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Messaging & Network Security
A |
Access Control |
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ActiveX |
ActiveX is Microsoft's answer to the Java technology from Sun Microsystems. An ActiveX control is roughly equivalent to a Java applet. ActiveX is the name Microsoft has given to a set of "strategic" object-oriented program technologies and tools. The main thing that you create when writing a program to run in the ActiveX environment is a component, a self-sufficient program that can be run anywhere in your ActiveX network (currently a network consisting of Windows and Macintosh systems). This component is known as an ActiveX control. |
Address Book |
An automated e-mail address directory that allows you to address your messages easily. Generally comes in personal and public versions. |
Anti-Replay Service |
With anti-replay service, each IP packet passing within the secure association is tagged with a sequence number. On the receiving end, each packet's sequence number is checked to see if it falls within a specified range. If an IP packet tag number falls outside of the range, the packet is blocked. |
API (application program interface) |
An API is the specific methodology by which a programmer writing an application program may make requests of the operating system or another application. |
Application level firewall or Application gateway |
Application gateways look at data at the application layer of the protocol stack and serve as proxies for outside users, intercepting packets and forwarding them to the application. Thus, outside users never have a direct connection to anything beyond the firewall. The fact that the firewall looks at this application information means that it can distinguish among such things as telnet, file transfer protocol (FTP), or Lotus Notes traffic. Because the application gateway understands these protocols, it provides security for each application it supports. |
Archiving |
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ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) |
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Asymmetric Encryption |
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Attachment |
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Authentication |
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Authorization |
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B |
Bandwidth |
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Bastion host |
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Buffer Overflow Attack |
A buffer overflow attack works by exploiting a known bug in one of the applications running on a server. It then causes the application to overlay system areas, such as the system stack, thus gaining administrative rights. In most cases, this gives a hacker complete control over the system. Also referred to as stack overflow. |
C |
CA (Certificate Authority) |
A CA (certificate authority) is an authority in a network that issues and manages security credentials and public keys for message encryption and decryption. As part of a public key infrastructure (PKI), a CA checks with a registration authority (RA) to verify information provided by the requestor of a digital certificate. If the RA verifies the requestor's information, the CA can then issue a certificate. |
CGI exploit |
When a denial of service attack is aimed at the CGI, it is referred to as a CGI exploit. The CGI (common gateway interface) is a standard way for a Web server to pass a Web user's request to an application program and to receive data back to forward to the user. It is part of the Web's HTTP protocol. |
CHAP (Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol) |
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Checksum or hash |
A checksum is a count of the number of bits in a transmission unit that is |
Circuit-level gateways |
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Client |
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Content blocking |
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Content scanning or screening |
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Content virus |
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D |
Daemon |
A program that runs continuously and exists for the purpose of handling periodic service requests that a computer system expects to receive. The daemon program forwards the requests to other programs (or processes) as appropriate. Each server of pages on the Web has an HTTPD or Hypertext Transfer Protocol daemon that continually waits for requests to come in from Web clients and their users. |
Data driven attack |
A form of intrusion in which the attack is encoded in seemingly innocuous data, and it is subsequently executed by a user or other software to actually implement the attack. |
DES (Data Encryption Standard) |
A widely-used method of data encryption using a private (secret) key that was judged so difficult to break by the U.S. government that it was restricted for exportation to other countries. There are 72,000,000,000,000,000 (72 quadrillion) or more possible encryption keys that can be used. For each given message, the key is chosen at random from among this enormous number of keys. Like other private key cryptographic methods, both the sender and the receiver must know and use the same private key. |
Denial of service attack |
A user or program takes up all the system resources by launching a multitude of requests, leaving no resources and thereby "denying" service to other users. Typically, denial-of-service attacks are aimed at bandwidth control. |
Digital Certificate |
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Digital Signature |
A digital signature is an electronic rather than a written signature that can be used by someone to authenticate the identity of the sender of a message or of the signer of a document. It can also be used to ensure that the original content of the message or document that has been conveyed is unchanged. Additional benefits to the use of a digital signature are that it is easily transportable, cannot be easily repudiated, cannot be imitated by someone else, and can be automatically time-stamped. |
DMZ (de-militarized zone) |
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DNS (Domain Name System) |
The Internet protocol for mapping host names, domain names and aliases to IP addresses. |
