Network security

Terms related to network security, including definitions about intrusion prevention and words and phrases about VPNs and firewalls.

threat actor - A threat actor, also called a malicious actor or bad actor, is an entity that is partially or wholly responsible for an incident that affects -- or has the potential to affect -- an organization's security.
threat intelligence (cyber threat intelligence) - Threat intelligence, also known as cyber threat intelligence (CTI), is information collected from various sources about current or potential attacks that threaten an organization.
threat intelligence feed (TI feed) - A threat intelligence feed (TI feed) is an ongoing stream of data related to potential or current threats to an organization's security.
threat modeling - Threat modeling is a procedure for optimizing application, system or business process security by identifying objectives and vulnerabilities, and then defining countermeasures to prevent or mitigate the effects of threats to the system.
token - In general, a token is an object that represents something else, such as another object (either physical or virtual), or an abstract concept as, for example, a gift is sometimes referred to as a token of the giver's esteem for the recipient.
tokenization - Tokenization is the process of replacing sensitive data with unique identification symbols that retain all the essential information about the data without compromising its security.
Transport Layer Security (TLS) - Transport Layer Security (TLS) is an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard protocol that provides authentication, privacy and data integrity between two communicating computer applications.
Trojan horse - In computing, a Trojan horse is a program downloaded and installed on a computer that appears harmless, but is, in fact, malicious.
trusted computing base (TCB) - A trusted computing base (TCB) is everything in a computing system that provides a secure environment for operations.
tunneling or port forwarding - Tunneling or port forwarding is the transmission of data intended for use only within a private -- usually corporate -- network through a public network in such a way that the public network's routing nodes are unaware that the transmission is part of a private network.
two-factor authentication (2FA) - Two-factor authentication (2FA), sometimes referred to as two-step verification or dual-factor authentication, is a security process in which users provide two different authentication factors to verify themselves.
Twofish - Twofish is a symmetric-key block cipher with a block size of 128 bits and variable-length key of size 128, 192 or 256 bits.
unified threat management (UTM) - Unified threat management (UTM) describes an information security (infosec) system that provides a single point of protection against threats, including viruses, worms, spyware and other malware, and network attacks.
user account provisioning - User account provisioning is a business process for creating and managing access to resources in an information technology (IT) system.
virtual firewall - A virtual firewall is a firewall device or service that provides network traffic filtering and monitoring for virtual machines (VMs) in a virtualized environment.
virtual local area network hopping (VLAN hopping) - Virtual local area network hopping (VLAN hopping) is a method of attacking the network resources of a VLAN by sending packets to a port not usually accessible from an end system.
virtual machine escape - A virtual machine escape is an exploit in which an attacker runs code on a VM that lets the operating system (OS) running within it break out and interact directly with the hypervisor.
virtual private cloud (VPC) - A virtual private cloud (VPC) is the logical division of a service provider's public cloud multi-tenant architecture to support private cloud computing.
virus (computer virus) - A computer virus is a type of malware that attaches itself to a program or file.
virus hoax - A virus hoax is a false warning about a computer virus.
virus signature (virus definition) - A virus signature, also known as a 'virus definition,' is a piece of code with a unique binary pattern that identifies a computer virus or family of viruses.
voice squatting - Voice squatting is an attack vector for voice user interfaces, or VUIs, that exploits homonyms -- words that sound the same, but are spelled differently -- and input errors -- words that are mispronounced.
vulnerability and patch management - Vulnerability management is a pro-active approach to managing network security.
vulnerability disclosure - Vulnerability disclosure is the practice of reporting security flaws in computer software or hardware.
WannaCry ransomware - WannaCry ransomware is a cyber attack that spreads by exploiting vulnerabilities in the Windows operating system.
war driving (access point mapping) - War driving, also called access point mapping, is the act of locating and possibly exploiting connections to wireless local area networks (WLANs) while driving around a city or elsewhere.
Web application firewall (WAF) - A web application firewall (WAF) is a firewall that monitors, filters and blocks Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) traffic as it travels to and from a website or web application.
What is a computer exploit? - A computer exploit, or exploit, is a program or piece of code developed to take advantage of a vulnerability in a computer or network system.
What is a potentially unwanted program (PUP)? - A potentially unwanted program (PUP) is a program that may be unwanted, despite the possibility that users consented to download it.
What is a private cloud? - Private cloud is a type of cloud computing that delivers similar advantages to public cloud, including scalability and self-service, but through a proprietary architecture.
What is a SSL (secure sockets layer)? - Secure sockets layer (SSL) is a networking protocol designed for securing connections between web clients and web servers over an insecure network, such as the internet.
What is cyber hygiene and why is it important? - Cyber hygiene, or cybersecurity hygiene, is a set of practices individuals and organizations perform regularly to maintain the health and security of users, devices, networks and data.
What is Data Encryption Standard (DES)? - Data Encryption Standard (DES) is an outdated symmetric key method of data encryption.
What is malware? Prevention, detection and how attacks work - Malware, or malicious software, is any program or file that's intentionally harmful to a computer, network or server.
What is ransomware? How it works and how to remove it - Ransomware is a type of malware that locks and encrypts a victim's data, files, devices or systems, rendering them inaccessible and unusable until the attacker receives a ransom payment.
What is role-based access control (RBAC)? - Role-based access control (RBAC) is a method of restricting network access based on the roles of individual users within an enterprise.
What is the zero-trust security model? - The zero-trust security model is a cybersecurity approach that denies access to an enterprise's digital resources by default and grants authenticated users and devices tailored, siloed access to only the applications, data, services and systems they need to do their jobs.
white hat hacker - A white hat hacker -- or ethical hacker -- is an individual who uses hacking skills to identify security vulnerabilities in hardware, software or networks.
Wi-Fi (802.11x standard) - Wi-Fi is a term for certain types of wireless local area networks (WLAN) that use specifications in the IEEE 802.
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) - Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is a security standard for computing devices equipped with wireless internet connections.
Wiegand - Wiegand is the trade name for a technology used in card readers and sensors, particularly for access control applications.
wildcard certificate - A wildcard certificate is a digital certificate that is applied to a domain and all its subdomains.
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) - Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is a security protocol, specified in the IEEE Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) standard, 802.
wireless intrusion prevention system (WIPS) - A wireless intrusion prevention system (WIPS) is a dedicated security device or integrated software application that monitors a wireless local area network (WLAN) or Wi-Fi network's radio spectrum for rogue access points (APs) and other wireless threats.
Wireless Transport Layer Security (WTLS) - Wireless Transport Layer Security (WTLS) is a security level for the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), specifically for the applications that use WAP.
wiretapping - Wiretapping is the surreptitious electronic monitoring and interception of phone-, fax- or internet-based communications.
WPA3 - WPA3, also known as Wi-Fi Protected Access 3, is the third iteration of a security certification standard developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance.
Z-Wave - Z-Wave is a wireless communication protocol used primarily in smart home networks, allowing smart devices to connect and exchange control commands and data with each other.