Acronyms Flashcards
ACL
Access Control List - Rules typically applied to router interfaces, which specify permitted and denied
traffic.
AH
Authentication Header - An IPsec protocol that provides authentication and integrity services. However, it does not provide encryption services
AP
Access Point - a networking hardware device that allows other Wi-Fi devices to connect to a wired network.
API
Application Programming Interface - a system of tools and resources in an operating system, enabling developers to create software applications
APIPA
Automatic Private IP Addressing - Allows a networked device to self-assign an IP address from the 169.254.0.0/ 16 network; address is only usable on the device’s local subnet
ARP
Address Resolution Protocol - An ARP request is a broadcast asking for the MAC address corresponding to a known IP address. An ARP reply contains the requested MAC address.
AUP
Acceptable Use Policy - Identifies what users of a network are and are not allowed to do on that
network
BGP
Border Gateway Protocol - a path-vector routing protocol, meaning that it can use as its metric the number of autonomous system hops that must be transited to reach a destination network, as opposed to the number of required router hops; considered to
be the routing protocol that runs the Internet
BNC
Bayonet Neill-Concelman - a type of connector for coaxial cables that allows for quick connections
BSSID
Basic Service Set Identifier - it’s the MAC (Media Access Control) physical address of the access point or wireless router that is used to connect to the WiFi
BYOD
Bring Your Own Device
CAM
Content - Addressable Memory - a special type of computer memory used in certain very-high-speed searching applications
CDN
Content Delivery Network - a network of interconnected servers that speeds up webpage loading for data-heavy applications
CDP
Cisco Discovery Protocol - a Cisco-proprietary protocol that allows Cisco devices to communicate and share information about each other
CIA
Confidentiality Integrity Availability - protecting information from unauthorized access (confidentiality), ensuring data accuracy and consistency (integrity), and guaranteeing timely access to information when needed (availability)
CIDR
Classless Inter-Domain Routing - allows network routers to route data packets to the respective device based on the indicated subnet. Instead of classifying the IP address based on classes, routers retrieve the network and host address as specified by the CIDR suffix.
CLI
Command Line Interface - a means of interacting with a computer program by inputting lines of text called command lines; CMD
CNAME
Canonical Name - a type of resource record in the Domain Name System that maps one domain name to another; convenient when running multiple services from a single IP address.
CPU
Central Processing Unit - the primary processor in a computer
CRC
Cyclic Redundancy Check - a mathematical method that detects errors in data transmission
DAC
Direct Attach Copper - a twinax copper cable that connects directly the ports (or line cards) within active equipment, such as switches, routers, servers or data storage devices, in a data network
DAS
Direct - Attached Storage - digital storage directly attached to the computer accessing it
DCI
Data Center Interconnect - a network that connects data centers to share data and resources
DDoS
Distributed Denial of Service - a cyberattack that floods a target with traffic from many different sources to overwhelm its resources and disrupt services
DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol - a system for assigning Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to each network device (known as a host) on an organization’s network
DLP
Data Loss Prevention - a cybersecurity strategy that protects sensitive data from unauthorized access, use, or transmission
DNS
Domain Name System - a system that translates domain names into IP addresses
DNSSEC
Domain Name System Security Extensions - a feature of the Domain Name System (DNS) that authenticates responses to domain name lookups
DoH
DNS over HTTPS - a protocol for performing remote Domain Name System (DNS) resolution via the HTTPS protocol
DoS
Denial of Service - a cyberattack that floods a target with traffic from a single source to overwhelm its resources and disrupt services
DoT
DNS over Transport Layer Security - a network security protocol for encrypting and wrapping Domain Name System (DNS) queries and answers via the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol; to increase user privacy and security by preventing eavesdropping and manipulation of DNS data via man-in-the-middle attacks
DR
Disaster Recovery - an organization’s ability to restore access and functionality to IT infrastructure after a disaster event, whether natural or caused by human action (or error)
EAPoL
Extensible Authentication Protocol over LAN - a network port authentication protocol used in IEEE 802.1X (Port Based Network Access Control) developed to give a generic network sign-on to access network resources
EIGRP
Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol - a network protocol that enables routers to exchange information more efficiently than earlier network protocols
EOL
End of Life
EOS
End of Support
ESP