DNS spoofing |
Breaching the trust relationship by assuming the DNS name of another system. This is usually accomplished by either corrupting the name service cache of a victim system or by compromising a domain name server for a valid domain. |
Domain |
The unique name used to identify an Internet network. |
Domain name server |
A repository of addressing information for specific Internet hosts. Name servers use the domain name system to map IP addresses to Internet hosts. |
Downstream post office |
A post office that communicates with a mail server through another post office or other post offices. |
DSX (Dynamic Security Extension) |
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Dual-homed gateway |
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E |
e-business |
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e-commerce |
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email client |
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email server |
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eProcess |
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Encryption |
Scrambling data in such a way that it can only be unscrambled through the application of the correct cryptographic key. |
ESP (Encapsulated Security Payload) |
The Encapsulating Security Payload provides confidentiality for IP datagrams or packets, which are the message units that the Internet Protocol deals with and that the Internet transports, by encrypting the payload data to be protected. |
Ethernet |
A local-area network (LAN) protocol developed by Xerox Corporation in cooperation with DEC and Intel in 1976. Ethernet uses a bus or star topology and supports data transfer rates of 100Mbps. |
Extended MAPI (Extended Messaging Application Programming Interface) |
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F |
FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface |
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Filter |
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Firewall |
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Firewall denial-of service |
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FTP (File Transfer Protocol) |
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G |
Gateway |
A gateway is a network point that acts as an entrance to another network. In a company network, a proxy server acts as a gateway between the internal network and the Internet. A gateway may also be any machine or service that passes packets from one network to another network in their trip across the Internet. |
Green Screen Terminal |
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H |
Hacker |
Hacker is a term used by some to mean "a clever programmer" and by others, especially journalists or their editors, to mean "someone who tries to break into computer systems." |
Highjacking or hijacking |
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HTML (HyperText Markup Language) |
A standard set of commands used to structure documents and format text so that it can be used on the Web. |
HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) |
HTTP is the set of rules for exchanging files (text, graphic images, sound, video, and other multimedia files) on the World Wide Web. Relative to the TCP/IP suite of protocols (which are the basis for information exchange on the Internet), HTTP is an application protocol. |
I |
Insider attack |
An attack originating from inside a protected network. |
Intrusion detection |
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IP (Internet Protocol) |
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IP spoofing |
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IP hijacking |
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IPSec (Internet Protocol Security ) |
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J |
Java |
Java is a programming language expressly designed for use in the distributed environment of the Internet. It was designed to have the "look and feel" of the C++ language, but it is simpler to use than C++ and enforces a completely object-oriented view of programming. Java can be used to create complete applications that may run on a single computer or be distributed among servers and clients in a network. It can also be used to build small application modules or applets for use as part of a Web page. Applets make it possible for a Web page user to interact with the page. |
K |
Key |
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Key Management |
The establishment and enforcement of message encryption and authentication procedures, in order to provide privacy-enhanced mail (PEM) services for electronic mail transfer over the Internet. |
L |
LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) |
LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is an emerging software protocol for enabling anyone to locate organizations, individuals, and other resources such as files and devices in a network, whether on the Internet or on a corporate intranet. LDAP is a "lightweight" (smaller amount of code) version of DAP (Directory Access Protocol), which is part of X.500, a standard for directory services in a network. |
Litigation Protection |
Litigation protection is both the review and recording of Internet, intranet and extranet communications that is done in order to avoid litigation or the documentation of the communications parties and content in the event of litigation. |
M |
MAC (Media Access Control) |
On a network, the MAC (Media Access Control) address is your computer's unique hardware number. The MAC address is used by the Media Access Control sublayer of the Data-Link Control (DLC) layer of telecommunication protocols. There is a different MAC sublayer for each physical device type. The Data-Link Layer is the protocol layer in a program that handles the moving of data in and out across a physical link in a network. |
Manipulation |
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MAPI (Messaging Application Programming Interface) |
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MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) |
A protocol used for transmitting documents with different formats via the Internet. |
Monitoring |
A view of individual user activity on a network, generally in real time. Provides administrators with the ability to view the content of user utilized applications. |
