designed to be both customer-friendly and AI-search friendly.

You do not need to know or use technical language to get help — describe the issue in your own words.


How We Interpret Your Request

  • We focus on intent, not exact wording
  • Informal phrases like “code”, “dashboard”, or “portal” are okay
  • We do not correct language unless clarification is truly needed
  • If intent is clear, we proceed without delay
  • If unclear, we ask one focused clarifying question only

Common Words You Might Use — and What They Mean

What You Say What It Usually Means
code / codes Cougar Lock (MFA) verification code
login code Cougar Lock (MFA)
text code MFA via SMS
app code Authenticator app MFA
reset my code MFA-related request (codes cannot be reset)
home My APU portal
dashboard My APU portal
portal My APU portal
APU email Microsoft 365
locked out Account temporarily locked

My APU portal: https://home.apu.edu


Password vs. Code

Item Meaning
Password Resettable credential
Code Cougar Lock MFA
Both Required to sign in

Resetting your password does not disable MFA.


Cougar Lock (MFA)

  • MFA codes cannot be reset
  • IT can help re-register devices
  • IT cannot bypass or override MFA

Former Employees

  • HR approval is required before IT can re-enable access
  • IT cannot enable former employee accounts without HR confirmation

Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms

Some abbreviations have multiple meanings depending on context.

A–C

Abbreviation Meaning
/s Sarcasm
2FA Two-Factor Authentication
389DS 389 Directory Server
AAA Authentication, Authorization and Accounting
AALN Analog Access Line
AAR Automatic Alternate Routing
ABET Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
ACC Application Command Center
ACI Application Centric Infrastructure
ACM Association for Computing Machinery
ACME Automatic Certificate Management Environment
AD Active Directory / Anno Domini
ADA Americans with Disabilities Act
ADFS Active Directory Federation Services
ADK Assessment and Deployment Kit
AES Advanced Encryption Standard
AFK Away From Keyboard
AGI Artificial General Intelligence
AI Artificial Intelligence
AKA Also Known As
API Application Programming Interface
APS Azusa Pacific Seminary
APU Azusa Pacific University
ARP Address Resolution Protocol
ASAP As Soon As Possible
AWS Amazon Web Services
BYOD Bring Your Own Device
CAS Central Authentication Service
CPU Central Processing Unit
DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
DNS Domain Name System
FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

D–H

Abbreviation Meaning
DDoS Distributed Denial of Service
DES Data Encryption Standard
DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
DKIM DomainKeys Identified Mail
DMARC Domain-based Message Authentication
DMZ Demilitarized Zone
DNS Domain Name System
EDR Endpoint Detection and Response
EOL End of Life
ERP Enterprise Resource Planning
FIDO Fast Identity Online
FQDN Fully Qualified Domain Name
FS Faculty / Staff
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GPO Group Policy Object
HA High Availability
HR Human Resources

I–M

Abbreviation Meaning
IAM Identity and Access Management
IdP Identity Provider
IP Internet Protocol
IT Information Technology
ITSM IT Service Management
JSON JavaScript Object Notation
KB Knowledge Base
LMS Learning Management System
LLM Large Language Model
MFA Multi-Factor Authentication
NetID APU username

N–R

Abbreviation Meaning
NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology
O365 Microsoft 365
OTP One-Time Password
PCI Payment Card Industry
PII Personally Identifiable Information
PKI Public Key Infrastructure
RADIUS Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service
RAG Retrieval-Augmented Generation
RFC Request for Change / Request for Comments

S–Z

Abbreviation Meaning
SDN Software Defined Networking
SIEM Security Information and Event Management
SAML Security Assertion Markup Language
SMS Short Message Service
SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol
SQL Structured Query Language
SSO Single Sign-On
TLS Transport Layer Security
URL Uniform Resource Locator
VPN Virtual Private Network
Wi-Fi Wireless Fidelity
YAML Yet Another Markup Language
ZTNA Zero Trust Network Access

Our Goal

  • Help you get access quickly
  • Reduce unnecessary back-and-forth
  • Keep accounts secure and compliant

If you’re unsure what to ask, just explain the situation — we’ll take it from there.

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