Encapsulating Security Payload - provides origin authenticity through source authentication, data integrity through hash functions and confidentiality through encryption protection for IP packets; also supports encryption-only and authentication-only configurations
ESSID
Extended Service Set Identifier - a wireless network, created by multiple access points, which appears to users as a single, seamless network, such as a network covering a home or office that is too large for reliable coverage by a single access point
EULA
End User License Agreement
FC
Fiber Channel - a high-speed data transfer protocol providing in-order, lossless delivery of raw block data
FHRP
First Hop Redundancy Protocol - a computer networking protocol which is designed to protect the default gateway used on a subnetwork by allowing two or more routers to provide backup for that address; in the event of failure of an active router, the backup router will take over the address, usually within a few seconds
FTP
File Transfer Protocol - a standard network protocol used for the transfer of files from one host to another over a TCP-based network, such as the Internet
GDPR
General Data Protection Regulation - a European Union regulation on information privacy in the European Union and the European Economic Area.
GRE
Generic Routing Encapsulation - a tunneling protocol developed by Cisco Systems that can encapsulate a wide variety of network layer protocols inside virtual point-to-point links or point-to-multipoint links over an Internet Protocol network
GUI
Graphical User Interface
HTTP
Hypertext Transfer Protocol - an application layer protocol in the Internet protocol suite model for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems
HTTPS
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure - an extension of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). It uses encryption for secure communication over a computer network, and is widely used on the Internet
IaaS
Infrastructure as a Service - a cloud computing model that provides on-demand access to computing resources such as servers, storage, networking, and virtualization
IaC
Infrastructure as Code - the ability to provision and support your computing infrastructure using code instead of manual processes and settings
IAM
Identity and Access Management - a framework of policies and technologies to ensure that the right users have the appropriate access to technology resources
ICMP
Internet Control Message Protocol - is used for reporting errors and performing network diagnostics. In the error reporting process, ICMP sends messages from the receiver to the sender when data does not come though as it should.
ICS
Industrial Control System - the structured network design used to connect and manage industrial automation devices
IDF
Intermediate Distribution Frame - a distribution frame in a central office or customer premises, which cross connects the user cable media to individual user line circuits and may serve as a distribution point for multipair cables from the main distribution frame (MDF) or combined distribution frame (CDF) to individual cables connected to equipment in areas remote from these frames
IDS
Intrusion Detection System - a network security tool that monitors network traffic and devices for known malicious activity, suspicious activity or security policy violations
IoT
Internet of Things - devices with sensors, processing ability, software and other technologies that connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet or other communication networks
IIoT
Industrial Internet of Things - the use of smart sensors, actuators and other devices, such as radio frequency identification tags, to enhance manufacturing and industrial processes
IKE
Internet Key Exchange - the protocol used to set up a security association (SA) in the IPsec protocol suite
IP
Internet Protocol - the network layer communications protocol in the Internet protocol suite for relaying datagrams across network boundaries. Its routing function enables internetworking, and essentially establishes the Internet
IPAM
Internet Protocol Address Management - a methodology implemented in computer software for planning and managing the assignment and use of IP addresses and closely related resources of a computer network
IPS
Intrusion Prevention System - network security appliances that monitor network or system activities for malicious activity; main functions are to identify malicious activity, log information about this activity, report it and attempt to block or stop it
IPSec
Internet Protocol Security - a secure network protocol suite that authenticates and encrypts packets of data to provide secure encrypted communication between two computers over an Internet Protocol network; used in virtual private networks (VPNs)
IS-IS
Intermediate System to Intermediate System - a routing protocol designed to move information efficiently within a computer network, a group of physically connected computers or similar devices
LACP
Link Aggregation Control Protocol - a standards-based method to control the bundling of several physical network links together to form a logical channel for increased bandwidth and redundancy purposes
LAN
Local Area Network - a collection of devices connected together in one physical location, such as a building, office, or home
LC
Local Connector - Fiber Connector; most common; Square body with tabs, often paired.
