Cybersecurity Glossary

A TCP wrapper is a software package that is used to restrict access to certain network services based on the source of the connection. In other words, it is a host-based networking acl system, used to filter network access to internet protocol servers on (unix-like) operating systems such as gnu/linux or BSD.

Trunking is a method for a system to provide network access to many clients by sharing a set of lines or frequencies instead of providing them individually. This is analogous to the structure of a tree with one trunk and many branches.

TCP/IP stack fingerprinting is the passive collection of configuration attributes from a remote device during standard layer 4 network communications. The combination of parameters may be used to infer the remote machine’s operating system (OS), or incorporated into a device fingerprint.

A trojan horse is a computer program that appears to have a useful function, but also has a hidden and potentially malicious function that evades security mechanisms, sometimes by exploiting legitimate authorization of a system entity that invokes the program.

A TCP half open scan determines if a port is open by performing the first half of a three-way handshake. It is also referred to as syn scanning. In syn scanning, the hostile client or attacker attempts to set up a tcp/ip connection with a server at every possible port. This is done by sending a syn (synchronization) packet, as if to initiate a three-way handshake, to every port on the server.

Threat assessment is a structured process used to identify and evaluate various risks or threats that an organization might be exposed to.

Time to live (TTL) or the hop limit is a mechanism that limits the lifespan of data in a computer or network. TTL is generally implemented as a counter or time stamp attached to or embedded in the data. TTL value in an ip data packet tells a network router whether or not the packet has been in the network too long and should be discarded.

Transmission control protocol (TCP) is a set of rules or protocols that is used along with the internet protocol to send data in the form of message units between computers over the internet. Whereas the IP protocol deals only with packets, TCP enables two hosts to establish a connection and exchange streams of data. TCP takes care of keeping track of the individual units of data called packets. TCP guarantees delivery of data and also guarantees that packets will be delivered in the same order in which they were sent. It originated in the initial network implementation in which it complemented the internet protocol (IP). Therefore, the entire suite is commonly referred to as TCP/IP.

A token-based device or a security token is known by several names such as, hardware token, authentication token, USB token, cryptographic token, software token, virtual token, or key fob. A security token may be a physical device that an authorized user is given to access a system or network. Security tokens are used to prove one’s identity electronically and are used in addition to or in place of a password to prove that the customer is who they claim to be. The token acts like an electronic key to access something.

A threat is a possible danger that might exploit a vulnerability to violate security protocols and thus, cause possible harm. A threat can be either deliberate (example, an individual cracker or a criminal organization) or accidental (example, the possibility of a computer malfunctioning, or the possibility of a natural disaster such as an earthquake, a fire, or a tornado) or otherwise a circumstance, capability, action, or event.