N |
NAR (Network Address Retention) |
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NAT (Network Address Translation) |
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NCSA (National Computer Security Association |
An organization with the mission to continually improve commercial computer security through certification of firewalls, anti-virus products and web sites. NCSA also shares and disseminates information concerning information security. |
Network Service Access Policy |
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NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol |
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O |
ODBC (Open Database Connectivity |
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P |
Packet |
A packet is the unit of data that is routed between an origin and a destination on the Internet or any other packet-switched network. When any file (e-mail message, HTML file, GIF file, URL request, and so forth) is sent from one place to another on the Internet, the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) layer of TCP/IP divides the file into "chunks" of an efficient size for routing. Each of these packets is separately numbered and includes the Internet address of the destination. The individual packets for a given file may travel different routes through the Internet. When they have all arrived, they are reassembled into the original file (by the TCP layer at the receiving end). |
Packet Filters |
Packet filters keep out certain data packets based on their source and destination addresses and service type. Filters can be used to block connections from or to specific hosts, networks or ports. Packet filters are simple and fast. However, they make decisions based on a very limited amount of information. |
Packet Sniffing |
Intercepting packets of information (including such things for example as a credit card number ) that are traveling between locations on the Internet. |
PAP (Password Authentication Procedure) |
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Password-based attacks |
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Perimeter network |
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PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) |
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PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) |
A PKI (public key infrastructure) enables users of a basically unsecure public network such as the Internet to securely and privately exchange data and money through the use of a public and a private cryptographic key pair that is obtained and shared through a trusted authority. |
Platform attack |
An attack that is focuses on vulnerabilities in the operating system hosting the firewall. |
PPP |
PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) is a protocol for communication between two computers using a serial interface, typically a personal computer connected by phone line to a server. |
POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) |
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Private Key |
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Protocol |
A special set of rules for communicating that the end points in a telecommunication connection use when they send signals back and forth. Protocols exist at several levels in a telecommunication connection. There are hardware telephone protocols. There are protocols between the end points in communicating programs within the same computer or at different locations. Both end points must recognize and observe the protocol. Protocols are often described in an industry or international standard. |
Proxy |
An agent that acts on behalf of a user, typically accepting a connection from a user and completing a connection on behalf of the user with a remote host or service. See also gateway and proxy server. |
Proxy Server |
A proxy server is one that acts on behalf of one or more other servers, usually for screening, firewall, caching, or a combination of these purposes. Gateway is often used as a synonym for "proxy server." Typically, a proxy server is used within a company or enterprise to gather all Internet requests, forward them out to Internet servers, and then receive the responses and in turn forward them to the original requestor within the company. |
Public Key |
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Q |
QoS (Quality of Service) |
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R |
RA (Registration Authority) |
An RA (registration authority) is an authority in a network that verifies user requests for a digital certificate and tells the certificate authority (CA) to issue it. RAs are part of a public key infrastructure (PKI), a networked system that enables companies and users to exchange information and money safely and securely. |
RAS (Remote Access Services) |
A feature built into Windows NT that enables users to log into an NT-based LAN using a modem, X.25 connection or WAN link. RAS works with several major network protocols, including TCP/IP, IPX, and NetBEUI. |
RIP (Routing Information Protocol) |
The oldest routing protocol on the Internet and the most commonly used routing protocol on local area IP networks. Routers use RIP to periodically broadcast which networks they know how to reach. |
Routing Agent |
On the Internet, an agent (also called an intelligent agent) is a program that gathers information or performs some other service without your immediate presence and on some regular schedule. Typically, an agent program, using parameters you have provided, searches all or some part of the Internet, gathers information you're interested in, and presents it to you on a daily or other periodic basis. |
RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) |
One of the fundamental encryption algorithms or series of mathematical actions developed in 1977 by Ron Rivest, Adi Shamir, and Leonard Adleman. The RSA algorithm is the most commonly used encryption and authentication algorithm and is included as part of the Web browsers from Netscape and Microsoft. |
RSACi (Recreational Software Advisory Council on the Internet) |
A computer software ratings system of Web site content developed by RSAC in response to the passage of US federal legislation prohibiting the transmittal of offensive, or indecent, materials over the Internet. RSACi was developed with the express intent of providing a simple, yet effective rating system for web sites which protect both children, by providing and empowering parents with detailed information about site content, and the rights of free speech of everyone who publishes on the World Wide Web. |
