| Biometrics |
The detection and use of unique identifying physical characteristics in identifying users of a system, typically for security reasons to restrict access without the use of passwords. Examples of biometric devices include: thumbprint readers, retina scanners, body heat scanners, and typing-pattern detectors (using inter-keystroke delays). Biometrics can rarely be forged, but unless the biometric devices are secured to ensure that the person who is gaining access is the same person who is being scanned, it is certainly possible to copy the individual data to pose as another person. |
| |
|
| DSL |
Digital Subscriber Line services are high-speed internet connections that usually provided the local phone company. DSL requires a network card (NIC) and a DSL modem or router installed for your system. |
| |
|
| DUN |
Dial-up networking uses a standard telephone line, software, and an internal or external modem to dial in to an ISP and make a PC/Internet connection. DUN is still the most common method of internet access used in United States. |
| |
|
| Firewall |
Basically, a firewall is a barrier to keep destructive forces away from your property. In fact, that's why it's called a firewall. Its job is similar to a physical firewall that keeps a fire from spreading from one area to the next. A firewall is simply a program or hardware device that filters the information coming through your Internet connection into your private network or computer system. If an incoming packet of information is flagged by the filters, it is not allowed through. |
| |
|
| IP |
The abbreviation IP stands for Internet Protocol. What is Internet Protocol? It is a standard in which all machines on the Internet communicate - A common language in which computers talk to each other. In order for your computer to access web pages, chat with friends, or do any other Internet related task it needs an Internet Protocol (IP) Address.
Think of your IP address just like your street address in order for someone to send you information, they have to know where to ship it. Computers are assigned IP addresses by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) every time you connect to the Internet. Some ISPs provide you with a static IP address which never changes every time you connect. However most ISPs provide dynamic IP addresses which are constantly changing.
An IP Address is broken into four sets of numbers, each separated by a period. Each number can be from zero to 255. For example: 192.168.1.255 could be a valid IP Address. Every time you request a web page or read an email the information is sent behind the scenes to your unique IP Address. For security reasons, no two computers can have the same IP Address as they would be confused as to which computer should receive the information. |
| |
|
| Internet Protocol Addresses and Domain Name Servers |
Internet Protocol (IP) addresses are numbers used to locate computers on a network. Every computer has an IP address when it is in use. Phone numbers are analogous to IP addresses in that for one phone to communicate with another; both must have unique numbers in the phone system.
This analogy can be expanded to explain Domain Name Servers (DNS) by using the analogy of a phone book, where the DNS uses a typed in name to find the IP address number, just as a phone book uses a name to find a phone number. Domain Name Servers (DNS) are computers that translate plain text names into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses by using a table cross-referencing the two. For instance, typing "www.cnn.com" into a browser, such as Internet Explorer or Netscape, will cause a check to a DNS that will return the IP address "64.236.24.20," pointing the browser to the computer that contains the requested web page. |
| |
|
| ISP |
Short for Internet service provider, an ISP owns and operates all of the equipment (telephony, digital cable, servers, etc.) that allow you to connect to the Internet from your home or office. Most ISP's sell access to their services for a small monthly fee, which you can access by "calling in" or "connecting to" your ISP's computer network. Examples of large ISP's in the United States are Earthlink, America Online and RoadRunner. |
| |
|
| Meta Information |
Meta information means "information about information." In HTML, meta tags describe the content of the document. One way to help your document show up more frequently in search engines and directories is to use the META TAGS to set keywords that will pull up your site when someone does a search for those words. |
| |
|
| Resolution |
The resolution of an image describes how fine the dots are that make up that image. The more dots, the higher the resolution. A 300 dpi (dots per inch) printer is capable of printing 300 dots in a line 1 inch long. This means it can print 90,000 dots per square inch. When displayed on a monitor, the dots are called pixels. A 640-by-480-pixel screen is capable of displaying 640 distinct dots on each of its 480 lines, or about 300,000 pixels. |
| |
|
| VPN |
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) supports private network access over public connections. A VPN provides secure and cost-effective LAN-WAN communications. |