LDAP
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol - a vendor-neutral software protocol used to lookup information or devices within a network
LDAPS
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol over SSL - a secure version of LDAP that encrypts communication between clients and servers
LLDP
Link Layer Discovery Protocol - a layer 2 neighbor discovery protocol that allows devices to advertise device information to their directly connected peers/neighbors
MAC
Media Access Control - a unique identifier assigned to a network interface controller (NIC) for use as a network address in communications within a network segment
MDF
Main Distribution Frame - a signal distribution frame for connecting equipment (inside plant) to cables and subscriber carrier equipment (outside plant)
MDIX
Medium Dependent Interface Crossover - the interface (both physical and electrical/optical) in a computer network from a physical-layer implementation to the physical medium used to carry the transmission
MFA
Multifactor Authentication - an electronic authentication method in which a user is granted access to a website or application only after successfully presenting two or more pieces of evidence (or factors) to an authentication mechanism; AKA 2FA (2 Factor Authentication)
MIB
Management Information Base - a database used for managing the entities in a communication network
MPO
Multifiber Push On - a fiber optic connector that combines multiple optical fibers into one interface
MTBF
Mean Time Between Failure - a measure of the reliability of a system or component; the average time that a system or component will operate before it fails
MTTR
Mean Time To Repair - the average time it takes to recover from a product or system failure; from the time the system or product fails to the time that it becomes fully operational again
MTU
Maximum Transmission Unit - the largest packet or frame size, specified in octets (eight-bit bytes) that can be sent in a packet- or frame-based network
MX
Mail Exchange - involves the use of DNS records and the transport pipeline to route emails to authorized mail servers
NAC
Network Access Control - a security method that controls who and what can access a network
NAS
Network Attached Storage - a file-level computer data storage server connected to a computer network providing data access to a different group of clients
NAT
Network Address Translation - a method of mapping an 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
NFV
Network Functions Virtualization - a network architecture concept that leverages IT virtualization technologies to virtualize entire classes of network node functions into building blocks that may connect, or chain together, to create and deliver communication services
NIC
Network Interface Card - a computer hardware component that connects a computer to a computer network
NS
Name Server - a computer application that implements a network service for providing responses to queries against a directory service
NTP
Network Time Protocol - a networking protocol for clock synchronization between computer systems over packet-switched, variable-latency data networks
NTS
Network Time Security - a secure version of NTP
OS
Operating System
OSPF
Open Shortest Path First - a routing protocol for Internet Protocol (IP) networks; gathers link state information from available routers and constructs a topology map of the network to compute the shortest path to the destination IP address
OSI
Open Systems Interconnection - a reference model from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that “provides a common basis for the coordination of standards development for the purpose of systems interconnection.” 7 Layers: Physical, Data Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, and Application
OT
Operational Technology - hardware and software that detects or causes a change, through the direct monitoring and/or control of industrial equipment, assets, processes and events
PaaS
Platform as a Service - a cloud computing service model where users provision, instantiate, run and manage a modular bundle of a computing platform and applications, without the complexity of building and maintaining the infrastructure associated with developing and launching application(s), and to allow developers to create, develop, and package such software bundles
PAT
Port Address Translation - a network technology that allows multiple devices to share a single public IP address
PCI DSS
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards - a set of guidelines that help organizations protect cardholder data
PDU
Power Distribution Unit - a device fitted with multiple outputs designed to distribute electric power, especially to racks of computers and networking equipment located within a data center
PKI
Public Key Infrastructure - a framework of tools, policies, and procedures that help secure digital communications; uses public-key cryptography to authenticate users and devices, and to encrypt and decrypt data
PoE
Power over Ethernet - allows a single cable to provide both a data connection and enough electricity to power networked devices such as wireless access points (WAPs), IP cameras and VoIP phones
