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domain name A unique name that identifies a company or organization on the Internet.

Domain Name System (DNS) The name resolution system that translates alphabetic domain names into numeric IP addresses.

encryption The process of encoding information in an attempt to make it secure from unauthorized access.

enumeration The creation of a list or inventory of items.

Ethernet A frame-based computer networking technology for LANs. It defines wiring and signaling for the physical layer, frame formats, and protocols for the media access control (MAC) and data link layer of the OSI model.

exploit A defined procedure or program that takes advantage of a security hole in a computer program.

Extended Stack Pointer (ESP) A location identifier used to access parameters passed into a subroutine as arguments.

Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) A standard for data transmission in a LAN.

File Allocation Table (FAT) A filesystem used in DOS, Windows, and OS/2. It keeps track of where data is stored on disk.

firewalking A method to collect information about a remote network protected by a firewall. Firewalking uses trace route-like IP packet analysis to determine whether a data packet can pass through the packet-filtering device/firewall from the attacker's host to the victim's host.

firewall Rules created to enforce an Access Control List (ACL) and designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network.

footprinting Gathering information about a target to identify weaknesses.

fragmentation The means of breaking a larger message into smaller chunks for the purpose of sending or storing the data more efficiently.

FreeBSD A free, open source operating system based on Unix.

File Transfer Protocol SSL A secure form of FTP software in which Secure Sockets Layer / Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS) protocols are used to secure the control and data connections.

gateway Software or hardware capable of decision-making, which permits or denies access based on general rules. Firewalls are layer 3 and layer 4 gateways.

GET An HTTP command used to request a file from a web server.

Grey hat A hacker who uses skills for defensive or offensive purposes as necessary.

hacktivism Hacking for a cause.

hash A function that transforms a string of characters into a number known as the message digest.

Hierarchical File System (HFS) A filesystem used in Mac OS X. It stores data in a top-tobottom organization structure.

honeynet An entire virtual network that is presented as a large honeypot.

honeypot A system that is designed to attract probes, attacks, and potential exploits. Because honeypots attract attacks, they can be a liability. However, by having honeypots on the network, you can gain enormous amounts of information about how a malicious hacker, or even a script kiddie, gains access to systems. This information can lead to security improvements and/or help a security professional track down a hacker.

hybrid attack A password attack that combines features of a brute force attack with a dictionary attack. Characteristics of a hybrid attack include using dictionary terms that substitute numbers or special characters for letters or append numbers to words.

HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) A communication protocol that facilitates browsing the World Wide Web.

HyperText Transport Protocol Secure (HTTPS) A secure version of the HTTP protocol used to access secure web servers.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) An organization (sometimes referred to as the I Triple E) that creates standards that assist with the advancement of society's use of technology. It includes engineers, scientists, and students.

Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) An encapsulated IP packet that is used to send error and control messages. The pi ng command uses ICMP echo requests and ICMP echo responses to verify connectivity.

Internet Protocol Security Architecture (IPSec) A layer 3 protocol that provides secure tunneled communication with authentication and encryption over the Internet. It's often used to create