General networking terms

ACL (Access Control List)

A set of rules governing access to a particular object or system resource

Active Directory / AD

Proprietary directory service offered by Microsoft, which allows for centralized management of users, devices, and other IT assets

API (Application Programming Interface)

A software component that allows applications to share data and functionality

ARP (Address Resolution Protocol)

Protocol that maps a dynamic IP address to a physical machine’s permanent MAC address in a local area network (LAN)

CA (Certification Authority)

Trusted entity that stores, signs, and issues digital certificates

CDP (Cisco Discovery Protocol)

Protocol used by Cisco devices to allow neighboring networking devices to learn about each other

CLI (Command-line Interface)

A text-based interface for applications and operating systems that allows a user to enter commands

CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing)

An IP addressing method that improves the efficiency of allocating IP addresses

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)

Network management protocol used to automatically assign IP addresses and other communication parameters to devices on an Internet protocol network

DNS (Domain Name System)

A system by which computers and other devices on the Internet or Internet protocol networks are uniquely identified using names mapped to their IP addresses

Endpoint

An entity (device, service, node, etc.) at the end of a network communication channel

FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name)

The complete address of a computer, host, or any other entity on the Internet

Identity Provider (IdP)

A third-party entity and/or service that stores and manages identities and credentials for use by other websites, applications, or other digital resources

LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)

An open, cross-platform protocol used to access and maintain directory services for assets in an Internet protocol network

LLDP (Link Layer Discovery Protocol)

A vendor-neutral protocol used by devices on IEEE 802 networks to advertise their identity, capabilities, and other information

MIB (Management Information Base)

A database that stores information used for managing a network

Network interface

A (physical or software-based) point of connection between a network entity and the rest of the network

NID (Network Infrastructure Device)

Any device, such as an access point, router, or switch, that provide the means for entities to communicate with each other over a network

NTP (Network Time Protocol)

A networking protocol used to synchronize device clocks over the Internet

Open port

A TCP or UDP port that has been configured to accept packets

OUI (Organizationally Unique Identifier)

A unique 24-bit number in a MAC address that identifies the vendor or the manufacturer of the device

PDU (Protocol Data Unit)

An individual unit of information exchanged by entities on a network using the same protocol

PostgreSQL

An open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) that supports both SQL and JSON querying

RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service)

A client-server AAA (authentication, authorization, accounting) protocol used to manage remote user access to network resources

Web server banner

A text-based greeting message, which includes information like open ports, services, and version numbers, returned by a web host

SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)

An IP network protocol used to collect data related to state and/or behavior from devices on a network

SNMP trap

A PDU that can be sent by an SNMP-enabled device without needing to be polled

Software agent

A persistent piece of software that performs certain actions and/or interacts with its environment on behalf of a user or another program

SSH (Secure Shell Protocol)

A network communication protocol that allows network services to be used securely over an unsecured network

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)

A protocol for establishing secure connections between networked devices

Syslog

A cross-platform network logging protocol used to send and/or receive alerts between different devices on a network

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)

A connection-oriented protocol that enables the bidirectional exchange of messages between devices on the same network

TSIG (Transaction Signature)

A protocol that secures DNS packets and allows a Domain Name System to authenticate updates to the DNS database

Virtual appliance

A pre-configured virtual machine image with pre-installed software meant to serve a specific function