PSK
Pre-Shared Key - a shared secret which was previously shared between the two parties using some secure channel before it needs to be used
PTP
Precision Time Protocol - a protocol for clock synchronization throughout a computer network with relatively high precision and therefore potentially high accuracy
PTR
Pointer - a variation of the sequence-to-sequence model with attention. Instead of translating one sequence into another, they yield a succession of pointers to the elements of the input series
QoS
Quality of Service - the use of mechanisms or technologies that work on a network to control traffic and ensure the performance of critical applications with limited network capacity
QSFP
Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable - a high-speed cable and transceiver that moves data between networking devices
RADIUS
Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service - a networking protocol that provides centralized authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) management for users who connect and use a network service
RDP
Remote Desktop Protocol - a proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft Corporation which provides a user with a graphical interface to connect to another computer over a network connection
RFID
Radio Frequency Identifier - uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects
RIP
Routing Information Protocol - a network protocol that helps routers exchange information about network topology; small to medium networks, max hop count of 15
RJ
Registered Jack - a standardized telecommunication network interface for connecting voice and data equipment to a computer service provided by a local exchange carrier or long distance carrier
RPO
Recovery Point Objective - the maximum acceptable interval during which transactional data is lost from an IT service
RSTP
Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol - provides significantly faster spanning tree convergence after a topology change, introducing new convergence behaviors and bridge port roles to accomplish this
RTO
Recovery Time Objective - the maximum acceptable amount of time for restoring a network or application and regaining access to data after an unplanned disruption
RX
Receiver - a circuit that accepts signals from a transmission medium (which can be wireless or wired) and decodes or translates them into a form that can drive local circuits
SaaS
Software as a Service - a cloud computing service model where the provider offers use of application software to a client and manages all needed physical and software resources
SAML
Security Assertion Markup Language - an open standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between parties, in particular, between an identity provider and a service provider
SAN
Storage Area Network - a specialized, high-speed network that provides network access to storage devices
SASE
Secure Access Service Edge - technology used to deliver wide area network (WAN) and security controls as a cloud computing service directly to the source of connection (user, device, Internet of things (IoT) device, or edge computing location) rather than a data center
SC
Subscriber Connector - larger fiber connector with push-pull locking
SCADA
Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition - a control system architecture comprising computers, networked data communications and graphical user interfaces for high-level supervision of machines and processes; covers sensors and other devices, such as programmable logic controllers, which interface with process plant or machinery
SDN
Software Defined Network - an approach to network management that uses abstraction to enable dynamic and programmatically efficient network configuration to create grouping and segmentation while improving network performance and monitoring in a manner more akin to cloud computing than to traditional network management
SD-WAN
Software-Defined Wide Area Network - a wide area network that uses software-defined networking technology, such as communicating over the Internet using overlay tunnels
SFP
Small Form-factor Pluggable - a compact, hot-pluggable network interface module format used for both telecommunication and data communications applications
SFTP
Secure File Transfer Protocol - a network protocol for securely accessing, transferring and managing large files and sensitive data
SIP
Session Initiation Protocol - a signaling protocol used for initiating, maintaining, and terminating communication sessions that include voice, video and messaging applications
SIEM
Security Information & Event Management - a field within computer security that combines security information management (SIM) and security event management (SEM) to enable real-time analysis of security alerts generated by applications and network hardware
SLA
Service Level Agreement - an agreement between a service provider and a customer
SLAAC
Stateless Address Auto Configuration - can automatically configure IPv6 host parameters on an IPv6 host without the need for manual configuration or a DHCP server
SMB
