Glossary of Internet, WiFi and Cyber Security Terms

The world of internet, WiFi, and cybersecurity can be filled with confusing jargon. This glossary is designed to help you understand the most common terms you'll encounter.

A

  • Access Point (AP): A networking hardware device that allows other Wi-Fi devices to connect to a wired network.
  • Adware: Software that automatically displays or downloads advertising material when a user is online.
  • Antivirus: Software designed to detect and destroy computer viruses.
  • Authentication: The process of verifying the identity of a user or device. Common methods include passwords, biometrics, and security tokens.

B

  • Bandwidth: The maximum rate of data transfer across a given path, measured in bits per second (bps).
  • Botnet: A network of private computers infected with malicious software and controlled as a group without the owners' knowledge, e.g., to send spam.
  • Broadband: High-speed Internet access that is always on and faster than traditional dial-up access.
  • Browser: A software application used to locate, retrieve and display content on the World Wide Web, including web pages, images, and videos. Examples include Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

C

  • Cache: A temporary storage area that stores the results of recent requests to speed up future requests.
  • Cookie: A small piece of data sent from a website and stored on the user's computer by the user's web browser while the user is browsing.
  • Cybersecurity: The practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks, damage, or unauthorized access.

D

  • Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attack: A cyber-attack in which the perpetrator seeks to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users by temporarily or indefinitely disrupting services.
  • DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol): A network management protocol used on IP networks for automatically assigning IP addresses and other communication parameters to devices.
  • DNS (Domain Name System): The Internet's system for converting alphabetic names (like www.google.com) into numeric IP addresses (like 172.217.10.142).
  • DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) Attack: A DoS attack where the incoming traffic flooding the victim originates from many different sources, making it more difficult to stop the attack.

E

  • Encryption: The process of converting information or data into a code, especially to prevent unauthorized access.
  • Ethernet: The standard way to connect computers on a local area network (LAN) with a wired connection.

F

  • Firewall: A network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules.
  • Firmware: Permanent software programmed into a read-only memory. It's often found in hardware devices like routers.
  • Phishing: A fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by disguising as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.

G

  • Gateway: A node (a router) on a network that serves as an entrance to another network.
  • Gigahertz (GHz): A unit of frequency equal to one billion hertz. Often used to measure the speed of computer processors and WiFi bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz).

I

  • IP Address (Internet Protocol Address): A unique numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.
  • ISP (Internet Service Provider): A company that provides customers with Internet access.

L

  • LAN (Local Area Network): A network that connects computers and other devices in a relatively small area, typically a single building or a group of buildings.
  • Latency: The delay before a transfer of data begins following an instruction for its transfer. Also known as "ping."

M

  • Malware: Software that is specifically designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system.
  • MAC Address (Media Access Control Address): A unique identifier assigned to a network interface controller (NIC) for use as a network address in communications within a network segment.

N

  • NAT (Network Address Translation): A method of remapping one IP address space into another by modifying network address information in the IP header of packets while they are in transit across a traffic routing device.

P

  • Packet: A small segment of a larger message used in data transmission. Data sent over computer networks is broken down into packets.
  • Protocol: A set of rules governing the exchange or transmission of data between devices.

R

  • Ransomware: A type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid.
  • Router: A device that forwards data packets between computer networks, creating and controlling a local network.

S

  • SSID (Service Set Identifier): The primary name of a wireless network. This is the name you look for when you want to connect to a WiFi network.
  • Spyware: Malware that secretly observes the user's activities on the computer without their permission and reports it to the software's author.

T

  • Trojan Horse: A type of malware that is often disguised as legitimate software.

V

  • VPN (Virtual Private Network): A technology that creates a safe and encrypted connection over a less secure network, such as the public internet.

W

  • WAN (Wide Area Network): A network that exists over a large-scale geographical area. The Internet is the largest WAN.
  • WPA/WPA2/WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access): Security protocols used to secure wireless networks. WPA3 is the most recent and secure standard.