Rules |
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S |
Screening router |
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Session |
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Shared POP3 mailbox |
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SLIP |
SLIP is a TCP/IP protocol used for communication between two machines that are previously configured for communication with each other. |
Smart Card |
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S/MIME (Secure Multipurpose Mail Extensions) |
S/MIME is an E-mail security protocol. It was designed to prevent the interception and forgery of E-mail by using encryption and digital signatures. S/MIME builds security on top of the MIME protocol and is based on technology originally developed by RSA Data Security, Inc. |
SMF (Standard Message Format) |
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SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol) |
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SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) |
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Social engineering |
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Source-Routing |
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Source-Route Attack |
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Spoofing |
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Spool File |
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SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) |
A program layer created by Netscape for managing the security of message transmissions in a network. Netscape's idea is that the programming for keeping your messages confidential ought to be contained in a program layer between an application (such as your Web browser or HTTP) and the Internet's TCP/IP layers. The "sockets" part of the term refers to the sockets method of passing data back and forth between a client and a server program in a network or between program layers in the same computer. |
Stateful |
Stateful and stateless are adjectives that describe whether a computer or computer program is designed to note and remember one or more preceding events in a given sequence of interactions with a user, another computer or program, a device, or other outside element. Stateful means the computer or program keeps track of the state of interaction, usually by setting values in a storage field designated for that purpose. |
Stateful inspection |
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STOP (Stack Overflow Protection) |
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Symmetric Encryption |
The oldest form of key-based cryptography is called secret-key or symmetric encryption. In this scheme, both the sender and recipient possess the same key, which means that both parties can encrypt and decrypt data with the key. |
T |
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) |
The standard family of protocols for communicating with Internet devices. |
Telnet |
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Token Ring |
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Tracking |
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Trojan horse |
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Tunneling router |
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U |
UDP (User Datagram Protocol |
A connectionless protocol that, like TCP, runs on top of IP networks. Unlike TCP/IP, UDP/IP provides very few error recovery services, offering instead a direct way to send and receive datagrams over an IP network. It's used primarily for broadcasting messages over a network. |
URL (Uniform Resource Locator) |
An address in a standard format that locates files (resources) on the Internet and the Web. The type of resource depends on the Internet application protocol. Using the World Wide Web's protocol, the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) , the resource can be an HTML page (like the one you're reading), an image file, a program such as a CGI application or Java applet, or any other file supported by HTTP. The URL contains the name of the protocol required to access the resource, a domain name that identifies a specific computer on the Internet, and a hierarchical description of a file location on the computer. |
URL Blocking |
The tracking and denying of user access to undesirable web sites based on predefined site content. |
User Authentication |
Authentication is a process that verifies a user's identity to ensure that the person requesting access to the private network is in fact, that person to whom entry is authorized. |
UUCP (UNIX-to-UNIX Copy Protocol) |
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UUencode |
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V |
Vandal |
A vandal is an executable file, usually an applet or an ActiveX control, associated with a Web page that is designed to be harmful, malicious, or at the very least inconvenient to the user. Since such applets or little application programs can be embedded in any HTML file, they can also arrive as an e-mail attachment or automatically as the result of being pushed to the user. Vandals can be viewed as viruses that can arrive over the Internet stuck to a Web page. Vandals are sometimes referred to as "hostile applets." |
Virus |
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Virus Scanner |
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VPN (Virtual Private Networking) |
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W |
WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) |
An open global standard for communications between a mobile handset and the Internet or other computer applications as defined by the WAP forum. |
Web Attack |
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Web Browser |
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Web denial-of-service |
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X |
X.509 |
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Y |
Z |
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1998,1999,2000 Service Strategies Inc. All rights reserved.
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