Server Message Block - a communication protocol used to share files, printers, serial ports, and miscellaneous communications between nodes on a network
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol - an Internet standard communication protocol for electronic mail transmission
SMTPS
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol Secure - a method for securing the SMTP using transport layer security
SNMP
Simple Network Management Protocol - an Internet Standard protocol for collecting and organizing information about managed devices on IP networks and for modifying that information to change device behavior
SOA
Start of Authority - a type of resource record in the Domain Name System (DNS) containing administrative information about the zone, especially regarding zone transfers
SQL
Structured Query Language - a domain-specific language used to manage data
SSE
Security Service Edge - a collection of SASE security services that can be implemented together with network services, like SD-WAN, to provide a complete solution
SSH
Secure Shell - a cryptographic network protocol for operating network services securely over an unsecured network
SSID
Service Set Identifier - a sequence of characters that uniquely names a Wi-Fi network;
SSL
Secure Socket Layer - a security protocol that encrypts data sent between a server and a client
SSO
Single Sign On - an authentication scheme that allows a user to log in with a single ID to any of several related, yet independent, software systems
ST
Straight Tip - A fiber-optic cable connector that uses a bayonet plug and socket
STP
Shielded Twisted Pair - a type of communications cable in which two conductors of a single circuit are twisted together for the purposes of improving electromagnetic compatibility with an electrically conductive barrier to attenuate electromagnetic waves external to the shield
SVI
Switch Virtual Interface - a virtual routed interface that connects a VLAN on the device to the Layer 3 router engine on the same device
TACACS+
Terminal Access Controller Access Control System Plus - a network security protocol that authenticates, authorizes, and accounts for users accessing a network
TCP
Transmission Control Protocol - a standard protocol on the internet that ensures the reliable transmission of data between devices on a network
TFTP
Trivial File Transfer Protocol - a simple high-level protocol for transferring data servers use to boot diskless workstations, X-terminals, and routers by using User Data Protocol (UDP)
TTL
Time to Live - a mechanism which limits the lifespan or lifetime of data in a computer or network
TX
Transmitter - an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna with the purpose of signal transmission up to a radio receiver
TXT
Text
UDP
User Datagram Protocol - a connectionless protocol meaning that messages are sent without negotiating a connection and that UDP does not keep track of what it has sent
UPS
Uninterruptible Power Supply
URL
Uniform Resource Locator - a reference to a resource that specifies its location on a computer network and a mechanism for retrieving it; www.example.com
USB
Universal Serial Bus
UTM
Unified Threat Management - a network security system that combines multiple security features into a single device
UTP
Unshielded Twisted Pair - a type of communications cable in which two conductors of a single circuit are twisted together for the purposes of improving electromagnetic compatibility
VIP
Virtual Internet Protocol - an IP address that does not correspond to a physical network interface
VLAN
Virtual Local Area Network - a virtualized connection that connects multiple devices and network nodes from different LANs into one logical network
VLSM
Variable Length Subnet Mask - a computer networking technique to divide an IP network into subnets with different subnet masks
VoIP
Voice over Internet Protocol - a technology that allows you to make voice calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analog) phone line
VPC
Virtual Private Cloud - an on-demand configurable pool of shared resources allocated within a public cloud environment, providing a certain level of isolation between the different organizations using the resources
VPN
Virtual Private Network - a network architecture for virtually extending a private network (i.e. any computer network which is not the public Internet) across one or multiple other networks which are either untrusted (as they are not controlled by the entity aiming to implement the VPN) or need to be isolated (thus making the lower network invisible or not directly usable)
VXLAN
Virtual Extensible Local Area Network - a network virtualization technology that uses a VLAN-like encapsulation technique to encapsulate OSI layer 2 Ethernet frames within layer 4 UDP datagrams
WAN
Wide Area Network
WPA
Wi-fi Protected Access - a security standard that protects wireless networks by encrypting data and authenticating users
WPS
Wi-fi Protected Setup - a feature that lets devices connect to a Wi-Fi network without entering a password
ZTA
Zero Trust Architecture - an enterprise cybersecurity architecture that is based on zero trust principles and designed to prevent data breaches and limit internal lateral movement
