Definition
What is the NSA and how does it work? | Definition from TechTarget
The National Security Agency (NSA) is a federal government surveillance and intelligence agency that’s part of the U.S. Department of Defense and is managed under the authority of the director of national intelligence (DNI). Led by the NSA director, the agency performs global electronic monitoring, collection and processing of information and data from its headquarters…
What are Network Packets and How Do They Work? | Definition from TechTarget
A network packet is a basic unit of data that is transferred over a computer network, typically a packet-switched network, such as the internet. Before data like files, images, videos or emails are transmitted over a network, they are first divided into packets. Upon arrival at their destination, the packets are reassembled to form the…
What is the Nessus vulnerability scanning platform? | Definition from TechTarget
Nessus is a platform developed by Tenable that scans for security vulnerabilities in devices, applications, operating systems, cloud services and other network resources. Originally launched as an open source tool in 1998, its enterprise edition became a commercial product in 2005. Nessus is now available in two enterprise versions: Nessus Professional and Nessus Expert. Both…
What is Information Security Management System (ISMS)? | Definition from TechTarget
An information security management system (ISMS) is a set of policies and procedures for systematically managing an organization’s sensitive data. The goal of an ISMS is to minimize risk and ensure business continuity by proactively limiting the impact of a security breach. An ISMS typically addresses employee behavior and processes as well as data and…
What is a cyberthreat hunter (cybersecurity threat analyst)? | Definition from TechTarget
A cyberthreat hunter, also called a cybersecurity threat analyst, proactively identifies security incidents that might go undetected using automated security tools, such as malware detectors and firewalls. Cyberthreat hunting involves monitoring network traffic, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, endpoints, data sets and insider threats — often in real time — to uncover potential security incidents that…
What is Spyware? | Definition from TechTarget
Spyware is a type of malicious software (malware) that is installed on a computing device without the end user’s knowledge. It invades the device, steals sensitive information and internet usage data, and relays it to advertisers, data firms or external users. Any software can be classified as spyware if it is downloaded without the user’s…
What is SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)? | Definition from TechTarget
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a networking protocol that secures connections between web clients and web servers over internal networks or the internet by encrypting the data sent between those clients and servers. Why is SSL important? Part of SSL’s significance lies in the fact that it was the first widely used and broadly implemented…
What is a Proxy Firewall? | Definition from TechTarget
A proxy firewall is a network security system that protects network resources by filtering messages at the application layer. It is also called an application firewall or gateway firewall and is the most secure type of firewall. How does a proxy firewall work? A proxy firewall stands between an internal network and the public-facing internet….
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