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Fortress : Glossary
UDP User Datagram Protocol—defines a method for “best effort” delivery of data packets
over a network that, like TCP, runs on top of IP but, unlike TCP, does not guarantee the
order of delivery or provide integrity checking.
user authentication The practice of requiring users to enter their assigned user IDs and established pass-
words and of checking the validity of these credentials before allowing them to connect
to the network.
user password The password a user must enter in order to access a network or system that requires
user authentication.
VLAN Virtual Local Area Network—a collection of computers configured through software to
behave as though they are members of the same network, even though they may be
physically connected to separate subnets.
VoIP Voice over IP, sometimes VOI (Voice over Internet)
VPN Virtual Private Network—a private network of computers connected, entirely or in part,
by public phone lines.
WEP Wired Equivalent Privacy—security protocol for WLANs, defined in the 802.11b standard
but subsequently found to be vulnerable to attack. WPA is intended to supplant WEP in
current and future 802.11 standards.
Wi-Fi® Wireless Fidelity—used generically to refer to any type of 802.11 network (referred
originally to the narrower 802.11b specification for WLANs).
WiMAX
Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access—the IEEE 802.16 specification for
fixed, broadband, wireless MANs that use a point-to-multipoint architecture, defining
bandwidth use in the licensed frequency range of 10GHz–66GHz and the licensed and
unlicensed frequency range of 2GHZ–11GHz.
WIDS Wireless Intrusion Detection System
WLAN Wireless Local Area Network. A local area network that allows mobile users network
access through radio waves rather than cables.
WPA
Wi-Fi Protected Access—a specification for implementing security on Wi-Fi networks
using 802.1x and EAP to restrict network access, and TKIP encryption to secure data
transfer. WPA is designe d to r eplace the weaker WEP on WEP-enabled networ k devices
and in current and future 802.11 standards.