Sidewinder G2 6.1.2 Administration Guide - Glossary of Technical ...

Glossary
Administrative kernel A UNIX kernel that provides the environment needed to perform
administrative tasks such as installing software or running a system backup.
When the Administrative kernel is running, all network connections are
disabled and Internet services are not available; Type Enforcement security is
disabled. See also Operational kernel.
alarm event A Sidewinder G2 feature used to monitor your network for potentially
threatening activity, such as an attempted attack or an audit overflow. When
an alarm event is generated, an appropriate event response is issued.
alias An arbitrary name that a system administrator can assign to a network
element. Aliases can typically be any combination of up to 16 characters
(without spaces).
API (application program
interface)
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A stable, published software interface to an operating system or specific
software program by which a programmer writing a custom application can
make requests of the operating system or specific software program. (An API
provides an easy and standardized connection to a particular software
component.).
Application Defenses A feature that is incorporated in proxy rules to configure application-specific
properties for each proxy on a per-rule basis. Properties include basic timeout
properties and application-specific permissions, as well as anti-virus/spyware,
anti-spam/fraud, SSL decryption, and Web services management for key
proxies.
application-layer proxy Also known as an intelligent proxy. Application-layer proxies check
application-layer data as it comes into the Sidewinder G2. If the data is
compliant with that application’s standard, the Sidewinder G2 initiates a new
connection on its opposite side and passes on the data. If the data is not
compliant, the Sidewinder G2 drops the data.
ARP (address resolution
protocol)
A protocol used to map an IP address to a MAC address. A gratuitous ARP is
a system broadcasting its own information, often after an address change, so
other devices can update their ARP caches.
auditing A method of collecting and storing information that can be used to track
system activity (for example authentication attempts, configuration
modifications, stopping and starting of services, etc.).
authentication A process that verifies the authenticity of a person or system before allowing
access to a network system or service.
authenticator A device or mechanism used to verify the identity of an individual logging onto
a network, application, or computer. Authenticators are also called tokens.
BIND (Berkeley Internet
Name Domain)
A standard program which implements the Domain Name Service (DNS).
BSD/OS The operation system obtained from Wind River, Inc., and used as a base for
developing SecureOS. See also SecureOS